More of the Best Coffee Shops on Oahu

Since writing my previous post The Best Coffee Shops on Oahu I've discovered a couple more hidden gems. I mean, I'm sure that comes as no surprise for any of you, since you all know how much I love coffee! 

Honestly, most of these I just happened to drive by and I had to try them. 

• Ali'i Coffee Co

I was driving around downtown and I looked over and happened to see it. I immediately pulled over into a nearby parking area and went in. 

They have tons of unique options of drinks (they're known for their cold brew). I decided to try the  iced Taro Ube Latte. 

The barista shook my drink as though it was a cocktail and handed it to me. The vibrantly purple drink was absolutely delicious! If you're ever in Honolulu I totally recommend trying it. 

35 S. Beretania St

Honolulu Hi 96813

Also, they offer reusable straws for $1. You should totally get one! Help save the environment!

• Drive Thru Joe

Drive Thru Joe is a local coffee truck. They offer unique takes on cold brew coffee, such as Caramel Cream and Hawaiian Tropic.

Caramel Cream Cold Brew

 All of their coffee is delicious! And the owners are absolutely lovely people.

Drive Thru Joe is currently located at Schofield Barracks. You will need base access to try their delicious coffee. 

Here's their Facebook where you can see any updates or changes in location.

• Chad Lou Coffee Roasters

This small, cozy coffee shop is hidden in Kailua Town. It's the perfect place to stop and get a coffee and just hang out. 

 They even offer bagged coffee for purchase, that is roasted in store.

45 Kihapai St

Kailua Hi 96734

• Morning Brew

Morning Brew just opened in downtown Kaka'ako. The coffee shop itself is very modern and clean. They have local art displayed on the walls.

The view from upstairs in Morning Brew

The coffee is amazing! They also offer a pretty large food menu that includes waffles and sandwiches. It's a great place to hang out with friends or even bring you laptop and do some work. 

685 Auahi St 

#113

Honolulu Hi 96813

Have you tried any of these coffee shops?

Have You Ever Had Coffee in Space?

Have you ever had coffee in space ? No? I have! Okay... Well... Maybe not in space, but I have had Rocket Coffee! What is Rocket Coffee you ask? Well, let me go back a bit and I'll tell you all about it.

One day I was driving home from work and a bright orange van on the side of the road caught my eye. Lettered across the top was "Rocket Coffee." Now, if you're an avid reader of my blog, then you know how much I love coffee. I went down the road and turned around and stopped next to this van.

The  first thing I saw when I got out of my car was a big dog laying beside the van. I soon learned his name is Earnie and he goes to work everyday!

Say hi to Earnie! 

I began to look at the menu (which is quite large in my opinion) and the owner, Robby, began talking to me.

He asked what type of coffee I normally get. I told him I normally drink espresso shots. Well, he asked if I like lattes. Of course I do! Robby said he was going to make me the best latte of my life.

The latte was made from his cold brew concentrate. Now, I love coffee but I'm not a huge cold brew fan. It's usually too bitter for my liking. But Robby quickly changed my mind. This cold brew latte was so smooth and delicious. Seriously. It wasn't bitter at all!

Robby preparing my latte

As I talked to Robby, I began to learn more about him and his coffee truck experience.

He and his wife owned a shop on the mainland for 6 years. They took a vacation to Hawaii for a month and fell in love with it. Hawaii had always been their retirement plan, so they decided to just move to Hawaii and do what they were doing on the mainland.

He loves that his coffee truck puts him out of his comfort zone and engages him with other people. His goal is to offer not only a great cup of coffee, but an experience that people love. And believe me, he does just that.

Rocket Coffee offers a variety of menu options. You can have it as a cold brew or a cold brew latte. He uses only quality ingredients in the making of his cold brew concentrate. There is also the option of whole milk, almond milk and soy milk for your drinks.

Robby believes that the future of coffee is not coffee shops. But instead, someone being able to make great quality coffee that you can take home and make yourself. That's why he sells his concentrates also! So that you are able to put the exact amount of cold brew and water/milk ratio that you choose.

 If you're interested in having not only a great cup of coffee but also great conversation, then you should totally check out Rocket Coffee. To see where they are located for the day, simply go to their instagram page @rocketcoffeemobile. I promise you won't regret it!

Robby and his Rocket Coffee Van

And when you do try it, or if you have already, drop a comment below and let me know what you think!

Frankfort Kentucky's Hidden Gem

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while since I told you about my adventures. As I said in my previous post, I've had a lot of changes happening in my life. But I'm back now! So expect to see more of me popping up in your email. If you haven't signed up to get email notifications, you totally should. Just type your email address in the box provided to the right of the page (you may have to scroll a little).

I recently went home to Kentucky due to a family emergency. I'm the type of person who likes to try to find the good in every bad situation, no matter how hard it may be. I guess the one good thing that came out of it is that I got to spend time with my family, which was nice. I haven't seen them in over a year now.

During my time at home I explored a lot with my mom. When we had the chance that is. We managed to find some pretty cool things and even met some pretty awesome people. All within a half hour of where I grew up. I guess it goes to show that every town has it's own hidden gems, even small ones.

Easily my favorite place that we found was this little shop in the historical part of Frankfort, not far from the old capitol. It's called Kentucky Knows! Now, if you've followed my blog for a while, you know that I am absolutely obsessed with coffee. Well, Kentucky Knows roasts their own coffee. That's cool and all, but there's something that really makes them stand out.

They allow their coffee beans to "sleep" in bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace Distillery. If you've ever been to Kentucky then you know that Kentucky is known for Horses and Bourbon. So you can only imagine how delicious the coffee is after being aged in these barrels. The coffee that is sold is always no more than 7 days old. So you know you're always getting the freshest coffee around.

Kentucky Knows offers a variety of flavors of their coffee. There is the Kentucky Bourbon Coffee, Carmelled Barrel Aged, Bourbon Cinnamon, and so many more.

You get to try a free cup when you come into the store.

Tony Davis, the owner, is a kind, welcoming and warm.

Tony Davis, the owner of Kentucky Knows

When we first walked in, he gave us a little tour and told us about the process of the coffee aging and told us about his woodworking. We stayed and talked to him for over an hour. At no point did we feel rushed or that he wanted us to leave. We felt completely welcome to stay as long as we wanted.

 He is a Marine Corp veteran. The discipline and patience he gained through his experience in service definitely shows in the amazing art he creates from the bourbon barrels after the coffee has aged. He makes absolutely amazing things. Everything is custom made to his customer's liking.

One of my favorite things he makes is his Kentucky Knows guy. Tony told us that he has always been within the barrels, that it just took them to let him out.

A barrel with the Kentucky Knows logo

Tony is planning to expand Kentucky Knows. He hopes to have live music for the community to enjoy, amongst many other great plans. So keep an eye out as he grows his business.

If you're ever in Kentucky, I highly recommend stopping by. It's definitely worth it! He creates so many things that I haven't shown you. So what are you waiting for? Go to Kentucky Knows!


www,kentuckyknows.com

Phone: 859-621-5261

337 West Broadway St
Frankfort, Ky 40601

Best Coffee Shops on Oahu

As I'm sure many of you know by now, I absolutely LOVE coffee. When I travel, I always try out local coffee shops. I have stumbled upon the most amazing people in these shops and, of course, some super delicious coffee.

When I first moved to Hawaii, I set out to find the perfect cup of coffee. In my search, I have discovered some amazing places that often people wouldn't find. So here's my list of the BEST coffee shops on Oahu!

• Local Joe

It's the only coffee shop on the island where you can put any picture on your latte.

Pretty neat huh? And the coffee is delicous.

If you don't have a picture, you can choose from some they have

Phone: 808-536-7700

110 Marin St
Honolulu Hi 96817

Mon-Fri: 6:30 am - 5 pm
Sat: 8 am - 1pm
Sun: Closed

• Surfer's Coffee Bar

Surfer's is one of my favorite places to just go and hang out. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and the coffee is super yummy.

The coffee shop is a non-profit coffee shop and all the employees are volunteers. 100% of the proceeds go to local and global non-profit organizations.

Phone: 808- 439-3644

63 Kamehameha Hwy
Wahiwa Hi 96786

Mon:  Closed
Tues- Thurs: 7 am - 7 pm
Fri - Sat: 7 am - 9 pm

• Brew + Foam

A friend actually found this coffee shop online and we decided to try it out. It's a little shop but the flavors are big. They have a Haupia Mocha. Try it. You won't regret it! And if you do try it, comment below and let me know what you think!

Also, they have super delicious Acai bowls.

Haupia Mocha

Phone: 424-234-2244

67-292 Goodale Ave # 105
Waialua Hi 96791

Mon-Fri: 6 am - 3 pm
Sat- Sun: 7 am - 1 pm

• Green World Coffee Farm

This was the first coffee shop we tried after moving to the island. It's pretty large. They even have a gift shop that you can buy local goods and tons of different flavors of coffee that are made in house.

Walking through the rows of the Coffee Farm

You can also walk out back and walk through the Coffee Farm itself. Before going here I had never seen a coffee cherry.

Phone: 808- 622-2326

71-101 Kamehameha Hwy
Wahiawa Hi 96786

Mon - Fri: 6 am - 6 pm
Sat - Sun: 7 am - 7 pm

• Glazer's Coffee

This coffee shop is small and cozy. It's a great place to bring a laptop and just chill.

The coffee is delcious! (I wouldn't steer you wrong, now would I?)

2700 S King St

Honolulu Hi 96826

Mon - Thurs: 7 am - 10 pm

Fri: 7 am - 9 pm

Sat - Sun: 8 am - 10 pm

These are just a few of my favorite coffee shops that I've tried on Oahu. What are your favorites? Have you tried any of these? If so, what did you think?

Our First Trip to North Shore

After Cody got off work today, we decided to make our way to North Shore to spend the evening. Since we've only been on the island for a week, neither of us have been there.

On the drive there, we had amazing views of the cloud capped mountains.

This is just one view that I will never get tired of seeing. 

Our first stop was Matsumoto's Shave Ice. 

It's a small place that usually has a line out the door, but it is so worth the wait. In fact, the line moves quite quickly. 

You may be thinking, why would I wait in line for a shave ice? Well, I can answer that quite easily. It's absolutely delicious. It doesn't have the syrupy taste that most shave ice has. They have so many flavors to choose from (38 to be exact).

Next stop, Island Vintage Coffee. Who would've thought we would stop at a coffee shop?

The store is stocked with all sorts of goodies. They have various mugs, coffees and local treats available for purchase. To top it off, the coffee is awesome!

We finally made our way towards the beach... well... a beach. We aren't exactly sure which beach we ended up at, but we do know that it was in North Shore.

From this beach we were able to see the mountains. (I know. I know. You're thinking, will she shut up about these mountains already? But I just can't help it. I'm in love with them).

We stayed long enough to see the sunset. It was really pretty.

A local, paddle boarding

Although we didn't have to opportunity to do much this evening, we definitely enjoyed our time at North Shore. We will most definitely be making a return visit, so keep your eyes peeled!

The Best Coffee Shops in Kentucky

As you may know, when we travel we always try local coffee shops. We've visited over half of the country and have been to coffee shops in each place we visit.

I grew up in Kentucky and it will always be my home. So when we were there visiting family, I decided to try out some of the coffee shops around my small town. There are so many hidden gems you can find if you just look.

• Kentucky Coffee Tree

When we are in town we always make sure to make a stop here. It's one of my favorite coffee shops out of all the ones I've visited. The coffee is always delicious and the employees are so kind. 

Inside the coffeeshop, they have tall bookshelves that line the walls. All of the books are available for purchase next door at Poor Richard's Books. You can actually acess the bookstore through a joining door in the coffee shop. Poor Richard's Books has two floors. The upstairs floor is filled with antique books. There's even a huge window where you can look out over historic downtown Frankfort. 

There is another joining door that leads to store that sells local artwork. It's called Completely Kentucky.

If you're ever in Kentucky, you should definitely make a stop by.

235 W Broadway St
Frankfort Ky 40601

Mon - Wed: 6am - 9pm
Thu- Fri: 6am - 11pm
Sat: 8am - 10pm
Sun: 8am - 9pm

Phone: 502- 875- 3009

• Coffee Times

I tried this coffee shop for the first time in high school, when a good friend of mine took me. Even though I no longer live in the state, when I make it back home, I always stop by.
I absolutely love the coffee here and the employees are so helpful and friendly. They offer quite a few pastries (might I recommend the macroons?).
They even have a wall that has big jars filled with various types of teas.So there's a little something for everyone.

They have a community journal where anyone can write in it.

Connected to it, they have a shop where you can buy coffee mugs, coffee beans and pretty much anything else you need to make delicious coffee at home. Connected to their little shop, is a store called Street Scene. It's filled with all things vintage. Definitely a cool shop.

2571 Regency Rd
Lexington Ky 40503

Mon-Sat: 7:30am - 9 pm
Sun: 11am - 6pm

Phone: 859- 277- 9140

• Daily Offerings Coffee Roasters

We went to this coffee shop and we really enjoyed our time there. They roast their own coffee beans in store. They have a fairly large variety of drinks you can choose from.

The coffee itself is delicious and the employees are so kind and helpful. 

529 W Main St
Lexington Ky 40507

Mon-Fri: 7am - 8pm
Sat: 8am - 5pm
Sun: 9am - 5pm

Phone: 859- 368- 7906

• Highland Coffee Company

I first learned of this coffee shop because of a bumper sticker on a car. It said "I know where Highland Coffee is." I thought it was so witty that I just had to stop by. 

The atmosphere is super welcoming and warm. The coffee is delicious. They even offer three variations of Nitro Coffee. If you've never had Nitro coffee you should definitely try it. 

1140 Bardstown Rd
Louisville Ky 40204

Mon-Thurs: 6am - 10pm
Fri: 6am - 12am
Sat: 6:30am - 12am
Sun: 6:30am - 10pm

Phone: 502-451-4545

• Sixth and Main Coffeehouse

This coffee shop has some delicious coffee and honestly, some of the kindest employees. We sat and talked with Kathryn for quite a while.

There are shelves of books available for purchase, as well as various coffee mugs and local artwork. There are even two pokestops in the shop.

547 Main St
Shelbyville Ky 40065

Phone: 502- 647- 7751

• Southland Perk

This coffee shop just got a new owner, Luke Gifford. He is super friendly and makes delicious coffee. Cody actually got the opportunity to show him some magic tricks. We stayed and talked to Luke for well over 30 minutes. He even let us know of some local events that were going on.

There is a "Pay it Forward" bulletin board where you can purchase a coffee a coffee for someone and pin it to the board.

In a back room, they have an aquarium and the walls were chalkboards!

472 Southland Dr

Lexington Ky 40503

Mon-Thu: 7am - 6pm

Fri: 7am - 3pm

Sat: 9am - 3pm

Sun: Closed

Phone: 859- 260- 2005

What are your favorite coffee shops in Kentucky?