Maybe you've noticed I've been missing in action around here lately. I'm going to blame traveling and having a good time. In a four-week period, I was out of town for three weeks! Wahoo! BUT, I was never far from thinking about you and what I wanted to show you. So here's a story I am bursting to tell you.
We went to the island of Kauai, Hawaii and toured a 4,000,000 tree coffee farm, that's 4 million! It is the largest coffee estate in the United States and covers 3,100 acres of paradise. It was a self-guided tour (my favorite kind).
A pretty humble little building for such a huge operation, but so charming. Before beginning the tour, there was a tasting room that had at least 30 coffees to sample for FREE! I am in heaven at this point of the tour. I LOVE COFFEE like most people love wine.
Side Note: The story goes that I was given coffee in a bottle as a baby (that's the way my family rolled). Later when my son would order coffee in restaurants beginning around age 7, people would act like he was ordering something illegal--they didn't realize he was starting late in life compared to his mother! I got some very dirty looks from waitresses. As an adult, he roasts his own coffee and does a mighty fine job of it! We talk and drink coffee a lot in our family--gotta start them young to get those coffee taste buds developed properly.
Now, on with the tour....aaaaahhhhh, cue the birds chirping and the music playing, this is coffee heaven...
Now, on with the tour....aaaaahhhhh, cue the birds chirping and the music playing, this is coffee heaven...
Even the sidewalk had coffee cups imprinted....love it!
Oh, those glorious coffee beans...
I thought the trees looked like schefflera plants, don't you?
Of course, the trees look so healthy...they get to grow in Hawaii!
All along the path there was signage explaining something about the coffee growing, harvesting, etc. process.
Some of the machinery...note quite as cute as the trees, but, hey, this gets those beans ready for my tummy!
This was where the beans are sorted.
I loved how neat and tidy this place was too.
Everything grows like wildfire in Hawaii so the process of weeding must be monumental!
Okay, now true confession. I was so enthralled by all of the free coffee samples I could try, I forgot to take a picture of the tasting room. Also, I drink decaf due to a medical condition, but I just took an extra pill this day and drank the good old caffeine--the decaf didn't come close in this situation. I'm being good again now, but this experience was worth the caffeine!
Another side note: I also went to the big island of Hawaii and their claim to fame in the coffee world is Kona coffee. I have tried it many times and this time I just finally said I don't like it. To me Kona is a very flat tasting coffee without much of a finish. Kauai coffee rocks!
I hope you coffee lovers enjoyed this huge piece of paradise. Hope you read this post with a steaming cup of your favorite jo!
Robin
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I bet this was a fun tour and tasting!
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