Drive-thru Services

I really dig espresso shacks. Common throughout the west, these little booths can provide a tasty boost (a booth boost!) on a long drive, with the added convenience of not having to leave the car. I quite missed espresso shacks during my time in Florida, especially when I was doing crazy things like driving to Key West on a lark. No, on the east coast you have to find a Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts if you want a good coffee kick. I'd rather drink soda than rot-gut gas station coffee.

Espresso shacks are usually locally-owned and can provide quite unique coffee flavors. They are generally stashed in easily accessable parts of parking lots, near a main road, with a window on both sides so that the barista can help two customers at once. In Oregon, they were so plentiful that I was even able to satisfy a craving for a latte on a camping trip! In some towns, if you saw one too late to stop, you only had to drive a few more blocks to find another one.

While I've passed a few of these shacks in Laramie, I haven't visited any of them. I prefer to save my cash for when the caffeine is crucial to driving on the open road. More than once I've stopped at "The Humble Bean" in Fort Collins, Colorado, after a long day of hiking with an hour's drive more to go. In Bozeman, Montana, I picked up a needed boost at a crowded shack that offered five espresso shots to the brave of heart. There's a lot of open road in Montana.

Other drive-thru services don't impress me as much. I've used the drive-up window at the bank, but I usually don't need banking services while in my car. I'll admit to partaking of fast-food drive-thrus on occasion, but if I'm desperate enough to eat fast food, I've probably been driving so long I'm also desperate for the loo and have to go inside anyway.

Wyoming and Colorado have one more drive-thru service that I've never encountered before. Drive-thru Liquor Stores. No joke. The first time I saw one I thought I had misread the sign, but they are actually quite widespread. Now, on first reflection this sounds like a bad endorsement of driking and driving. Actually, on second and third reflection, it still does. I know it's cold outside, but if you have to get out of the car to get your groceries (no drive-thru Safeway so far), then you probably ought to be able to walk to get your booze as well.

I have yet to try this newfound drive-thru option. I just find it too weird, and I don't know if I would know what to ask for at such a window. "Do you have a nice red wine, not too expensive, but tasty?" "Ahh, excuse me, what's your microbrew selection?" "I'll have a bottle, no, two, of your best champagne." I suppose the idea is probably more along the lines of grabbing a quick case of Bud before the game/rodeo/stockshow/hunt.

I have enough trouble with drive-up windows anyway. I once scraped my side view mirror pretty badly on an espresso shack ledge in Sisters, Oregon. So I misjudged a little. I also have trouble with tollbooths when you have to get close enough to throw the coins in or push a button. Can you imagine trying to maneuver that sort of thing under the influence? Or even while thinking about alcohol?

And I'm sure the hooch doesn't come with a chocolate-covered coffee bean on top.