Superior Taste

  I really need to stop with the puns. I wish I could blame my gosh darned boyfriend or annoyingly corny father but I really only have myself to blame. I've fallen into the trap of a well-placed pun. I hate them still, but I've fallen none the less.
  A few months ago I randomly took a trip to Minnesota. I think it was a first for me actually, which is exciting because I've been to almost every state. Finding a state I've yet to experience is a big deal for me. A similarly big deal is when I drink coffee in a new state.
  The nice people I was staying with wanted to show my best friend and I Lake Superior. So off we went on an uneventful hour long ride to Minnesota. My one stipulation for the day was that if I am going to a new state, I must drink coffee.
  Upon arriving the city(I actually have no idea what city it was...minor details) my best friend I agreed that it looked like something right out of a dysutopian novel. After driving through the city we stopped at a tower of sorts. It was a historical tower, dedicated to some Count a hundred years ago or something. Very simple and pointless. Four flights of stairs, every level looking exactly the same. No rooms, barred windows, truly I don't why it was there only that it honored a titled foreigner. That I couldn't understand it made it all the more intriguing to me.
  This is a picture of the view from the top, which brings me to my next point of interest. Above is Lake Superior. In late May.
  "Why is Lake Superior white?" you might ask. Good question. We were asking the same thing on that sunny day.
  The Answer: Ice.
  We were so fascinated that we had to get a closer look.
  It was beautiful.
  There were chunks of ice as big as a car and who knows how deep. The wind blew over the them making the air chilly. Not too far out were ships that looked to me right out of the 1800's. Perhaps they were. Perhaps they sat out there as another tribute to the Mysterious Count.

    Before you reach the water there was a little park area with quirky places to get treats. My personal favorite was the mini ship that sold mini donuts. Delicious mini donuts. That was another first for me- eating donuts from a ship that is on land.

  And then there was the lighthouse. Honestly, what would a trip like this be without a lighthouse?

I hope you are wondering about now about the coffee. If you aren't then shame on you. Count Mysterious would be disappointed. Okay...Probably not. But aren't you at least a little bit curious if I got to drink coffee in a new state? I mean, it's a big deal for me. 

Fine. I'll just tell you. 

  Meet the Red Mug Coffeehouse. If ever there was a time to use the word "hipster" it would be in describing this place. From the weird and slightly disturbing artwork to the mismatchy furniture to the heavily bearded baristas. It was in a basement for crying out loud, how much more indie can you get? 

  I loved it. 

 So there you go. My first cup of coffee in Minnesota...I thought. 

 As I excitedly told the nice coffee man that I've never had coffee in Minnesota before he graciously informed me that we had just barely crossed the border back into Wisconsin.

  Dang it.