First Morning Magic
My fiancé and I arrived at our cabin in Mountain View, AR late one evening, barely making time for dinner before flopping into bed (in our traveling clothes and all). The next morning I stirred, pulling the unfamiliar sheets up to my chin before rolling onto my side to check the time on my phone: 6:30 AM. I couldn’t wait to wash off my old makeup. My eyelashes were stuck together. With fuzzy socks to protect me from the icy, concrete floor, I parted the bright red curtains to reveal a most beautiful sunrise. Double Bridge Loop was absent of human noise: quiet, but not silent. Peace came over me, and I hadn’t even set foot outside in the 40-something-degree morning yet.
The sun kissed the crest of the hill before us, and the creek was already awake and burbling away. A cheerful bird, acting as my alarm clock, warbled bright and jolly from across Sylamore Creek. Dewy spiders’ webs adorned the brush in the field across from our cabin in a pattern of swiss dots. The sunlight hadn’t obscured them yet. And the redbud tree… Oh, the redbud tree–how it lit up our view like bright, fuchsia Christmas lights! My guy slept for another hour while I washed up and fiddled with the coffee maker. It was the neatest contraption: a Cuisinart hybrid of a coffee grinder and brewer, all controlled by a single button. And boy did I figure out how not to use this bad boy. I’m used to my Chemex and French Press, so automatic coffee makers are a different world.
No-So-Magical Coffee Maker Experience
You would assume that for someone who consumes lots of coffee and also brews coffee regularly, she would remember that you need to use a filter of some sort. Well, friends, you would be wrong. Because at 7:00 AM and much unfamiliar coffee pot anxiety, Michelle forgot. (Yes, that’s me in the third person.) Long story short, the coffee overflowed all over the counter and waterfalled to the floor. My fiancé was the real hero here: he figured out where the filter went. You know, after scoffing about the mess I made before our day even started. I made coffee only that morning.
The Mountain View Coffee Scene
We were surprised to see several coffee shops in the small town of Mountain View and visited two hot spots. There’s even a local roaster! More on that later, though.
As we moseyed downtown, we passed 4 places that advertised selling coffee. I’m not sure how we managed to find a town that savors coffee as much as we do. It just touched my soul–I could grab a coffee on nearly every corner! Who knew? Obviously the perfect vacation destination.
Time for some Real Coffee (aka: what you came for)
Old Town Espresso & Ice Cream
Our first stop was Mountain View’s Old Town Espresso & Ice Cream. The drive-through made it so easy for everyone in town to zip by and grab snacks and drinks before heading out on their adventures. Their menu selection is incredibly extensive! With 47 different flavors to choose from, there is something to please everyone in your car. There are sugar-free and organic flavorings, as well as alternative milk options. They also have energy drinks, savory snacks, and ice cream in so many forms.
It was a hard choice, but I chose a sugar-free eggnog iced latte. (Don’t judge me… I have issues with sugar. Sad days.)
The coffee wasn’t as prevalent in my latte as I’d hoped, but it was tasty. The eggnog flavor was incredible! It made me dream of winter days past. If you like your coffee sweet, you’re in luck. If you prefer some flavor but not with a mouthful of syrup, however, I’d recommend asking your barista for half the amount of flavoring. My guy ordered an Oreo frappé and enjoyed it thoroughly. Who wouldn’t?
We visited this sweet shop a second time on our way home. My “smoothie” was everything but. It was more like a slushie. I asked if there was sugar, to which they replied that it was all-natural fruit. So, I got a cherry smoothie! It turned out to be blended maraschino cherries in ice. Needless to say, I didn’t drink much. My fiancé, on the other hand, ordered the most Instagram-worthy frappé I’ve ever seen. It was birthday cake-flavored and had rainbow jimmies on top! And it tasted exactly like birthday cake. Highly recommend!
Moonshot Coffee
Moonshot Coffee: the name just pulls you in, right? I waited a few days into our trip before stopping in. Honestly, we should have visited every day to try something new. Our hospitable and talented barista brewed the finest cup of coffee I had the entire trip. She sources her coffee beans from a roaster about 15 minutes away from her shop. I hope to visit the roaster on our next vacation there. (See the photo at the bottom of this post for more info on his business!)
In a town with so many places to stop for coffee, there was no coffee shop just to honor the sweet bean. Until Moonshot came along, that is. From comic books to crystal jewelry and anime sketches, I felt so at home while waiting for my latte. She told us that she moved to Mountain View because of the people. They were more welcoming of her than people in her hometown. We felt the same. It’s a small town, but it’s touristy enough to keep people open to visitors. We even mused over moving there ourselves one day.
The coffee was so tasty. Guys. So…tasty. It didn’t linger on the tongue, but it was smooth and nutty. The coconut milk she used was delicious, and it almost tasted like a coconut-flavored latte. I remember it warming me from the inside and down to my toes. True to his form, my guy ordered an iced Irish cream latte. I prefer a coffee that is lightly flavored, but he wanted more flavoring here. Keep that in mind when you order!
May I Please Go Back to Mountain View? Like, soon?
There are many days that I wish I was back in our cabin in Mountain View. I want to hike around Mirror Lake again, see the hills peppered with cattle, hear the elusive warbler echo across Sylamore Creek, and wake up to a fluorescent redbud tree against the rocky cliffs.
Alas, back to coffee. From my observations, Moonshot wants to showcase its high-end coffee flavor, which I admire wholeheartedly. It is the espresso capital in Mountain View and a must for any coffee obsessive. Old Town Espresso & Ice Cream seems to prefer catering to the sweet tooth and fun flavors. It’s your family’s one-stop-shop to any kind of treat: like a Dairy Queen but…old-time vibes. Their specialty seems to be their frappés, so definitely don’t miss out on that!
Which coffee shop would you visit first? Have you ever visited Mountain View? Let’s share our stories below!
