{"id":481,"date":"2016-10-19T10:40:42","date_gmt":"2016-10-19T14:40:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.fayegibbons.com\/?p=481"},"modified":"2016-10-19T10:40:42","modified_gmt":"2016-10-19T14:40:42","slug":"have-a-cup-of-coffee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.fayegibbons.com\/?p=481","title":{"rendered":"HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"kivapanorama\"<\/a> Kiva Koffeehouse<\/h2>\n

\"interior-rocks-background-1\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

My latest book, HALLEY, awarded 2015 Jefferson Cup Honor for Historical Fiction, awarded the Moonbeam Silver Medal for Young Adult Fiction,\u00a0 and awarded the 2016 Frank Yerby Award for Fiction.\u00a0 Available at: NewSouth Books:\u00a0www.newsouthbooks.com\/halley and Amazon<\/strong>.<\/h2>\n



I enjoy a good cup of coffee, but some of the places where I\u2019ve had my coffee have raised the experience to new levels.<\/strong>

The first that comes to mind is the collection of rustic cabins on top of Mount Le Conte in the Smoky Mountains.\u00a0 Having heard of the place several times, my husband and I first made the five-and-a-half mile hike to the top in 1968, and I still remember how the camp looked then, how it smelled, how far removed it seemed from ordinary life.\u00a0 It was like going back in time to a long ago, simpler age.\u00a0 Wood smoke tinged the fresh mountain air, but there was a smell of coffee too\u2014from the dining cabin.\u00a0 We soon learned there was plenty of it, free\u2014for guests.\u00a0 And later, in our many stays, with and without the two sons we eventually had, we were to experience it for ourselves.<\/strong>

Another such place was the section of Hadrian\u2019s Wall near Haltwhistle, England.\u00a0 We were there early on a September morning in 1993 when mists hung about the stone wall.\u00a0 It felt as if the ghosts of the roman soldiers who had built and then defended this wall were still present, just out of sight.\u00a0 We saw the remains of the barracks where they\u2019d slept and the bath house where they would have relaxed.\u00a0 We felt the chill winds sweeping in, too, on that autumn day.\u00a0 For a little while, we could imagine ourselves standing in the sandals of those long ago Roman soldiers.\u00a0 We even walked a hundred yards or so alongside the wall, getting more and more chilled by the minute.\u00a0 Soon we were talking about going to find a cup of hot coffee or tea in town.\u00a0 Leaving, we met the employees who managed the site, arriving to set up business for a day of charging admission fees.\u00a0 Too late to charge us!\u00a0 We spent our money on coffee.\u00a0 <\/strong>

Recently, Benjamin and I added another place to our short list of magic places to drink coffee\u2014Kiva Koffeehouse, near Escalante, Utah.\u00a0 <\/strong>

It was one of those days when we had taken several hikes and stopped at countless overlooks of the breath-taking arid terrain in southwest Utah.\u00a0 All at once, we swung around a turn and there below and off to the left was a curving stone building that seemed to be a natural part of the landscape. Like a mirage, we saw the sign:\u00a0 Kiva Koffeehouse.\u00a0 Here?\u00a0 Miles from a town? In the middle of nowhere?\u00a0 Yes!<\/strong>

Suddenly a cup of coffee was exactly what we wanted.\u00a0 Benjamin pulled off to a narrow driveway that led to a parking area.\u00a0 The koffeehouse was lower on the slope than the parking area, so we had to go down a flight of steps to the entrance.\u00a0 Inside, tables followed the curve of the semicircular wall.\u00a0\u00a0 Huge 300-year-old Ponderosa pine logs supported the ceiling. High windows brought the desert landscape inside.\u00a0 Below the Koffeehouse , on a different level, was another building we thought must be living quarters for the manager, but it turned out to be guest quarters that were available to rent.\u00a0 We knew it was over our budget, but didn\u2019t know how much over until we got home and checked on the Internet.\u00a0 It was also booked solid. <\/strong>

\u201cTwo cups of coffee,\u201d Benjamin told the waitress.\u00a0 Then we became aware that there were delicious looking temptations in a display case a few feet away.\u00a0 We ordered lemon bars.\u00a0 I don\u2019t remember what they cost, but it was worth it. While we nibbled and sipped, we looked at the pottery and the black and white photos on display, soaking in the atmosphere of one of those rare places like no other.\u00a0 <\/strong>

Only the arrival of closing time at 4:30 forced us to leave.\u00a0 As we pulled out into the highway another car was pulling in\u2014too late to have the full experience\u2014but not too late for seeing this magic place in the desert.<\/strong>

If you\u2019re ever near Escalante, Utah, look for Kiva Koffeehouse on east highway 12.\u00a0 You won\u2019t be disappointed.\u00a0 They\u2019ll give you a free refill on your coffee!<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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