Coffee Shops

One of my favorite things to do when bumming or traveling is to drink and eat my way through the day. That is really all I need money for. I am not a shopper; I'm a looker but I do need a little money when I  find a cool coffee shop! A few days ago we took a road trip to Spencer, Iowa. Its a whole 60 miles from me and though I want an AMTRAK trip now in the worst way, Spencer Iowa is as good as its going to get. What a great day!After snooping through a fabric shop and an art gallery we braved the cold north wind to see if there was anything we were missing further down the street. And EUREKA! There were 2 coffee shops across the street from each other. Where to go??? Which one to pick?? Initially we chose the one in the old Spencer hotel building because we have fond memories of that old hotel but alas we couldn't find the entrance and the sign was unclear about whether it was open or not so we climbed some crumbly steps and entered a crumbly building and cautiously stuck our nose in the door to a warm cozy very aromatic coffee shop... named Toads. Here is what I like about Toads: 1) they roast their own beans 2) there is no pretention whatsoever to the place 3) nothing in there is new 4) they sell used books 5) its cozy and small 6) you can buy their coffee and tea in bulk 7) it was the best coffee I think I have ever had. I wish I had taken a picture to share but if you are interested you can go to their website JT Toads.com.

An inquiry on our part about the shop across the street left us little doubt that we had found the right establishment for us and the owner no doubt agreed. Heading back to the car we spotted an antique shop 1/2 block down a side street and couldn't resist. I'll have to say, if it wasn't already, Iowa is becoming a destination for antique seekers. Seems like every town has at least one, they are vendor run with weekend hours, and they are very interesting. I almost always find something I didn't know I needed! Spencer is a worthwhile stop and Toads is very worth your time as well!