Alright, I'll start this out with a disclaimer: I live in South Florida. There is no coffee here. To keep from losing my mind, I am going to tour the top cafes in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, in the period of a few days.
Unfortunately, due to time and budget constraints, I'll be unable to make it to the Durham, Chapel Hill area (I know), but I hope to visit all leading shops along the way. I have a brief list now, and would love additional suggestions.
The Itinerary:
Sunday, May 4th, 2008:
West Palm Beach, FL to Atlanta, GA
afternoon: Volta Coffee in Gainsville, FL
continue driving to hotel south of Atlanta
night: arrive in Atlanta area
Monday, May 5th, 2008:
Atlanta to Greenville, SC to Asheville, NC
morning: Octane Coffee Bar, continue driving
afternoon: Coffee and Crema, Greenville, continue driving
night: arrive in Asheville
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008:
Asheville to Charlotte, NC
morning: Izzy's Coffee
afternoon: explore Asheville
night: drive to Gastonia
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008:
Charlotte, NC
Dilworth Coffee and any suggested shops
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Charlotte, NC
Hike Crowder's Mountain
Friday, May 9th, 2008
Counter Culture Training Lab
Cupping at 10 am
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
Charlotte, NC to Brunswick, GA
Palm Coast Coffee, St. Simons Island, GA
Sunday, May 11th, 2008
Brunswick back to West Palm Beach, FL
Probably no coffee
Again, I would love any additional stops, not just limited to cafes. I'm also interested in visiting roasters, and love ethnic food (especially Indian and Middle Eastern). Also, does anyone have any recommendations for coffee touring? Should I be calling shops in advance? Any SOPs? My last coffee tour was Vancouver and Seattle, lots of fun.