This change of seasons has got me feeling kind of blue…it’s gray and cold and drizzly outside and my morning hike on the mountain felt awfully close to work.
So I started thinking about some of the cozy everyday moments that make me happy. One of those is my first cup of coffee each morning. Sitting in my favorite chair, reading the paper and sipping a good strong cup of coffee is a grand way to start each day.
And when I’m outdoors with an incredible view in spread out before me, that wonderful ritual is even better.
The best of those outdoor spots? Here they are.
10. Sitting on the porch of Glacier’s Granite Park Chalet and looking for grizzly bears from your safe perch is definitely worth the effort of the hike in.
9. Hanging out on the shore of Bowman Lake in Glacier. If you’re joined by a handsome deer family, so much the better.
9.a. I just can’t leave the Bowman Lake area without including the Polebridge Mercantile: great coffee, great scones, and a charming spot to enjoy them.
8. Sipping coffee on the “porch” of an Anasazi ruin in Grand Gulch, Utah is pretty darned amazing. Add in some spring green cottonwoods and the charming trill of a canyon wren and your morning is perfect.
7. A campsite in Montana’s Gravelly Range that sits right on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Madison Valley is up there as well.
6. Rivers are pretty wonderful spots to drink coffee and watch the morning world go by. There are oodles of choices, but I’ll give the number six spot to two of them: the Stillwater in south central Montana and the Missouri near the Gates of the Mountains.
5. Coffee in the Grand Canyon has got to be on anyone’s top ten. Unfortunately, I forgot to pack it when we hiked down the Tanner Trail earlier this year. Next time, I’m definitely having my morning coffee in this spot!
4. And Zion. Good lord, how to pick just one spot in Zion? But I’ll go with a spot high above the canyon on the East Rim.
3. Hogan Cabin has got to be my favorite Forest Service cabin, and coffee inside the cabin on a cold winter day makes for a pretty nice memory.
2. Just about anywhere in Yellowstone is a great spot for coffee – particularly since you could be joined by any number of critters.
1. And the best outdoor spot to have your morning coffee? It’s got to be on the wraparound walkway of the Medicine Point Lookout in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. The views are amazing, but the railing that provides a comfy footrest is what pushes this spot to number one.
How about you? Where’s your favorite spot for a cup of joe?
Off the Beaten Path: Hikes, Backpacks, and Travels 
How cute is this post! I love it! I want to be at all those locations, now!
Thanks – what a nice comment! I want to be there too!
OMG what a beautiful place! 🙂
They are gorgeous spots, aren’t they?
Well done! For me, Davidson Island in Isle Royale National Park (Lake Superior), either on the dock out front or, on a rainy day, in the dining room looking out at the big lake.
Thanks for adding to the list. I’ve wanted to visit Isle Royale for quite some time – now I know where to have my coffee!
What a great idea for a post. I’d like to do them all!
Thanks. I’ll gladly do them all again, too.
Anywhere out in nature with a great cup of coffee is heavenly! Great photos! 🙂
Thanks – I agree!
Wow, those memories and photos say to me that you have a wonderful life.
It’s always a good idea to pause and remember that, isn’t it? One reason I enjoy writing these posts.
This is one of my favorite posts you’ve done. You put me in so many beautiful places dreaming of that first cup of steaming dark coffee. Beautiful!
So nice – thanks!
Great way to frame all these beautiful spots!
You make me want to hit the road again!
Oh, I think your current plans sound pretty good!
We are without RV at the moment. Himself is getting withdrawal symptoms!