About the authors: Caroline Whatley and Erin McGrady are freelance photographers and writers. You can follow along on their adventures at Authentic Asheville and @e.mcgrady + @carolineperdue.
We first heard about Kuju Coffee from our friends at Asheville Trails. We do gear reviews for them and were super stoked when they gave us some coffee to try out on our next camping trip. We ended up packing it for an overnight trip not too far from Asheville knowing that if we didn’t like it, we’d be able to refuel in town without too much effort. But that wasn’t necessary.
All it took was one sip of the Angels Landing (floral, nutty and a little bit citrus) for me and the Bold Awakening (earthy, rich tones) for Caroline and we were hooked. Actually, we knew from the aromas coming out of the Pocket PourOver that we had stumbled onto something awesome. A way to bring coffee shop flavor right into our campsite? Yes, please.
Since that first sip of Kuju Coffee close to home, we’ve been bringing it on adventures wherever we go. Most recently it’s accompanied us as we made our way across the country from our home in Asheville, North Carolina, on up into Cleveland, through Arkansas, along I-40, on into Amarillo, Texas, on up into Santa Fe, west again into the sacred space we know and call Joshua Tree National Park, Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, on into the Redwoods and now, finally, along the Oregon Coast.
Some mornings have been downright cold. Our motorhome died in Indiana (that’s a whole other story) and we’ve been traveling in the back of our 1998 4Runner. We took the seats out and made a makeshift home out of it. The perks of being 5'4" and 5'6" are that we can actually, though just barely, sleep in the back. Some nights have been easier than others but we’re doing our dream and the hardships of road life have been worth it. I will say that many a sleepless night has been overcome with the perfect cup of coffee (that takes very little effort to get right) and a gorgeous view. I mean, can you really have a bad day when you wake up in Yosemite Valley? Leave it to Kuju to pick you up and rejuvenate you for more adventures.
If you happen to see us on the road, say hey! We love meeting new friends and would be happy to share a cup of coffee with you!
Caroline and Erin are freelance photographers and writers. You can follow along on their adventures at Authentic Asheville and @e.mcgrady + @carolineperdue.
Caroline and Erin are freelance photographers and writers. You can follow along on their adventures at Authentic Asheville and @e.mcgrady + @carolineperdue.