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Monthly Archives: November 2024

The Anthracite Tour Part 2: Sweet G’s Bakery & Drinkin’ Pretzels

I’m just going to be honest: I had no idea what a ‘drinkin’ pretzel’ is, and I didn’t ask. Call it poor journalism if you want to. This isn’t journalism. Fine. Technically, this is a journal. I think of it as a rough log that never becomes smooth. Those are nautical terms: The ‘rough log’ is the first version of the ‘captain’s log,’ and the ‘smooth log’ is the thing that becomes official. This blog will never be official.

This portion of the Journey certainly wasn’t official. At least, it hadn’t been anticipated. The plan was to go directly into Mount Carmel and possibly points north. Not until I checked the map twice to see how to get out of the mountains most expediently did I notice a coffeehouse to my south. It was located in the town of Pine Grove. I know what you’re thinking; Pine Grove is on South Mountain. Well, yes there is, however, there’s another Pine Grove up here in coal country.

Interestingly enough, this Pine Grove is also near the Appalachian Trail. About two miles to the south is a sizable trail parking spot along with a cluster of historical locales like the Pilger Ruh historical marker and several ‘lookout’ sites that are rather dangerous but offer breathtaking views of the valley below. I took advantage of the clear weather to take a nice little hike on the trail as I headed home. More about that later.

Pine Grove is another town that embodies the former Pennsylvania coal mining settlement lifestyle. Until 1862, Pine Grove was home to a branch of the world-famous Union Canal. This branch connected Swatara Creek to Union Water Works and was used to ship (you guessed it) anthracite. These days, much of the area is a state park, and the entire region is replete with historical sites like Nutting Hall and Pine Grove Theatre, both of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. A Lutheran church existed here as early as 1782, and it was among the first buildings, showing just how organically and haphazardly settlement took place here in the heady frontier days of Pennsylvania coal.

Stepping into Sweet G’s Bakery, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. It’s marketed as an eatery, but coffee was definitely on the menu, or at least that’s what the map indicated. Not being one to trust the Internet, I kept my coffee from the last place close at hand in case there wasn’t any coffee, or if they were exclusively serving chain-store coffee. It was a close call: They almost gave me Folgers.

OK, I like Folgers…for general use. I want something more distinctive when I’m out and about. Somehow, the woman behind the counter knew that intuitively. I don’t know how or why, but hidden in a cupboard was a craft roast they use specifically for lattes and other fancy drinks. I shouldn’t have been that shocked; rural Pennsylvania loves its big chain, powerhouse roasters. Cheap but powerful is how people tend to take the coffee, especially the truck drivers who forge their way up the mountains daily. Thankfully, Sweet G’s knew to keep everyone’s options open with a special stash.

The coffee I got came courtesy of Mississippi Mud, a coffee wholesaler out of St. Louis, Missouri. They’re big, but not well known; I’ve never seen their products in Pennsylvania. Dancing Dogs was the name of this particular roast. It was a medium roast and advertised chocolate, berry, and raisin notes. I got all of those notes in a melange. The almond milk I had in the latte drowned out a bit of the richness that occurs with a roast like this, but this particular roast was only currently available in latte form. Even so, it was an excellent blend.

I was surprised to find a craft latte up in the mountains at all. Sweet G’s is as modern as its surroundings are historical. The cafe has only been around for about four and a half years. The newness shows in the fresh, upbeat surroundings, especially the exterior which would have been hip downtown. I’m picturing this place as a centerpiece of the growing community here. Yes, the roughly two thousand residents added a few to their number this year. Given the virtues of small-town living in a hypermediated age, I wouldn’t be stunned if we started to see the young professionals heading back to the countryside. Time will tell. Those sophisticated folks will need a space of their own. We know that space already exists: the coffeehouse.

Oh, and by the way, I finally figured out what a ‘Drinkin’ Pretzel’ is, and there’s a reason I’m capitalizing it now: It’s proprietary! It’s a trademarked thing. Drinkin’ Pretzels are these flavored hard pretzel chunks that look like a dentist’s nightmare and a gluten lover’s dream. I’m the gluten lover in question. A meal without bread just doesn’t feel substantive to me. I held back from getting any vittles this time, but when I return (and I will), I need to remember there is a crunchy, bready meal waiting when I get off the trail.

Ah yes, the trail. I decided to take the long way home, down Route 501 and over Blue Mountain. In doing so, I came upon an entry point for the Appalachian Trail. I didn’t have my bear spray handy, so I didn’t wander far. This is the time of year when bears eat the last of their dinner before hibernation. I wasn’t keen on being that dinner. It had recently rained, and the mountain sky was clear and blue. Autumn has just begun to fade into winter here, and that afforded a chance to see through the trees to the valley below the ridgelines. Climbs here are steep, but that’s what I like about them. It’s a beautiful challenge. At one point, the trail looks like it’s curving up to meet the sky.

As the sun sank deeper toward the earth, I packed up my trekking poles and put my boots on the gas pedal. It was time to go home. At least the car didn’t blink any disturbing lights at me this time. The next entry should be even further afield. I want to head northward into the mountains in both directions (northwest and northeast) to examine what the deep wilderness beyond the river valleys is doing with coffee. Many of these towns are very isolated. That makes them very interesting. I want to get across the Maryland and West Virginia borders soon (I’ve reviewed coffee in Baltimore in a previous entry), but, for now, there’s a lot left to explore in Pennsylvania.

Until next month, Happy Thanksgiving (and stay caffeinated).

the main drag…

more of town…

sign, sign…

everywhere, a sign…

self explanatory…

the seating…

the roast…

the liminal seating…

the woods…

the trail…

The Anthracite Tour Part 1: Cinnamon Stix Coffee & Gift Shop

18 Nov

I like my coffee black as coal. I want no part of it if one can confuse it for tea. It’s only right that I’d eventually reach the heart of Pennsylvania’s anthracite country looking for a strong cup of coffee. A little background: Pennsylvania’s coal-mining country lies well northeast of the capital in the branch of the Appalachians spreading inexorably into New York. Anthracite coal is known as the most carbon-rich and clean-burning form of coal, and it’s been Pennsylvania’s trademark for centuries. This has resulted in an amazing number of ‘boom towns’ having emerged over the years nestled in the valleys and ‘hollers.’

I might have said this is Pennsylvania’s former coal-mining country, but that wouldn’t be accurate. As of 2022, Pennsylvania produced 2,357 short tons of anthracite and 37,345 short tons of bituminous coal (most of the latter being mined from the southwest region of the state. The coal industry isn’t what it once was in this state. Most of the forested mountains in Pennsylvania state were denuded of trees in the process of mining them in the 1700s. Thankfully that disaster is over. In its wake is a region being slowly retaken by nature as populations fall. Even so, beautiful small towns persist here.

Mount Carmel, situated in eastern Northumberland County, is one of the most iconic of these towns. Like coffee, the borough fills the ‘cup’ of the mountain fold it sits within from ridge to ridge. Towns tend to spread organically in the valleys, but Mount Carmel is a tight grid of buildings that includes two discernable ‘main streets.’ The area was settled in 1770, but Mount Carmel didn’t become an incorporated township until 1854 and wouldn’t be a borough for eight more years. Coal was the reason for settlement, so in many cases, the mines came long before the towns did.

This town embodies the friction between the past and the future in Pennsylvania. It’s rich in history and people, but unfortunately, much of that population is leaving for supposedly greener pastures. From a height of about 18,000 people in 1930, today’s population is less than a third of that. Even so, civic pride waxes high here, and I discovered hotbeds of local activity; individuals keeping the flame of culture burning in the heart of coal country. I came with the express purpose of visiting one that’s existed for 27 years: Cinnamon Stix Coffee and Gift Shop.

OK, first of all: This place is Christmas incarnate. When I heard the phrase ‘gift shop’ attached, I expected tchotchkes. Nothing prepared me for the sheer number of gifts available for sale here. As it turned out, the first floor was only the beginning. I went upstairs through a narrow stairwell, the woman at the counter had told me there were places to sit and hang out. That was quite an understatement.

Each upstairs room contained a different set of odd delights. A different delightful setting, I should say. ‘Delightful’ isn’t a word I use lightly, especially as a fortysomething guy. It’s gotta mean something if a guy with an unkempt red beard goes and says it. Seriously, there were more ways to relax than I have ever seen in a coffeehouse. One room was a Christmas wonderland. Another had what looked like an old English tea table. Yet another had a streamlined, modern setup. There was even a pink bedroom. Yes, it was open to the public. I didn’t stay long, though, eager to head back downstairs to explore the rest of the town. But first, let’s talk about the coffee.

The beans came courtesy of Basin Coffee Co. in Danville. Danville is a town to the northwest of Mount Carmel and it’s home to several coffee roasters if Google Maps is to be believed. Clearly, I’ll have to investigate further. I got a nice medium Columbian roast. The freshness was the standout characteristic here. Here was a case where the local nature of the roast manifested immediately. It was nice and mellow, with well-balanced acids. The structure existed (I would say) because the beans weren’t too aged. It’s the same in most cases. This is why it’s good to source locally, and there seems to be a real network of local roasters here in coal country, similar to the Amish roasters you’ll find elsewhere in rural PA.

With coffee in hand, I set out to explore the rest of the town. One thing became immediately obvious: This is a close-knit community. Everyone at the lunch joint I went to seemed to know each other. Events were advertised on shop windows. I stopped at the library. Outside were free books, one of which I snapped up. Children played inside. A woman at the counter lamented that nobody comes in except to use children’s services and how members of former clubs are passing away. The library itself was beautiful and the staff cared. I wanted everyone else to care that much.

Vibrancy, however, clearly remained in the form of a fantastic bookstore called Secondhand Rows. This place was paradise for book nerds. Books were stacked haphazardly (which is how I stack them at home). It seemed there was a book for every topic, even a selection of witchcraft-related tomes, likely for Halloween. After resisting the urge to shop, I headed back up the mountain that would eventually lead me home. In fact, I didn’t take the direct route home, but that tale will have to wait for next week.

This was only Part One of the Anthracite Tour. Thanks to my penchant for taking the long way to anywhere, I found even more coffee on the way home. In this instance, I came down to Route 81 through twists and turns through the mountains and gaps between them. Until then, stay caffeinated!