Starbucks Spotlight: Calhoun GA

Regardless of how you feel about Starbucks coffee, a Road Warrior is hard pressed (or french pressed) to find a better oasis in the desert of all those highway miles.

What's that?  Corporations make you nauseated?  If you're really going to turn down what is without a doubt the cleanest roadside stop that you are likely to encounter, simply because of its corporate ownership, then, my friend, you will never truly be a Road Warrior.  Do I like to hunt down local coffee shops when possible?  Absolutely.  Sadly, there a fewer and fewer of those to find.  For the Road Warrior, Starbucks is a consistent, reliable, and clean source of refuge, coffee, wifi, and spectacular bathrooms.  Most are within a half-mile of the interstate, which makes them that much more ideal.

Yesterday, I paid a visit to one of my favorite Starbucks stops, off of I-75's exit 312 in Calhoun, Georgia.  While the parking lot is a little funky, there are plenty of spots, a large patio area, and outdoor electric sockets (random but often useful).  Staff is extremely friendly and prompt as well.  The setup for this Starbucks does not include the computer-friendly cluster (which I call the triple booth) but I have rarely had trouble finding a table near an electric outlet.

The staff is accustomed to my hauling in the printer, although I still get plenty of strange looks from patrons.  Yesterday, three little girls kept staring at the printer, pointing, and asking their mother to explain.  You're welcome, ma'am.  Glad I could be a side-show freak for 20 minutes.

I actually watched President Obama's inauguration last January in the parking lot of this Starbucks.  I later went in to buy coffee and a cookie as payment for "stealing" the internet.

One final random moment occurred yesterday as I was packing up my car to leave.  A man asked me to give him 85 cents.  I found that to be an odd number, and legitimately did not have coinage in that amount to "give" to him, even if I hadn't been suspicious.  I walked back into the building to grab the last of my goods, when I noticed he'd come in behind me to order a cup of coffee.  Panhandling for a cup of Starbucks?  Bizarre indeed.

Next time you're traveling I-75 in this neck of the woods, I'd highly recommend taking a break to enjoy the wonder and majesty of this great Starbucks.