In Search of Chai

I leave on Tuesday morning for our Beyond Organic Grand Adventure. I say "our" out of habit, but this trip I'm flying solo so it will definitely be interesting. For those of you that don't know, I am not a morning person, plus I hate to drive. I thought about making this a bus trip and got as far as starting a reservation but the the thought of even a 10 hour day on a bus was a bit disconcerting. Love the idea of public transportation but I tend to get motion sickness from even riding in the backseat of a car. A cross country train ride sounded exciting but you just can't get to Texas from Florida via train, unless you've got a month and whole lotta money. Combo car rental, air, train, bus was almost a done deal but I waited too long and lost the seat on the train.

By now you should be asking, so what the heck does this have to do with Chai? Fair question for my tea loving friends. Absolutely everything. Most people indulge in their favorite java drink during long hours on the open highway. A wee bit of caffeine for focus on the road. I'm not a coffee drinker but I will on occasion treat myself to a nice chai latte. Not the kind that comes out of a pre-mixed carton but a real cup of chai- brewed with fresh tea leaves and buds.

Now I am sure that finding the "purist" version of my favorite latte beverage along the turnpike and major US highways is not going to be an easy feat. But then there would be no story behind finding the perfect drink if it were as easy as the Starbucks drive thru window. Making this more of a challenge is that during our past few years of touring I have only found a handful of chai latte's worthy of a second cup; they were both out West in Portland and Seattle.

Stay tuned...