The Coffee Shop Crawl

Deb had never been to the Stained Page. How this happened, I have zero idea. So, I met her Friday morning at the best coffee shop/book shop in town. Don, the owner, greeted me (adding to Deb's theory that I know everyone in town). He also told me I'd sold another book (squee!). 

I'm here a lot.

Anyway, Deb and I sat and visited. For me, I hadn't been out of the house much for anything memorable in weeks. The packing the house had been priority. But spending time with Deb is always special. I know it's coming to an end soon, but I'm trying not to think about that. 

After enjoying my tea and she enjoying her coffee, we made our way a quarter mile to Good Luxe, another local coffee shop. We just breezed in, decided their selection and prices weren't for us and breezed out just as quickly. 

We didn't feel the vibe.

From there we went to the newest coffee joint in town. I don't know the name (it used to be called Alley Cats). This old time train car serves coffee and "food." However, they were out of coffee. We ordered a breakfast burrito plate to split. I asked for water and was told they don't "serve" water. So, I asked for a cup of ice. They do serve that. Deb looked at the beverage selections and opted for beer to go with her Mexican breakfast. She was disappointed on both fronts. First, she ended up with a non-alcoholic beer. And second "breakfast burrito" was a generous phrase for this lump of unacceptable grossness. I believe it is covered with soy cheese filled with mock-sausage. We ate about two bites and high-tailed it out, with my cup of ice in tow. 

Inside an old time train car

Toxic waste

After that atrocity, Deb and I walked around downtown. She showed me where the Woolworths used to be. And the JC Penny. And the first Dillard's Department Store* had been located. She told me of coming to downtown Texarkana as a teenager and a young adult, giving me town history and sharing her lore.  At some point, we meandered into a cute little gift shop. If I wasn't in the process of packing up my worldly belongings and if Marty wasn't out of work, I might have dropped a few bucks on another garden gadget. Probably. I mean, can one really have enough garden whirligigs?  

Downtown Texarkana (Arkansas)

As we made our way back to the car we made one final stop at Kilwins. They'd just opened up as well and were nowhere near as icky as the train car place. Kilwins is an ice cream and candy chain, with locations all over the South. I'd never heard of them before last Friday, but I had plenty of time to check them out while Deb shopped for gifts for a few Coronas who have birthdays coming up. 

There happens to be two locations in the Orlando area. So I've heard.

I've decided, when I grow up, I want to be just like Deb. 

*A word about Dillard's Department Store. The FIRST location was a small five and dime in Nashville Arkansas--about 50ish miles from here. Mr. Dillard wanted to expand, so he closed his Nashville location and opened a bonified department store in Texarkana. That was the flagship for his empire, which happens to have its corporate headquarters in Little Rock.