Yes, I do like Starbucks. And I hang out in Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstore cafes for hours on end. But there is nothing like a real, independently run coffeehouse. Here are some shots of one of my favorites that I stop in on my way to and from Joshua Tree—The Water Canyon Coffeehouse. Always interesting music on tap too.

Only two years since my last visit. And, this time in winter. It snowed a beautiful 6 inches two days into our 5 day visit giving Marcia, Tim, and Lin a glimpse and feel of a Chicago winter.

Have a look: