Earlier this month, I went on a 4,000-mile road trip. We went up, down, and all over the West. One day we were in the Mojave Desert with temperatures hitting 120 degrees, and the next day we were on the coast in Northern California, where it was 55 degrees and drizzly. We’d drive through sub-alpine meadows at 9,000 feet in elevation only to drop down to the scorching desert floor. We explored coastlines, canyonlands, coffee shops, archaeological sites, hit 3 out of 4 North American deserts, and more. While we made many unforgettable memories, the themes that continue to bubble up are this … planning for coffee is critical, and the detours were always worth it.

Obviously, that last statement is quite a cliché. At the moment, the detours were frustrating. Taking a 3-hour detour because of road construction or following Apple Maps on a route only to find out it selected that I go down a washed out dirt road meant spending time backtracking wasn’t enjoyable at the moment. However, it was what we saw or experienced along the way that made the detours and distractions worth it.

I’m a fan of the open road. I sometimes joke I missed my life’s calling to be a long-haul truck driver. To sit in silence (or usually accompanied by a playlist on Spotify) and watch the scenery unfold is an excellent opportunity to reflect and dream. Most of my best ideas and inspirations typically come on road trips or on bike rides. Each detour also was a reminder that not everything in life is controllable. As much as I keep tight schedules, interruptions are inevitable. That frustrates me as one who’s task-oriented. But on road trips with not much of a plan, the detours we’re a welcome respite.

Looking back, I realize how many of the best experiences we had were from unexpected detours. Finding a waterfall in the high desert or scrambling up a cliff searching for Anasazi ruins was not on my agenda. But my trip would be incomplete without those experiences. Whether we’re talking about a road trip, a backpacking adventure, or a bikepacking excursion, we know we cannot forecast everything. Sometimes there is unforeseen road construction, or we discover the trail is still covered with deep snow in mid-July. And so, we pivot and adjust our plans on the fly. That’s life. Detours are not always bad. Sometimes they are what we needed most.

Another essential component that made our trip enjoyable was and is coffee. I spent more time planning, arranging, and configuring for coffee than I probably did in figuring out which clothes to bring. I can quickly wear the same shirt 3 days in a row and not blink an eye, but to fail in the area of coffee? Unacceptable. Before we left, we haggled over exactly how we planned on making coffee … Hario v60? Kalita Wave? Aeropress? On top of that, would we bring our small travel kettle or our regular one? Hand grinder or electric?

Regardless of where we were at the time … in the canyonlands of southern Utah and northern Arizona, the Sonoran desert, or drizzly coastal California, every morning started with the same routine. (a) wake up long before everyone else, (b) try my best to quietly hand grind coffee, (c) enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee, (d) journal, and (e) repeat steps a, b, c before anyone wakes up.

Since returning from this incredible road trip, I can readily assert that (1) detours are always worth it and (2) planning for coffee for me is of utmost importance. How about you? How do you plan for coffee when you’re exploring?