Java Journey

Java Journey Anxiously caffeinated while I explore northern Michigan cafes, coffee ☕️ trucks & coffee roasters. Every sip has a story. Supporting local over chain.

Roadside stand reviews 🍪🍞& occasional foodie content 🍕🥪.

First PSL of the season! Obsessed with all things pumpkin !!
09/07/2026

First PSL of the season! Obsessed with all things pumpkin !!

🤭☕️🧊
09/07/2026

🤭☕️🧊

Most people don’t understand why I would drive an hour—or two—for a cup of coffee.And honestly?I get it. 😂Because if you...
09/06/2026

Most people don’t understand why I would drive an hour—or two—for a cup of coffee.

And honestly?

I get it. 😂

Because if you’re looking at it as just a cup of coffee ☕️ , it probably doesn’t make much sense.

But that’s not what I’m chasing. 🏃🏻‍♀️

I’m chasing the little coffee shop tucked away in a town I’ve never explored.

The conversation with the barista who remembers my order.

The pastry 🥐 I didn’t plan on getting but absolutely had to try. 🤭

The pretty latte art.

The cute little corner table.

The roadside stand we randomly discover on the way home.

The laughs with the person riding shotgun.

The pictures.

The stories.

The places I never would have seen if I hadn’t decided, “Hmmmm… I wonder what their coffee is like?” ☕😂

Sometimes the coffee is a 10/10.

Sometimes it’s a 5.

Sometimes the pastry completely steals the show.

And sometimes… the coffee is honestly forgettable.

But the experience?

That’s the part I remember.

That’s why I travel for coffee.

Because every cup gives me a reason to go somewhere.

And every somewhere gives me a story.

Every sip tells a story. ❤️☕🐞

🫣🤭😬
09/06/2026

🫣🤭😬

They were ALMOST sold out but we stopped at Champion Baked Goods roadside stand for some goodies on the way home. Froste...
09/06/2026

They were ALMOST sold out but we stopped at Champion Baked Goods roadside stand for some goodies on the way home. Frosted carrot 🥕 cake cookies and GF lemon 🍋 crinkle cookies! Both were absolutely outstanding! Check them out!!!

📌 1305 Marion Center Road, Charlevoix

Today’s coffee adventure was with my mom and auntie! We went to Bottega Coffee and Gelato in Bay Harbor. Fairly new plac...
09/05/2026

Today’s coffee adventure was with my mom and auntie! We went to Bottega Coffee and Gelato in Bay Harbor. Fairly new place! First off SO CUTE! My aunt and I got the Banana Bread Latte and my mom got the Cinnamon Roll cold brew. We also tried the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip scone and a Cinnamon Roll. We absolutely could not leave a gelato shop without trying a small housemade gelato! The Banana Bread latte had a light banana taste and very smooth coffee taste. Cinnamon Roll cold brew had a heavy cinnamon presence which tasted so good! The scone was very similar to a pumpkin bread; nicely moistish. They get their beans from Leelanau Coffee. The gelato was out of this world. I had a Tiramisu, my aunt had a Lavendar Honey and my mom had Banana Caramel Praline. We all liked the lavender honey the best!! Great experience, I wanted a bigger coffee is my only complaint 🤭😂😂

Little trip to Crafted By Allysa for some sourdough cinnamon rolls! We got a Bischoff one and a Caramel Apple one! Very ...
09/04/2026

Little trip to Crafted By Allysa for some sourdough cinnamon rolls! We got a Bischoff one and a Caramel Apple one! Very different from what I know as a cinnamon roll! In what way? Surprisingly not super sweet!!! Which is probaly a good thing for me indicating not a truckload of sugar 😂😂😂 I liked that the caramel apple had nice hunks of apple in it too! I’m literally a sucker for anything cookie butter, it’s got the pull that coffee does with me 😂😂😍 She always has a great variety of sourdough sweets, breads, and other baked goods! Check it out!

📌 4540 Six Mile Lake Road, Ellsworth

This brand is my very fave for a coffee drink ready to go. This flavor is ok but I LOVE the seasonal flavors. Maple Pump...
09/03/2026

This brand is my very fave for a coffee drink ready to go. This flavor is ok but I LOVE the seasonal flavors. Maple Pumpkin, White Chocolate Peppermint and Blueberry Latte are my faves! They are hard to find in my area tho, sometimes I can find them at a bigger box store but sometimes I have to order from their website.

Yummy Blueberry Pancake latte but quite honestly the yogurt parfait stole the show! Look at that beauty! Organic yogurt,...
09/02/2026

Yummy Blueberry Pancake latte but quite honestly the yogurt parfait stole the show! Look at that beauty! Organic yogurt, maple syrup, strawberry chai jam, blueberries, dried cherries and housemade granola! So refreshing on a hot day when you don’t want something heavy to eat!!!

Life is Peachy! *cue Korn* 😂 Peach 🍑 season is upon us and who am I to argue? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Picked up a Just Peachy dirty chai l...
09/01/2026

Life is Peachy! *cue Korn* 😂 Peach 🍑 season is upon us and who am I to argue? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Picked up a Just Peachy dirty chai latte and a Peach Cobbler cookie at Friske Farm Market today. Both were very good! The cookie is basically a snickerdoodle base, homemade peach pie filling (I love that the peaches are still a little firm and not mush!!), a sprinkle of strudel topping and a drizzle of icing. Their cookies are BIGG 😳, like prepare yourself or share with a friend BIG!

Address

5868 Alba Hwy.
Alba, MI
49611

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