Sojourn Chronicles

by D. Brent Miller

“A mug of coffee and a muffin, please.”

“Small or large? Light, medium, dark or decaf?”

“Let’s go with a large dark.”

“What kind of muffin?”

“They all look good. What’s your favorite?”

She pulls out a blueberry muffin and slides a large mug of dark coffee towards me. That’s my first encounter at The Main Cup Coffee House at 126 Main Street in Milford, Ohio. And, it’s going to get better.

I try a new route to Milford, looking for something a little more direct, but still on back roads. Eventually, the road will widen to more than two lanes, but the goal is to ride on as many two-lane roads as possible.

The number one reason to go to Milford on this particular day is to take a look at the 2nd Annual Junction of the Trails Festival. If you are into long distance hiking or bicycling, you probably know about Milford. Several major trails meet in Milford–the Little Miami River Scenic Trail, the Buckeye Trail, the North Country Trail, American Discovery Trail, Ohio to Erie Cycling Trail, Underground Railroad Cycling Route, and the Sea to Sea Trail.

Imagine, there are plenty of crossroads all across America, but here in Milford, Ohio, in this little historic town on the banks of the Little Miami River, is the junction of all these important hiking and bicycling trails!

It’s too early in the morning for the festival activities, so I find my way around the block onto Main Street to get a cup of coffee, and find a parking spot immediately in front of The Main Cup.

With coffee and muffin in hand, I park at a table just inside the door, and dig in. The coffee is delicious. In fact deliciously fresh. That’s when I notice him, the man in the corner working at some kind of contraption. So I ask, “Is that a coffee roaster?” “Yes,” he replies, and that’s how I met Steve Jeray, owner and proprietor of the Main Cup Coffee House. He advertises “We roast our beans right here!” And, that’s the truth. I’m watching Steve roast the next batch of Columbian Supremo Vienna Roast–his special blend. It smells delicious.

Some people really do follow their dreams. Steve and Becky have followed theirs to Milford. Steve has been roasting coffee for 17 years. Originally from Mundelein, Illinois, north of Chicago, he came to Milford about a year ago to find a place to open his own shop. He found it at 126 Main Street in Milford.

The place is abuzz with customers, and quite a few are very curious about the coffee roaster right on the premises. I have to admit, I’ve never seen that before. And the aroma …. Aaaahhhhhh! That’s a good cup of coffee. And fresh too!

If you ever find yourself crossing trails or riding down the highway near Milford, you might want to take a coffee break. You’ll be glad you did.–DBrent

Technorati tags: Milford Ohio, The Main Cup, coffee houses, fresh coffee, roasting coffee beans