Some time ago in the spring, I found out that David
Ellefson, bass player and co-founder of Megadeth, was rebranding the coffee
shop in Jackson, Minnesota. Every so often I would tell Linda that I planned to
drive over there to check it out, but the morning that I actually decided to
drive over there to check it out, I think I surprised her. I’m not sure she
thought I would ever do it.
“What else are you going to do over there?”
“Oh, that’s it. Just drive over there, order a cup
of coffee, and drive home.”
I had checked out Jackson on Tripadvisor, and
honestly, Jackson seemed like it didn’t have much going on. My mind map of
southwestern Minnesota was mainly a blank. I knew that I-90 drove through, but I
thought perhaps the interstate was a metaphor: Beware ye who enter here, lest
ye be on your way to somewhere else.
When I told Tavi we were driving two hours to visit
a coffee shop, the idea didn’t seem far-fetched to her. She only had one
question, “Do they serve hot cocoa?” I promised that in all likelihood, yes,
they served hot cocoa, and that’s all she needed to hear.
Four hours stuck in a car with Dad just for a cup of hot cocoa.
The coffee shop was exactly what you might expect, in
some ways. The walls displayed some Megadeth and Ellefson memorabilia. And I
gathered that some fans do detour off the Interstate out of curiosity. The
place existed before Ellefson rebranded it, however, and locals still seem to
be the main clientèle. Instead of classical or elevator music, metal softly
played in the background, but the two old women in there when we were there didn’t
seem to mind, or notice. The coffee itself was fine, and while the servers
might have more visible tattoos than servers in most small-town coffee shops,
they were no less nice.
Personally autographed guitars, and not a bad price at $499 each.
Coming out of the backroom, Ellefson’s business
partner walked by our table and smiled at us. The left side of her head was
shaved, and the rest of her hair was black and shoulder-length, quite appropriate and fitting
for a woman who was probably in her mid-40s. We sat at the table and listened as a man
asked her about using some of Ellefson’s coffee at a local event. Apparently
this event would also feature local beers. The man suggested that maybe
Ellefson would be interested in developing a coffee-flavored beer, but the
business partner indicated that Ellefson had “chosen sobriety,” and so
associating his name with anything alcoholic would probably be a no-go.
Drinking decaf is the coffee equivalent of listening to Taylor Swift music.
Was it worth the two hour drive for a cup of coffee?
That all depends. If you’re a Megadeth fan, sure, it was worth it. If you’re
simply curious about southwest Minnesota, then, yes, I would say making the
drive was definitely worth it. Tavi and I discovered Fort Belmont, and we also
had a great photo-op in Blue Earth, Minnesota at the Jolly Green Giant statue.
Why is there a Jolly Green Giant statue in Blue Earth? I learned the answer to
this burning question, too. In 1978, I-90, which runs from Boston to Seattle,
was officially completed near Blue Earth.
Me with the Giant. My life is now complete.
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