Espresso lovers guide to the Great River Road: Alma

Alma	Alma and Lock and Dam 4 from blufftop Buena Vista Park

The Beef Slough Store is located on the River side of Alma's short dowtown strip of historic old buildings. Don't let the name fool you-they don't serve slabs of beef (we did wonder at first)..Beef Slough is a name for a channel of the Mississippi in Alma.

The cheerful folks at Beef Slough serve up wonderful espresso/coffee drinks from behind the old fashioned coffee counter. While you are waiting you probably won't be able to resist their impressive display of chocolates and other incredible candies. We were fascinated by the mammoth jawbreakers (but we were too adult to try them) and loved the pastel colored rock candy (it seemed kind of wingdam-like). And of course, there is a lovely gift shop to slowly meander through (we found that this very relaxed pace often requires a second espresso. (One of us actually had 3-we do wish they had decaf espresso). We were surprised to find a selection of nice wines as well.

Our favorite places to drink a latte in Alma:

Take your cup of java and walk around behind the store, down the steps to the public dock (careful of the train tracks!) where you can watch the River go by and listen to the rush of water cascading under lock and dam #4. Or if you're more adventurous, raise the signal sign on the adjacent fishing dock and wait for the ferry to transport you across the River to the fishing floats.
Drive to bluff-top Buena Vista Park for a spectacular River view!
In spring and fall see thousands of swans at Rieck's Lake Park
Wander the antique and other shops lining Alma's short main street (latte in hand of course)

Next java stop:

Upriver: Nelson
South: La Crosse

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Contact: Fritz Funk (fritzf@alaska.net)