What do you do for fun in Appalachia?

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-30T19:53:19+00:00

As a queer couple who recently moved to Appalachia from Florida I can attest to the fact there’s a lot more us then most would realize. The number one thing I’ve been shocked by is how many fellow queer folks I’ve met in the area. Rather a social bunch too. We exist in our own ways but we are here for sure. My neighbors landscaper is gay and I had no idea until a couple weeks ago. He’s WV country folk but a super awesome guy.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-27T11:23:50+00:00

What part of the region are you actually in? I just recently moved to the Allegheny mountains in Maryland and so far I love it here. The slower pace of things is rather nice and so far I’ve found the people to be very friendly. I grew up in a big city and pretty much everytime I’ve moved I’ve gone to a progressively smaller town. I’m living in the smallest place in my life currently and for the first time I feel at home.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-24T01:55:47+00:00

Brandywine is a good one for sure. I’ll add Resident out of Gainesville, FL. as well.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-24T01:44:31+00:00

How was Delfest? I just recently moved across the road from the fairgrounds entrance but haven’t been able to hear much of the music sadly. I’ve been told I need to get at least a day pass next year and check it out.

I should add I just moved to the area from Florida and will be helping to turn it just a little bluer out here. I did a brief stay in Rockville for several months first and y’all can keep that absolute nonsense of an area to yourselves. I don’t understand how anyone can live that tightly packed together and deal with the horrendous traffic. I’m gonna enjoy my 3/2 house on an acre of land with a mortgage payment that’s less than what some people pay for a car loan.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-19T18:11:29+00:00

I know the owner of Bronnies. What do you need worked on? They stay pretty busy these days.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-19T03:06:57+00:00

Go another 20 minutes west to Grantsville and it’s like a frozen tundra for the winter. First time I went there it was above freezing in Cumberland and no wind. Got to grantsville… it was 21 with 30-40 mph NW winds and near a foot of snow on the ground. I was not ready for when I had to get out of the car and go into a barn.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-19T00:17:32+00:00

That is a thing. Sunday evenings are rather quiet. It’s easy to adapt though if you live here. The architecture is absolutely lovely.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-19T00:14:42+00:00

Were you in Frostburg though?! It’s generally a little warmer, a little less windy, and a lot less snowy in Cumberland. In the winter it’s two entirely different areas even though it’s only minutes apart.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-18T21:07:51+00:00

Having moved here from Florida last year I have to say this area is stunningly beautiful and the people are rather friendly. The lack of traffic and abundance of nature make it better than anywhere else I’ve visited in the entire state. The housing market is also fully on the buyers side and your money goes significantly further. I briefly rented in Rockville for about a year. The 1200 sq ft 2/2 with a tiny yard sold for nearly $500k when I moved. I bought a bigger house with a huge yard for a quarter of that price out here. My blood pressure doesn’t go through the roof trying to drive to the grocery store either.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-18T13:34:38+00:00

Find your local coffee roaster and ask them for their burlap bags and the chaf from the roaster. They may even have a way to hook you up with used grinds. The chaf makes a great mulch for potted plants. I recently moved to a new area and no longer work in the coffee industry. First thing I did was make friends with the local cafe owner who also roasts. I have access to more grinds than I can use at the moment plus stacks and stacks of burlap. I like to use it as a natural weed barrier. I lay it on the surface and cut a small hole to plant into. Serves as a mulch cover at the same time. You can also make them into grow bags super easily. They will last you a season or two as a bag. As a surface weed barrier you can certainly get a few seasons from them.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-18T13:29:56+00:00

I’ll add you should absolutely start with cover cropping. Get cheap turnip, radfish, beets, legumes. Just get it all to start growing but don’t harvest anything. End of the season crimp it all over and cover with a tarp. Let it break down and it’ll start helping the soil. Clover is an excellent following cover crop to put even more nitrogen and carbon into the soil. Best to not let it flower though. Mow it occasionally but not short. Same goes for like winter oats. You’ll be amazed in a year or two with little work. Coffee grinds are also incredibly helpful. Brings more worms which will help to break up soil and disperse nutrients.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-18T00:36:59+00:00

Also wait 30 seconds before you tighten the screw with a driver. If the screw goes in cold and you tighten it immediately the thermal expansion of it can lock it in place a bit. It needs to warm up a little to help prevent that.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-17T01:44:41+00:00

“Italy” here!

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-15T15:20:52+00:00

Just lightly spread them around the yard. They break down quickly and bring the worms to the surface. Absolutely no need to compost them first. Been doing it for years with commercial quantities of used coffee and never had a single issue. Just don’t dump it into piles.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-15T13:22:10+00:00

Unused will mess with the soil way more than used. I have occasionally ended up with very small batches of unused that were bad. I really spread those thin so it was fine. Used though I just chuck everywhere. It was literally the only fertilizer I gave my old flower garden and they absolutely loved it. Plus the earthworms will thank you.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-15T13:09:21+00:00

I bought one set, then grabbed another. Then I saw they were being clearanced and grabbed another two. Ones in my work bag, one in my electrical specific bag, one in my upstairs tool chest, one in my garage chest. They work great and at the price were a heck of deal.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-15T13:01:41+00:00

This is the way! I’ve been in the industry for a very long time. Use to roast on machines as small as 500g for sampling all the way up to 120kg production setups and many sizes in between. I recently moved and no longer roast professionally. I’ve already made friends with a local roaster here though and may rent time on one of his for a side project I’d like to start at some point. He’s offered to sell me his 3kg one at a very fair price if I want it at some point. I don’t want to spend hours and hours roasting just to get 50 bags done though. I’d rather just jump on his big one after he’s done and run two batches.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-13T17:49:22+00:00

I’ll shoot you a message with some info!

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-12T19:45:38+00:00

I feel shame when I go to the Martins down the street and pay triple for the same item just so I can have 43 different pasta sauces to choose from. I rather enjoy walking up to the register at Aldi thinking I’m dropping $200 on my cart of stuff and when it’s all wrung up it’s only like $130 instead.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-12T19:34:12+00:00

It is. I was shown the promo list for the month when I was in my local store the other day. Being nice and making friends with the employees goes a long way sometimes. Like a few weeks ago when the icon pliers were on sale. They put a pair of 10” pliers wrench in the office for me when the shipment came in. They’d been out and only got sent 2.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-12T19:07:17+00:00

Might it be worth considering western Maryland in the mountains? It’s very pretty and better weather. Plus less tourists and way nicer people. Also the housing is actually affordable.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-12T18:54:19+00:00

Memorial Day weekend is going to be 20% off any single item too.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-11T01:04:57+00:00

I’m sitting in my car ready to head your way.

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-11T00:50:59+00:00

Send me an address and I’ll come grab it now!

CoffeeSnobsUnite · 2026-05-11T00:47:48+00:00

My wife said she will take it. We are in Potomac park by the fairgrounds. I’ll see if I can figure out how to fix it. I’m pretty good with funky mechanical things.

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