If you’ve never heard of the Cumberland Valley Coffee and Chocolate Trail, boy, are you in for a treat! This fun food trail in Pennsylvania turns your average bakery/coffee shop visit into a delectable challenge. You can indulge in chocolate treats and splurge on caffeine concoctions, all while racking up points for cute little bonus prizes.
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Where To Stay in Pennsylvania’s Cumberland Valley
While there are places to visit across Cumberland County, most are concentrated in Carlisle, so that’s where you’ll want to stay. Personally, I recommend Comfort Suites Downtown Carlisle.
Although you’ll probably be too busy visiting local cafés to make use of the free breakfast buffet, you’ll still feel the full benefits of having a large, comfy room and friendly, accommodating staff. The hotel is also located dead center in the middle of multiple Coffee and Chocolate Trail stops. Meaning, this isn’t just a great place to stay, but a great place to maximize your time on the trail.
PHOTO CREDITS: COMFORT SUITES DOWNTOWN CARLISLE VIA HOTELS.COM
PLANNING A TRIP TO CUMBERLAND COUNTY SOON?
Below are some of the best tours, hotels, and more to kickstart your plans!
Popular Tours & Activities in or near Cumberland County
- Gallo’ry on Market (Camp Hill)
- Molly Pitcher Brewing Company (Carlisle)
- Civil War Ghosts of Gettysburg Tour (day trip)
Top Places to Stay in Camp Hill, Cumberland County
- Luxury: SpringHill Suites by Marriott Camp Hill
- Mid-Range: Comfort Suites Camp Hill-Harrisburg West
- Budget: Hampton Inn Camp Hill – Harrisburg SW (not a Hilton Affiliate)
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What is the Cumberland Valley Coffee and Chocolate Trail?
Now, from the words “coffee and chocolate trail,” your brain might be conjuring up an image of a hiking trail with a row of coffee stands or a straight road full of cafés. In actuality, it’s a bunch of shops scattered across Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
During the event, people check in at participating coffee shops, bakeries, and chocolatiers to earn points. In some cases, you can even get special discounts.
What Are Points For?
In three words: to earn prizes. But don’t get too excited.
The prizes this year range from a Coffee & Chocolate Trail-branded coffee scoop to a stone car coaster. Personally, I like the look of the socks—they’re colorful and just the right amount of kitschy. But let’s be honest, the goal here was never nabbing a prize.
This trail is the epitome of “it’s the journey, not the destination.” It’s all about sampling amazing coffees, chocolates, and other sweet treats, and enjoying Cumberland’s best. The coffee scoop, socks, and tote bag (another potential prize) are more of a souvenir to remember the decadent experiences by.
How to Blaze That Trail
Anyone can join in on the event; all you need is a smartphone.
Step One: Sign Up
Go to the official website and sign up for a free passport. After filling in some basic info, you get an email with a link to your passport. If you signed up with a phone number, too, you’ll also get a text.
You’ll get an option to download an app after you get the email, but it’s 100% optional. The passport is basically just a webpage viewable on any old browser.
Step Two: Visit a Participating Store
This year, 25 spots are participating in the event. Just give location permission to the app/website, and it’ll check you in automatically on the passport. (A nice upgrade from previous years, when you had to get a code from the staff to check in.)
And then, if you want to redeem any discounts, just show the staff the Cumberland Valley Coffee and Chocolate Trail passport on your phone.
Step Three: Enjoy!
That’s pretty much it. Once your passport’s good to go, all that’s left is to have fun enjoying some of Pennsylvania’s best coffees and sweets.
Top Stops on the Coffee and Chocolate Trail
Onto the fun part: which places to visit on this decadent road of chocolate, coffee, and baked goods?
The short answer is that pretty much any of the 25 on the list is a good choice. All of them are highly rated, so it mostly comes down to a matter of taste. Consequently, here are some of my faves:
Best Coffee
For high-quality coffee, head straight to Good Ground Coffee Company. The staff puts a lot of dedication into making their drinks. And by that, I mean they use house-made syrups with real vanilla beans and their own blend of in-house coffee.
Consciousness Coffee is another place where the staff are passionate about making good coffee. It also has some really cool, unique art all over the walls, both as framed paintings and murals.
Best Chocolate
Meanwhile, Exquisite Chocolates of Carlisle is not lying about the “exquisite” part. This is the best place in Cumberland to get artisanal chocolates that are, frankly, almost too pretty to eat. It also has a pretty wide variety of other fancy desserts, like macarons and tiramisu.
If you want something a little more down-to-earth, though, Lollipop Shop is an all-American candy store. Def try out their chocolate-covered pretzels or clear toy candy if you go.
Best for a Meal
Speaking of “down-to-earth,” Down to Earth Café has some amazing sandwiches, from egg muffin breakfast sandwiches to paninis. And yeah, they’ve got some tasty coffee and tea brewin’, too.
And maybe it’s just because I’m half English, but I can’t help but love Oxford Hall Celtic Shop & Café. It’s the best place to get a taste of food from the UK, like scones, meat pies, Guinness brownies, and more.
PHOTO CREDIT: DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM
Head Off on Your Next Coffee and Chocolate Trail
Okay, well, maybe not coffee and chocolate specifically, but I do have quite a few posts on amazing restaurants and street foods. And if you’re interested in reading more American travels, be sure to follow and check out my recent trip to Richmond, Virginia.
