Starbucks with a view

Here's a Starbucks that's hard to hate.

This version of the ubiquitous coffee chain sits in the middle of Estes Park, Colo., in the stunning foothills of the Rocky Mountain National Park.

It doesn't seem much different from any other Starbucks one might encounter in the middle of American suburban hell until you walk out the back door to a courtyard fronting the Big Thompson River.

There's nothing like sipping coffee under the bright sun to the sound of a rushing mountain river. (Click on pictures to make them bigger.)