Starbucks Been There Ornament – West Virginia v2, along with the bigger mug, bring the change from “PANHANDLE STATE” to “THE MOUNTAIN STATE” as the state nickname on the front of the mug. It makes much more sense now, especially for locals, who were not too impressed by Starbucks’s choice.
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Starbucks is finally switching from “PANHANDLE STATE” to “THE MOUNTAIN STATE” with the release of Been There – West Virginia v2 mug. I’ve mentioned this strange choice when reviewed v1 ornament. And even though West Virginia has two panhandles, Eastern Panhandle and the Northern Panhandle (which is a piece of land similar to a peninsula in shape), I think the use of the official nickname makes much more sense. West Virginia is located entirely within the Appalachian Mountains with Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Pocahontas County being the largest winter resort in the Mid-Atlantic region
Starbucks Been There Ornament – Vietnam, along with the regular size mug, opens Asia for BT series. Similar to other mugs from this collection, the smaller ones have fewer items depicted or those elements are different. For this particular ornament, I would like to mention a Cycle Rickshaw, which is still a popular touristic attraction in many Vietnamese cities. This three-wheel bicycle taxi is called xích lô (pronounced “sick-low”, from the French cyclo) in Vietnam. The design includes a double seat supported by the two front wheels, with the driver sitting behind.… Read more
Something special has finally happened. We knew it was just a matter of time till Starbucks expands Been There Series beyond the Americas. Well, this time has come on Friday with the release of the first Asian BT mug and ornament. It is this Been There Vietnam mug that has been chosen for this role in particular. The box it comes with is of the same light blue color as we’re used to. As a nice touch, you can also buy it in a special gift box, which, along with the mug, includes a card and coffee filter (see the photo below).… Read more
“SHOW-ME STATE” fix has been also added to Starbucks Been There Ornament – Missouri v2, very much like the one for the full-size mug. The only difference, though, is that the fix is not as obvious, because the nickname is placed on the side of the mug, rather than the front (as on the bigger mug).… Read more
Dash is another very popular “fix” for the BT series mugs. Starbucks Been There – Missouri v2 replaces “SHOW ME STATE” with “SHOW-ME STATE” right on the front of the mug. And I can clearly understand the designers because I was able to find both readings from the official sources. Just look at this “welcome” sign that can be seen as you enter the state by road, then two license plates. It is indeed confusing.
There are multiple versions where this nickname is originating from.… Read more
This could be the smallest change among all BT v2s so far. Starbucks Been There – Kansas City v2 adds a dot on the sign of the intersection of 18th and Vine streets. In particular, “VINE st” became “VINE st.”
Should you decide to collect both, please be ready to answer the same question from your friends, over and over: “Why are there two identical mugs in your display?”
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New and “improved” Starbucks Been There Ornament – New Jersey v2 comes right after the bigger mug. As I’ve mentioned before, the change includes the “Northern Red Oak” writing on the front of the ornament, which is the proper name of the official state tree of New Jersey (adopted in 1950). The photo is provided by a reader, which confirms that the new version is already available in stores.
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Starbucks Been There – Calgary v2 is another updated Canadian mug design, which again includes a minor change. Very similar to the BC mug I’ve reviewed last week, it has an apostrophe added to the landmark’s name: “ST. PATRICKS ISLAND” becomes “ST. PATRICK’S ISLAND”. It’s one of Calgary’s oldest parks, which invites visitors to enjoy family-friendly space since 1890. Btw, it’s even got National Urban Design Award in 2016.
The photo is provided by a reader of this blog.
Starbucks Been There – Texas v2 introduces a minor update to the “Colorado river” writing on the side of the mug, which becomes “Colorado River”. Is that a sagnificant change for you to have both in you collection? Let me know in the comments.
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