***This blog post is part of the Local Gems Series***
Travel does not necessarily require visiting exotic destinations or having complex plans. Sometimes you just need to get away for some rest and refreshment. Often overlooked, your own “backyard” can be the perfect place for a getaway. Recently, my husband and I looked to our own backyard for a quick, last-minute getaway. We traveled to Laurel, MS where HGTV’s Hometown series is filmed. Laurel checked the boxes for what we wanted – a quiet place to retreat where we could find art museums; interesting shops and antique stores; some local interest; hopefully good food; and, best of all, took less than 2 hours of travel time.
Laurel
The Art
I had heard great things about the “sweet little art museum” in Laurel and was not disappointed. The Lauren Rodgers Art Museum was a trip highlight. The Lauren Rodgers family, who created the museum in his memory, ensure admission is always free for all to see fine art. The friendly and helpful docent gave us local tips and an introduction to the museum. We began our visit watching short videos on the history of Laurel and the museum. The collection was bigger than I had expected and had a large variety of art. The regular exhibition rotates artwork and special exhibitions are brought in so we look forward to returning one day knowing we’ll see different things.
Wood Carving
Painting
Lauren Rodgers at Night
The Shopping
Much of our time was spent browsing shops. Laurel had plenty of boutique shops with beautiful and interesting items to purchase, including items connected to the Hometown series. We found those interesting, but our favorites were The Rusty Chandelier and the Peddler’s Junktion with their multiple stalls of homemade and vintage items. Perusing the “antiques” and vintage items was a walk down memory lane for us. We found many items that were the height of home décor fashion when we were first married. We weren’t sure if we should feel old or just laugh and enjoy. We chose the latter!
Peddlars Junktion
Rusty Chandelier
Local Interest
HGTV’s Hometown series is based on Erin and Ben Napier’s love of their hometown and their desire to revitalize it. Laurel has embraced them and you can see their touches everywhere. Due to the cold weather, we did not opt to take the golf cart tour around town to see the homes they have renovated. A day trip on a warmer day to take this tour is a definite possibility.
Lauren Mercantile
Scotsman
Scotsman
Scotsman
The Food
The food was our only disappointment for the trip. A plethora of restaurants serving traditional southern fare was available. Unfortunately, our tastebuds do not appreciate such food. We looked for alternatives, and while we were not able to indulge our foodie preferences, we also did not starve and did enjoy some good food at Lee’s Coffee &Tea, Blue Crab Grill (which does not serve real crab at all, but does have a delicious burger!), Mimmo’s Ristorante Pizzeria, and the Loft.
Mimmos Salad
Mimmos Pizza
Blue Crab Burger
Shrimp
A Bonus
Dunns Falls Park was just a short distance out of our way on our return home, so we took a little detour. It made for a nice pit stop with some pretty scenery and a nice place to take a little nature walk and stretch our legs.
Dunns Falls
Dunns Falls
Accessibility
As part of the Incredible Memories Travel team, I have become more aware of accessibility as I travel. Though not a wheelchair user able to speak from experience on navigating the town and shops, I did notice most shops had no stairs and those that did had ramps to enter. While some of the boutique shops were more crowded and could be tight for a wheelchair user, I think they would still be navigable in a chair for the most parts but many of the individual stalls in The Rusty Chandelier and Peddler’s Junktion would be a problem. At Dunns Falls park, there’s a flat path along a lake leading to the picnic area, but you’d need to climb steep steps to get to the bottom of the falls. There is a ramp that takes you to a platform behind the mill where you can get a close-up view of the waterwheel and a side view of the falls. Rolling across some grass would be required to access that ramp. When it comes to food allergies, being gluten-sensitive was tough at the restaurants we visited. The options were pretty limited, and finding substitutions wasn’t easy. For those with celiac disease or extensive food allergies, eating out could be especially challenging unless they bring their own food.
