Being: Home Town - Our Day Trip to Laurel

Hey Being: Me Readers! 

I know it has been a minute, but I can't wait to share what I have been up to over the last few months! First of all, I never knew how much I would LOVE the South. I mean, I've had people tell me I would multiple times... but we just can't wait to go back! One of the first stops we made was a day trip to Laurel, Mississippi. This is one of those "if you know you know" moments. But for those of you who need a little catch up, Laurel is the filming location for the HGTV series Home Town. 

During the first few months of quarantine, Victor and I watched Home Town every single day. We fell in love with Ben and Erin, as well as their style and ability to transform these historic homes into such beautiful places to live. Yes, it is on our bucket list to get one of our own someday! For now though, we give them full credit for our Quarantine Remodels - including our dark green accent wall in our living room.

Downtown Laurel, MS

Since we were just driving through from New Orleans to Jackson when we visited, we only had one day to see the best of Laurel and I think we did it! Although, if you're visiting this historic town to buy all your dream furniture and decor, we recommend two days and one large pick-up truck because there were so many goodies to buy! 

Ok - let's get to it! Laurel, Mississippi is one of the smallest but cutest little towns I have ever been to. It quite literally pops up out of nowhere! From the moment you arrive, you feel like you've entered a true "Home Town". With its brick roads and beautiful Laurel murals, you know you have arrived.

Let's first talk about where to eat, because you all know that's my specialty and that's the first thing we did. We did some research of all the places in the area and decided to try out Café La Fleur, a New Orleans Style Restaurant. Victor tried his first sweet tea EVER here... it was also his last sweet tea of the trip, BUT it was my first of many. Fortunately, they had so many options to try here! We ordered the Duck Wontons as an appetizer and wow, it was amazing. You have to try it if you go. For our entree, I tried the Mardi Gras Poboy and Victor ordered the Softshell Crab Poboy. And yes - if you look at the photo below, those are two FULL crabs fried. He also didn't know how to go about eating it, so you aren't alone in wondering. Both meals were so delicious, but we could only finish about half because it was so big. 

Softshell Crab Poboy @ Café La Fleur 

If you're visiting and want a list of all the restaurants in Laurel, visit this link here! It's important to note that most restaurants and stores close early here so plan your day in advance! 

Next up, we walked over to Laurel Mercantile Co., the store that Ben and Erin have part ownership in. This is where you will find the majority of their merchandise, including Erin's candles and Ben's coffee! I highly recommend buying both - I'm drinking Ben's coffee as I write this! We bought Ben's Breakfast Blend  and Erin's Portside Candle. (Great Christmas gifts for your favorite HGTV lovers in your life!)

Laurel Mercantile Co.                                           Big Ben's Coffee

If you love Erin's watercolor paintings, you can find those here too! They look just like the ones from the show. Laurel Mercantile was filled with such beautiful items that you can tell were thoughtfully picked out to be sold here. 

Just a short walk down the road is where you will find the Scotsman General Store and Ben's Woodshop. We LOVED visiting this store because you get a peak into Ben's Woodshop and see where all the magic happens. They also have lots of local candies, jams, bakery items, and old-fashioned soda to buy! They said this store was perfect for kids and we definitely see why. 

Ben's Woodshop

And of course, we can't miss a photo op with the classic Scotsman truck.  

Scotsman General Store

After we saw two of our must-sees of the trip, we made it around to some other local shops in Laurel. There are a lot of furniture and antique stores in the area, as well as a lot of super cute boutiques! Again, make sure you plan accordingly though because most of them close around 2pm.  We visited the Lott Company Furniture Store where Ben and Erin also have their designs. This is also a must-visit! 

Lott Furniture as seen on Home Town

Laurel Mural on the walk to Bird Dog Cafe

Now for the grand finale of the trip to Laurel, which I was most excited for. We got to visit Bird Dog Cafe, as seen on Season 4, Episode 15, when Erin and Ben renovated their first cafe. It was so cute and felt like a little home. I love being able to see their work in real life and pay attention to all the little details they made sure to add. Bonus - their coffee is delicious and was perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up. Their seasonal special was a Sweet Potato Pie Latte - with roasted marshmallows on top, you can't go wrong. 

Bird Dog Cafe

Bird Dog Cafe

Erin designed this Window Room Divider

All in all, a day trip to Laurel is 100% worth it. Even though they weren't filming while we were in town, we were still able to see some of the properties they renovated over the years, which was so much fun! Just a quick drive around the time and you will be able to spot a few! If you are an HGTV lover like us, we can't recommend it enough. Have a question about our trip? Leave a comment and I will do my best to answer! I can't wait to hear about your trip to Laurel! 

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**Local safety measures due to COVID-19 were followed during our trip. As always, quarantine when needed, wear a mask, and be safe!**