J and I love the HGTV show, HomeTown with Ben and Erin Napier, so we decided to take a day trip to Laurel, MS to experience the tastes and sights that we have seen on TV.
A shared love of simple, Southern living and revitalizing historic properties keeps Ben and Erin Napier busy in their hometown of Laurel, Miss. That's the setting of this HGTV series, which follows the couple as they renovate turn-of-the-century homes for first-time buyers, young families, and adults wishing to live closer to grandchildren. Erin's keen sense of style and a background in graphic design guide the renovations, Ben's building and woodworking skills preserve and celebrate the home's history, and by using found materials and old textiles, they keep the character intact but create modern and affordable updates.
Laurel, MS is only a 2 1/2 hour drive from New Orleans up I-59.
We arrived in Laurel around noon, parked, and set our sights on Pearl's Diner featured in one of the episodes. I can honestly say that the fried chicken was some of the best I have ever eaten. I also loved the baked beans and jalapeno cornbread. Jeff loved the lima beans which my Me-Me called "buttah beans."
After lunch we walked through some of the most charming shops in Downtown Laurel. Our favorites included Guild & Gentry, J. Parker, Southern Antiques, and of course the Laurel Mercantile owned by Ben and Erin Napier. We also visited Ben's workshop, Scotsman General Store and Wood Shop. Loved it all!
Once we finished downtown, we set out to drive the streets surrounding downtown in search of some of the homes renovated on HomeTown. 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Streets were filled with gorgeous homes. We did locate some of homes we recognized from the show. It was really fun to drive up and down the oak-lined streets.
HomeTown spottings:
We did not stay overnight, but we hope to return and stay the night.
Do you watch HomeTown?
Touring Laurel, y'all!
