Hi! If you are new around here, I’m Sharlie! Wife, mom of six, Christian, and lover of antiques and history. I like to visit local small towns (maybe not-so-local towns, one day??) and explore. Find the hidden treats. Spread the word about small businesses that deserve to be visited and kept open. If you are local to Laurens, SC I hope I can help you see some of the goodies your town has to offer. If you are near Laurens, I hope I can encourage you to make a visit. And if you live across the country, I hope I can encourage you to go out and explore the areas near you!

My exploring buddy on this trip is my friend Cassie (IG: @thehostessnextdoor). To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect out of Laurens. I went once a few months ago to watch a movie and have dinner at the Capital Theater (more on that in a few), but it was dark and I didn’t have a chance to see much. But I was hopeful and had my fingers crossed.

We parked in a parking lot right next to the square and my gaze immediately went to the beautiful, large white building with the Grecian influence. Ahhh, columns. This is the Laurens County Courthouse and man, she, is majestic!

As we walked up towards the square, I was extremely happy to be immediately be greeted by an outdoor sign. I try to do a little bit of research on a town before going, but sometimes you just don’t know if it will be a hit or miss. And I’m always praying I get a hit. Whew. It looked like we had already ran into a boutique type store. Thank goodness! The store was called Southern Twist and had really cute stuff. It’s the perfect place to stop when you need to buy a gift for someone…or yourself. There were cute home decor items, jewelry, clothes, purses, devotional type books. And it smelled heavenly.

We passed by the Laurens County Museum’s storefront and I was intrigued by the Revolutionary War pieces in the front. The owner of the store next door told us that they were currently closed because an elevator was being installed. I’d love to take the kids back for a little field trip once they open. We are studying American history this year.

Next door was an antique store, Antiques on the Square! The owners were very nice and had quite a collection of goodies! This was a true antique store where everything was an actual antique. No reproductions here!

The hit of this adventure was Verdins Too. Oh my word. I’m not even a plant person and I was in heaven in this place! This store had taken up occupancy in an old building where part of the roof was gone. Perfect location for a greenhouse/plant store, amiright? Cassie, who does have a green thumb, was in awe! This place was a real treat!!

We continued to walk around the square and enjoyed the pretty views and architecture. I’ve got to tell ya. Brick alley streets get me every time.

There were quite a few lunch options, but we decided to go with Capital Theater and Cafe. They have the best burgers (and fried okra and onion rings!) and the atmosphere is fun. Step inside and you are taken back to the 50s with a cute diner setup. They even play 50s music! The theater part is not currently open but it’s fabulous when it is! You can take your food to the back to catch a movie! There is normal theater seating and tables in the back.

We made one more stop before heading home, but I do want to share a couple of places that are downtown Laurens that we didn’t get a chance to visit. The Uptown Collection was an antique store and had some cute things that we could see from the window, but you had to call to make an appointment. We did stop into Picture This, which was a cute art and frame store. And there was Square Roots, but you had to have a mask to go in and I didn’t have mine handy.

There were also a couple other food options, in case you aren’t in the mood for a burger. Tacos & Bla Bla Bla just opened. There was Main Street Bake Shoppe, which I’m now kicking myself for not going into. They serve breakfast and pastries and their FB page looks good enough to take a bite out of. There was also The Coffee Roost. They were doing curbside orders and I saw them bring out a coffee order and it looked delicious!

We heard about an antique/decor store that was about 5-6 minutes down the road called Rustic Charm 49. We decided to check it out as we left Laurens. I’m so glad we did. The owners were so nice to chat with and are super passionate about their store. They had different rooms/booths set up and it was fun to go from room to room. There was a mixture of antiques, florals, decor, and they offer craft classes too. One thing I found particularly endearing was a section of the store for teachers. The community is invited to donate items and teachers can come in and grab what they need to stock up for their room. As a former public school teacher, I found this to be amazing! 🙂

As I end these trips, my heart is always full. It’s a treat to connect with these small business owners. And I can’t help but think of the empty buildings there and how much I wish they could be restored and these squares brought back to grandeur. If only I had a few millions dollars!

I can’t wait to see what next Friday’s adventure will bring us! If you missed the Abbeville Day Trip post, you need to read it!