Never mind that this Middle-Tennessee winter has been the mildest in
years, the post-holiday period of dormancy known as January can inflict
cabin fever on the heartiest of homebodies. And, when hibernation takes
"stir crazy" to a whole new level, sometimes the only remedy is a road
trip! More often than not, a simple day away can work wonders for the
psyche!
In more than 25 years of developing itineraries for travel
groups, I have garnered a reputation as something akin to Queen of
Off-The-Beaten-Path. Early in my career, it was a random trip to the
Nashville Flea Market where I stumbled upon a flier describing the tiny
hamlet of Glendale, Kentucky that started me down the road less
traveled. Capitalizing on the growing - and sustained - popularity of
Mystery Trips among the groups I serve, I reasoned long ago that if
someone was going to pay good money to show up and not have a clue
where they were going, then it was encumbent on me to make sure they got more than their money's worth.
This
fondness for the offbeat and unique is not lost on my network of
road-running girlfriends. When I can't stay chained to my office chair
even five more minutes and need a break, I have only to pick up the
phone and invoke 'road trip' and whichever of them signs on knows they
are in for more than the mundane "lunch and shopping "experience.
The
latest of these ventures came barely a week into the New Year as three
of us struck out for nearby Leipers Fork, Tennessee - a precious gem of a
village nestled obscurely along scenic Old Hillsboro Pike. Located a
mere eight miles - yet a world away - from wildly-popular Franklin's
historic downtown district, itself a place always teeming with
visitors, Leipers Fork (www.leipersforkvillage.com) welcomes visitors
with a laid-back sophistication not to mention impressive galleries,
shopping and dining.
With most of the town's retail establishments
open Wednesday through Sunday (though some will open by appointment if
you call ahead), we were lucky to find most everything open, including
the mesmerizing Serenite' Maison, owner-designer Alex Cirimelli's
serendipitous collection of antiques, French-flavored gifts and
irresistible jewelry of her own designs. We lingered in the main
gallery of this sprawling clapboard cottage, prowling through her
tempting assortment of candles, frames, stationery, and fleur-de-lis
motifed items plus another room filled with fabulous lotions, toiletries
and antique linens.
Famished from all the decision-making, we
departed for lunch across the ribbon of two-laned Old Hillsboro Road,
which doubles as the village's Main Street to another roadside cottage.
This one housed the Twisted Fork Cafe, a deli-style bistro, as well as
S'weet, a tempting emporium specializing in fine chocolate, novelty
candy and gift baskets. Making our luncheon selections from an extensive
menu of healthy salads, sandwiches and wraps, we settled ourselves in
the welcoming dining room furnished with an eclectic assortment of
shabby-chic tables and chairs and admired the extensive collection of
art adorning the walls.
Not two doors east of the Twisted Fork
lies a longtime Leipers Fork dining attraction called Puckett's Grocery
(www.puckettsgrocery.com). For nearly fifty years, this unassuming
market served as a combined grocery store and gathering place for
communities in rural Williamson County and has long attracted an
eclectic clientele of farmers, businessmen and country music artists who
drop by for a "meat and three" style lunch. Andy Marshall purchased the
family-owned store in 1998 and has kept it true to its roots, much to
the delight of hordes of diners who frequent this village centerpiece.
Their live music and dinner event every Friday and Saturday night
year-round has grown in popularity since Marshall launched it in 2002
and routinely draws a big crowd.
Revived and back in action, we
strolled down the road to Linda "Neena" Beecham's cottage. Blending a
collection of antiques and primitives on one side of the house known as
Neena's Primitives & Antiques under the same roof with trendy
jewelry, handbags, gourmet coffees and teas on the side known as Wild
Iris Boutique, Beecham pulls it all off seamlessly and charmingly. We
wandered through the cottage's rooms, creatively and appealingly
stocked. Beecham's engaging and friendly style invited conversation and
she readily pointed us in the direction of even more treasures.
Zig-zagging
our way back across the road, we found our way into the warm and
inviting Leipers Creek Gallery. It's spacious rooms punctuated with
visually stunning architectural accents serve as a fitting showcase for
the displayed works of regional artists. Casual elegance beckons
visitors to stay awhile and just soak up the surroundings. During warmer
months, a gazebo and green space behind the gallery provide the perfect
setting for casual concerts and picnics.
Each year, a volunteer
community association comprised of village residents devises a schedule
of events ranging from an annual Chili Cook-Off in October to a
wine-and-cheese event dubbed "Cork in the Fork" to a community Christmas
Parade. This year's schedule is in the process of being updated and
posted to the village website under the Events link.
For a dreary
January Thursday, the meandering and noshing and conversation and
discoveries uncovered in this inconspicuous, yet altogether captivating,
little "wide spot in the road" succeeded in sending us back to our
respective grinds refreshed and ready to forge ahead into the new year.
