Daytrip Fun - Think Off-The-Beaten-Path!

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.