Day 1
- Laurel Mercantile – no better place to start. The flagship store owned by HGTV’s “Home Town” stars Ben & Erin Napier, along with their friends also featured on the show, Jim and Mallory Rasberry and Josh and Emily Nowell.
- The Mercantile family of stores also includes the Scent Library that is one block away. And the Scotsman General Store that is just one more block away that also features Ben’s Woodshop. There is a viewing window inside the store, and it is not uncommon to see cameras rolling while they are capturing Ben and friends making a custom pieces of furniture.
- A stroll through downtown Laurel will find you passing many familiar shops that you will recognize from the show, including Shug’s, Guild & Gentry and Southern Antiques.
- If you are a “Home Town” fan, then you probably feel like you know Ms. Pearl personally. She serves up arguably some of the best fried chicken you will ever eat for lunch at her restaurant Pearl’s Diner. If a ‘meat and three’ isn’t calling your name, you can grab lighter fare at Lee’s Coffee & Tea. The Knight Butcher is known for their beef jerky and hand cut meats, but serves hot lunches daily of burgers, sausage dogs and sandwiches.
- After a filling lunch, you can retreat to a guided tour of the historic district where you can choose from two companies that offer golf cart or limo tours. The guides will provide local history and will also point out dozens of homes that Ben & Erin have redone for families on “Home Town.”
- By now it is time to check in to your short-term rental, and you have a lot of choices depending on your needs and group size. There are homes available in the historic district renovated with modern amenities or second floor units overlooking downtown Laurel.
- There are many eateries in downtown Laurel that offer exquisite menus and ambiance, but you can also enjoy a wider variety of cuisine or locals’ favorites by exploring other options throughout Jones County. Edgar’s Steakhouse, Charlie’s Catfish or Barry’s Burgers are just a few options within a short drive of downtown Laurel.
- The Buzzard’s Roost is a small inn that was featured on the show, but what you didn’t see on the show was a full service restaurant and bar on the ground level. Visit the Buzzard’s Roost following dinner for a cocktail. They host a regular schedule of live entertainment, as do 320 Fifth Street and Texas Pit Master BBQ. Visit visitjones.com for upcoming events.
Day 2
- Start your morning with breakfast and coffee at your rental. Even better if you can sip your coffee and plan your day from a porch! There are also a handful of local restaurants serving hot, Southern breakfast fare.
- Take a short stroll down oak-lined Fifth Avenue to arrive at Mississippi’s oldest art museum, the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art. Watch the introductory video in the lobby before exploring the exhibits of American and European masterpieces.
- Before you depart to your next destination, consider adding one or more of these sights featured on the show to your itinerary:
o Carpenter Brothers Emporium
o Rubie’s Home Furnishings
o Longleaf Tea Co. (tea tastings on select Friday mornings)
o Jones College
o Veterans Memorial Museum
o Landrum’s Homestead & Village
