COFFEE TASTING AND FLOWER GAZING

This past Saturday, my friend Emily, from Just Because, and I decided to skip town and head to Hartsville, SC.  Each time I think of this cute little city, I imagine all things artsy.  For years, I have been sneaking over here with my sister Mary Ashley for lunch and a bit of boutique shopping.

The Midnight Rooster has always been our favorite spot, but over the years, it has been sold a few times and passed through several owners' hands.  Each time, it's less and less like the original that we first fell in love with.

  However, because of so many memories and fondness of the place, I keep going back hoping to find it like I loved it years ago.  It's never the case, though.  

I don't want to say that the food isn't tasty or the service isn't good.  Honesty, it's fine and any newbie would probably be impressed.  As someone who enjoyed The Midnight Rooster with the original owner, though, it's just not the same.  Each time my sisters and I go, we get all sad and frustrated and say we are never coming back.  So, long story short, although I enjoyed going there with Emily and I got a yummy crepe, it still was a slight disappointment.

After our breakfast, we checked out a few of the boutiques on the main street.  They do have a few cute shops that I enjoy looking in, but many of the store fronts are empty.  

Since Greenville updated their downtown and Florence is in the process of doing ours, I wonder if Hartsville will catch up with the times and get their downtown more active again!  I know that this place has so much potential.  It reminds me of what could be a real life Stars Hallow...basically a dream for all Gilmore Girls fans!

We spotted a rooftop bar, but since it was way too hot, we decided that we will have to make another trip here when the weather cools down!

 So, after a quick gas station stop for some bottled water, we drove just a few minutes to find Kalmia Gardens.  The last time I visited the gardens was in 2006 with Ironman.  I remember it went from burning hot (almost unbearable) to pouring rainstorm within an hour.  We ended up going to see a movie at the old theatre because the weather was so bad.  

It's ironic because when Emily and I went this past Saturday, it was overcast and cool, but by the time we got to the gardens it was burning up and our clothes felt painted on.  Apparently the weather is still just as fickle, a decade later!

There was much more greenery than there were flowers, but that made each flower that we did spot all that more exciting!  Isn't this one gorgeous?  I would love to figure out what type flower it is!

The funny thing is that Emily and I are both not good with bugs and spiders and anything creepy crawly.  So, we kept bumping into each other as we both tried to walk in the middle of the walkways. Each time I felt something touch me, I would jump to worst case scenario and imagine the largest spider in the world camped out on my back or in my hair.  One bug actually did fall down my shirt and crawl around a bit before I got him out!

After our long, hot and treacherous journey (haha...no really), we decided we needed another little coffee break.  I mean, there is no such thing as too much coffee right?  Emily had a friend suggest Crema Coffee Bar and we both ended up really liking the place.  The front doesn't look all that exciting so I probably would have never tried it without the suggestion.  

However, the coffee was great and I appreciated how they had a little "library" where you can take a book and leave a book!  I really want Ironman to build me a Little Free Library in our front yard.  Wouldn't it be cute to have a little neighbor library like that?  As of today, there is still no one within my zip code that has one!  So, that's a sign that I need to put up the first one, right?

See the little library (bookshelf) in front of me?

 Overall, Harstville was a fun day!  But, in all honesty, I liked playing tourist in Lake City better!  I can't believe that I am actually saying that.  Since we didn't visit the Museum or rooftop bar, though, Emily and I have already said that we will give Hartsville another go sometime soon.  

Can you guess where we are off to next weekend?