By Kate Lewis
@kateonthedaily
Sometimes, the things we see every day are the very things we seek.
After a particularly hectic two weeks of life, work, and family, my husband and I spent 24 hours as “visitors” in the town we’ve lived in for 18 years. We told ourselves to see everything anew, and what we saw was amazing.
We first took an afternoon stroll through the Georgia National Fairgrounds, where there must have been 1000 cows, sheep, and kids, respectively, scattered among practice pens and livestock barns. Preparations were well underway for the Georgia National Rodeo and Stock Show, so the buzz in the air was palpable. The sun was going down, and there was a nice breeze as we sat beside one of the lakes watching a very lucky guy land a big bass. I think both of us exhaled for the first time in days. It became a question we would pose often over the next several hours: “Why don’t we do this more often?”
After getting in enough steps to work up an appetite, we headed back downtown to our loft at The Commodore Building for the night to change for dinner. Another short stroll landed us at Oliver Perry’s Restaurant. It’s a restaurant we’ve dined in many times, but usually after work and on an evening, neither of us wants to clean up the kitchen. On this night, however, the 4-minute walk in the night air and down the storybook brick sidewalks of downtown Perry, we were lighter. We were relaxed. We were grateful. And we were hungry!
Dinner was delicious (don’t pass on the chocolate caramel tart for dessert), as we knew it would be. What we didn’t know…or what we’d forgotten, rather…was how perfectly delightful an evening in our small southern town is. The lights from the storefronts created a warm glow on the street and the lights in the trees created a festive vibe. We meandered along Carroll Street browsing the shop windows and chatted about nothing. When was the last time we’d chatted about nothing?
After a sackful of really tasty coffee, frittatas, and scones from Bodega Brew the next morning, we walked about 10 minutes to Evergreen Cemetery, a place we’d heard people mention but we’d never actually visited. Admittedly, we aren’t history buffs, so thank goodness for Google and good cellphone service because we were intrigued by what we found. There were markers dating back to the mid-1800s! The moss hanging from the trees made it picturesque, and the gently rolling landscape introduced a sort of mystery.
Lunch was another “Why don’t we do this more often?” moment. We picked up BLT and pimento cheese sandwiches from Morning By Morning and sat in the sunshine at Legacy Park. As we listened to the water splash in the fountain, we talked about how our little staycation had opened our eyes to what is right in front of us.
We chose to move to Perry so long ago because we were drawn to all the things we had re-discovered over the previous 24 hours. Perry offers a sense of home. It’s a jewel tucked right in the middle of the state. We tend to think we can only find interesting sights, delicious food, and short escapes if we travel. And once again we learned just how wrong our thinking can be.
Video Short: Around Perry with Kate Lewis
Kate Lewis is a lover of all things fashion, lifestyle, entertaining, travel, family, adventures, and small towns. Follow her at www.instagram.com/kateonthedaily.
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