A few weekends ago, my friend Andrea and I took a trip down to Downtown, Oxford, MS. for a very much needed artist’s date. The quaint college town is only a little over an hour away via car, so we decided to make a day trip out of it and head down to explore.
So, if you’ve never been on an artist’s date, it’s basically a day filled with simple but fun activities to help spark a little creativity. It could be a day with a trip to a museum to see an exhibit, or even a trip to a specialty grocery store (like we did in this post years ago). The goal is to disconnect and indulge in your surroundings.
Andrea and I have been talking about travel a lot lately (both near and far), and since both of us haven’t been to Downtown Oxford in over a year, we decided to take the hour drive that Saturday to just talk, listen to music and explore.
First thing’s first, we decided to have lunch once we arrived since we both were starving. There are a few restaurants to visit, but we both were craving pizza from Saint Leo Restaurant. I love a good margherita pizza, so I had that and a cocktail.
After filling our bellies with yummy pizza, we knew we needed to walk around, and Downtown Oxford is perfect for that. There are a ton of small boutiques, bookstores, and other small businesses in the square. We didn’t necessarily having shopping on the brain, but we both love fashion (it’s how we actually connected), so bopping in and out of the stores was a no brainer.
We stopped inside Katherine Beck, which is a cute lifestyle/gift store, and then My Favorite Shoes Store, where I left with a pair of statement earrings and a bracelet.
Our REAL focus, however, was to go to Square Books. We both LOOOOOOVE to read, and Square Books is an amazing, amazing bookstore. They have such a diverse offering of books, from philosophy, to the classics, to a nice little collection of fashion and art books (which are surprisingly hard to find in person for some reason).
Because of the layout of this particular location (they have 4 different locations on the Square), we honestly could’ve stayed in there for hours and been happy not doing anything else. It’s one of those spaces where you immediately feel comfortable and just want to enjoy a latte while you lounge around and flip through all of your faves. Andrea found a homemaking cookbook that had been on her list, and I left with an art book that had been on mine and a book for one of my friends.
After we left the bookstore, we walked a bit more and then headed to The End of All Music Record Store, which is kinda hidden in plain sight (down an alley and up a flight of stairs). Andrea collects records and had been told about the store, so we knew we had to visit.
It was another location where you could just hang out and zone out to the music. After a little crate digging, we did more walking, stumbling upon some live music. We’re not sure what was happening because there wasn’t any official signage around or areas blocked off, but you can’t NOT stop and listen to it, ya know?
Finally, we popped into Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co. which makes gourmet gelatos, sorbets and more in unique flavor combinations with local and regional ingredients. They’re opening a new location in Memphis soon, so I was happy to be able to get my fix. I’m into trying new/unique flavors, so I decided on Pistachio (and I’m so glad I did).
With our gelato in tow, we headed outside to people watch, talk and listen to the music that was wafting through the streets. By then it was evening, so it was magical! Moments like this where you’re able to put away your phone, chat and just enjoy each other’s company are what I cherish the most in life. Andrea and I have been friends for around 10 years now, and our conversations flow from astrology, to community activism, to a fashion trend we’re loving at the moment. There’s never a dull moment when we’re together.
After we finished our gelatos, we walked through the square one more time and then headed back home to Memphis. Our artist’s date was a success! We got there a little later than planned, and there were a few businesses that we skipped, so we plan to go back and visit again in a few months.
If you’d like to take your own artists date to Downtown Oxford, visit www.visitoxfordms.com to learn more about the city and all of the things that you can do while there.
