- From historic places to pastries and gardens and more, experience a day trip in ole Brook.
There are days here on the farm when life is monotonous. The daily routine of feeding the chickens, watching dust blow across the freshly picked soybean field, watering the dogs, and writing can become a tad boring. After a week or two, I’ve had enough.
It was time to send out a lifeline. I called a girlfriend. Toni had recently told me about her day trip to Brookhaven and her fun connecting with friends there. We set a date and allowed for the two-hour drive south of Gluckstadt. However, we decided to take a slight detour on our way.
Perusing Buds & Blooms Greenhouse and Gardens
Toni and I enjoy gardening, growing flowers, and providing a bird sanctuary around our homes. Before we went to Brookhaven, we decided to veer off I-55 and take the exit to Wesson. The winding road provided a scenic country route along Highway 550.
Our destination, Buds & Blooms Greenhouse and Gardens, was easy to locate. When we drove into the parking lot, I thought I had died and gone to flower heaven, as if there was such a place. Spacious, well-planned, organized, and offering many bedding plants, beautiful mums, and various pumpkins and gourds in colors and shapes I had never seen before. I felt like a child in the candy store.
We got a cart for all our ‘want’ items. The greenhouses were easy to access, with spacious concrete walkways and plenty of room to select items from the benches or the ground floor. The cart filled up quickly: kale, lettuce, mums, pumpkins, pansies, snapdragons, and perennials.
For me, this is the first nursery operation I have ever toured that offers a Sno Station. There is homemade ice cream, shakes, and they have a lunch menu. Across from this building is a gazebo area for customers to enjoy their food or just a place to sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
In another area, there is a large hen house. You might even hear a couple of hens cackling after laying an egg.
We loaded the CR-V and didn’t have an inch to spare with all our purchases. Honestly, I could have stayed there all day. But our stomachs were growling, and it was time to find a place to eat.
Betty’s Eat Shop & Restaurant
Downtown Brookhaven is unique. Many Mississippi towns have a square with the courthouse in the middle. But Brookhaven’s is rectangular, with the historic Union Station depot in the middle. We drove around downtown and took in a few sights before finding a parking place in front of Betty’s Eat Shop.
The restaurant was busy, but we didn’t have to wait. Our gracious hostess offered us a spot in the back patio area. It was the perfect spot for us. Toni chose the Fried Green Tomato Sando, and I had the Chicken on a Stick. Both were excellent!
Chef Matt Fitzsimmons, a Brookhaven native, is the owner. Before opening the restaurant, he worked for Trattoria Lucca in Charleston, South Carolina, and then the City House in Nashville, Tennessee. He mixes Italian with a Southern flair. Fitzsimmons is quoted in a 2021 Country Roads article saying, “In my travels around the country working at various restaurants under great chefs, I always knew I wanted to come back to Brookhaven and share my love for great cuisine with my hometown.”
Dog Ear Books & Wild Fox Coffee
Next on our agenda was a couple of hours of shopping. Afterward, we decided we needed a good cup of coffee. Because of Toni’s recent excursion, she suggested we visit the Dog Ear Books & Wild Fox Coffee. The coffee shop is spacious. The staff was courteous, and our signature espresso coffees were delicious. I had The Newman.
In one of the rooms, there was a large clock with a book representing each number—an adorable and clever idea.
While driving, we saw the Mississippi School of Arts building, some of the historic homes, The Inn on Whitworth, and Janie’s Pastry Shop. Hopefully, we can return soon and focus more on touring or attending some events. But for now, as your unofficial tour guide, I’d like to make a few suggestions.
Places to Stay
Throughout my years of traveling I-55 to McComb to purchase cattle or attend school in New Orleans, I had never traveled east to visit Brookhaven’s downtown area. Instead, I stopped by a fast-food restaurant and got gas off the interstate exit. Then back on the road. I missed the heart of Brookhaven.
Over the past twenty-five years, remodeling and repurposing have occurred in the historic district. The entire landscape has changed, and there is much to offer the residents and tourists. Walt Grayson, host of Mississippi Roads, did a program called “Repurpose Paradise.” He interviewed John Lynch, owner of Cornerstone Properties. He explained what it took to turn a men’s clothing store into what is now called The Inn on Whitworth, a 15,000-square-foot bed and breakfast. There are seven rooms on the ground floor and suites or lofts.
If you want something a little more permanent, consider The Inez Apartments. The historic three-story building has been on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places since 1988 and was initially called the Inez Hotel in 1904. I discovered an article, “Remembering the Inez” by Carroll Case, dated February 11, 1987. She interviewed with George Martin, who had been working there since 1929.
In the article, Mr. Martin mentions some of the more important people, who we might call famous, who stayed at the hotel—people like Little Jimmy Dickens, Minnie Pearl, and oil tycoon H. L. Hunt. The lobby hosted weddings. There was a restaurant and a ballroom. Today, the Inez offers luxury apartments.
Another place is The Porches at Ole Brook, which overlooks the Ole Brook Golf Club. There are bungalows with one or two bedrooms. Also, check out the historic Captain Jack’s Guest House at 205 Natchez Avenue. They offer several rooms, tours, and activities.
Other buildings have been repurposed for business offices, including The Arcade Building.
Additional information is available online or at the Chamber of Commerce.
Places to Eat
Janie’s Pastry Shop. They offer a variety of baked goods. I love their tagline, “Keeping People Fat since 1929.” They have sandwiches, salads, po’boys, and plate lunches.
Vintage Style Café & Gift Shop is a charming place offering baked goods, specialty teas, coffee, sandwiches, and more.
The 1905 featuring Fox’s Pizza Den & Southern Ground Coffee Bar serves specialty pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and sides.
Here are a few more: The Cookbook, Bob’s Sandwich Shop, Serio’s Pizza, Georgia Blue, Magnolia Blues, Tortilla Soup, and many more. It all depends on your tastes—bon appétit.
Consider Things to Do
The Chamber of Commerce offers a downloadable brochure for a “Walk Around Brookhaven!” This includes the historic Victorian district homes along Jackson Street, Natchez Avenue, and Cherokee Street.
There is the Lincoln County Historical & Genealogical Museum, the Foster-Smith Log Cabin (tours available), a Military Memorial Museum, and the Mary Jane Lampton Auditorium.
The production of “Annie” will be held December 6-15, 2024, at The Brookhaven Little Theatre.
As part of The Haven Series, Randy Redd is coming on October 26. Tickets are available here.
The annual Christmas Tree Lighting is scheduled for November 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the railroad park. Then, on December 5, there is the Christmas parade, which starts at 6:30 p.m.
For outdoor fun, check out the Lake Lincoln State Park.
Laura Lee Leathers
