It’s been one week since Hurricane Florence touched ground on the coast of North Carolina. Thankfully, we live inland near Charlotte. Normally, this would have comforted me. However, the weather channels were all saying that the storm could be quite devastating for the western part of the state. We decided to prepare the house for the worst and hop in the car for a road trip to Evansville, Indiana.

My husband’s family lives in Indiana and the hurricane gave us a chance to visit and see more of the area where they live. Below are a few of our trip highlights including where to eat gluten free, find the best coffee, shop and exercise .

Gluten free options

1. 1. Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano

      Unfortunately, Evansville does not have many restaurant options for the gluten free, dairy free customer. We enjoyed a double date night at Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano. I had the gluten free Chicken Parmesan. The two chicken breasts were heavily breaded with a thick layer of cheese and tomato sauce on top. The entree also came with gluten free spinach pasta. If you are sensitive to dairy, I would recommend asking for this entree without the cheese. Nick had the Grilled Pork Chops. This would be a better option for the dairy sensitive. I believe the only dairy would have been butter in the potatoes. 

   2. Sunshine Juice Co.

      

      

      This was one of the only juice bars in the area. It was a complete, unexpected surprise. We were delighted to know a healthy food option was available to us. We had just come from the gym and an early morning vitamin boost sounded amazing.  The Sunshine Juice Co. opens at 7:00 AM. You can pick a juice up from the fridge or order a freshly made drink from the menu. We chose two drinks from the cooler and were in and out of the bar in 10 minutes.

      The atmosphere is bright and cheery with pops of yellow everywhere. The juice bar looks like a great place to meet a friend or bring your laptop to work. We would recommend the Mean Green Juice made with celery, cucumber, green apple, kale, spinach, parsley, lemon and ginger root. I loved the Cold Brew. A combination of local, organic, fair-trade cold brew with cashew mylk.

      

      

      

   3. Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market

      To ward off those food cravings and temptations, I bake and cook my meals before a road trip. However, with the length of this trip being open-ended, I needed to grocery shop. Just down the road from the Sunshine Juice Co. is Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market.  I would equate this store to an airy feeling Whole Foods. There were less organic produce than I would have liked to see, but all my favorite brands were fully stocked.

Coffee Cafes

1. 1. Lucid Coffee Bar

      Lucid Coffee is located in a vintage country store. It is a dimly lit, barn-like interior with ample seating. I enjoyed a cold brew coffee with almond milk. It was perfect for walking around Newburgh during the heat wave they were experiencing. 

   2. Planters Cafe and Coffee Bar

      I was referred to this cafe by my brother-in-law that lives in the area. He knows his coffee and I respect his recommendations. I was not able to visit this location, but I wanted to pass along the info. Planters Cafe and Coffee Bar offers organic, fair-trade coffee.

Shopping: newburgh, IN

If you are looking to spend an afternoon shopping, I suggest visiting historic downtown Newburgh. There are coffee shops on every corner, clothing boutiques and more. It’s located on the Ohio River and is a quaint, eclectic town filled with surprises.

1. 1. Flutter

      I could spend hours in Flutter, a women’s clothing boutique. You could build your entire wardrobe here. I loved the fine leather handbags, timeless jewelry and  shoes for every occasion.

   2. The Barefoot Cottage

      Before you spend all your money at Flutter, make sure to walk across the street to The Barefoot Cottage. This shop is a bright, cozy setting where you can purchase clothing or home goods. The store is decorated in a cottage chic design that makes you want to stay longer. If your decorating style is farmhouse, traditional or cottage chic, you must make this shop a stop on your travels. I found the cutest, rustic mug holder there. It now displays my copper Moscow Mule mugs on my kitchen counter.

Exercise

1. 1. YMCA

      While visiting Evansville, IN, our family provided us with guest passes to the YMCA. If I remember correctly, if you have a friend or family that has a membership, you should be able to do the same. The YMCA had a pool, second floor walking track and plenty of cardio and weight training equipment. 

   2. Newburgh Rivertown Trail

      A great place to walk, run or ride bikes along the Ohio River. This fantastic 2.5 mile trail is located in Newburgh. You can shop to your hearts content, grab a meal and work it off!

Recap

We are happily home from our road trip and thankful to see our town and house are safe! Evansville, Indiana, may be off the beaten path for most; however, if you happen to find yourself in the Midwest, I hope you find this post helpful.