Summer is here and we all know what that means… ROADTRIPS! If you are looking to go on an adventure with friends, family, or even solo, downtown Lafayette and West Lafayette has everything you need. Downtown has art, restaurants, shopping, nature, and so much more. So, look no further, here is the ultimate itinerary of how I spent a wonderful day in the historic downtown.
First Stop:
To begin, my friend and I went into Rose Market to pick up some donuts. This shop is unique because all their donuts and baked goods are forms of allergen friendly. It was a hard choice of what to get, but in the end, we chose gluten/dairy free donuts flavored coffee cake and chai tea latte. I would like to mention that I am normally not a donut lover, but these donuts were so flavorful, soft, and delicious!
Second Stop:
After filling up on donuts, we decided it was time for a caffeine fix. We headed over to Reveille Coffee Bar just across the street and picked up some vanilla lattes. This coffee shop is a gorgeous, aesthetically pleasing, French inspired restaurant that serves all the coffee drinks you can imagine while also having some baked goods by other local businesses.
Third Stop(s):
Downtown is a shopping paradise and has an abundance of boutiques, antiques, and art shops. We did not have time to hit all the stores, so we decided to just stroll down Main Street and stop into a few. We went into Scout, a modern, quirky, and fun new boutique. This store had all my dream décor items! We also went into Retail Therapy, Essentially Aqua, and Artists' Own. All these stores are unique in their own ways and offer so many great items for gifts or personal use items.
Fourth Stop(s):
Like most Gen Z’ers, it was now time to get pictures for Instagram. Lafayette and West Lafayette have a fascinating public art trail, so we decided to pick some of our favorite pieces we saw and stop to get some shots. We stopped at a Coca-Cola Mural, Elephant in The Room, Two Cities, Farm Family, and Farmers Market.
Fifth Stop:
This part of the day was when we had the hardest decision to make – where to eat lunch. Downtown is foodie central, and, in the end, we chose to go in Bistro Market & Deli. We both ordered warm sandwiches from their deli and sat up on the second floor and ate with a gorgeous view. This place is one of Lafayette’s hidden gems and with it being so delicious, beautiful, and sunny, I think everyone should go try it out!
Sixth Stop:
After lunch, we decided to walk to the West Lafayette portion of downtown. To accomplish this, we walked over the John T. Meyers Pedestrian Bridge and sat there watching the trains go in and out and spotting a few people canoeing the Wabash River. After crossing the bridge, it is just a short walk to reach Chauncey Village. There are a lot of restaurants in this area and since we already ate, we just went to Von’s. Von’s is a shop that I would call a dream for someone shopping for a gift. This is a shop I always go to pick out presents for people because it has books, jewelry, clothes, posters, cards, and so much more.
This is where we ended our day, but I wanted to reiterate that there is so much to do and explore downtown that we could have easily added more days. This downtown is worth exploring. I sincerely hope the Midwestern charm knocks your socks off as well and if you follow this itinerary we would love to know! Post your pictures and tag #homeofpurdue on any social media!
