Enjoy this guest blog by Keeping Up in Carmel!
Fishing at Freeman Lake - Use the "your gear is here" program to check out poles for free, but bring your own bait!
Photo credits: Keeping up IN Carmel
Photo credits: Keeping up IN Carmel
We recently took a little family weekend trip to Elizabethtown, KY. Most commonly known for hosting sports tournaments, the setting of an Orlando Bloom movie, and Lincoln’s father’s childhood home, “Etown” was a sweet Americana town just under 2.5 hours away from Carmel, IN. If you’re visiting Elizabethtown, below are some of my recommendations of things to do while you’re there!
Eats:
- Toasted Yolk Cafe: great for breakfast, brunch, and lunch
- Nuts About Coffee: local coffee shop with great baked goods. Highly recommend the chocolate peanut butter bar.
- Vibe Coffee: local coffee shop with a *incredible* acai bowl, my favorite food on the trip.
- Bluegrass Meats & Catering: best barbeque we’ve ever had. We picked up some brisket, pulled pork, and sides and brought them to Freeman Lake for a picnic - highly recommend!
- Social on Main: A place for everyone. This is set up for everyone to have a good time and get the meal they want. It’s a food hall design with a gourmet deli, wood fire pizza place, and a Filipino eatery. We loved the bahn mi sandwich and adobo chicken from the Filipino restaurant!
- JR Neighbors: great spot for burgers, salads, and fun drinks!
Treats:
Photo Credits: Keeping up IN Carmel
- Kuddy’s Sips & Sweets: This place was so cool! Gourmet fountain drinks and ice cream, it was super unique with a cool trendy vibe.
- The Dreamery: a gelato shop sourcing local ingredients and unique flavors.
- Dewsters: A charming locally owned and operated ice cream shop and bakery, my kiddos opted for baked goods at this spot, but the homemade ice cream looked fantastic!
Things to do:
Photo Credits: Keeping up IN Carmel
- Picnic and explore Freeman Lake: We started our trip at Freeman Lake and had a great time enjoying a picnic and walking the lake. There are playgrounds to play in and cool historic cabins to explore. We utilized the “Your Gear is Here” program to check out fishing poles for the kids for free!
- Play at American Legion Park: We played at the Funtopia playground, and the kids had a blast. It’s a mulch free park that is fenced in with areas for toddlers and older kids. There are pickleball courts and a waterpark right next to the playground.
- Heartland Mini Golf: Brand new mini golf location with fun yard games, 18-hole mini golf course, and food + drink on site.
- Swope’s Cars of Yesteryear Museum: free to the public, this museum has rows and rows of cars from years past. The oldest car in the collection is over 100 years old and still runs! Ask for Shannon to give you the tour, she was incredible.
- Social on Main: Besides the food hall options, social on main also has duckpin bowling and an e-gaming lounge. Very fun for the whole family or as a date night.
All in all, this was a fun, quick weekend getaway. We loved that most things were either free or inexpensive, including the price of food at the restaurants. I’d recommend a trip during the warm weather months to maximize things to do in Elizabethtown!