Bees, Beer and more in Morgan County
Martinsville, Indiana in Morgan County was the scene of our latest Explore Indiana adventure. Less than an hour south of Indianapolis, Martinsville makes for a wonderful day trip. There are so many interesting and unique things to do in Martinsville that you’ll easily enjoy a day of fun!
Hunter’s Honey Farm
Start your day off with something sweet! Honey! Take a short detour on the way to Martinsville to check out Hunter’s Honey Farm. When we arrived we were lucky enough to get to join the first tour of the day, but I’d highly recommend reserving a time slot ahead of time. The tour is WELL worth it and you’ll be disappointed if you miss it.
Insider tip: You’ll often find discount tickets on Groupon or Living Social, so definitely check that out first!
The tour was absolutely fascinating. I learned so much about honeybees and making honey. Our guide was knowledgeable and passionate about making honey. I won’t share all the secrets as you’ll want to discover them on your own, but I will share one interesting fact …
Did you know that to get “flavored” honey, honey farms will actually transport bees? For example, Hunter’s takes their bees to Florida to pollinate the orange groves and that’s how they create their Orange Blossom Honey? Can you imagine a truck full of bees? That fact still amazes me.
The tour we participated in allowed us to roll our own beeswax candle and fill a small honey jar. Great souvenirs to enjoy at home later! The store is full of all kinds of honey-based products. We purchased some of that delicious orange blossom honey, barbeque sauce, and more. Yum!
Lunch and shopping in downtown Martinsville
After spending several hours at the honey farm, we headed to downtown Martinsville to find lunch. Downtown had a nice variety of restaurants to choose from, but we ended up at 21 North.
The interior was cozy yet upscale. Lots of exposed bricks, unique lighting, and a gorgeous bar. The lunch menu consisted of a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, and salads. We chose to go with the pick two lunch specials. One was truffle fries (with three dipping sauces) and grilled cheese and the other was tomato bisque with a chicken salad sandwich.
Both meals were delicious, but dipping the grilled cheese in the tomato soup was the highlight. Comfort food at its best!
After lunch, we wandered downtown Martinsville, poking in a few cute little boutiques. We also spent a bit of time at the Martinsville Candy Kitchen. Known for its candy canes, this candy shop originated in Martinsville in 1919! Although it’s in a new location right on the square and has passed through a few owners, the attention to detail and quality is still apparent. If you want to stock up on sweets, this is your place! I’d love to take the kids back at Christmas time to buy some of their homemade candy canes!
Related posts: Do you love candy stores? We do too! A few other great candy experiences are the chocolate tour at Kilwin’s in Petoskey, Michigan, and making candy canes at McCords in Lafayette, IN.
Another fun stop downtown is the Art Sanctuary. Although there were no artists in residence when we walked through, we did enjoy the wide variety of artwork on display. I also noticed several upcoming events, so if you plan on being in the area, check to see if anything fun is going on when you visit!
Indulge in an afternoon drink (or two!)
End your day in Morgan County with a drink or tasting from Cedar Creek. With a distillery, brewery, and winery, you’ll definitely find a drink you love!
The atmosphere is relaxing, with plenty of places to enjoy nature and a drink! We started in the distillery where we were greeted by Whiskey, Cedar Creek’s resident cat. Beautiful and friendly, he was a fun introduction to Cedar Creek!
My favorite part of the distillery is that in addition to the typical liquor tastings, you could also select a cocktail tasting. Since I’m not a fan of straight liquor this was perfect! We selected 5 cocktails and took our tray out to the patio to enjoy. Delicious!
We headed over to the main building next which houses the brewery and winery. We checked out the beers but since we had to limit ourselves, decided to share a wine tasting instead. The winery has a lovely variety of reds, whites, and fruit wines. Several of them were yummy enough that we purchased a few bottles to take home and enjoy later.
Cedar Creek often has live music and food trucks, or you are welcome to bring a picnic. It would be easy to spend an entire afternoon or evening enjoying the atmosphere, drinks, and music!
Related post: Don’t have time for a full day trip? Check out my FREE resource 5 Fun Family Experiences – you can definitely squeeze a few of them into an afternoon or even a free hour!
After such a fun day full of things to do in Martinsville, Indiana we headed home knowing that we will definitely return to the area when we have another free day to explore!
What would your favorite part of the day be? The honey farm? Candy store? Cedar Creek? Personally, I loved it all, so that’s a tough choice!
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