As the air crispens in Indiana, boredom arises. When you are stuck in a small town, there is not much to do on the weekends besides going to cheer on your school’s basketball team or go to your local pizza shop. To actually go somewhere entertaining, you might need to travel a bit more than a couple of miles. So, as we were suffering in boredom we decided to make a plan. A plan to have the best girls’ day ever, Carmel style. We drove 31 all the way until we reached our destination, or should I say destinations. This President’s Day weekend, we traveled all the way to Carmel, IN to enjoy some of the amenities it has to offer. We explored a high-class grocery store, an iconic cookie joint, a cute coffee shop, and of course an elevated Target.
Shopping for groceries does not usually feel like a luxury experience – but at Market District Supermarket, it somehow does. With its house-made selections, chef-prepared meals, and an upscale atmosphere, this is not your average supermarket run. This supermarket is one of the most organized and aesthetically pleasing places I have ever visited. There was not a single misplaced item nor an empty shelf in sight. Market District offers a plethora of different items that you can not find at any local Kroger or Walmart. They offer various dairy and gluten-free items, such as cheeses, milks, breads, and crackers. They also had a much larger selection of healthful items such as a delicious granola butter which I purchased and tried out. To be more specific, it was the consistency of peanut butter, however, it was made with oats and various natural ingredients. It was a cookie dough flavor and although it did not taste like a spoonful of raw Pilsbury dough, it was still delightful.
The most anticipated part of the entire excursion was the highly praised restaurant that Market District has to offer. This was not Martin’s hot food selection. No, this was nothing like stale potato wedges and macaroni salad. We are talking about a rotating menu, fried chicken lovers heaven, pizza, sushi, salad, and soup bar, and housemade, handcrafted deli sandwiches. This mouthwatering selection was so appealing. As a sushi lover myself, I took it upon myself to try out their spin on one of my favorites. I tried a scrumptious roll filled with shrimp tempura and it did not disappoint. Was it the best sushi I have had? No. But, was it delicious and money-saving? Absolutely! I have no doubt that any other item is just as impressive.
For being so far away, you may be wondering why it is worth the drive. In my opinion, it is not just the store that you are there for, it is the entire experience. You get to spend time with your companions, shop for more nutritional food items, and top it off with a great meal. I asked a frequent Market District shopper, Michael Myers, why others should shop there and he said, “People should shop at Market District because their selection of produce and goods is top-tier, and their healthful options can benefit people in the long run.” So, although it is not as close, it will definitely take you further.
No girls’ trip is truly complete without an impromptu side quest. Ours came in the form of an extremely necessary and delicious detour at Crumbl Cookies. The idea started with a simple “Maybe we could just go look at the flavors,” suggestion, but let us be honest – nobody walks out of Crumbl empty-handed. The second we stepped inside, the smell of warm, gooey perfection hit us like a sugary punch to the face. We left with a full box containing four items: a chocolate peanut butter pie, a chocolate cake batter cookie, a wafer cookie (a collaboration with Kit Kat), and a Valentine’s Day-themed confetti sugar cookie. Between bites of delectable cookies, we found ourselves rating the flavors like professional food critics – though our standards were not very high, and we were easily impressed. The Great Crumbl Side Quest was not on the official itinerary, but it was easily one of the highlights of the trip. There is just something about sharing ridiculously oversized desserts with your best friend that turns a simple snack stop into a core memory.
To properly fuel for this extensive excursion, we obviously had to stop at a local coffee shop. Though a little skeptical because we had never been, we were going to be caffeinated one way or another. So, after some confusing GPS directions and a little mixup with a mailbox… we arrived at Carmels’ very own RIVET Coffee Bar and Roastery. We were immediately welcomed with its homey appearance on the outside and cozy atmosphere welcoming us on the inside. The menu did not disappoint either. There were various hand-crafted drink combinations and house-made syrups for every acquired taste. I sipped on their specially made Cookie Butter Latte and it was definitely worth all the hassle. Being the average price of a coffee these days, I would definitely not be mad if this was my go-to coffee shop.
No girls’ trip would be complete without a little bit of retail therapy, and our visit to Tar-get (said in a French accent) turned out to be an unexpectedly luxurious adventure. From the moment we walked in, it was clear this was not your average Target run. The store practically sparkled with its sleek, modern design – polished floors, mood lighting, and aisles so perfectly organized we were sure we would not find a single item out of place. Even the shopping carts rolled smoother like they knew they were part of something fancier.
What really set this Target apart, though, was the vibe. The beauty section was stocked like a high-end department store, featuring so many different brands it was hard to keep track of them all. We wandered upon aisles and aisles of clothes, toys, food, and more. By the end of our “quick stop,” we had bought a few things we definitely did not need however convinced ourselves we could not live without. It was supposed to be a simple detour, but like any great Target trip, it turned into a full-blown adventure of impulse buys, inside jokes, and yet another shared memory we did not know we needed.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, we piled back into the car one last time surrounded by various shopping bags, half-eaten cookies, and empty coffee cups. The drive home definitely matched the fun vibe of the day, with the Hairspray soundtrack on the radio and the ebb and flow of conversation, it was the perfect end to an eventful day. We replayed the highlights of our day, dramatically debating cookie flavors, unnecessary purchases at Target, and the jokes that had us laughing until our sides ached. By the time we arrived back to our sleepy little town, and pulled into the driveway, it was not just the bags in the backseat or the leftover cookie crumbs that marked the success of the trip; it was the feeling that this was a day we would look back on and instantly smile and remember.
