Erica DeSpain is the founder and editor of All Things Madison, an online resource created in 2020 to be the No. 1 online go-to for those who live, work in, or visit Madison, Alabama. She grew up in Madison, graduated from the University of Alabama, and returned a decade later with her husband to raise their three daughters and plant roots. She has a background in journalism, national public speaking, and classroom education and enjoys applying all of her experiences to the content she creates for All Things Madison.
Erica shares with us her perfect day in Madison.
MADISON – Being a self-proclaimed cheerleader for my sweet hometown comes naturally.
After living around the nation during our family’s active-duty military time, I’ve learned that Madison has a magical formula that combines large city perks with a small-town feel. My perfect day in Madison barely scratches the surface of all there is to do and enjoy in our city, but it’s a day that I could put on repeat over and over.
The season is fall, and I just finished a 5 a.m. workout at Burn Boot Camp. My endorphins are strong, and I’m excited to tackle the day. The sun is beginning to rise on my short drive home, so to soak it in and watch it a bit more, I make a couple of detours down County Line Road: one through the drive-thru at Bigfoot’s Little Donuts to grab a box or two of donut holes for our daughters and a second stop through the drive-thru at Grounded Coffee. I grab a seasonal, hot coffee and sip it slowly as I finish my drive home.
Fall mornings are generally crisp but comfortable here in Madison, so I grab a blanket and enjoy my coffee on the back porch until I hear my girls running down the stairs – the aroma of piping hot donuts surely filling their noses.
After lounging at home and enjoying our treats, we load our bikes, scooters, and helmets into the truck and head out to the Bradford Creek Greenway for a couple-mile leisurely ride. It’s slow-going as our girls request frequent breaks to pick trail-side flowers and run their fingers through the cool creek. But we finish up and are ready to refuel again.
As we load our bikes back into the truck, we text some friends to see if they’d like to join us with their kids for a spontaneous late brunch at Eggs Up Grill. They happily agree, and 20 minutes later we’re seated on the patio with a glass carafe of half orange juice/half cranberry juice mimosas being placed on the table.
Our kids haven’t worked up much of an appetite yet after indulging in their donuts for breakfast. So, a simple scrambled egg with bacon and fruit does the trick for their order. As for me, some avocado toast and scrambled eggs with sausage are calling my name!
Though the food comes out quickly and we gobble it up, we take our time to enjoy the beautiful, fall day. The kids have wrestled out of their seats at this point to play, which seems to be OK on a casual patio like this restaurant provides.
Around noon, we head home to relax. While my husband tackles naptime with our youngest, I sneak out to grab my mom and take her with me to shop at a few local boutiques, such as Filthy Gorgeous, Madison Outdoor Loft, and Epiphany. During an intermission from shopping, we walk from Filthy Gorgeous over to Old Black Bear for mango moonshine margaritas and sip our fruity drinks on the outdoor back gravel patio.
I also run over to Daisy Lane Gifts to browse and pick up a gift for a friend’s birthday. Wrapping gifts isn’t my favorite, so I always appreciate how beautifully they wrap my purchases which are then ready to gift.
Once I get home, I slip into the comfy new tee I purchased from Madison Outdoor Loft and throw on the cute new shoes I scooped up from Filthy Gorgeous and make plans for the evening. We’ve been sprinting around all day, and though we don’t want to cook dinner, we’re mostly interested in staying in. Pizza sounds wonderful, so I text my buddy Joe, the owner and world-champion pizza maker at Valentina’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar, and let him know that I’m putting in a take-out order.
We splurge for a side of meatballs (a crowd favorite), a Browns Ferry salad (so flavorful), and The Rocket, which is a uniquely spicy pizza we can’t get enough of.
I swing in to pick up our order an hour later, say hello to friends and acquaintances who are dining in (we love the small-town vibe of Valentina’s!), and then head home to eat with the family.
We end the night with a walk around our neighborhood that is slow but steady as we stop to chat with neighbors that have become the sweetest of friends.
We crawl into bed a few hours later, happy from a day well spent trotting around the little suburb we love.
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