A road trip was set and well planned out. One glance at the interstate sign and a detour was made without a blink of an eye.
A Familiar Town Name Was Spotted
I love reading the names of towns on the green interstate signs, especially on really long road trips. That is exactly what I was doing on our second day of travel from Georgia to Texas when I spotted the familiar town name, Minden, LA. I quickly said, Minden! That is the town in Louisiana where Sara of Simply Southern Cottage lives!
Inspired Without Meeting
Luckily, John doesn’t require long explanations. I quickly reminded him that Sara is someone I do not even know but really admire her genuine, humble personality on Instagram. She is encouraging to so many and has a story of devastation and heartbreak but also of joy and redemption. Even without ever meeting her, I know that she has a story of a life well-lived!
Take The Detour
So….we hopped off the interstate and headed about 8 miles off course to drive into Minden. Oh, I am so glad we did not cop out and decide it was too much trouble. Y’all know by now how much I love a small town and this one did not disappoint. It has brick streets and all the charm of a southern town.
The brick streets complete the charm of Minden. 
John loves a barbershop! 
A small, corner resting spot
A Quiet Sunday Town
The town was very quiet and I quickly attributed that to the fact that it was a Sunday morning. I had no doubt that most of the town was probably in one of the downtown churches. As we drove through, I couldn’t help but be reminded of some of the Mississippi towns I visited as a child. Mornings were quiet and everyone slowed down to wave and offer a smile. I’ve gathered from Sara that Minden is just that kind of place. In fact, Minden has been named the “Friendliest City of the South”.
Downtown Minden 
Downtown Methodist church in Minden
Louisiana Cottage With A Story
My first goal was to check out the amazing houses. So many of them have either been restored or very well maintained. Two of the homes belong to Sara. The one with a yellow door is her 1926 cottage (yellow for joy!) I hope you will read her story; you will be inspired by her and blessed by her sense of hope and God’s redemptive love.
I just love older homes and Minden has many to admire. They have such character that is hard to find in homes built today and I can only imagine the stories they could tell.
Detour to the Downtown
We then checked out the downtown area. It was so nice to see so many businesses still thriving in the old downtown. Minden was clean and so very quaint. Like my hometown of Marietta, GA, they have added several murals to the sides of buildings and they are fabulous. From what I gather, Sara has been very involved in making these happen.
Don’t Let the World Change Your Plans
Today, a detour happened and I am so thankful we responded with spontaneity as we were richly blessed by spending some time in this beautiful small town named Minden, Louisiana. Can I just encourage you to choose joy, do what you love, and don’t let the world change your plans! Stay Curious~
4 Responses
Thank you for stopping by! While my family and I spend a lot of time exploring our incredible country, we always love coming back home to our hometown of Minden! I am so happy to hear others enjoying it too!
PS: Wonderful pictures by the way!
How lucky you are to have such a beautiful hometown. I am so glad we stopped in and I sure hope I get to go back one day. I’m glad you enjoyed my pictures. It was a fun town to photograph!
I have never regretted taking a detour on my road trips either! Often times I am in some big hurry… for what, I can’t say! When I take the time to slow down, and follow my curiosity along the way, it turns a boring drive into an adventure to remember!
I’m glad you have discovered that! I’ve never regretted a detour to see something new! 🙂