Day 2 in Madison, Fl-Girls weekend continues….
The sun broke on a beautiful morning in Madison. We rose along with the cool mist coming from the dew on the warm roads of town. While enjoying another cup of our fragrant rich Sumatran coffee, we discussed our plans for the day. We decided a walk along the main street of town and some exploration of the local shops would be the order of the day.
Our first stop was a quaint, girly shop with called Southern Grace Gifts. The name summed it up just right. Creamy colors and detailed antique furniture decorated the space beautifully. We enjoyed seeing the handcrafted jewelry display’s and the uniquely southern women styled clothing. They had a selection of wonderful scarves and matching bags as well as aromatic candles, sprays and soaps.
Moving on across the street was what ended up being our favorite stop of the day. The Madison Antique Market and Interiors. 
Our delight was evident on our faces when we walked in and realized what a treasure we had found. Oh, what fun we had…They have every unique vintage as well as new items you could think of. Chandeliers, clothing, hats, purses, paintings, furniture, baby play rockers, dolls, dishes, lamps, bath bombs, soaps, gels, lotions, pillows, decorative items, candles, cookware, suitcases, scarves, even old rotary phones. Baskets, jewelry, linens, boots, and wagons. The antique glass front bookcases filled with vintage hats was my favorite. I love hats and they had the best selection from the 20s, 30s, 40s that I have seen. We played with the hats for some time, trying on the many different styles they had. My second favorite was the umbrellas. Hung from the ceiling, high above our heads, they appeared to be floating. From almost every generation from the 1920s forward, they reminded me of the old movies I have watched with rainy day memories.
While we were enjoying the hat modeling session, we began talking with the curator of this fabulous museum of items and she suggested a small coffee shop/lunch place near by that housed another collection of antique items so we made our way down the street.
The Sunrise Coffee Shop was our target.
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We went in and were delighted to find a small but appealing shop. The shop is housed in a renovated 1936 historic building. Just a few tables,
most of which were full and many unusual items reminding us of an old timey general store.
The coffee shop served coffees, teas, a selection of wines, sangria and mimosas.
Their menu was simple but included breakfast and bakery items and soups, salads and sandwiches at lunch time.
We enjoyed talking with the owner and learning the history of the little shop. We visited with other patrons, some who were in town for a class reunion. After our lunch we walked back to our bed and breakfast for an afternoon rest.
The owners came by to warn us of an impending thunder storm. We sat at on the porch and watched the rain storm arrive. The afternoon was spent talking about old times from our childhood and watching the rain and wind blow around us. Sadly the evening came and we had to prepare to leave in the morning. Morning came and we said our goodbyes to each other and this wonderful little gem of a town.
If you are ever in need of a restful, leisurely visit with a friend or quiet get a way with a special someone, I would recommend this quaint quiet town in a heartbeat.
