Coffee, Campus & Antiques: A Bloomington, Indiana Day Trip
My daughter and her best friend had a college visit at Indiana University Bloomington, so naturally I decided we needed to add a local coffee shop, good lunch, and a little antique hunting to our route.
Because...why not?
Whether you're headed to Bloomington for an IU campus visit or simply looking for an Indiana day trip, there's plenty to explore beyond the university. Here's how we spent the day—and the unexpected little downtown we discovered on our way home.
Start with Coffee at Hopscotch Coffee
Start your morning at Hopscotch Coffee, a local favorite in Bloomington.
The coffee shop had a lively atmosphere and was filled with what seemed like plenty of regulars enjoying their morning coffee.
I ordered a cappuccino with salted caramel syrup, and it was delicious. One tip: if you're staying to enjoy your drink, make sure to ask for it in a mug!
My friend tried a cappuccino with lavender syrup and wasn't quite as sold on her choice, but the girls ordered some fun lattes and enjoyed theirs.
We also shared a slice of chocolate banana bread, which was really good and gave us a little fuel before spending the next couple of hours walking around campus.
Explore the IU Bloomington Campus
After coffee, spend some time exploring the Indiana University Bloomington campus.
It is absolutely gorgeous.
With huge mature trees, winding sidewalks, limestone buildings, and green spaces everywhere, parts of campus almost feel like you're walking through Central Park.
Even if you're not visiting with a prospective student, you can still take a stroll and enjoy the beautiful grounds. There's even a hotel on campus if you want to make an overnight trip out of it.
We spent about two hours exploring, so by the time we finished, we were definitely ready for lunch.
Grab Lunch at Hive
Drive just outside campus to Hive, a casual local restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
This is a counter-service restaurant with communal-style tables and a relaxed atmosphere. They even make their own sodas!
My husband and I shared the smashburger with tots and chili, while my daughter ordered the grilled cheese with Brussels sprouts. Everything was delicious.
And because apparently we hadn't eaten enough, we also shared a cinnamon roll.
After walking around campus for two hours, we'd earned it.
Pick Your Antique Adventure
After lunch, you've got several options depending on where you're headed next.
If you're staying in Bloomington, Bloomington Antique Mall is only about 10 minutes from Hive.
If you're traveling north like we were, TraderBaker's Flea Market is about 25 minutes away, while Yellow Moon Antique Mall is about 45 minutes north and was conveniently along our route home.
We chose Yellow Moon.
Antique Hunting at Yellow Moon Antique Mall
Yellow Moon Antique Mall is a medium-sized shop with plenty to look through.
There was an unusual number of dolls—which always freaks me out just a little—but I also spotted several things that are much more my style: two fairy lamps, vintage door knockers, and brass figurines.
It was a fun shop to browse and made an easy antique stop on our drive back toward northern Indiana.
But the real surprise came when we stepped outside.
An Unexpected Stop in Downtown Mooresville
Right next door to Yellow Moon is The Parlor P.S., and oh my goodness.
This place is absolutely gorgeous and whimsical.
Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to sit down for tea, but one look inside immediately had me wishing we'd planned more time in Mooresville.
Next door again is Smith's Sweet Shoppe, where the girls stopped for candy.
Then we spotted Eremos Coffee Company across the street. Obviously, I needed an iced coffee for the drive home. We hurried over only to discover it was 4:05.
They closed at 4:00.
UGH.
Apparently Mooresville was determined to give me a reason to come back.
Between the antique mall, beautiful tea room, sweet shop, coffee shop, and everything else we spotted downtown, I feel like we barely scratched the surface. A proper Mooresville day trip may need to happen soon!
Final Thoughts
A college visit may have been the reason we headed to Bloomington, but adding local coffee, a great lunch, and antique shopping made the trip so much more fun.
If you're visiting IU Bloomington, don't just tour campus and head home. Grab coffee at Hopscotch, explore the beautiful university grounds, eat somewhere local, and turn your drive home into a little treasure-hunting adventure.
And if you're headed north, leave yourself some extra time for downtown Mooresville.
Especially enough time to get there before the coffee shop closes!
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