The Backroads of Southern Indiana Led Me to Find a Hidden Snack Shack

Sometimes The Best Places are Off the Main Road

Growing up in a small town in Illinois, you just know where everything is.

You know the backroads, the best restaurants, the little holes in the wall although, if we’re being fair, in a small town they’re pretty much ALL holes in the wall. You know which road gets you home faster, where to stop for something good to eat and all of those random little places you’d probably never find unless somebody local told you about them.

But that was Illinois.

I have officially been a Hoosier for more than a year now, and there are still SO many things I have yet to learn about Indiana especially all of the tiny towns and backroads surrounding Evansville that I feel like don’t get nearly enough love.

Callie Sue

I Told Lori Mae I Missed the Backroads

This week has looked a little different for me at the radio station. Bobby is on vacation, and Travis recently left the Morning Show for WKDQ, so when I get to the building ridiculously early in the morning, the main two people here are Lori Mae and me.

Lori recently celebrated a birthday, and while we were talking, I mentioned how much fun I’ve had going to events and exploring places around Newburgh and Evansville since moving here.

But there was one thing I told her I missed about home: the backroads and that small-town feeling I was so used to in Illinois.

Lori immediately had the perfect idea.

She was going to show me around.

My Tour of Boonville, Chandler and the Indiana Backroads

Lori took me backroading through Boonville and Chandler, showing me some of the places I probably never would've known to look for on my own.

We also made our way out toward Blue Grass, where I got to see the lake, take in some nature and enjoy being away from the busier roads for a little bit.

We even tried to catch some butterflies.

Callie Sue

But the biggest surprise of the entire trip came when Lori suddenly pulled into someone's driveway.

At this point, I thought we were stopping to meet somebody. I didn't know what was happening or who we were about to see. Nope.

Callie Sue

Lori Introduced Me to Laci's Snack Shack

Sitting there was Laci's Snack Shack, one of those little roadside snack stands that you would probably drive right past if you didn't know it was there.

Lori knew what she was doing.

She started showing me where some of these little snack shacks are tucked along the backroads, and suddenly I felt like I had been let in on a local secret.

Obviously, we had to get snacks.

We loaded up on ranch pretzels, which were dangerously addictive, along with puppy chow, blueberry muffins and a brownie.

I went into this drive wanting to see some Indiana backroads and somehow came home with a bag full of snacks.

I'm not complaining.

Callie Sue

This Is the Indiana I've Been Wanting to See

I've loved getting to know Evansville and Newburgh over the past year, but this was a completely different side of Southern Indiana for me.

It reminded me a lot of growing up in Illinois driving roads where there isn't much traffic, seeing fields and lakes, finding places you would never know existed from a Google search and discovering those little local gems that people only seem to know about because somebody told somebody.

Those are the places I want to find more of.

So now I'm curious: What other small towns, backroads, roadside stands, hidden restaurants or random little Southern Indiana gems am I missing?

And if your recommendation involves addictive ranch pretzels, even better.

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