More Than a Book Trip: Why This Day Meant So Much to Me

There are certain little adventures that fill your cup in the most unexpected ways.

This week, I checked something off my mini bucket list.

I took myself on a day trip to Easley, South Carolina, to visit the Book Warehouse Outlet — and let me tell you… If you love books, cozy homemaking dreams, organizing ideas, journals, recipes, puzzles, or simply the thrill of discovering something wonderful at 70% off… this place is an absolute experience.

For the longest time, I had been seeing people talk about this giant book warehouse online, and every single time I saw it, I would think to myself:

“One day, I want to go there.”

Well… this week was finally the week.

The drive up was beautiful. One of those peaceful drives where your mind starts wandering into ideas, traditions, memories, and future plans.

And honestly… that’s exactly why I went.

Not just to shop for books.

I went with a vision.

Years ago, when Mike and I lived in England, one of our favorite at-home date nights was choosing a country and creating an evening around it. We would find a recipe from that country, cook together, learn a few cultural tidbits, and turn an ordinary evening at home into something special.

Those evenings are still some of my favorite memories.

Life gets busy. Routines change. Seasons change.

But lately, I’ve been craving that kind of intentional slowness again.

And it sparked an idea.

This year, I want to begin a brand-new Christmas Eve tradition with our family.

Instead of me spending days making the same appetizers year after year, I want each family member to “adopt” a country and bring a dish inspired by that country’s cuisine. I thought it would be such a beautiful way to celebrate togetherness, storytelling, culture, and food all in one evening.

Can you imagine how fun that would be?

A Christmas Eve table filled with dishes from around the world… each one tied to a different family member.

That idea led directly to another idea…

A cookbook wall.

Mike and I are currently planning a fun kitchen project that I cannot wait to share more about in the coming months, but one feature I’m especially excited about is a shallow cookbook display wall dedicated to cookbooks from different countries around the world.

Not only will it be beautiful, but it will also become a resource for our little “travel the world from home” evenings.

And when family visits throughout the year, they can browse the shelves, flip through recipes, and start dreaming about what dish they may want to bring for Christmas Eve.

I absolutely love the idea of a home evolving around experiences.

Not perfection.

Not pressure.

Experiences.

(And yes… I’ll be sharing renders and progress of this project as we work on it.)

So with all of that inspiration in mind, I headed into the Book Warehouse Outlet with a mission:

Find cookbooks from around the world.

And let me tell you…

This place is HUGE.

Not “large bookstore,” huge.

Warehouse huge.

It’s located inside what used to be a manufacturing plant, and there are literally thousands upon thousands of books across every category imaginable.

Cookbooks.

Coffee table books.

Children’s books.

Summer reads.

Journals.

Games.

Puzzles.

Gift sets.

Stationery.

No genre unturned! It honestly feels like a treasure hunt for book lovers.

But because it’s such a large experience, I learned a few things that I think would make your trip much more enjoyable.

My Book Warehouse Outlet Tips

Make it a girls’ trip.

This would be such a fun outing with your sister, daughter, best friend, or book-loving girlfriend.

Now, personally, I wouldn’t recommend bringing small children. The warehouse is very large, there’s a lot of walking, and they do have signage stating guests should be 16 years or older.

This feels more like a leisurely “browse and wander” kind of experience.

Go with intention.

This tip is a BIG one.

Do not walk into this warehouse without some kind of plan.

There are so many books that it becomes very easy to get overwhelmed and start throwing random things into your cart.

Before you go, decide your focus.

For me, my focus was:

• Cookbooks from different countries
• Coffee table books
• Coffee-inspired books

Your focus may be:

• Summer vacation reads
• Books for your grandchildren
• Homeschool resources
• Journals and planners
• Holiday gift shopping

Having an intention keeps the experience fun instead of overwhelming.

Bring water.

Trust me on this one.

You will walk A LOT.

And because it’s a warehouse environment, it can get dusty and dry feeling.

Carry water with you.

Bring a rolling cart.

This was my saving grace.

Books are HEAVY.

And because you’ll be walking throughout the warehouse, carrying tote bags starts getting uncomfortable very quickly.

I highly recommend bringing:

• A rolling cart
• A folding wagon
• A stroller
• Even a gardening cart

Anything you can roll.

I brought an affordable rolling cart from Amazon, and it made the entire experience so much easier. Plus, I can use it around the house afterward for organizing projects.

(Here is the one I used.)

Pack wipes and hand sanitizer.

Everything is new, but it is still a warehouse environment.

Think dusty boxes and industrial shelving.

I kept baby wipes and sanitizer in my bag and was very happy I did.

Dress comfortably.

Wear comfortable sneakers.

Not “cute but uncomfortable” shoes.

Actual comfortable shoes.

Also, don’t wear clothing you’d be upset about getting dusty.

And because the warehouse temperature mimics the weather outside, dress accordingly.

If it’s hot outside, it’ll feel warm inside.
If it’s cold outside, it’ll feel cold inside.

Be prepared to wait.

Because they’re only open one weekend each month, it gets busy.

There can easily be a 30–45 minute wait to enter during peak hours.

But once you’re inside, there’s no rush.

You can take your time and browse as long as you’d like.

If you want to avoid the biggest crowds, I’d probably recommend going later in the day instead of right when they open.

And for my fellow book lovers…

Their next big opening is:
May 30–31, 2026
8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

And yes… everything is 70% off.

Book Warehouse Outlet

1859 Dacusville Hwy
Easley, SC 29640

Instagram: @bookwarehouseoutlet

I left inspired.

Not just because of the books.

But because the trip reminded me how much beauty there is in creating traditions, building experiences at home, and allowing your spaces to reflect the life you actually want to live.

And honestly…

I think that cookbook wall may become one of my favorite things in our home.

Hugs & Love,

Nikki