Written by: Jillian Hillard With Asheville exactly 2 hours to the minute from our home in Charlotte, it’s the ideal get away for many occasions. As the last of my girlfriends sail away to marital bliss, it has been a popular spot for Bachelorette parties. The city’s beautiful mountains, laid back culture, thriving local food and brewery scene,…
Category: Adventure
The Memory of a Perfect Brunch “Preserved” in My Mind
Article written by: Jillian Hillard To create the perfect brunch, there are a few MUST elements. Most obvious, great food and company, but add in perfect weather and a picturesque setting, and voilà! Let’s start by creating the setting. Nestled just on the outskirts of St. Augustine is the town of Lincolnville. With a rich history of…
A Day at Raffaldini
Raffaldini Vineyards Located in Ronda, NC Chianti in the Carolina’s is what they like to call it, and it’s fitting. As you ascend up the hill to get that first glimpse of the grounds and the villa, you forget that you are in North Carolina and instead get hit with the overwhelming sensation that you are…
Hunter’s Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is fast approaching, and with it comes all the glorious pomp and pageantry associated with the grand spectacle. Old money and tradition meets frat-tastic young drunkards in a vortex of pastel and bourbon-fueled ecstasy. Also, there is horse racing… The Derby truly incapsulates everything amazing about the South…for good or ill. People get…
Taking Drinks at Random Row Brewing Co.
Random Row Brewing Co. is a smaller place, as far a square footage goes, but a brewery doesn’t have to be gigantic to be good, they just need to make good beer. I have to say, these guys make great beer. A group of us went on a Saturday afternoon as the sun was setting….
A Day at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards
The day started out overcast as we pulled up to Pippin Hills Farm & Vineyards , yet the place still radiated beauty. The six-acre vineyard is settled on a southern-facing hillside with stunning views of the valley. It’s truly a captivating place. The vineyard itself offers a range of event venues such as weddings, rehearsal dinners or private events (it’s rumored that Jennifer…
Cider Tasting at Albemarle CiderWorks
Charlottesville is such a beautiful place and I typically get to visit once or twice a year to see close friends. Every time I go I get introduced to something different and utterly fantastic, and this trip was no exception. If you follow me or know me at all you have probably deduced that I love to…
A Day at Childress Vineyards
When you think of wine in the United States you typically think of California or Washington, but you may not be aware that at one time winemaking thrived in North Carolina. In fact, at the turn of the century, the Sixth Federal Census showed that North Carolina lead all states in wine production. That was…
Be a Big Kid at Tweetsie Railroad
Tweetsie Railroad is an adorably hokey amusement park located up in the mountains of North Carolina. The park’s live shows, games, zoo, rides and two vintage steam locomotives, deliver the goods to people of all ages. I lived in Boone for many years, but never made it to the park. At times, I would hear…
Day Drinking on a Train: The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
Have you ever wanted to get day-drunk on a train? Yeah, I thought so. If you are anything like me, the very thought of drinking on a train sounds like a excellent way to spend any day, right? Regardless, if you want to drink or not, riding on an old train is pretty amazing as is. But what…
The Southern Blueprint 