Tag

North Carolina

Travel, United States

Old Edwards Inn and Spa in Highlands, North Carolina Review

From the moment you arrive at Old Edwards Inn and Spa – greeted with a glass of champagne, no less – you’ll know that you are in for a luxurious couple of days, with spoils that extend from the hotel’s AAA Four Diamond food and drink program to its awarding winning spa and posh accommodations (seriously, I never slept on linens so comfortable). It’s why the Old Edwards Inn and Spa (445…

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Brewery Day Drives, Craft Beer Travel, Travel, United States

A Fall Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip (with a stop for beer…)

All week long, the Ford Mustang GT Convertible sat in front of my house, taunting me with my every passing glance. “Drive me… Drive me…” I could hear her whispering. Instead, I stood sadly in my front window, staring out at her cherry red paint and black convertible top, imagining what it would feel like to get behind the wheel and let her ponies roar. If only I could fit a car…

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Beercation Itineraries, Craft Beer Travel, Travel, United States

Boone Beercaion: A Boone Brewery Guide

Asheville is often considered the darling of North Carolina’s impressive craft beer movement. However, the sheer number of breweries can make a beer weekend in Asheville over-whelming. Instead of lingering over a pint or three, we slam a flight we can’t even remember drinking before moving onto the next brewery. For beer travelers looking for a more relaxed beer weekend in a similar mountain setting, there are plenty of other options in…

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Food, Travel, United States

Couples Getaway to Blowing Rock, North Carolina

We reached our breaking point. After eleven months as new parents – and with less date nights than I can count on one hand – tensions were rising. It seemed like the littlest things set both of us off. We needed some serious couple’s time without the responsibilities of parenthood, and we needed it pronto. That’s not an easy order when you live a plane ride away from the closest family member…

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Brewery Day Drives, Craft Beer Travel, Travel, United States

Daytrip to Wilmington to Visit the USS North Carolina Battleship and Area Breweries

I know. I know. Our vacation to Carolina Beach wasn’t going to be a work or blog trip. The notepad was staying at home and the camera was to be reserved for special family moments. This was our time to spend with Deacon on his first trip to the beach and a chance to reconnect with each other as we re-evaluated the next chapter in our life with Shannan’s lay-off. In fact,…

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Brewery Day Drives, Craft Beer Travel, Food, Travel, United States

Daytrip to Shelby to visit Bridges Barbecue Lodge and Newgrass Brewing

Since our vacation was postponed, Bryan and I decided to treat ourselves to a weekend daytrip to Shelby. Honestly, we just needed to get out of town for an afternoon. As you might have guessed, our destination involved both food and craft beer.     Shelby, North Carolina is about a 45-minute drive from Charlotte, and it’s home to one of our new favorite breweries – Newgrass Brewing. We’ve been crushing on…

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Brewery Reviews, Charlotte, Cooking, Craft Beer Travel, Food, Travel, United States

Kayem Artisan Sausage Food Truck Competition at NoDa Brewing

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited by Kayem Artisan Sausage to help judge my first food competition – the Artisan Affair at NoDa Brewing. Not that I would normally pass up a free meal (you’ve seen my income reports…), but the deal was sweetened when I learned that the competition was between four Charlotte based food trucks.     Each food truck was to incorporate a Kayem Artisan Sausage into…

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Beercation Itineraries, Charlotte, Craft Beer Travel, Travel, United States

Charlotte Beercation: A Charlotte Breweries Guide

How would I design my perfect weekend in Charlotte? The answer is easy – with a tour of Charlotte breweries!     I’m not the only one who thinks Charlotte breweries are awesome. Fortune recently heralded the Queen City’s craft beer scene in an article. “Charlotte, N.C. isn’t a place that often springs to mind for craft beer lovers, but it’s a mistake to overlook it.” Charlotte’s craft beer scene is exploding…

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Charlotte, Travel, Travel Tips, United States

Our Staycation in Charlotte, North Carolina

It’s strange being a tourist in your own town. As locals, we tend to take things for granted. Landmarks that bear so much significance to our city’s history become blurs on our daily commute. Monuments and statues lose their meaning and become directional beacons. Art museums are forgotten and reserved for school field trips. Downtown has become a place where we used to hang out in our younger days. And yet, we…

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Beercation Itineraries, Craft Beer Travel, Travel, United States

Asheville Beercation – A Self-Guided Asheville Brewery Tour

Editors’s Note – My Asheville Beercation has been updated for for 2017! I strive to keep all Beercation itineraries current. Thus, I recently traveled to Asheville to update my popular beer guide. This is the latest as of January 21, 2017.  Asheville has become the darling of the craft beer movement, catching the attention of both large-scale craft breweries and beer tourists alike. It’s no wonder why. With more craft breweries per…

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