My Annual Solocation in Pinehurst

Get tips for planning a perfect Pinehurst weekend getaway, including things to do in Pinehurst, best restaurants in Pinehurst, and recreation in Pinehurst besides golf.

I spent last weekend enjoying a quick Pinehurst weekend getaway. It’s a small town, known for its beautiful golf courses, and I love the slow pace there, especially when I’m feeling a bit burned out and stressed. And while I’ve been 3 there times in the past 6 months, I still feel like there are so many things I want to do and things I want to do again.

I planned the weekend for my annual solocation (read this post to learn why I take solocations and why you should too). I headed to down there Thursday evening and spent that night and most of the day Friday doing my own thing. My friend Hilary joined me Friday night for some girls’ time through Sunday. And, of course, Maizey was invited to girls’ weekend too. 🙂

On Friday morning, I went to CrossFit 611. The group there was super friendly and I got an awesome workout. Plus, they don’t charge for drop-ins if you regularly do CrossFit at another gym! They also had great recommendations for the rest of my time in Pinehurst, including some restaurant recommendations and places to run. I also hit a deadlift PR while I was there!! We did descending reps + increasing weights, and at the end I hit 225# 2x, no problem! 225 was my previous one rep max.

After working out and making breakfast at home, I read on the patio and then went to the driving range before Hilary arrived and luckily only got interrupted by a few rain drops and one whiff. 😉

Friday evening was standard girls’ night fare: snacking on cheese and drinking rose on the patio. It was so relaxing. We snagged some drunken goat cheese (you’ve gotta find it if you haven’t had it) and manchego from The Fresh Market, but I’m definitely going to Southern Whey to get cheese next time. It was such a cute cheese shop we discovered when we wandered through Southern Pines on Saturday.

We picked up thai food from Spice Cafe on Friday night, and holy moly, it was amazing. We split two entrees – pineapple curry with chicken and homestyle ginger with tofu.

We went on a beautiful run Saturday morning at Reservoir Park. We did about 5 miles and kept stopping to take in the views. It was a perfect running spot with a flat trail and lots of shade. I’ve really missed being able to run with Hilary since I left Charlotte so running with her was one of my favorite parts of the weekend! That, and seeing turtles on the run.

After our run, we stopped at the Java Bean Plantation & Roasting Company for iced coffee, and then cleaned up headed over to Southern Pines to meander through the shops. I got a new dress at Pink of the Pines. Their customer service was pretty terrible, but I did snag a cute Lily Pulitzer dress (with pockets!) for a wedding this weekend at half off so it was worth  going in there!

We had another round with the rose and cheese board on Saturday night and then picked up a late dinner from Harris Teeter. There is a MASSIVE and beautiful Harris Teeter that was just built, and their sushi is amazing! It’s sounds bizarre, but I really think that grocery store is worth a visit. 🙂 There’s a growler fill station, a trail mix bar, a juice bar and tons of freshly prepared food. We were both perfectly content to get takeout each night and enjoy dinner at home since we were spoiled to stay at Tommy’s parents’ beautiful home.

On Sunday, we went for quick 3 mile run and then to the Roast Office for coffee. It’s the cutest coffee shop in an old post office, and we were so giddy to discover it’s also a used book store since we are both total book nerds.

These are restaurants in Pinehurst and restaurants in Southern Pines I want to try on my next visit (or visit again!).

Restaurants

• Spice Cafe
• 195 American Fusion Cuisine
  • there is an amazing market, Nature’s Own, in the same building with gluten-free goodies and kombucha on tap! They also have pre-made meals in their fridge; I had an excellent Indian dish from there that was only $8.
• Ironwood Restaurant
• Betsy’s Crepes
• Nosh the Deli
• Ashten’s Restaurant and Pub
• Cups Cupcakery (they have gluten-free and paleo cupcakes!)
• Southern Whey

Note: Skip the Sly Fox for food – It pops up on all “Best restaurants in Pinehurst searches” but I’ve been disappointed all 3 times. They have a good drink list, but I’ve never been thrilled with the food and I always come away with a bill that feels way too expensive for what I got. (Case in point: my salad from there Thursday night had wilted lettuce, flavorless strawberries, poorly caramelized pecans and it cost over $15.)

Both of these coffee shops are must visits. I was impressed they both had gluten-free locally baked goods too!

Coffee Shops

• Java Bean Plantation and Roasting Company
• The Roast Office

And other things on my Pinehurst/Southern Pines bucket list:

Activities (that don’t involve golf)

• TJ Maxx – apparently there are KILLER deals at this location; Tommy’s mom finds the most amazing things!
• Reservoir Park – it’d be great for a run or a leisurely walk
• Visit the cute home décor stores in Aberdeen; I got an amazing bedroom mirror there on my last visit for a total bargain
• Cypress Bend Winery (they have live music on Friday night)
• Sunrise Theatre (indie movies + wine!)
• Southern Pines Brewing Company
• Railhouse Brewery & Pub
• Bethesda Church & Cemetery (it’s a church still standing from the 1790s!!)

It was a perfect weekend away. I haven’t felt that relaxed in a long time. It’s amazing what a few days away from the routine of daily life can do for the mind and soul (even when you love your life!).