Myrtle Beach, SC

The Myrtle Beach Area is a long stretch of towns along the Atlantic Ocean in Northern South Carolina. This area consists of North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Surfside, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield and Pawleys Island. Everything here is quite touristy but there are still some nice spots to check out and the beaches are great!

Murrells Inlet and Litchfield both have a lot of free beach parking, while at Surfside Beach you’ll need to pay hourly rates. The beaches are dog-friendly but each county has different restrictions during the summer months in terms of timing and leash requirements.

I visit this area each summer for work so I have done some pretty extensive research through my multiple stays. Here are all of my recommendations for breweries, beer bars, restaurants, coffee, where to stay, and more!

Crooked Hammock Brewery

Myrtle Beach Area Beer bars & Breweries:

• Crooked Hammock Brewery: An awesome brewery in North Myrtle Beach! They are located in the Barefoot Landing shopping and dining destination on the intracoastal waterway. Crooked Hammock has an incredible outdoor space with yard games, hammocks, and a variety of seating. They also have two indoor areas—a taproom on one side with tours and the restaurant on the other. Their food is extremely delicious and the beers are solid and easy-drinking, perfect for the beachy location. Don’t miss their bar on the water, Tortuga Island, complete with a full menu, swings, and a fun atmosphere.

• New South Brewing: A good brewery in Myrtle Beach with a wide variety of beers available. They have a unique taproom space and chill vibes.

• Inlet Beer Garden: A beer bar on the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk with a ton of taps. It has chill vibes and you can order food from the sister restaurant next door as well.

• Quigley’s Pint and Plate: A restaurant-style brewery in Pawleys Island. They have nice outdoor seating and solid beers and food.

• Southern Hops Brewing Company: A solid brewery in Murrells Inlet with patio seating and a full food menu.

• Liberty Tap Room and Grill: A restaurant-style brewery in Myrtle Beach with a full food menu and average beers.

• Voodoo Brewing Company: This is a chain brewery with 20+ locations around the country. They have a pizza-focused food menu, more guest taps that Voodoo taps, poor service, and are overpriced. The beers they make are solid. Located in Murrels Inlet.

• Tidal Creek Brewhouse: A brewery in Myrtle Beach with a large outdoor space, a dog area, a wide variety of beers, a full food menu, and cocktails and wine too. As a forewarning the outdoor space can quickly become overrun by unsupervised children.

• Independent Republic Brewing: A brewery on the intracoastal in Myrtle Beach. This is really more of a dive bar than a brewery, but at least there are nice views! They share a space with Boathouse so you can order food from their kitchen. If you are flying in/out of Myrtle Beach they are right by the airport so this would be a great first or last stop.

• Grand Strand Brewing Company: Solid beers, below average service. They’ve got a nice patio space a few blocks from the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk.

Millstone Biscuit Co. + Brown Fox Coffee at the beach!

Myrtle Beach Area Restaurants and coffee shops:

• Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk: A touristy area full of restaurants and bars with a boardwalk along the inlet. My favorites here are:

  • Neptune Bistro & Raw Bar: Delicious food and cocktails overlooking the water.

  • Wicked Tuna: A sushi and seafood focused restaurant with water views.

  • Dead Dog Saloon: A great spot to grab a drink, especially something frozen!

• Benjamin’s Bakery: A stellar spot in Surfside Beach for breakfast and lunch. Really delicious.

• Banditos Cantina: A delicious restaurant off the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk with upper patio seating and ocean views. Highly recommend!

• National House of Pancakes: This is a wild spot for brunch. The atmosphere is super fun, the food and drinks are over-the-top. It is a bit pricey and there can be a line, but it’s delicious and a unique experience.

• Brown Fox Coffee Box: A cute little coffee stand at the end of the Marsh Walk with great drinks and a small seating area.

• Millstone Biscuit Co.: A great spot for breakfast or lunch in Murrells Inlet and Pawley’s Island with delicious biscuit sandwiches. Order via counter service for dine-in or take-out. This is a popular spot so try to go early!

• Inlet Prohibition Company: A solid restaurant at the south end of Murrells Inlet. They have nice views, a good tap list, and chill vibes.

• Bagel Café: A delicious spot for bagels and breakfast in Pawleys Island!
  

Where to stay:

• Surfside Beach Oceanfront Hotel: An oceanfront hotel with great views and beach access! This was a nice stay while not being too expensive.

• This tiny house Airbnb in Murrells Inlet is great! Perfect for one or two people and close to the Marsh Walk.

• Hampton Inn Pawleys Island: A reasonably-priced and conveniently located hotel. This is your average hotel stay.

Have you been to the Myrtle Beach area? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers—Alexis

Boone, NC

Boone is a cute little mountain town in northwest north carolina!

Boone Tips: 

• You can definitely see this small town in a weekend! Fall is absolutely the best time to visit so you can leaf peep your heart out, but it is also the most crowded time to visit so keep that in mind!

• Boone is also home to Appalachian State University so just be aware of things like Homecoming and football games that can lead to traffic.

Lost Province Brewing

Adventures & Ales Top Boone Recommendations: ​

• Stay at Glamping Unplugged: I have stayed here twice and absolutely loved it! They have secluded domes on a peaceful river just 20 minutes from Boone!

• Lost Province Brewing: A great brewery right downtown with delicious food options! I love their pizza and that they have a dog-friendly enclosed patio space. They have a rooftop seating area as well with a fun atmosphere.

  • Their second taproom, Lost Province Hardin Creek, is home to their production facility and a small taproom. Coyote Kitchen is also owned by Lost Province with their beers on tap and Southwest Caribbean Soul Food.

• Stick Boy Kitchen: The best spot for breakfast in town! Get there early or order ahead online to avoid a wait.

• Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway: This gorgeous drive has numerous viewpoints, picnic areas, and trails to explore.

  • Rough Ridge via Tanawaha Trail: 5.5 miles long with 839ft of elevation and takes just under 3 hours. The Linn Cove Viaduct and Rough Ridge are both gorgeous but they are at the start and end of the trail, the rest of the time you’re just in the forest with no views.

  • Flat Top Mountain Trail: 5 miles with 593ft of elevation gain and takes just under 2 hours. It is only 13 minutes from downtown Boone. This trail is rated moderate but not bad at all, just a moderate incline the whole way up to a fire tower.

  • Bass Lake: There is a 1 mile flat loop trail around the lake or you can just stop for a good spot for a picnic or beer.

  • Skip: Green Knob Loop Trail which is 2 miles long with 528ft of elevation gain and takes just under an hour. There are no views aside from the pond at the trailhead (AllTrails address is incorrect, it is the next pull-off west of AllTrails). It is buggy and boring.

• Hike at Elk Knob State Park: I did the Summit Trail that was a little over 4 miles—2 of which are straight up and 2 of which are straight down. There were great views throughout the trail and at both viewpoints. The trailhead is about 25 minutes north of Boone.

• Booneshine Brewing: A solid brewery right on the edge of town with a full food menu and beer garden.

Glamping Unplugged

Other Boone Things to Do:​​

• Appalachian Mountain Brewery: Another brewery option located near ASU’s campus with a large tap list.

• Local Lion: A cute coffee shop with baked goods selection as well!

• Visit Blowing Rock! This is another cute mountain town just a few minutes from Boone. The picturesque downtown is full of restaurants and shops. Parking here can be awful as a forewarning.

  • Blowing Rock Brewing Company: A cute brewery in downtown Blowing Rock with a full food menu and outdoor seating. If the main taproom has a wait they have a back window for beer and snacks too.

  • Hike the Boone Fork Trail! This trail is less than 10 minutes from downtown Blowing Rock and right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It ended up being about 6.5 miles and there were a couple of ladders and steep stairs to keep in mind for dogs/kids.

Want to explore more of the area? Here is my guide to a weekend along the Blue Ridge Parkway! It includes nearby Banner Elk and other great stops!

Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, NC

Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill make up the Research Triangle in Eastern North Carolina, but don't fret, it's more than nerds doing computer science! There is a fantastic beer scene here as well

​Triangle Tips: 

• This area is pretty large, so be sure to plan ahead for your adventures.

• Chapel Hill is all centered around UNC’s campus, so keep in mind the college vibe and throngs of students as you plan.

• If you only have time to visit one of the cities definitely go for Raleigh, but each area has it’s own vibe so I’d recommend visiting all 3 if you have the time!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations in Raleigh:

• Burial Brewing: Burial is based in Asheville, NC and opened their second taproom in downtown Raleigh at Transfer Co. Food Hall. Burial has incredibly phenomenal beers, not visiting their taproom and bottle shop would be a mistake!

• Funguys Brewing: Some of the best Sours in the state! They’ve got a small little industrial taproom but their Fruited Sours and Juicy IPAs are worth the trip!

• Trophy Brewing and Pizza: Delicious pizza and a sweet brewery, what more do you need? 

• A Place at the Table: A great spot for breakfast sandwiches and you can support others through their pay-what-you-can model. Extremely delicious + doing good!

• The Morning Times: A super cute newspaper themed coffee shop that is the perfect way to start your morning. However, the bagels here are not great FYI.

  • If you’re looking for bagels in particular I would definitely recommend Benchwarmer’s Bagels located at Transfer Co. Food Hall. Be aware that it can be packed on weekends though!

• State of Beer: Owned by Trophy Brewing, this is a nice beer bar with a solid tap list and a large outside patio.

• Crank Arm Brewing Company: A bike themed brewery with lots of board games, a small patio up front, and quite a large beer list to choose from. I’d recommend a flight to try as many beers as you can!

• North Carolina Museum of History: I had low expectations for this museum but was pleasantly surprised. Extremely good exhibits on the Civil Rights Movement in particular. Free to enter!

• Boulted Bread: Delicious breads and pastries in a cute little bakery!

• Heyday Brewing: A new brewery in Northeast Raleigh with Louisiana vibes. They’ve got impressive beers, a great outdoor space, and yummy food.

• Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing: A great spot for brews, food, and a view! Their patio overlooks downtown and their food is absolutely delicious.

• Altered State Brewing: A new brewery in central Raleigh. Don’t be scared off by their tiny taproom they have outdoor seating as well and the beers are worth it!

• Stay at The Origin! This boutique hotel is conveniently located right downtown and is super cute. The staff goes above and beyond to ensure you are happy, they are super dog friendly, and they have a great onsite bar and restaurant Good Day Good Night that I would highly recommend!

• North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences: Dinosaurs and hands on activities galore. Perfect for kids. Free if you just want to pop in and wander for a bit!

Fullsteam Brewing

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations in Durham:

• Fullsteam Brewing: Fullsteam has incredibly delicious food and a large variety of beers to choose from. They’ve got a large taproom and some outdoor space as well. I’d definitely recommend one of their North Carolina-shaped flight boards to try a few of their brews.

• Ponysaurus Brewing: Ponysaurus has a massive outdoor beer garden definitely worth checking out!

• Barrel Culture: Barrel Culture’s original taproom is in Southeast Durham. They specialize in Sours and Wild Ales and have a small patio as well.

• Hi-Wire Brewing: Hi-Wire is based in Asheville, NC and has a wide variety of beers to choose from. Their Stouts are my personal favorite style that they make!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations—Chapel Hill:

• Steel String Brewery: Yummy beers, a cute outdoor patio, and super friendly beer-tenders

• Stay at: The Carolina Inn—it was amazing. It was like traveling back in time to the 1920's. Highly recommend!

• Carolina Brewery: The traditional UNC brewery and restaurant, pop in for a UNC themed beer like the Sky Blue Golden Ale

• Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery: Plan ahead if you are thinking of checking out Top of the Hill, it is definitely the most popular spot in town so be sure to go during off-peak hours or make a reservation if you'll be visiting while school is in session

Breakfast Sandwich from A Place at the Table

Other Things to do in Raleigh:

• Raleigh Brewing Company: Your standard brewery with average beers. That have a lot of special events here though so be sure to check out their calendar!

• Clouds Brewing: They have several locations in the Triangle area, but I wasn’t super impressed with their beer or their food unfortunately.

• Lonerider Brewing: Average beer in a cowboy-themed space. The Shotgun Betty is solid.

• Gizmo Brew Works: Located right near the Northwest border of Raleigh and Durham, Gizmo did not live up to the hype. I found their beers to be mediocre at best, but their patio is nice, though it is in the parking lot.

• Humble Pie: A popular restaurant with a large patio in downtown Raleigh, but I found their food to be below average and the service to be mediocre at best.

Other Things to do in Durham:

• Durty Bull Brewing: They’ve got a large patio space and are in walking distance from Fullsteam!

The Outer Banks, NC

The Outer Banks of North Carolina are a series of barrier islands known for their beaches and wild horses

OBX Tips: 

• Try to stay near the middle of the island chain so that you can venture both north and south without having to drive forever.

• Don’t plan to leave on a Saturday morning or do much driving—most rentals are Saturday to Saturday so there is a mass exodus causing a lot of traffic and delays.

• If you’re traveling with a dog be sure to check individual beach regulations beforehand—each area has different rules during each season, but generally OBX is quite dog friendly.

Adventures & Ales Top outer banks Recommendations:

• Eventide: I am obsessed with this spot. They have cheese boards, sandwiches and salads alongside beer and wine. The water views are fantastic, especially for sunset. Located in Duck—don’t skip this one!

• Swells’a Brewing: A great brewery in Kill Devil Hills. Their Hazy IPAs are what they do best and they also serve wine, cider, hard kombucha and frozen slushies. It is a cute spot with an upper deck, outside yard space, and upper and lower seating inside.

• Duck Donuts: The original location for this fantastic donut chain is in Duck and worth visiting. They have tasty, customizable donuts served hot and fresh. This is a popular spot so go early or be prepared to wait.

• Barrier Island Bagels: Solid bagels in Kitty Hawk. They have dine in seated service or take-out. They offer bar drinks but no espresso. You can also order online.

• Art’s Place: A delicious restaurant and bar serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They have a cute spot and great back patio. They are best known for their burgers, which are absolutely delicious. The Sway Bar up top has ocean views. Located in Kitty Hawk.

Bodie Island Lighthouse

top Touristy Spots in obx Actually Worth Visiting:

• Explore Cape Hatteras National Seashore: The drive itself isn’t super scenic since the water is blocked by sand dunes, but this 67 mile long stretch is full of beaches surrounded by small towns. It is more quaint in this section of the Outer Banks than the central area. You can drive on certain sections of the seashore as well with 4 Wheel Drive and a permit.

  • Be sure to check out Bodie Island Lighthouse and Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, both of which you can climb up for a view.

  • The seashore allows dogs and alcoholic beverages, unlike some other beaches in the area.

  • Be forewarned that there are some crazy flies that tend to be wherever the wind is not blowing and they bite, hard.

  • Haulover on the sound side is a popular spot for paragliding and calm waters—there are also bathrooms and showers here unlike most of the seashore.

• See the wild horses on Corolla Beach: You’ll either need to sign up for a tour (numerous companies) or have a car with 4 Wheel Drive and get a permit to drive on the beach. Some folks say you can see them walking, that is not reliably accurate.

• Explore Manteo Island: This is a quaint little island to hop around with shops and restaurants. It was home to the first English-speaking colonists in America and there are historical markers throughout the island.

Barrier Island Bagels

Other things to do in the outer banks:

• Outer Banks Brewing Station: The first wind-powered brewery in the US! The beers here are average and they have a full food menu. Their backyard space is nice with frequent live music, a playground, and ample seating.

• Jeanette’s Pier: A popular spot for fishing. It costs $2 to walk out on the pier and $14 to fish. The beach around the pier is great for surfing and beach hanging.

• Hurricane Mo’s Beachside Bar & Grill: A solid spot for dinner or drinks. They have an upstairs bar that is dog friendly and has frequent live music. The food is tasty and the drinks are cheap. Heads up it is pretty loud both inside and outside here, so don’t plan on an intimate dinner.

Wilmington, NC

Wilmington is a fun beach town on the coast of North Carolina!

Wilmington Tips: 

• Wilmington has several distinct areas to explore so be sure to get out of downtown! The Cargo District, Wrightsville Beach, and Carolina Beach are all great to adventure around in. They are pretty close together, but plan ahead so you’re not going back and forth a bunch!

• Wilmington is super dog-friendly so bring your four-legged friends along!

• Expect very chill, beach vibes throughout the area. It’s also a college town so things are very laid back.

• Be conscious of fly season—the summer months mean the flies are everywhere making dining outdoors less than enjoyable.

• Expect to pay for parking nearly everywhere you go unfortunately.

Adventures & Ales Top Wilmington Recommendations: ​

• The Half: A stellar spot for sandwiches and craft beer. The cute little building has wildly good beers available on tap and in cans to pair with delicious sandwiches. The staff is all super friendly as well. Truly a delight!

• Fermental Beer and Wine: A nice beer and wine war with a back patio in a unique building. They have 12 taps and a nice selection of packaged beers.

• Drift Coffee & Kitchen: A great spot for breakfast, lunch, coffee, and smoothies. Delicious breakfast sandwiches and lattes and friendly staff. They have a few locations in the area.

• Wilmington Brewing Company: Another really fun brewery with a large taproom, outdoor seating, frequent food trucks, and a variety of beers to choose from.

• Cheese Smith: A restaurant with killer grilled cheese! They’ve also got other sandwiches and a few beers. Located a 3 minute walk from Fermental in the Cargo District.

• Savorez: A great spot for Latin American style food. Don’t skip their delicious margaritas!

• Stay at the Aloft! This beautiful hotel is right on the river and just a few minutes walk from downtown. The space is very nice and the location is perfect. The Aloft also has a fun rooftop bar with nice city and river views. It is open to the public and a great spot to catch sunset. Hotel Ballast is another nice hotel on the riverfront walkable to everything downtown.

• The Vine: A cute spot for charcuterie, wine, and cocktails! They’ve got a small food menu and chill vibes.

• Bespoke Coffee: A cute coffee shop in downtown Wilmington. They have pastries and also offer free refills on iced coffee!

  • Be sure to check out the iconic Second Street Mural right across the street!

• Beer Barrio: A fun spot for Mexican eats, craft beers and cocktails. 

• Outer Dunes Brewing Company: A solid brewery between Topsail and Wrightsville. They have a nice outdoor seating area to enjoy your brew in.

• Waterman’s Brewing Company: A restaurant-style brewery near Wrightsville Beach with a large outside patio. They have a delicious food menu that includes brunch offerings and solid beers.

• Front Street Brewery: A solid brewery in the heart of downtown Wilmington. They’ve got restaurant-style vibes and they also have an extensive whiskey selection.

• Ponysaurus Brewing Company: The Wilmington location of this Durham-based brewery is located in a converted house with a nice patio. They have a pizza-focused food menu and large beer menu alongside a few cocktails.

• Sauce’d: A solid cocktail bar on the water.

• GelaRto: Delicious gelato in a cool building on the riverfront!

Carolina Beach

Top Touristy Spots in Wilmington Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Wrightsville Beach: The closer beach to downtown Wilmington. I personally love and prefer Wrightsville beach—the water is clear, the sand is soft, and it’s overly built up.

• Carolina Beach: South of Wilmington, this beach area is much more established than Wrightsville Beach with a boardwalk and a plethora of bars and restaurants.

  • Freeman Park: A section of Carolina Beach that is dog friendly and you can drive on the beach with 4WD.

• Wander Airlie Gardens: These beautiful gardens are truly stunning and make for the perfect stroll. Admission is $9.

• North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher: A beautiful aquarium with a wide variety of species to explore. Book your tickets in advance, $12.95 for adults.

• Cape Fear Rum Cake: A touristy but tasty stop in downtown!

• Take a sunset cruise with Cape Fear Riverboats. The cruise runs up and down the river with beautiful views.

• Take a food tour with Taste Carolina: The tour visits 6 local restaurants and spans 3 hours. It includes small bites and drinks with some history and general Wilmington information along the way.

Second Street Mural

Other Things To Do in Wilmington:​​

• Flying Machine Brewing Company: A large brewery with solid beers. They have frequent events and food trucks as well. They also have a location right near Wrightsville Beach that has a full food menu and bar. This spot has more restaurant-vibes than brewery-vibes but is still a fun spot and the food is delicious.

• Floriana: A nice Italian with terraces outside on the riverfront.

• Mad Mole Brewing: A smaller brewery with an outside patio. They are solar powered which is an awesome feature as well!

• Wrightsville Beach Brewery: A restaurant-style brewery with good pizza and solid beers.

• The Workshop: A nice little spot for coffee and sandwiches at Wrightsville Beach.

• Hi-Wire Brewing: The Wilmington taproom of this Asheville based brewery is spacious and full of games! Great vibes and solid beers here.

• Edward Teach Brewery: A brewery with frequent live music and a nice outdoor space with lounge vibes.

• Hopyard: A bottle shop and beer bar in the heart of downtown with a solid selection of beers.

• Broomtail Brewing: Broomtail has two locations in Wilmington but both are quite different from each other. Their original taproom is a small space in an industrial strip mall. Overall they are Sour focused and their beers are solid. The Pub & Arcade location (former the Sour Barn) is full of games and has a nice outdoor seating area in the back.

• Good Hops Brewery: Bringing the beach vibes, this brewery has lots of outdoor seating and is very kid and dog friendly. They’ve also got disc golf!

• Ironclad Brewery: A brewery in downtown Wilmington with average beer. They’ve got a large space with frequent events and super nice staff members. Be sure to check their social media ahead of time to ensure they are open due to how many events they host.

• Flytrap Brewing: Solid beers (Belgian heavy), lots of outdoor seating, board games, and frequent food trucks.

• Bill’s Brewing: A restaurant-style brewery with average beers and a full food menu.

• Waterline Brewing Co.: Average beers, chill vibes.

• The Fortunate Glass: A wine bar with an extensive selection alongside a small food menu.

• Panacea Brewing Company: A kombucha focused brewery with an all vegan food menu and a few house-made beers.

• The UnderFront Company: A cocktail bar that caters to the college student vibe. They have live music on the weekends and a back patio.

• Beach Bagels: Average bagel shop with several locations throughout the Wilmington area. The downtown location is right around the block from Bespoke so you can grab your coffee they head over for a bagel!

• Bagels on Pointe: Decent bagels but not overly impressive.

Greenville, SC

Greenville is a cute little growing city nestled in the northwest corner of South Carolina

GVL Tips: 

• I spend a lot of time in Greenville and it is a really nice city. It is kid friendly, dog friendly, pedestrian friendly and bike friendly.

• The city is pretty small, a weekend visit is the ideal amount of time!

Adventures & Ales Top Greenville Recommendations: ​

• The Eighth State Brewing: My favorite brewery in the Greenville area and arguably the best in the entire state! They have delicious beers, frequent events, lots of non-beer options, and rotating in-house food.

• The Whale: A fantastic craft beer bar with something for every palate! They have 20 taps and a huge selection of cans and bottles.

• Swamp Rabbit Café: I HIGHLY recommend visiting this cute little restaurant, the food is incredible! Located right on the Swamp Rabbit Trail if you are biking/running/walking it is a great spot to stop for lunch. I recommend you get a sandwich because the stecca bread is superb!

• The Community Tap: A fun beer bar with some killer beers on tap and wine and beer for purchase. Dog friendly!

• Sully’s Steamers: A great spot for bagels right in the heart of downtown.

• Lewis Barbeque: This renowned Charleston-based BBQ restaurant is superb. The food is delicious, bar drinks are great, and patio is lovely. Don’t miss happy hour from 4-6pm!

• Other Lands: A brewery and coffee shop with a small food menu. They have solid beers, but dirty glassware. The patio is nice + they are dog-friendly.

• Fireforge Brewing: A ton of beer options, smell menu of snacks, comfy seating options, outside space, really friendly bartenders, and it’s located right downtown!

• The Trappe Door: A restaurant and beer bar specializing in Belgian food and drink. This unique spot is in a dark basement setting in the heart of downtown Greenville. They have a great Belgian beer selection and tasty food.

The Eighth State Brewing Company

The Classic Tourist Spots in Greenville Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Falls Park on the Reedy: A pretty park with lots of places to sit and relax or wander around. The quintessential ‘Greenville’!

• Paris Mountain State Park: About a twenty minute drive from downtown Greenville but worth it! It is a $6 entrance fee for the State Park to gain access to all of the trails. Brissy Ridge was a good hike but didn’t have as exciting of views as I’d hoped. The Lake Placid Loop is a very chill walk around the lake where you can also see the dam. Sulphur Springs was nice but a little boring.

• The Commons: A ton of small local businesses under one roof! The food hall has The Community Tap (above), Methodical Coffee, SC Bake Room, Automatic Taco, Golden Brown and Delicious and more. Located on the Swamp Rabbit Trail too!

• Gather: Another food hall concept made out of old containers and fully outside. Pasta Addict is my favorite! Greenville Beer Exchange also has a space here.

• Swamp Rabbit Trail: A 22 mile trail running through Greenville along the Reedy River and through city parks. This trail connects GVL and Traveler’s Rest!

• Stay at the Hampton Inn downtown: This is actually a super nice hotel in a fantastic location at reasonable rates. Pro-tip you don’t have to valet or park in a garage, there is free street parking all around.

Swamp Rabbit Café

Other Things to do in Greenville:​​

• Liability Brewing: Tasty beers and lively atmosphere, especially when the weather is warm and the garage-style doors are open.

• Greenville Beer Exchange: A bottle shop and taproom with a wide selection of beers.

• Traveler’s Rest: A cute little town north of Greenville! An easy detour to explore.

  • Swamp Rabbit Brewing: Solid beers and small town vibes located in Traveler’s Rest

• Tetrad Brewing: An average brewery with chill vibes.

• Smoke on the Water: A nice spot for BBQ in the heart of downtown. The food here is delicious and they also have a nice outside area.

• Biscuit Head: A delicious breakfast spot out of Asheville. All things biscuit!

• Southernside Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a large outdoor space, full food menu and tasty beers. They are located across the river from The Commons.

• Grateful Brew: A cute 60’s vibes coffee shop and beer bar that is dog friendly.

• Fork and Plough: A farm to table restaurant with solid eats. They also are a market and butchery.

• Double Stamp Brewery: A solid brewery with a rooftop patio.

  • Home Team BBQ, the popular Charleston-based BBQ spot, is located right next door as well.

• Yee-Haw Brewing: The Greenville outpost of the Johnson City brewery. Half of the beers on tap are brewed in GVL, half in Johnson City. A cute outdoor space, while the inside has more restaurant-style vibes.

• Shoeless Brewing: A brewery in the homebrew supply store Grapes and Grains on the east side of the city. The beers here are solid and it is a popular local hangout.

• 13 Stripes Brewing: Located Northeast of the city inside the old Taylor’s Mill, giving the brewery warehouse-y vibes. They have a large selection of beers, but no flights as a heads up.

• Brewery 85: A fun brewery with many German-style beers that come in fun mason jar pint glasses. Frequent events and food trucks!

• Tipsy Taco: A Tex-Mex restaurant with several locations in the area.

Paris Mountain State Park

Skip:

• Think Tank Brew Lab: A mediocre brewery near the downtown airport. They have large taproom and large outdoor space with a small food menu.

• Iron Hill Brewing: A chain brewery with a large menu of average beers.

• Spill The Beans: This is a coffee shop in downtown Greenville with bad coffee and worse service.

• Quest Brewing: A small little tap room with below average beers.

• Pangaea Brewing: A mediocre brewery in The Commons with a small food menu and average beers.

Asheville, NC

Asheville has repeatedly been ranked Beer City USA and is a cute little beer-centric town in the middle of the mountains.

AVL Tips: 

• Wear layers! The weather here fluctuates quite a bit with the elevation so be prepared to be hot one minute and chilly the next.

• The downtown area can get quickly overwhelmed with tourists and bachelor/bachelorette parties. Be sure to get out of ‘South Slope’ and see more of the city, you won’t regret it.

• Hiking isn’t as close as you would initially expect, you’ll need to drive a bit to hit the trails even though the city is nestled in the mountains

  • Check out my 2 day Asheville itinerary here!

• Asheville is unique in that there are ~30 breweries, but there are multiple outposts of some breweries that make that number as high as it is. Burial, Hi-Wire, Wedge, Wicked Weed, Green Man, Asheville Pizza & Brewing, Thirsty Monk, One World, and Catawba each have more than one location all within five or so miles, something that is not common in other cities. I would definitely recommend checking out each location individually if you have time because each atmosphere can be very different!

  • Check out my blog on The Best Breweries in Asheville here!

• Looking for more of a small town vibe? Hendersonville is a cute area just south of Asheville.

  • Check out my Hendersonville, NC guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Asheville Recommendations: ​

• Burial Beer: The mecca of Asheville beer! This is a MUST. Expect it to be busy as a result of how fantastic the beers are, so try to visit on a weekday if you can. They are constantly changing things up but 100% of what they make is fantastic, especially their IPAs. Their original taproom is in South Slope with patio seating and a small food menu.

  • Forestry Camp is their second venture in the city. It is in the Biltmore Village neighborhood a bit south of downtown. They’ve got a food menu, cocktails and wine, guest taps, a rooftop patio, and chill vibes.

  • Eulogy is their music venue next to the South Slope taprooms. On Saturday afternoons it is open as a beer hall. The space has Burial beers, occasional guest beers, cocktails, Visuals wine, and Good Hot Fish inside. On top of Eulogy is Visuals Wine and Cocktail Bar. This rooftop bar is home to Burial’s wine line, cocktails, a handful of their beers, and a small food menu.

• Cellarest Beer Project: A great brewery in West Asheville. They are particularly focused on Farmhouse Ales and Lagers. Cassia is their onsite food truck with incredibly delicious Asian eats.

• Dssolvr: A killer brewery with delicious beers. They are located right downtown and you can get food delivered from nearby restaurants as well.

• The Whale: An awesome craft beer bar with a variety of taps, cans and bottles. They have three locations in the Asheville area: West Asheville, South Slope, and The Outpost in Haw Creek.

  • The Masters Park to Haw Creek Valley Overlook trail is located 3 minutes from their Outpost location. It is a great way to get in a quick workout with a view before your brew. The trail is 2.3 miles long with 551ft of elevation gain and takes about an hour to complete.

• Stay at The Glamping Collective: This is an amazing property with geodomes and glass cabins located 30 minutes west of Asheville in Clyde. The domes are incredibly luxurious with kitchens, full bathrooms, hot tubs, fire tables, air conditioning & heat, and so much more. The property has three onsite trails as well, so you don’t even have to get in your car to go for a beautiful hike. The Sunset Summit Trail was my favorite—the views are incredible, even not during sunset! Plus they even have Adirondack chairs at the summit to sit and relax.

  • Another great lodging option is Asheville River Cabins: These are cozy stays on the French Broad River right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The cabins are complete with full kitchens, grills, hot tubs, fire pits, coffee nooks, and everything you could need for your stay. They are located 15 minutes south of Asheville proper. In addition to the cabins they have A-frames and RV spots.

• Taco Boy is a great spot for tacos, nachos and cocktails next to The Whale in West Asheville and in Biltmore Park.

• TRVE Brewing: A metal-themed brewery coming out of Denver with solid beers.

• Terra Nova Beer Co.: A solid brewery with two locations in the Asheville area: South Slope and Swannanoa. At their South Slope location they have Mission Pizza inside serving up ‘za, a nice patio, and a large variety of taps including 4 Czech side pulls.

Dssolvr

• Summit Coffee: An extremely cute coffee shop located in The Foundation, a complex covered in 14 acres of street art that is super trendy. Get the lavender latte & don’t look back!

  • Walk across the street to Wedge Brewing’s Foundation outpost once you’re ready to transition from coffee to beer. They also have a BBQ restaurant, 12 Bones Smokehouse, attached for your food needs.

• Zillicoah Beer: Located right on the French Broad River, this is the perfect spot north of town to relax on a beautiful day. It’s super chill, family friendly, and dog friendly outside. They specialize in fantastic Lagers.

• Sunny Point Café: A delicious spot for brunch every day of the week! This spot is incredibly popular so expect a wait and try to avoid it on Sundays. They are also open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Located in West Asheville.

• New Origin Brewing: A small brewery with a large variety of beers that are all great. They have a nice patio space and 900 Degreez food truck onsite for pizza.

• Cursus Keme: The “secret brewery” in Asheville that’s not quite a secret anymore. This spot used to be a tractor trailer repair shop and is now a large bright and airy taproom. The outside seating near the river is lovely as well. They have a limited number of beers on tap that are usually quite unique and delicious. Located a block past New Origin at the end of the road.

• Biscuit Head: A tasty spot for—you guessed it—biscuits! They have sweet or savory options as well as drinks. There are 3 locations in Asheville: downtown, West Asheville, and Biltmore Park.

• Catawba Falls: Another great spot to hike just 30 minutes from downtown. This is very family friendly and relatively flat to the falls. If you’re feeling adventurous you can climb up the falls via a rope on the right-hand side. The trail is short and sweet but still provides great views!

• Taco Billy: Delicious tacos! Highly recommend their breakfast tacos but they’ve also got beers if you go for lunch or dinner. You can order online to avoid a line as well.

Summit Coffee Asheville

Top Touristy Spots Actually Worth Visiting in Asheville:​

• Blue Ridge Parkway: An amazing scenic drive with viewpoints to pull over and admire from. Bring snacks, take your time, and enjoy!

• Float the river with Zen Tubing! Bring your cooler and speaker and enjoy the relaxing journey along the river.

• Sierra Nevada Mills River: This is a HUGE outpost of the California-based brewery with a private drive, full kitchen and taproom, and concert space. The outdoor space is great, with a firepit, game space, dog space, kid space, and all nestled in the forest. Do not miss the pretzels with pimento beer cheese! The staff here is also super friendly and great!

  • Located right next to the airport so it’s a perfect spot on your way in or out of town if you’re flying! Driving distance from downtown Asheville is about 20 minutes.

• Highland Brewing: Asheville’s first brewery! This is a unique spot with shipping containers inside and out, frequent live music, cool artwork, and a meadow onsite. The also have hiking trails on their property and chill vibes all around.

• North Carolina Arboretum: A lovely outdoor space with gardens, trails, educational programs and events. It is $16 to enter the parking area.

• New Belgium Brewing: Based in Fort Collins, CO., New Belgium calls Asheville its second home. They are located right on the Catawba River and have a fantastic outdoor space. You can also tour the incredibly massive brewery.

• LaZoom: Bus comedy tours that share a bit of Asheville history, comedy skits, and a stop at a local brewery. They also offer haunted tours, band tours, and kids tours.

Sierra Nevada

Other Things to do in Asheville:

• Lookout Mountain & Rattlesnake Mountain: Most of the hiking near Asheville is a solid hour drive from the city, but these trails are just 25 minutes away in Black Mountain, NC. Lookout is crowded and there are a lot of manmade steps, but the views are good from the top. I would highly recommend going over the back end of Lookout and continuing up to Rattlesnake where there is generally no one else on the trail and the views are even better.

  • Montreat Rainbow Road, Toll Road, Lookout Mountain Trail: This trail is 4.3 miles long with 889ft of elevation gain. If you go straight up to the Lookout Rocks you’ll gain all of that elevation in about half of a mile, if you end with the rocks it’s a gradual ascent. This trail is a bit boring at times but the Lookout Rocks are great—most folks just go straight up and back down. Parking is limited so avoid this trail on weekends if possible.

• Pop up to Weaverville, 10 minutes north of town and visit Leveller Brewing Company and Zebulon Artisan Ales. Leveller has a cute patio space and stellar Farmhouse-focused beers. Zebulon has funkier styles in a tucked away taproom a block away.

• Trombatore Trail: A solid hike up to a pasture-style view of the surrounding mountains. AllTrails listed it at 4.7 miles but it is actually more like 6 as a heads up.

• Hillman Beer Co: Lots of outdoor seating and a full food menu. They’ve also got a location in Old Fort, east of Asheville.

• Mountain Madre: A great Mexican restaurant and Agave bar in downtown AVL. Their food and drinks are delicious and their patio is very cute.

• Vortex Donuts: A great spot to grab a donut and coffee! If you go close to closing time it’s buy one get one free donuts! Highly recommend the peanut butter chocolate.

• Hi-Wire South Slope: A small little taproom with fun vibes and good beers.

• White Labs Kitchen and Tap: A production facility, education hub, and brewery based in San Diego with a second location in Asheville. This taproom has a variety of beers on tap and each style has two beers to choose from using different yeasts which is fun! They’ve also got a full food menu with wood fired pizzas that are delicious. Service is mediocre.

• Diatribe Brewing: This is a chill spot in West Asheville where the tap list is Lager and old-school styles heavy.

• One World Brewing: Two taprooms, one in West Asheville and the original is downtown in a basement setting.

• Green Man Dirty Jack’s: The historic original Green Man location with semi-grunge vibes (hence the name).

• Asheville Pizza and Brewing: 3 locations in town, each with solid pizza and solid beer. Their South Slope location also has a cute little outdoor patio. Their location on the north side of town has a full movie theater!

• Wedge Brewing at Wedge Studios: The original Wedge outpost. They have a large outdoor space but a small indoor space. Be sure to ask for peanuts.

Highland Brewing

• Hi-Wire Big Top: A really chill spot compared to their South Slope location. This is where their production happens so it is pretty industrial. They’ve got a permanent food truck onsite, Foothills Meats. The 10W-40 Stout series is delicious!

  • Hungry & don’t love the food truck options? Standard Pizza is a one minute walk away and has great pizza! The slices are huge!

• Archetype Brewing: A brewery in West Asheville with average beers. They have a nice rooftop patio and Pizza Mind is located next door for some ‘za.

• Asheville Retrocade: A game bar with craft beer! They’ve got Dance Dance Revolution, Pac-Man, Skee-Ball, and so much more! If you go after 9pm it is 21+

• The Brew Pump: A craft beer bar in a gas station! No, really. They’ve got $3 specials and well…gas!

• All Sevens Brewing: Another brewery in West Asheville, they’ve got a full food menu, a pool table, and basic beers that you can get pitchers of.

• Rattlesnake Lodge Trail: This is a close to town but pretty boring hike that is 4.3 miles long with 882ft of elevation gain and takes 2 hours to complete.

• Wicked Weed Funkatorium: Wicked Weed was bought out by Anheuser-Busch so I try to avoid their beers and drink small/craft. The Funkatorium specializes in farmhouse ales and barrel aged sour beers that are small batch.

• Thirsty Monk: Overhyped Belgian brewery and seltzery where neither the beer nor the seltzer is good.

Charleston, SC

Charleston is a gorgeous southern city with the best of both worlds: a fun downtown and the beach!

CHS Tips: 

• As with anywhere in the deep south, it is HOT in the summer, so plan ahead (or visit between September-May)

• If you're planning a trip check out my bestie's amazing business to help you celebrate any occasion! Girls weekends, birthdays, engagements, whatever it may be, she will help plan your perfect experience!

Adventures & Ales Top Charleston Recommendations: 

• The Whale: A fantastic craft beer bar with great taps and a cans/bottles to choose from. It is beautifully designed and has both indoor and outdoor seating.

• Westbrook Brewing: A large brewery a bit outside the hustle and bustle in Mt Pleasant. They have a large variety of tasty beers, specifically their Stouts!

• Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company: Edmund’s Oast has two locations in Charleston—the brewery and the restaurant Both are great spots—they have chill vibes, nice patios, a wide array of taps, and tasty eats.

• Wine & Company: Seriously the best cheese plates I've ever had in my life (& I’ve had a lot of cheese plates). They have an extensive wine selection and a can/bottle list with select beers!

• Taco Boy: A fun Mexican restaurant with three locations—one on Folly Beach, one in downtown CHS, and one in Summerville. Get the Frozen Screwdriver, you won’t regret it!

• Folly Beach: A large beach and a cute strip of bars and restaurants—a great place to spend a day!

• Lewis Barbecue: A delicious spot for eats and drinks! They have a nice patio and very popular BBQ alongside superb sides and nachos.

• Revelry Brewing: Such a fun brewery with a rooftop and a wide variety of beers for every palate

• Brown Dog Deli: Mouthwatering sandwiches! Pro Tip: Grab a sandwich to go and eat it on the waterfront just a few blocks away

• The rooftop bar at Stars: a fantastic place to enjoy the outdoors and relax with a cocktail. Conveniently located right on King Street

• Baker and Brewer: From Evo Pizza and Holy City Brewing, this pizzeria and brewery has phenomenal pizzas and delicious beers! They also have nice outdoor seating options.

• Bowens Island Restaurant: A fantastic spot for fresh-off-the-boat seafood with lovely views and chill vibes! Get here early to avoid the line.

• Bodega: Such a cute spot for coffee, breakfast and lunch. They have great indoor/outdoor seating and are in the heart of downtown.

Magnolia Plantation

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting in Charleston: ​

• King Street: You could wander up and down King Street for hours on end popping into shops, restaurants, bars, and people watching

• Magnolia Plantation and Gardens: Gorgeous grounds and a lot of history to soak in

• College of Charleston: A beautiful campus in the heart of downtown, it is definitely worth wandering through!

• Charleston City Market: Historical site filled with several shops full of good finds

• Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens: Gorgeous grounds & a ton of history

• The Battery: The park at the end of the peninsula on the water—a perfect spot for a picnic!

• Rainbow Row: Just a quick stop, but the houses are gorgeous! 

• Firefly Distillery: An awesome Firefly spirits tasting experience alongside fun cocktails and frequent live music and events!

Wine & Company

Other Things to do in Charleston: ​​​

• Sullivan's Island: Another beautiful beach!

• Low Tide Brewing: Located on John’s Island, this brewery has a variety of beers and a great outdoor space

• Charles Towne Fermentory: A brewery with solid IPAs in West Ashley. They’ve also got a food window and board games!

• Graft: A cute wine shop and wine bar that also has a small food menu

• Home Team BBQ: A delicious BBQ restaurant with locations downtown, in West Ashley, and on Sullivan’s Island. Their famous cocktail The Frozen Game Changer is delicious!

• Leon’s Oyster Shop: A fun restaurant set in an old garage specializing in fried chicken, oysters, and unique drinks.

  • Pro-tip: You can only make a reservation if you party is larger than 6, so if there is a long-ish wait, head around the corner to Graft for a glass of wine while you wait!

• Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit: A delicious biscuit shop located both on Upper King Street and in the City Market.

• Five Loaves Café: A tasty spot for brunch, lunch and dinner. They have locations in Mt. Pleasant and Summerville!

• The rooftop bar at the Vendue Hotel: Another great rooftop, highly recommend when it is dark outside so you can admire the well lit Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.

• Frothy Beard Brewing: Tonssss of beers on tap here. Located in the West Ashley neighborhood.

• Azul: A solid spot for Mexican eats with multiple locations around town!

• Charles Town Landing: ​The original Charleston. Lots of history, lots of beautiful outdoor space

• Brunch at Shelter: cheap carafes of mimosas and a deep fried peanut butter french toast…. need I say more?

• Freehouse Brewery: Organic brewery in a scenic setting on the Ashley River. Very chill vibes

• Holy City Brewing: Solid beers, full food menu, and a large space.

• LoFi Brewing: A warehouse style brewery with a small tap list but solid brews!

• Ghost Monkey Brewing: Classic taproom vibes with a variety of beers available

• Fort Sumter: For the history geek, be sure to check out this famous battle site 

• Munkle Brewing: Belgian-style brewery with Trappist beers

• Kudu: A nice spot for coffee and craft beer just off a King Street.

• Palmetto Brewing Co: Solid beers and nice patio seating with frequent food trucks

• Pawley’s Island Brewing: A small brewery with solid beers—close to Freehouse Brewery

• Rusty Bull Brewing: A fun brewery in North Charleston with ax throwing connected to it as well!

• Tradesman Brewing: A brewery with extremely unique beers and an abundance of outdoor seating

• Isle of Palms is another great beach to check out! There is less parking and it’s a little less built up than the other beaches but still a gorgeous beach!

• Kiawah Island is less crowded than Folly, Sullivan’s, or IOP, but it is also a longer drive from downtown. If you’re up for the hike it’s definitely more peaceful!

  • Seabrook Island is located right next to Kiawah but it is a gated community—you have to have a pass to access the island or any of the beaches.

Hendersonville, NC

Hendersonville is a cute little mountain town south of Asheville, NC. It is a popular area for retirees and has a classic “main street” to bop around. HVL is a great spot for a weekend getaway with more small town vibes and less crowds. The surrounding small towns also offer great eats, drinks and hikes. Check out my recommendations below!

See my Asheville guide here.

Oklawaha Brewing Company

Downtown Hendersonville

Pro-Tip: Most of the main streets of downtown Hendersonville have paid parking requirements, but if you go over just a block or two to the side streets the parking is free.

Beer + food recommendations—in ranking order:

• The Blue Door Bottle Shop and Beer Hall: A great spot with 20 taps and a wide selection of cans and bottles. My favorite spot I visited in HVL.

• Blue Ridge Beer Garden: A cute spot with a turf patio, string lights and picnic tables. They have 25 taps with a good variety of options. There is often a food truck parked out front and the vibes are great.

• Oklawaha Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a wide offering of beers. They have a kitchen and frequent live music.

• HenDough: A delicious spot for donuts, breakfast biscuits, and chicken biscuits.

• West First Wood-Fired: A cute spot for pizza and pasta in a cozy environment. Tasty!

• The 2nd Act: A coffee shop and bar with a small food menu and frequent live music and events. A great place to start or end your day!

• Arabella: A cute spot for breakfast and brunch! The food is tasty and they have a small patio out front that is open seasonally.

• Dry Falls Brewing Co.: A nice little brewery with a wide variety of beers on tap. They have a small patio and average beers.

• White Duck Taco Shop: A Carolinas chain for great tacos! They have a large patio out front and delicious eats—don’t skip the queso.

• Trailside Brewing Co: A solid brewery in a renovated factory space. They have a large patio and they are dog friendly inside and out.

• Mikes on Main: An old school diner offering breakfast and lunch on Main Street.

• Postero: A solid spot for lunch and dinner downtown.

• Southern Appalachian Brewery: Hendersonville’s first brewery! They have frequent live music and a patio space. The beer here is mediocre.

• Guidon Brewing: A German brewery with a German-inspired beer list and kitchen. Located directly next door to Southern Appalachian Brewing. The beer here is below average.

• Skip Boodas Brewing Company: They don’t have any of their own beers available and the guest tap selection is mediocre.

12 Bones South

Surrounding Towns:

• Burning Blush Brewery: A stellar spot in Mills River. The Lagers are great and the space is unique. There is usually a food truck outside if you are hungry.

• Whistle Hop Brewing Company: A great brewery located in Fairview, NC. They have a huge outdoor space with a ton of yard games. They are housed in a literal train car which is unique and fun. Highly recommend!

• 12 Bones South: A great BBQ restaurant and brewery located in Arden. They have another location in the River Arts District of Asheville as well. They have both indoor and outdoor seating with cute murals and little mason jar glasses for flights. The beers are tasty and the food is delicious. The “damn good corn pudding” is in fact damn good.

• Sierra Nevada Mills River: This is a huge outpost of the California-based brewery with a private drive, full kitchen and taproom, and concert space. The outdoor space is great, with a firepit, game space, dog space, kid space, and all nestled in the forest. The staff here is also super friendly and great! Located in Mills River near the airport.

• Mills River Brewing Company: A spacious brewery in Mills River with a fantastic outdoor space. They are located near the airport and offer cocktails, wine and beer. They have a permanent food truck onsite with a large menu and frequent live music.

• Sideways Farm and Brewery: This farm brewery is located in Etowah. The beers can be great but they have only 4 taps so it’s a bit unreliable.

• Turgua Brewing: An average brewery on the creek with a nice outdoor space. They are advertised as a farmhouse brewery but they have a large variety of beers. They are located 3 minutes from Whistle Hop Brewing in Fairview.

• Blue Ghost Brewing Company: A mediocre brewery located in Fletcher near the airport. They also have an onsite food truck but the hours are limited.

• Skip Joey’s New York Bagels: A bagel shop with two locations in the area—Hendersonville and Fletcher. 0/10 experience here twice.

Rainbow Falls

Get Into Nature:

• Rainbow Falls Trail: This is a great hike that is 5.4 miles long with 1,181ft of elevation gain and takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete. It is located in Jones Gap State Park in Marietta, SC, just across the border. Reservations are required on holidays and weekends, the park closes by 5, and there is a $6 entrance fee. It is a very nice trail that is steep at times but the falls at the end are fantastic.

• High Falls and Triple Falls Tour: A popular trail in DuPont State Recreational Forest. This is 20 minutes from downtown Hendersonville and overall 3.7 miles long with 511ft of elevation gain. Both sets of waterfalls are very cool and there is also a fun old covered bridge.

• Bearwallow Mountain Trail: This trail is directly across the road from Trombatore. It is a quick 1 hour trail that is about 2.5 miles long with 587ft of elevation gain. Skip walking up the fire tower road, the views are nothing.

• Trombatore Trail: A solid hike up to a pasture-style view of the surrounding mountains. AllTrails listed it at 4.7 miles but it is actually more like 6 as a heads up.

• Explore Green River Game Lands: This nature area is just 20 minutes from downtown and has a few different trails to explore.

  • Little Bradley Falls Trail which is 2.2 miles long with 164ft of elevation gain and takes about 50 minutes to complete. There are 3 river crossings but it is worth it to get to a very cool waterfall at the end. There is a little swimming hole as well.

  • Across the street is the Big Bradley Falls Overlook Trail which has some threatening signage and a very high and wide river to cross so I opted to turnback, but would try again in the summer months.

  • Lower Big Hungry Falls is another good option that is short at .8 mile with 170ft of elevation gain and takes 20 minutes. It leads to a nice waterfall with a beach area.

Have you explored the Hendersonville area of North Carolina? Let me know your favorite spots in the comments below!
Cheers—Alexis

Hickory, NC

Hickory is a cute little town 1 hour from Charlotte, 1 hour from Asheville, and 1 hour from Boone. It is truly “small town America” with a Main Street of bustling shops and restaurants alongside incredibly nice folks.

The staff (almost) everywhere were incredibly kind and exuded southern hospitality. Downtown is very cute with lots of outdoor seating and green space. Hickory also has a Downtown Social District where you can grab to-go drinks from any business in the downtown radius.

Check out all of my recommendations for both downtown Hickory and the greater Hickory area below!

Standard Oyster

Downtown Hickory Recommendations:

• Stay at 2nd Street Inn: This is a great loft-style space with individual apartments. It is walkable to everything downtown and very convenient.

• Hickory Wine Shoppe: A lovely spot that is cheese and wine focused with other menu options available as well. They have a great front patio with heaters that is dog-friendly. The team here is also super nice.

• Barley Market: A beer bar and bottle shop with a great selection of taps, cans and bottles. They are dog-friendly with a friendly team and chill vibes.

• Battle Axe Mead House: A bar with local North Carolina meads available in bottles, flights or pours. They are dog-friendly and just behind the main hustle and bustle of downtown. They have frequent live music and occasional food trucks.

• Cowa-Saké: A trendy spot for sushi, sliders, and cocktails. This is a delicious spot for dinner that I definitely recommend. If it is a busy evening you can get on the waitlist via their website in advance.

• Plant Based Boss: A delicious spot for vegan eats downtown. They have weekend brunch, tacos, burritos, cookies and more in a beautiful space.

• City Walk Brewery & Distilling: A fun spot for drinks—the brewery is on one side and distillery (coming soon) is on the other. There is a cool back patio space with games. They have a small snack menu for eats.

• Hickory Museum of Art: A free art museum connected to the Catawba Science Center. It is pretty small but there are a good variety of displays.

• Olde Hickory Tap Room: A restaurant-style brewery with pub vibes. The beers here are average.

• The Coffee Nook: A nice spot downtown with for coffee, tea and pastries. They also have a plant exchange which is fun!

• Olde Hickory Station: A popular spot for brunch from Olde Hickory Brewery. It is housed in an old train station with a nice patio space.

Hickory Aviation Museum

GReater Hickory AreA things to do:

• Warehouse Distillery: A woman owned and operated distillery in nearby Newton. They have a nice cocktail lounge with great drinks. They are also super dog-friendly!

• Blowing Rock Draft House: A solid brewery in town with a full food menu. They have a nice covered and heated patio space that is dog-friendly. They are housed in an old mill with several other businesses.

• Palm Berries: A cute spot for açaí bowls and smoothies. They are just outside of downtown and have a nice interior space along with tasty eats.

• Taproot Coffee: An adorable coffee bus that moves around town. There is seating inside the bus and it is a total vibe. They have coffee and tea, no food.

• Riverwalk: This is a nice area at Geitner Park on Lake Hickory. The Loop Trail takes about 50 minutes for 2.5 miles. It is a combination of paved greenway and woodsy trail that is mostly flat. There are also a lot of bike trails here.

• Standard Oyster: A fantastic spot for delicious oysters. They also have other seafood dishes and small plates. On the drink side their Bloody Mary is large and delicious and they also offer bottomless mimosas. They have a heated, dog-friendly patio in the back.

• Hickory Aviation Museum: A fun museum with an inside “typical museum set-up” and outside you can actually explore the old planes! This museum is free and dog-friendly. It is housed at the Hickory Regional Airport.

• Bakers Mountain Trail: A 2.5 mile long trail with 633ft of elevation gain up to the highest point in Catawba County. The trailhead is just 15 minutes from downtown and the trail takes just shy of 1.5 hours. The overlook at the top has nice views.

Have you been to Hickory? What are you favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

Bryson City, NC

Bryson City is a small mountain town in Western North Carolina. It is nestled between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Nantahala National Forest. This is a beautiful area to explore, especially in the fall with changing leaves.

Bryson City is about 1 hour west of Asheville, NC and 1 hour and 15 minutes south of Gatlinburg TN. Check out my Asheville guide here and my Gatlinburg guide here.

Tom Branch Falls

Bryson City Recommendations:

• Bryson City Outdoors: A beer bar and gear shop with a nice patio and daily food trucks.

• Explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Deep Creek Waterfall Loop is a popular option very close to town with 3 waterfalls on a 2.4 mile long trail with 426ft of elevation gain. You’ll encounter Tom Branch Falls, Indian Creek Falls and Juney Whank Falls.

• Mountain Layers Brewing: A nice brewery in the heart of downtown with a rooftop deck. They also have a Hawaiian food truck out back The Rice Wagon. You can see all of town from the roof and offer wine and cider for non-beer fans.

• Zipline, whitewater raft, or stay in a yurt with WildWater! Whitewater rafting is very popular on the Nantahala and super fun. It is 8 miles of class 1 and class 2 rapids with one class 3 rapid. Their ziplining course goes through the gorge and has a couple of spots with great views.

• High Test Deli: A delicious sandwich shop in the heart of downtown. They are also known for their frozen ice cream sandwiches.

• The Road to Nowhere: Drive this historic road and be sure to check out the Lake Fontana overlook and the Road to Nowhere Tunnel. Just be prepared, the road does indeed go to nowhere.

• Meander the many shops throughout downtown.

• Take a scenic drive:

  • The Hellbender 28 is full of hairpin turns and right near Bryson City

  • The Tail of the Dragon takes you towards Tennessee with 300 turns in 11 miles

  • The Blue Ridge Parkway is a popular route with numerous viewpoints and hiking trails along the way

    • Waterrock Knob Trail is a popular, quick choice that is 1 mile long with 439ft of elevation gain so it’s quite steep!

    • Mount Pisgah Trail: 4 miles long with 1077ft of elevation gain. This trail is about halfway between Bryson City and Asheville off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Pisgah National Forest. I would park at the Google Maps trailhead, not AllTrails trailhead. The last section of the trail is pretty steep and leads up to a TV tower.

• Honey Bear’s Cupcakery: Grab cupcakes and other sweets from this local bakery on the main strip!

• Cardinal Coffee: A cute spot for coffee, bagels, and smoothies off the highway a bit outside of downtown.

• Darnell Farms: A large farm with produce, pumpkins, hay rides and festivals. Located in Bryson City on the river.

• Explore nearby Waynesville:

  • Boojum Brewing: A popular brewery with a full food menu. Expect a wait during lunch and dinner times, but their food is super tasty and worth it!

  • Sauced: An average spot for pizza and beer

  • Check out the cute shops throughout downtown

• Explore nearby Sylva:

  • Lazy Hiker Brewing: Tasty beers and a nice patio. Mad Batter Kitchen is inside for eats.

  • Innovation Brewing: A lovely taproom on the river with chill vibes. They have a massive tap list and Meatballs Pizzeria shares the building + Cosmic Carryout is right next door.

  • Balsam Falls Brewing: A nice brewery with a full food menu and lots of TVs for game day.

• Skip: Bryson City Brewing This spot was formally Nantahala Brewing. They have all guest taps and zero of their own beers, the food is not good and the service quite frankly sucks (the bartenders were wasted). It’s a bummer to see this formerly great space go downhill so quickly.

What are your favorite spots in Western North Carolina? Let me know in the comments! Cheers—ALexis

Winston-Salem Beer Guide

Winston-Salem, North Carolina is a small city an hour north of Charlotte with college-town vibes and a thriving brewery scene. I did the excruciating work of visiting every brewery in town (most spots multiple times) in order to learn more about the Winston-Salem beer scene.

Lesser-Known Beer Co.

Lesser-Known is the newest brewery in Winston-Salem and already the best brewery in town. They focus on underrepresented beer styles, the majority of which are Lagers. Lesser-Known is just south of downtown and has a nice patio space as well as a small indoor taproom. They have a small food menu when they don’t have a food truck onsite. They are quickly gaining notoriety and should not be missed. Inside their taproom The Walk In has guest taps and guest bottles as well.

Incendiary Brewing Company

Incendiary makes great beers in a variety of different styles. Their IPAs in particular are fantastic. They are located at Bailey Power Plant with a huge shared patio space and Cugino Forno Pizzeria is next door with delicious ‘za to accompany your beers. Incendiary also has a second location in Lewisville.

Radar Brewing Company

Radar makes unique and delicious beers. They have a small taproom and a nice patio space. Radar and Wise Man are just a block away from each other north of downtown Winston-Salem.

Hoots Beer Co. & Hoots Satellite 

Hoots has two locations in Winston-Salem: The original taproom and their satellite taproom in the heart of downtown. The original taproom has a nice outdoor patio, pinball and chill vibes. Hoots Satellite is a smaller space with a covered patio and a small tap list. If you only have time to hit one, go to the original for the authentic vibes and more beers available.

Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing Company

Fiddlin’ Fish is in downtown Winston-Salem with a wide variety of beers. They have a pretty large taproom and a nice patio as well. They offer specials during the week and have solid beers all around.

Foothills Brewpub

Foothills has a restaurant-style set-up with solid beers and delicious food. They make a wide variety of beers but specialize in Stouts. They are located right on the edge of downtown Winston-Salem with patio seating and spacious taproom.

Wise Man Brewing

Wise Man has a very large tap list and makes a wide variety of beers. They have both indoor and outdoor seating and frequent events. They are located just north of the city in the Industry Hill neighborhood.

Photo courtesy of Joymongers as I failed to take any pictures here somehow

Joymongers Barrel Hall

This is the Winston-Salem location for Greensboro-based Joymongers Brewing. They are located in the West End neighborhood and have warehouse-style vibes and a small patio. Their Barrel Aged beers are brewed at this location and what they are best known for.

Small Batch Beer Co.

Small Batch feels more like a dive bar than a brewery and is located right downtown. The small tap list has average beers but they also have wine, cider and cocktails. They have a food menu as well if you are hungry.

My Favorite Places I've Stayed Around The World

I get asked all the time where I stay when I travel and it is 100% dependent on where I am at. Generally speaking I am a somewhat frugal travel. I try not to spend too much on hotels/Airbnbs because I would rather plan another trip with that money. Sometimes where I stay is based on a hosted collaboration, sometimes it is a basic, reliable chain hotel that is reasonably priced (usually a Hilton), sometimes it is an Airbnb—it all just depends on the circumstances.

I have spent hundreds if not thousands of nights at different lodgings around the world and here are my favorite places I have stayed at:

Latin America

Tortuga Del Mar

Tortuga Del Mar: Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

I absolutely loved my beachfront room. The owners are so sweet and it’s nice and small so there’s barely anyone else around. The black sand beach is gorgeous and there are a couple of restaurants and a store within walking distance. Check out my Costa Rica guide here.

La Casa Verde: Banos, Ecuador

This eco-hostel is super relaxing, and the hosts are incredibly nice. There are hammocks, delicious snacks, and great views. Don’t let the word hostel throw you off—I had a private room and bathroom and nothing about it felt hostel-style, it was just a normal hotel with a variety of lodging options. Check out my Ecuador guide here.

Popa Paradise

Popa Paradise: Bocas del Toro, Panama

This is a gorgeous property! The pool, beach, walking trails and facilities were all stunning. The team here is also super nice and helpful. The food was fantastic and the place is quite small so you’re not overwhelmed by other guests. Check out my Panama guide here.

Arakur Resort & Spa: Ushuaia, Argentina

If you find yourself in Ushuaia at the very bottom of the content, Arakur is a must-stay. The outdoor pool and hot tub was one of the highlights of my entire trip! The views from the entire hotel are unreal. is Check out my Argentina guide here.

New Zealand

Edge Hill Hut: Taupo

The views from this Airbnb are superb! It is overlooking Lake Taupo and Mount Tauhara with sheep and farmland abound. The outdoor deck is packed with amazing amenities—an outdoor tub, fireplace, grill, comfy seating and more. There are thoughtful touches throughout the home and it was very clean and comfy. This airbnb is only a 15 minute drive from downtown Taupō and a little over an hour away from Tangariro National Park. It was also ridiculously affordable for such a nice spot. Check out my guide to New Zealand’s North Island here.

The United States

Kinn Guesthouse

Kinn Guesthouse Bay View: Milwaukee, WI

The set-up of Kinn Guesthouse is very cool. Each room feels more like a loft apartment and there is a shared kitchen and living room. It is housed above an Italian restaurant and walkable to several great coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Check out my Milwaukee guide here.

Fenway Hotel

Fenway Hotel: Dunedin, FL

The Fenway Hotel is a delightful spot. The hotel is gorgeous, the views from the rooftop bar are superb and the food and drinks are delicious. There is a trail on along the inlet in front of the hotel and you can easily walk into downtown Dunedin which is full of breweries, restaurants, shops and coffee shops. Check out my Dunedin blog here.

Orchards Inn

Orchards Inn: Sedona, AZ

Orchards Inn is right in the heart of downtown Sedona and the rooms offer spectacular views of the red rocks. Each room is a bit different, but my suite included a lovely fireplace, a spacious balcony, and an extremely comfortable bed. They have their own restaurant as well, 89Agave Cantina, which is delicious. Full Sedona guide coming soon!

North Carolina

Bryson City Cabin

This cabin on Airbnb: Bryson City, NC

This cabin had magical mountain views and was the perfect spot for a weekend getaway. Outside there is a fire pit and inside their is a fire place so that you can have cozy vibes inside or out. The hot tub was excellent and there were lots of thoughtful amenities. Bryson City & Western North Carolina guide coming soon!

Aloft Wilmington: Wilmington, NC

Aloft Wilmington has loft-style vibes and is right on the Cape Fear River. The rooftop bar has great views and it is centrally located in downtown Wilmington. Check out my Wilmington guide here.

Glamping Unplugged

Glamping Unplugged: Boone, NC

Glamping in a dome on a creek in the middle of nowhere? Yes please. This is a fun and unique stay just 20 minutes from Boone. Make a fire, stargaze, fish in the creek, go for a hike—the outdoor possibilities are endless. Check out my Boone guide here.

Where are your favorite places you’ve stayed around the world? Let me know in the comments! Cheers—Alexis

My Experience Flying with Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air gets a bad rap because they sell cheap base tickets and “get you” with all of the add-ons such as choosing a seat and carry-on bag fees. Personally, I actually found Allegiant to be a great option and would definitely fly them again.

Pros of flying Allegiant:

• The price! Allegiant tickets are quite cheap. When going from Charlotte to Tampa this spring my ticket on Allegiant was just over $100 roundtrip nonstop while other airlines were charging $450+ because it was spring break season.

• The smaller airports that most Allegiant flights fly in/out of are much easier to navigate. Parking tends to be more convenient and cheaper, lines are shorter, and there are less humans in general. At the Concord airport I parked ~25 feet from the main entrance of the airport, waited 15 minutes to check my bag, and got through security in 30 seconds.

• In my experience I arrived early on both legs of my trip—departing Concord we left 10 minutes before scheduled and landed 30 minutes early, then arriving back to Concord we were 15 minutes early. Can’t beat that!

• I found the seats to have a good amount of leg room. I am 5’10” so some planes have my knees basically in my tray table, but Allegiant had more space than your average seat.

• Cheap a la carte drink and snack options! They have high quality drinks and snacks at great prices. Why do I need a free water and peanuts when I can spend $5 and get something I actually want? The key for me was the La Colombe Draft Latte—so much better than a coffee on a plane (gross) and so much cheaper than a coffee in an airport.

• If you’re going to fly it a lot they have a credit card with some cool perks.

Cons of flying Allegiant:

• No inflight entertainment

• No plugs to charge your devices

• Thin seats

• Smaller airports have less amenities. If you arrive at the airport in need of coffee or food your options can be quite slim, BUT as I said above the planes have great food and drink options at low prices.

• You pay to check your bag whether it is a carry on or a checked bag. A lot of airlines have moved to this practice, so personally this was not a barrier for me.

• Limited routes. Allegiant is still a small airline so they don’t fly to very many cities. Most of their routes involve Florida and the Southeast.

The Bottom Line:

Would I fly Allegiant again? Absolutely. It was convenient, cheap and easy! My only wish is that they would add more routes so I could use it more often.

Read more about how I always score cheap flights here!

The Best Breweries in North Carolina

North Carolina is a mecca for beer lovers—Asheville has continually been rated Beer City USA, Charlotte has almost 50 breweries itself, and essentially every other city in the state has their own local brewery they support. But which ones are making the absolute best beer? In alphabetical order, here are the best breweries in North Carolina:

Burial Beer Co. in Asheville & Raleigh, NC

Burial first opened it’s doors in the summer of 2013 and since then has become one of the best breweries in the country and arguably the best in North Carolina. They now have 3 locations—their original brewery and taproom in the South Slope neighborhood of Asheville, their Forestry Camp brewery and taproom in the Biltmore area of Asheville, and their downtown Raleigh location. They also are getting close to opening their Charlotte taproom and they are in the works of opening another space in Asheville. Burial is best known for their juicy New England IPAs, but they also make incredible Stouts and Lagers.

Dssolvr in Asheville, NC

Dssolvr is located in the heart of downtown Asheville and opened in December 2019. They focus on doing both worlds of beer well—old school Lagers, West Coast IPAs, Wild Ales + new school Hazy IPAs, Fruited Sours, and Pastry Stouts + everything in between. Their Fruited Sours can get a little crazy but everything they put out is well crafted and delicious.

Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, Nebo, and Charlotte, NC

Fonta Flora is one of the OG’s of the NC brew scene, having opened in 2013. They now have three locations—their original brewery and taproom in downtown Morganton, their Whippoorwill Farm location in Nebo, and their Charlotte taproom in Optimist Hall. Their award winning Wild Ales are the standout, but their Lagers and Hazy IPAs are phenomenal as well.

New Anthem Beer Project in Wilmington, NC

New Anthem opened in 2016 and they now have two locations in Wilmington—their original brewery and taproom at 116 Dock Street in downtown and their larger taproom and brewery at 110 Greenfield Street. New Anthem is best known for their New England IPAs which is reflected by their IPA-heavy tap list and can production.

Newgrass Brewing Co. in Shelby, NC

Newgrass opened in August 2015 and they are located in the heart of downtown Shelby right off Highway 74. Newgrass is an ideal stop between Charlotte and Asheville for Pastry Stouts, Hazy IPAs, and Fruited Sours. They have leaned into the hype beer game and it has treated them well—you can now find Newgrass cans and taps throughout the Carolinas.

Resident Culture Brewing Company in Charlotte, NC

Resident Culture is located in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte and opened their doors in September 2017. They are also close to opening a second brewery and taproom in the Gold District of Charlotte. The motto at Resident Culture is “where your weird is welcome” and they mean that—walking into their taproom you find a different vibe than most breweries. Their tap list is constantly changing but no matter the style RC does it well. Whether it’s a Mushroom Stout, Sour Patch Kids Sour, Lime Lager, Juicy IPA, or a Crisp Pilsner, if Resident Culture has leaned into it, they won’t steer you wrong.

Honorable Mention: Casita brewing Company

Casita is located in Wilson, North Carolina, a small town an hour east of Raleigh. They opened their taproom in 2020 after contract brewing for years at Hill Farmstead Brewery in Vermont and Duck-Rabbit Brewery in NC. Casita has already produced some phenomenal beers and as they continue to get comfortable in their new home the future looks bright.

If you’re exploring North Carolina, here are my guides to Asheville, Boone, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Wilmington!
Cheers!—Alexis

The Best Breweries in Asheville

Asheville has a plethora of breweries, but which ones are the best? I’ve rounded up the top 5 breweries in AVL for your next beer trip!

Check out my full guide to Asheville here!

Burial Beer

Burial is hands down the best brewery in Asheville. They are one of the top breweries in the country so this should be no surprise. Burial’s OG South Slope taproom can get packed on the weekends, but it is worth the wait for their fantastic brews. Their other taprooms in Asheville include Forestry Camp, Eulogy, and Visuals Rooftop Wine Bar. Their top styles are juicy New England IPAs, thiccc Imperial Stouts, and crispy Lagers.

Zillicoah Beer

Zillicoah makes incredibly fantastic Lagers and Farmhouse Ales. Their serene location just north of downtown is right along the French Broad River. It is the perfect spot to relax with a clean, crisp beer.

Dssolvr

Dssolvr makes both classic beer styles and insane hype beer styles, but they do everything well. Whether it’s a clean crisp Pilsner or a quadruple fruited Sour Ale with marshmallow you can expect it to be phenomenal. Dssolvr’s taproom is located in downtown Asheville and has a small patio space out back.

Cellarest Beer Project

Cellarest is a killer spot for Lagers and Farmhouse Ales in West Asheville. They have a unique approach to beer with wood fermentation and complex flavors.

New Origin Brewing

New Origin is always a solid spot for IPAs and Stouts. They are located on the east side of town with a robust tap list full of tasty beers.

Special Mention: Highland Brewing

Highland is Asheville’s oldest brewery and is still one of the best! They began in 1994 and have since grown into a staple of the Southeast. Highland makes every style of beer you can imagine, but they are best known for their Gaelic Ale, an Amber. Their 40-acre property in East Asheville includes a taproom, meadow, packaging hall, event center, rooftop bar, and trails.

What do you think are the best breweries in Asheville? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

2 Days in Raleigh, NC

Raleigh is such a fun beer city to visit nestled in The Research Triangle of North Carolina. It is absolutely booming and one of the fastest growing areas of the country, so there are plenty of things to do and a plethora of breweries to explore! Below is a two day guide to hit the highlights of Raleigh. If you’ve got more time to explore check out my full guide to Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill here!

Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing

Day 1

Today you will conquer downtown Raleigh!

Start your day at A Place at the Table. This is a delicious spot for breakfast sandwiches plus you can support others through their pay-what-you-can model. Do good for the community you are visiting!

Next head over to the North Carolina Museum of History to get your nerd on, an 11 minute walk from breakfast. It is free to enter and they have some fantastic exhibits!

Okay we’ve eaten, we’ve learned, now let’s get to the important things—beer! From the museum walk 15 minutes to Burial Brewing: The Exhibit. Burial’s Raleigh location is a must visit and some of the best beer in the city.

For lunch or a snack, Burial is nestled in Transfer Co. Food Hall that has a plethora of food options to choose from that are each fantastic!

Next take a longer stroll (22 minutes) or a quick Lyft (5 minutes) to State of Beer, a beer bar with a solid tap list and a large outside patio to enjoy your brews on.

From State of Beer head over to Raleigh Beer Garden, a 12 minute walk to the world’s largest selection of beers on tap. Seriously, check out their Guinness World Record.

For dinner we’re heading to Trophy Brewing and Pizza, a 19 minute walk or 4 minute drive from the beer garden. They have delicious pizzas and a wide variety of beers to choose from!

End your night at Crank Arm Brewing Company, a 15 minute walk from Trophy to work off some of your pizza. This bike themed brewery is super fun and has a large selection of beers to indulge in.

Altered State Brewing Company

Day 2

For day 2 where you will explore some really fantastic breweries on the northwest side of Raleigh!

To start the day, there are two routes you can go:

• Option 1: Grab breakfast pastries from the incredibly delicious Boulted Bread and then go for a hike! There are a plethora of options in the Falls Lake Recreation Area ranging from 2 miles to 26 miles and from easy to hard, so pick your own adventure and enjoy your time in nature!

• Option 2: Brunch at Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing! This is a great spot downtown with views of the skyline and great food and drink.

From your breakfast/hike or brunch head over to Barrel Culture Brewing & Blending, a 10 minute drive from the hiking area or about 25 minutes from brunch downtown. Barrel Culture has particularly fantastic Sours and Wild Ales.

After Barrel Culture check out one of the newer breweries in Raleigh, Heyday Brewing, a 15 minute drive away, on your way back down towards the city. They’ve got Louisiana flair, great beers, a nice outdoor space, and tasty food if you’re ready for some lunch after your hike! Brunch folks you can eat again too, no judgment here!

Your next stop is Funguys Brewing, a fantastic brewery 15 minutes from Heyday. They specialize in Fruited Sours and juicy IPAs in their little industrial taproom and are well worth checking out!

From Funguys make the 5 minute drive or 14 minute walk to Altered State Brewing, another newer brewery in Raleigh. They have a tiny taproom but plenty of outdoor seating and great beers! Black Fire Brewing is right next door as well!

For dinner walk 5 minutes over to Wilson’s Eatery which shares a space with Lynwood Brewing Concern. If you are still looking for more brews afterwards Big Boss, Bowstring, Nickelpoint, and Neuse River are all in the area as well.

Need a place to stay? We absolutely loved our time at The Origin in downtown Raleigh! It is within walking distance of most things downtown, super new and cute, and dog friendly!

If you’ve got more time in Raleigh, here are the rest of my recommendations!

The Origin Hotel

Have you been to Raleigh? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers -Alexis

The Best Breweries in South Carolina

South Carolina has over 75 breweries and some that are truly crushing it. Living in Charlotte, South Carolina is just a half an hour away so I frequently head down to SC for adventures and of course brewery exploration.

In alphabetical order, here are the best breweries in South Carolina:

Birds Fly South Ale Project

Located in Greenville, SC, Birds Fly South crushes the wild beer game. Sours, Cuvees, Farmhouse Ales, Mixed Cultures, Saisons, Wild Lagers—if it has got funk, BFS does it and does it well. They are housed in Hampton Station, a mixed used development with a few other spots that you can explore. White Duck Taco is always a good idea to pair with your beers.

Charles Towne Fermentory

Located in Charleston, SC, Charles Towne makes great IPAs and Lagers. Don’t expect a huge variety or a huge tap list when you visit, but the things they do they do well. The head brewer used to brew at Trillium and then Tired Hands, so you know they crush Hazy IPAs. Their small taproom is located in the Avondale neighborhood.

Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.

Located in Charleston, SC, Edmund’s Oast has three different locations: The Brewery, The Restaurant, and The Exchange. The brewery location is my personal favorite and will soon be right next to Juan Luis, a popular taco spot taking the former space of Workshop Food Hall for those familiar. The Exchange is connected to The Restaurant is is a great spot to grab to-go beers. Each Edmund’s Oast location has different Happy Hour specials that are fantastic, I highly recommend looking to see what they are featuring before you visit. Edmund’s Oast does each style of beer well, but their Sours are the best in my opinion. No matter what you order you will be impressed!

The Eighth State Brewing Co.

Located in Greenville, SC, Eighth State nails Fruited Sours and Pastry Stouts. They make insane beers because they are willing to go out on the edge and use things in their beers that others would never dare. You never know what you’re going to find on the tap list but just lean into it and enjoy! They’ve also got sandwiches and bread from Swamp Rabbit Cafe to go with your beers which is truly fantastic.

Slow Play Brewing

Located in Rock Hill, SC, just south of Charlotte, Slow Play makes incredibly juicy and delicious IPAs. They have a wide variety of beers if IPAs aren’t your thing, but if you enjoy them you will love this spot. They’ve also got an amazing food truck that lives onsite—Cibi Cibi!

Westbrook Brewing

Located in Charleston, SC, Westbrook is one of the OGs of craft beer. Personally I think their Stouts are their strongest style (can you tell from my flight above?) but they do each style of beer well! They are most known for Mexican Cake, an Imperial Stout with cocoa nibs, cinnamon, vanilla, and habanero peppers. Their taproom is in Mount Pleasant but you can find their beer across the state and neighboring states as well.

If you’re exploring South Carolina, here is my full guide to Greenville and here is my full guide to Charleston!
Cheers —Alexis

2 Days in Asheville, NC

Asheville is one of my favorite places to visit! It can be overwhelming to plan a visit to Asheville because there are just so many breweries and parts of town to explore. Check out my blog on the best breweries in Asheville here!

I’ve put together this guide for a two day trip to hit the highlights of this adorable mountain town. If you’ve got more time to explore check out my full guide to Asheville here!

Asheville Day 1

For your first day you have to go all in and hop around the South Slope area of town:

Start your adventure at Vortex Doughnuts to fuel up for a day full of brewery hopping.

Walk 2 minutes to Burial Beer, arguably the best brewery in North Carolina. Get there early to avoid the masses of people who will inevitably want to visit this great spot.

Walk 7 minutes to Hi-Wire Brewing. Their South Slope location is small but their beers are delicious!

Walk 12 minutes to Dssolvr, a newer brewery in central downtown. They are absolutely crushing it and I highly recommend a visit.

From the downtown strip walk 8 minutes to Terra Nova Beer Co for a tasty side pull Lager and some pizza to soak up your beverages.

If you are ready for another beer, pop over to Green Man, a 5 minute walk from Terra Nova.

Asheville Day 2

Start your day at Taco Billy for delicious breakfast tacos! You can order online ahead of time as well to save time.

Hike part of the Mountain-to-Sea Trail from the Folk Art Center to the Haw River Overlook. The views are gorgeous at the lookout of this 5.5 out and back trail. Plus, it is just a 15 minute drive from town!

After your hike take some time to drive part of the Blue Ridge Parkway for more stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

On your way back into town, check out New Origin for tasty beers and pizza and then the secret brewery Cursus Keme next door

Head to the Biltmore Village area for a relaxing afternoon:

• Grab beers and lunch at Hillman Beer

• Sit on the rooftop patio and drink delicious beers at Forestry Camp by the team at Burial

If you’ve got more time in Asheville, here are my other recommendations!

What are your favorite Asheville stops? Let me know in the comments!

A Weekend on the North Carolina Coast

Sometimes you find yourself in tiny towns hunting down good beer, which was the case for me last summer on the North Carolina Coast! I was on my way to Emerald Isle and wanted to make an adventure out of it and I ended up at some really cool spots! Check out my route and recommendations:

KINSTON, nc

Your first stop on the way to the coast is Mother Earth Brewing located in downtown Kinston, a small little industrial town. This brewery has won a ton of awards and has a variety of beers on tap. They’ve also got a small outdoor patio to relax on! From Kinston you are headed on to the small town of New Bern.

New bern, nc

New Bern is a cute little town located on the Neuse River. It is the original home to Pepsi, so if you’re into that kind of thing head to the museum! There are two good spots to grab a beer in town that I would recommend:

Brewery 99 is a tiny shack brewery open on Fridays and Saturdays with a small tap list and a rotating cask ale. Snag a bar stool and hang out with the locals!

Beer Army Burger Company is a popular restaurant and brewery in downtown New Bern. Skip the pretzel bites.

From New Bern you are headed across the Croatan National Forest to the coastline!

Morehead city, nc

Morehead City is a more industrial town up the road from New Bern. They were severely impacted by Hurricane Florence and some areas are still rebuilding.

Tight Lines Pub & Brewing recently reopened from hurricane damage, check them out!

atlantic beach, nc

Atlantic Beach is your classic beach town!

Crystal Coast Brewing is located here and has a bright and airy taproom. They have cute North Carolina shaped flight boards and solid IPAs.

beaufort, nc

Beaufort is a cute Southern beach town with an established downtown. You can avoid paying for street parking by just parking on a side street. Skip Front Street Grill.

Fishtowne Brew House is a fun little spot right in the heart of downtown. Their sours are delicious and they have a small area for outdoor seating.

Mill Whistle Brewing is on the grounds of an old mill slightly outside of town. When I visited they had 8 of their own beers and 8 of Crystal Coast’s beers. It is a very small indoor taproom but they’ve got a nice outdoor area as well.

Newport, NC

Shortway Brewing has a nice back beer garden to lounge in and solid beers!

Emerald Isle, NC

I would highly recommend heading over to Emerald Isle for some quality beach time. It is absolutely gorgeous!

The Growler Bar is the best place on the island to grab a beer and kick back with the locals!

If you’re making a full trip of the North Carolina coast, check out my guide to Wilmington here!