Scoop Road Trips: Pinehurst

Carolina Hotel at the Pinehurst resort – photo courtesy of Pinehurst Resort

We love living in the Queen City, but sometimes a girl’s gotta get out of town for the weekend to relax and recharge. And in just a few hours drive, you could be sipping drinks by the ocean at Isle of Palms, S.C. or hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But if you avoid the living room when your husband is watching golf, you may not have considered a road trip to PINEHURST. When the U.S. Open golf tournament was held at the famed PINEHURST resort in June, I was surprised to find out the historic town was only a two-hour drive from the Queen City. And with a four-star spa, tempting Southern cuisine and those fragrant pines, the Pinehurst area has lots to offer beyond the golf course.

Home to the revered “No. 2″ golf course, the Pinehurst resort is known for its old South charm – you can envision generations of belles sipping mint juleps on the verandahs of its Carolina Hotel. The resort’s accommodations also include the Holly Inn and Manor Inn, as well as condos on the fairways or nearby Lake Pinehurst (a cozy B&B like the Pine Crest Inn is another lodging option). Depending on the level of golf enthusiasm among you and your travel companions, you can plan an itinerary with or without a tee time. You could easily spend the day lounging by the huge pool at the Carolina Hotel, get your game on at the tennis courts or walk/bike scenic trails around the village.

Pinehurst resort’s Holly Inn set in the village of Pinehurst – photo courtesy of Pinehurst resort

The Pinehurst spa is a must-visit for your weekend agenda. The village was founded as a health retreat in 1895, and some still believe the pine-scented air has healing effects (take deep breaths just in case they’re right). When envisioning the world-class spa, a team of botanists and chemists captured local scents such as pine and magnolia in their signature treatments. You may never have thought of pine needles as a health booster, but massages such as “Heart of the Pines” include a “signature pine needle brushing experience” to help increase circulation and detoxify. The spa menu also includes Southern-inspired treatments like the Sweet Tea Sugar Scrub. Before and after your treatments, you can luxuriate in the spa’s cascading whirlpool, steam room and sauna, or swim laps in the pool.

Lap pool at the Pinehurst spa – photo courtesy of Pinehurst resort

 {Read more about this beautiful resort over on Scoop Charlotte}