One of my goals when I moved back to North Carolina was to explore more of the state. I’m disappointed to announce, not much of that has happened. So when Fayetteville reached out to me to come and enjoy a weekend exploring their city, I thought why not!? Fayetteville has a stereotype of not being a touristy or destination city, but whether you’re driving through or staying a couple of days – there are plenty of note worthy things to see, do and eat.
Let me start off by saying we stayed at a new BnB in Fayetteville, The Macpherson House. Y’all, I kid you not… the beds here are enough to book your stay. Extremely comfortable, soft and spacious for 2. We stayed in The Chestnutt room, fun fact: The Macpherson House names every room after notable people from Fayetteville. We had a private ensuite bathroom in our room, and a thermostat that controlled our room. It was clean, beautiful and we got a view of the botanical grounds.
One of my favorite features of The Macpherson House is that they offer wellness to guests from classes to tastings.
What to do:
We kicked off the trip with a tour of the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens. These gardens are beautiful, are open daily and admission tickets are only $10. The gardens host seasonal events and is a perfect venue for weddings. My favorite parts were the treehouse they’ve built and the vegetable garden they have that has actually fed many families during COVID-19.
Hope Mills Lake. If you don’t already know, I can’t swim and I’m deathly afraid of water. So while the rest of our group opted for a kayak tour – i decided to take a fishing lesson with Cedar Creek Fish Farm. AND I CAUGHT A FISH (actually two, but one was really big). As you can tell from the photos, I was beyond elated.
Fishing was very calming and the view of Hope Mills Lake was beautiful.
Hummingbird Candle Co. The perfect downtown activity to do while in Fayetteville is to make your own candle! This was my first time making my own candle and the team at Hummingbird was nice, attentive and helpful. I loved smelling through the scents, I couldnt pick just one!
We also got to enjoy wine from The Wine Cafe.
Go on a walk. The downtown area is full of art installations, murals and outdoor photo-ops!
Grab gifts at Turner Lane. We actually got to create a succulent pumpkin centerpiece with Elaine from Turner Lane which was fun! If you’re ever shopping at Turner Lane make sure to grab a Muscadine Cider slushie sample.
Where to eat:
Y’all know this is my favorite part LOL.
Garden View Cafe. Garden View is located at the botanical gardens which makes it a convenient spot. I ordered the TBLT (turkey breast, bacon, lettuce and tomato). It was delicious and they even served it on rainbow bread in honor of National Coming Out Day!
Dirtbag Ales Brewery. Get your drink on at Dirtbag! It has a large open outdoor space with plenty of seating. Come here on the weekends and enjoy live music. Order your favorite beers by the flight.
Napkins. Located at Dirtbags, Napkins is craaaaazy good. Like, really good! The tater tots and the tacos were the star of the show. Tacos were juicy, full of flavor and the tots were saucy, yet still crispy.
Pharaoh’s Legacy. Make sure you go to the right one at 3010 Traemoor Village Dr. This mediterranean cuisine with Egyptian, Greek, Lebanese and Turkish influences will not disappoint.
Blue Moon Cafe. Probably my favorite meal of the trip!! Everything about blue moon was perfect. The service, the ambiance, the food and location. Its a cozy smaller restaurant in downtown Fayetteville. We went for brunch and I ordered the breakfast tacos which were *chefs kiss.*
If you visit Blue Moon, you have to order the table side mimosa service as well!
Uptown’s Chicken and Waffles. The name says it all. The chicken sliders were amazing as well, but the true star was the chicken and waffles!
The Coffee Cup. Take a stroll through downtown and pick up a cup of joe at the Coffee Cup. The perfect pit stop while exploring the downtown area.
Overall, it was a fun weekend that gave me a new perspective on Fayetteville. Thank you to the Fayetteville Convention and Visitors bureau for hosting us all weekend.
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