Girlfriend Getaways for your Favorite Group
Girlfriend Getaways for your Favorite Group
When considering a getaway with your best girls, some things are nonnegotiable. Beautiful scenery, spacious lodging, fabulous food and tasty beverages are must-haves. The Blue Ridge Mountain town of Hendersonville checks all of those boxes. From there, you can tailor your experience to suit your group. Check out the custom itineraries below for an escape to suit your style.
Pamper Yourselves In Luxury
Stay: Selena Einwechter planned every detail at the Bed & Breakfast on Tiffany Hill, pulling ideas from Southern Living magazine and personal travels throughout the Southeast. The entrepreneur opened her purpose-built inn in 2009. Rent the entire seven-bedroom inn for your girls’ weekend. Each room is named after a Southern town and reflects its style. Indulge in the three-course “breakfast at Tiffany’s” each morning and wind down in a rocking chair on the front porch in the evenings listening to birds and crickets.
Play: Book a spa day at The Horse Shoe Farm, less than five miles from the inn. The former working horse farm along the French Broad River is now a high-end retreat welcoming visitors to lose themselves in serenity. The Stable Spa draws on this area’s long connection to wellness and restoration, and it infuses treatments with a strong sense of place. Book a la carte massages, facials, foot therapies and wellness classes, or choose from a selection of themed packages. Enjoy lunch on property prepared by The Silo Cookhouse.
Evening Out: Season’s at Highland Lake Inn offers elegant dining in an upscale yet relaxed atmosphere. Admire bountiful gardens and flowering planters through wraparound windows in the dining room. Wine Spectator Magazine has given the restaurant its Award of Excellence for more than 20 consecutive years. The menu changes regularly to reflect the freshest ingredients, but expect a lineup of soups and salads, beef, seafood and tempting desserts. After dinner, take in a show at nearby Flat Rock Playhouse, the state theater of North Carolina. The theater offers a vibrant lineup of musicals, comedies, dramas, and an annual favorite, “A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas.”
Shop 'til you Drop
Stay: Depending on the size of your group, book one or more cabins at Brightwaters Vacation Rentals. The units range from two- to three-bedroom and are connected by Poplar Park, a private outdoor area with seating, walking paths and a fire pit. Owners Michele Azan and Elisabeth Perez lovingly built the property piece by piece, purchasing a unit at a time, renovating it and outfitting it with eclectic décor from estate sales, antiques stores and thrift shops. Each has its own personality.
Play: Feel free to ask your hosts for shopping recommendations, as the local duo has extensive neighborhood knowledge. Horse Shoe Gap Village is located a mile from Brightwaters. There you’ll find artisans working in a variety of mediums, including glass blowing, metalwork, jewelry, ceramics, painting and textiles. Head to downtown Hendersonville, park the car and stroll Main Street’s curvilinear sidewalks to art galleries, antiques shops, clothing boutiques, specialty stores and more. Don’t miss the shrimp and grits at Dandelion for lunch. The café is the job training arm of Safelight, a nonprofit that benefits survivors of domestic violence. Also check out Safelight’s thrift store next door for deals that do good.
Evening Out: Head up the steps at Shine to the rooftop cocktail bar and watch the sun drop behind the mountains in the distance. Descend downstairs for dinner, where everything — from ginger beer for your drink to ketchup for your fries — is made in house and served in a warm dining room with low lighting and wooden accents. Walk to dessert. Three stops along the Hendersonville Ice Cream Trail are located on or near Main Street. You can’t go wrong with frozen yogurt at sweetFrog, a homemade waffle cone at Kilwin’s, or extra-thick Irish-style ice cream at Celtic Creamery.
Wine Your Way Through Crest of the Blue Ridge
Stay: Stay in the middle of Hendersonville’s Crest of the Blue Ridge wine country at The Wallace House. Located next door to Appalachian Ridge Artisan Cider and across the road from Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards, the five-bedroom farmhouse sleeps 12. Wake up to vineyard views and peaceful mountain mornings on this farm that’s been in the Ward family for centuries.
Play: Several tour companies offer winery excursions. Leave the driving to the professionals, and enjoy spending time with friends and admiring back-road scenery as your driver chauffeurs your group from one tasting room to the next. Seven wineries are located throughout Hendersonville’s Crest of the Blue Ridge wine region. Each has its own personality. Admire sweeping mountain views at Point Lookout Vineyards as you sip wine and mead, an ancient tradition of making wine from honey. Have lunch at Burntshirt Vineyards’ Vintner’s Table Restaurant and explore its extensive list of estate-grown wines. Discover less-familiar varietals at Souther Williams Vineyard, which grows grapes originally suited for the cooler climates of Austria, Germany and Russia.
Evening Out: After freshening up at the farmhouse, head to Flat Rock for dinner at Campfire Grill. This camp-themed restaurant honors Hendersonville’s history as the summer camp capital of the East Coast. But don’t expect hot dogs and sloppy joes. The menu is built around the restaurant’s wood-fired grill. Think fresh fish, steaks, grilled vegetables and over-the-top burgers. The restaurant continues to expand its wine program and now hosts monthly wine dinners and wine tastings on Wednesdays. The s’mores skillet is a must for dessert.
