As you may know, last weekend Stephen and I took a trip to the mountains in NC. When we go to the mountains, we typically go to Blowing Rock or Asheville, but this time we went to Highlands. It’s a little bit further of a drive for us, a little over 5 hours, but we love the mountains and were interested in seeing what Highlands was like compared to Blowing Rock and Asheville. Spoiler alert: We ended up loving it, and it was definitely worth a few extra hours in the car!

The whole weekend we stayed at Half Mile Farm, which is a newly renovated Inn just a few minutes outside of their downtown. They have two sister properties, Old Edwards Inn, which is conveniently located downtown, and their other property 200 Main. My parents have actually stayed at 200 Main before and really enjoyed it, so we were excited to stay at one of their affiliated properties.

We stayed in their Luxury King Balcony Fireplace room and it was AMAZING! Stephen said that it was nicer than where we stayed for our honeymoon, and I wouldn’t disagree. I typically don’t think the room is “as” important when you travel since you’re not necessarily going to be in it a ton, but we spent most of our time relaxing on the property, and so we spent more time in our room than normal. In the mornings before breakfast, we would make our own coffee relax on the porch, and then we would read on the porch in the afternoons. At night after dinner, we would just relax in our room and take advantage of the fireplace.

The grounds of the Inn were also really beautiful–very calm and peaceful! Their main house had a sitting area with a fireplace, and there was an additional room with tables for breakfast. I loved this room because it was floor to ceiling glass windows–it was such a pretty view while enjoying breakfast! There was also a bar area as part of the main house which was gorgeous. This led outside to a large grassy knoll with a fire pit outside that overlooked the lake. At night before dinner, we would get a drink at their bar and then sit by the fire. The grounds also had an outdoor heated pool with a jacuzzi.

On Friday when we arrived, we got settled and then headed to Half Mile Farm‘s happy hour. Each night the inn did a complimentary happy hour with drinks and hor d’ oeuvres. The drink one night was the St. Germain and champagne which was delicious! So refreshing; definitely a new favorite. The apps were also really good. After grabbing a drink and some bites, we went outside by the fire. Afterward, we went out to dinner and kept it casual! We went to a nicer pub that was recommended to us called The Ugly Dog Pub. Other restaurants recommended to us where Wild Thyme and The Log Cabin. Afterward, we just called it a night but made sure to grab a few cookies back at the Inn. Did I mention they have unlimited free cookies?! Probably some of the softest cookies I’ve ever had (highly recommend the snickerdoodle!)

The next day we enjoyed breakfast at the Inn; they had complimentary breakfast which was to die for! And then we went to Whiteside Mountain for a hike. This was about a 2-mile hike, and while it got our heart rate up it wasn’t too strenuous 😉 There was a ton of fog that day, but otherwise, the view would have been amazing (from what we could tell lol). After the hike, we enjoyed a massage back at Half Mile Farm and then spent time by the pool and the jacuzzi. It was the perfect way to unwind after the hike.

That night we enjoyed dinner at Madison’s which is the restaurant located at Old Edwards Inn. Guys, dinner here was so good! First, I loved the ambiance. The booths were so comfortable, haha, and it overlooked their wine garden. The entire menu looked delicious so we ordered several appetizers, and sides with our entrees. I highly recommend the quail appetizer, the duck and short rib entrees, plus the truffle mac and cheese!

On Sunday we headed back to Raleigh and enjoyed one last breakfast at Half Mile Farm. Overall it was such a lovely getaway! I would definitely recommend here if you’re looking to escape to the mountains for a few days to just relax, a romantic weekend, or to celebrate an anniversary. We met a few couples staying there for their anniversaries and I could definitely see why! If you have any questions about our trip, feel free to ask below! Have any of you been the Highlands? Would love to hear your experience there!