Girls Trip to Halifax County, NC
by Halifax County CVB
It had been a while since my female friends and I had gotten together for a weekend trip, so we wanted to do something that was close by, but also something different than what we’ve done in the past. Halifax County was the perfect distance away from the Triangle area where we all live at just over an hour away.
Checking into the West End Cottages
We all rolled into Enfield, North Carolina, after work on Friday evening and wanted some place cute and charming to stay, so we were delighted to find the West End cottages. With the number of guests that we had, we ended up reserving two cottages right next to each other.
The cottages were conveniently just a short distance off I-95, so they were easy to get to, and we appreciated how clean and nicely decorated both of them were. What we especially loved when we arrived were thoughtful touches from the host like snacks, tea and coffee, and extra toothpaste and toothbrushes, if needed.
After spending a bit of time catching up, we all turned in for the night to get some shut-eye before our busy day on Saturday. All of us found the beds quite comfortable, and we were refreshed when the sun came flowing into the cottages in the morning.
We decided to start our day at Aunt Ruby’s Peanuts, just a short drive away. The store’s been in the family for over fifty years, and we enjoyed discovering the history of Aunt Ruby. The tasting table was a real treat because we got to try several different flavors and figure out our favorites.
The store is small, but the peanuts are much better than what you’d get in the grocery store. We especially liked the honey roasted peanuts and chocolate clusters. The peanuts were a wonderful pick-me-up to start our day of shopping and fun.
Starting the Day with Peanuts
Time to Shop and Eat
Next, we headed just a couple streets over to visit Southern Secrets at Mears. We love supporting local businesses, and Southern Secrets features the work of local artists and artisans. As a history buff, I appreciated that the store was housed in a two-story brick commercial building, originally constructed in the 1930s.
Inside the store, there was everything from paintings to jewelry to cutting boards, and a lot of us had a hard time deciding what to get. I eventually decided on a decorative throw pillow that matched the nautical theme of my living room.
After we purchased items here, we walked just a few steps away to another Southern Secrets store, this one specifically for men. Southern Secrets in the Field was also an interesting building as a repurposed barbershop with gifts exclusively for men.
A lot of us ended up getting “mandles” so that our men wouldn’t complain as much about how candles made the house smell. I decided to get bacon flavored since it’s a smell no man can say no to, especially my husband.
We all like Italian food, so it was a no-brainer to stop by Marina’s Italian Restaurant in Enfield after we finished our shopping. We had worked up an appetite! There was something for all of us on the menu. Several of us shared a pizza while I got the manicotti made to order, which was delicious.
Stopping in Halifax for More Shopping and a Class
For the afternoon, we decided to drive fifteen minutes up the road to visit Halifax, North Carolina, where we visited another store, Bass House, a multi-merchant shop that is women-owned.
We all loved the shop’s dog, Emma, who was peering out the windows looking at us when we arrived. While it was hard to decide what to purchase—I was torn between a basket and a birdhouse—I ended up deciding on the basket because it would be perfect for displaying freshly cut flowers from my garden.
We had reserved a class at Halifax Studios, which was right next door, ahead of time to take a beginner’s poured paint class. I don’t think I’m particularly artistic, but our instructor was helpful in guiding us. My poured painting is an excellent memory of a fun girls’ weekend.
Ending the Day at the Hen & the Hog
After we finished our class, it was time for dinner, which was just across the street at the Hen & the Hog. We were fortunate that we had reservations because it got busy, so don’t forget to think ahead.
The menu featured so many great food choices. I especially enjoyed the pimento cheese fritters, which we got as an appetizer to share, but the smoked salmon entree was delicious as well. And to top it off, we got a couple slices of flourless chocolate cake to share, which was also phenomenal.
Contented and full, we headed back to West End for a good night’s sleep before leaving the next morning. Our girls’ trip to Halifax County was definitely a success.