Babymoon at Old Edwards

Where do I begin?

We had the most luxurious weekend – sleeping in, reading by the pool, doing absolutely no cooking/cleaning/bedtime duties! I got the longest consecutive hours of sleep since Emerson was born and it was the longest I’ve been away from her – the other 3 times I’ve left for very short trips I was more nervous, but this time felt different. She finally understands that we come back when we leave and she is able to articulate her emotions if she’s feeling sad/worried. Plus, I knew she’d have even more fun with her grandparents than Matt and me.

I’m so glad we chose something simple and close by – I’m so tired these days and got hit with a cold last week, so it was nice not to fly.  I was bummed about the cold, but thought for sure it would be gone by the time we left on Thursday. Nope:(

Highlands, NC is a little mountain town known for the lovely Old Edwards Inn & Spa.  A friend had recommended it and I read glowing reviews, but didn’t know exactly what to expect. Well, it was just perfect. From the room to the service to the grounds to the food, we couldn’t have been happier.

There are two mineral pools and both are just beautiful.  I’ve really only been to beach resorts, so I loved the vibe of this pool in comparison! The grounds are beautiful and make you feel like you are in the English countryside.

We stayed in the lodge cottages which was way more space than we needed (the hotel was fully booked so this was our only option). I felt guilty having such a big suite for just the two of us! Since I didn’t feel that great for the first day and a half, though, we ended up spending quite a bit of time on this couch watching the Bachelorette and Handmaid’s Tale:)

On Thursday, we had a late lunch in town and dessert at Kilwin’s and then rocked on the lodge porch while we waited for our room to be ready. And Matt indulged in the welcome champagne. We got settled in our room and then headed to dinner at Lakeside.

We had baked brie, shrimp & grits, and goat-cheese stuffed pork with blueberry bbq sauce – everything was delicious!

After sleeping TEN hours, we got up on Friday and had breakfast at the little grocery store in town. Oatmeal for me, an omelet for Matt.

We rested most of the morning and then headed to the pool for reading and a late lunch.  The pool was so warm and I think the minerals helped my aches!

The restaurant at Old Edwards had gluten free cornbread, rolls, and sandwich buns baked in house!!! I was thrilled when it arrived with my pimento cheese app:)

We strolled around town and did some shopping (and a lot of sitting on benches) – a pair of earrings for me and shorts for Matt.

Highlands is very picturesque and we loved being able to walk almost everywhere!

By Friday night, I finally felt better and we had the most amazing dining experience at the Old Edwards restaurant, Madison’s.

We had more GF bread, complimentary pimento cheese, bacon-wrapped quail, short ribs, and a fish + mussel bouillabaisse.  Everything was divine – def. the best meal of the trip!

The hotel had complimentary Dove ice cream bars available at all times, and since we were too full for dessert right after dinner, we ended up enjoying one of these at like 10pm each night:)

Saturday, we went on a waterfall hike!  It was probably only 1.5 miles, but mostly up hill on the way back.  I was huffing and puffing, but loved the views.  Did I mention the high was only 72 each day? It was HEAVENLY. It rained every day at some point or another, but we didn’t really mind because our plans were so flexible. Apparently, it’s a temperate rain forest..

The Wine Garden is a beautiful dining area at the hotel and served as our lunch spot. Other than the bread, the other thing I loved at the hotel was the house-made ginger beer. It made the BEST mocktails with lime and seltzer.

I had a wonderful prenatal massage (Matt went to a brewery and read the newspaper because he prefers Groupon prices for massages:))  and then we headed out to our final dinner at Wolfgang’s.

We had caprese salad as well as a spicy snapper entree and a pecan crusted trout entree. Both were very good!

After breakfast on Sunday, we packed up and headed home via Greenville, SC.  We walked around briefly – such a cool downtown area!!!

And then waited in line for 30 minutes to try the famous Biscuithead. #worthit

It was ridiculous – I used pregnancy to justify this – pulled pork, jalapeño pimento cheese, fried egg, bacon, and maple syrup all on a huge, incredible biscuit (I think they use rice + sorghum flours). Already counting down the days until this place announces a location in Charlotte.

I’m grateful to my parents for making this trip happen! It was super special (and fun to have constantly moving baby with us). It’s amazing how wonderful a little rest and relaxation can make you feel in this stage of life.  Now gearing up for another two years until I  sleep ten hours again.

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