Backyard Treasures: Discovering Fayetteville, NC

So, the truth of the matter is that I’ve lived in Fayetteville, NC for quite some time, admittedly too long to not be an expert on all things fun in town.  I embarked on a city tour adventure to find amazing treasures in my own backyard.

Eat. Play. Discovering Fayetteville.

So, you may remember my 2017 goals to live boundlessly, right? I listed a few activities that I felt were paramount in getting me out of my box and pursuing my passions. One of the items on my list was to tour my city.  That may sound silly, but living in a smaller town can sometimes feel uninspiring if you’re not looking in the right places.  I love the community of Fayetteville, NC and wanted to discover some hidden gems.

So naturally, I jumped at the opportunity to participate in a weekend tour with some amazing North Carolina bloggers.  I was extremely pleased with the warm and welcoming vibes from these ladies and the day was filled with blog chatter, funny stories and of course pictures!! You may as well have called every stop the runway! We had a jammed packed day and overnight stay,  uncovering delightful shops, good eats and recreation along the way.

After checking in at TownePlace Suites and enjoying a delightful breakfast at Rainbow Restaurant on Ramsey Street, we began our Downtown Fayetteville Tour.  The first stop was White Trash Colorful Accessories.  It’s  an eclectic store mixing vintage, home furnishings and décor with colorful accessories. Outside of the boutique is a rustic Lock Key Wall. Tavares, mon amour,  and I will definitely declare our love with a lock on the wall!

We decided to make an impromptu stop in what is known locally as the Marketplace.  Every Saturday, small business owners, creators, and resident farmers gather together and sell their goods.  I stumbled across this area one Saturday while thrifting in the robust vintage boutiques Downtown.  I met Ms. Dolores my first time and it was great seeing her again.  She sells  Dolores’ Crumple Crust Pies, which she makes from scratch! They are absolutely DIVINE!  My favorite is the lemon! Be sure to stop at her tent when you visit and tell her I sent you!

After the marketplace, we headed over to Cotton River Outfitters to browse the southern apparel, gifts and body collections.  I especially enjoyed the natural body lotions.  They smelled divine!

We then stopped into Pressed: A Creative Space and I must say that I was immensely inspired! First, the boutique is nestled right on Hay Street and is filled with just about everything a girl (or guy) could want! There’s a full line of fun and unique items from apparel to stationery, home decor and more! Ashley Thompson and her team are inviting and absolutely amazing.  It was like meeting friends you already had! I will definitely be a “regular” in the shop!

Winterbloom Tea was definitely a new favorite for me.  I almost always choose tea over coffee these days and love the rich flavors.  Josh gave us so many tips on how to have the best tea experience and I learned so much! I will do a follow-up post on this so you can learn the tips too!! After our lesson and tea tasting, we each had the amazing opportunity for a “Winterbloom Experience” where tea is curated for you depending on your needs and/or mood! It was so amazing! I tried a spicy chocolate chai!

The day moved on with a lovely tour of the Museum of the Cape Fear and Poe House and lunch at New Deli Bistro.  New Deli is one of my all-time favorite places to eat in town.  They have amazing entrees for lunch and dinner as well as the BEST dessert options! Chocolate covered strawberries and dipped apples get me every time! We finished off the day with a rock climbing adventure at The Climbing Place, Dinner at Ramen Tsubaki and laughs at Wine and Design.  At each stop, we were met with engaging and polite staff, lots of laughs and extreme deliciousness!

The entire day was sooooo much fun and I definitely got out of my box! I enjoyed discovering Fayetteville with some amazing ladies that I can now call my Blogger Baes!! And I am now even more interested in searching for other fun things to do in town.  So let’s call this first post Volume I of Backyard Treasures because I’m sure I’ll be sharing more and more adventures! What are your favorite places in Fayetteville? Let me know in the comments so that I can check them out!

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Thanks so much to Krystel (@ArmyWife101), Angela (@MommyPR) and the Fayetteville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for such an amazing time!

I partnered with the Fayetteville Convention and Visitors Bureau to write this post. All opinions are my own and do not reflect those of the FCVB.