You can you have your Raleigh/Durham. I’ll take my Henderson/Warrenton.
I did not just go on a mini vacation on a whim. A couple of my dance students attended their first dance competition of the year. (I look forward to writing my extensive dance competition blog post.) Because the scheduled events were so spread out, I utilized the time for small-town exploration. Chris and I were able to fuel up on scrumptious muffins and lattes at Sadie's Coffee Corner. A special guest hopped into the coffee shop, and we just had to snap a selfie.
It’s the Easter Bunny! I know him!
With the time left to explore, we headed into one of the oldest buildings in Henderson, Vance Furniture Co Inc. This is the epidemy of window shopping because I doubt we could afford a throw pillow. We met the charismatic staff member, Sam. We learned about the historic elevator that they just spent $100k to keep it running, and I got a new decorating idea from some deceased reptiles, rest their soles.
Vintage push-button elevator
Cherry Berry still knows a good thing when she sees it!
Turtle in a half shell, turtle power
Ok, is it bad I really want to do this?
They are proud about those “5 floors of showroom furniture.”
Our favorite place in Henderson was, by far, Everything Thrift Store. If you get the chance, go! It's different... First, you might find a cat ( and its food) in various places. It's like a glorified egg hunt. There are remarkable treasures, no doubt. You have to be willing to search for them and get slightly dirty.
I found a beautiful daffodil painting in the maze of trinkets, furniture, and oddities of years gone by. Perfect for my hometown pride, aka Fremont. I also found a gray, rustic pottery bowl. I am a sucker for authentic pottery, just like my mother was. I also hunted down a trendy belt, an Armani blazer jacket, and three matching glasses for my mother's Christmas China set. The conversation with the store manager was far more valuable than the trinkets I found. She informed us that the entire store was part of a non-profit charity. This significant organization helps feed school children during the Summertime when food is not readily available for these families. It always makes my heart smile to know that these purchases contribute to a sustainable environment because it is recycling and reducing, and the generous money earned is used to pour back into the community.
After a short drive, Chris and I headed to Warrenton. I would be amiss if I didn't tell you the very first thing we did was simply drive around. The historic houses of Warrenton are vast and immaculate. We found another beauty of a home around every corner. We were that couple that drove slowly, jaws to the floorboard and pointing to all the dreamy houses. We snuck into the Hardware Cafe just in time, before they closed for the day. My turkey and havarti sandwich hit the spot after a day of dance competition, exploring, and driving.
You had me at Havarti…
Sitting at the barstool, watching the Andy Griffin show, and eyeing the model cars. Nothing better.
We visited an antique thrift store down the quiet street, where we picked up some prints from the Goldsboro native, Majorie Rose Powell. There were so many beloved goodies my eyes spied, and my heart desired, but I left them at Oakley Hall Antiques for the next treasure hunter. We learned there that Warrenton was settled in 1779 and became a pretty wealthy town, hence all the plantation-like homes. Education, architecture, music, dancing, and art became society's top priorities. It was even home to the prestigious builder and architect Jacob Holt, who built Greek revival and European-inspired houses throughout the town. The town's prime location to Kerr Lake also makes it a great spot as your pass through this summer.
Then we checked into the sweetest Airbnb nestled in a secret garden spot, Tucker Cottage. It was serene and quiet and cozy all at once. We enjoyed Warrenton still at Mill Hill, a local brewery and taproom, home to roaming, friendly chicken. We also enjoyed playing shuffleboard and listening to the local talent at the karaoke night at Bragging Rooster Beer and Mead. Yes, I'm mentioning a lot of poultry. haha
My favorite moment of the whole weekend was sipping my coffee on the screened-in porch, where I listened to an orchestra of woodpeckers in the morning. This is your sign to go to a small town, enjoy the people, and drive slow.
If you have enjoyed this traveling tale, then read when we fell in love with Murrells Inlet!
K bye
Megan
Doing life, the best I know how...