Our Trip to Durham/Pinehurst, NC
Happy summer, readers! I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer and staying cool while doing it. We are fresh off a summer trip to North Carolina, primarily to attend our first major PGA golf tournament, but also because we’ve been looking for an excuse to visit the Carolinas as it’s been a bucket list trip of ours for many years. We had such a great experience all the way around and I wanted to update you with our agenda and some things that we would love to check out again when we go back (because we surely will)!
What We Ate
Picnic Durham
Being from Texas, my husband and I are avid barbecue eaters (by no means a professional term; this is self proclaimed, of course), so we knew that giving Carolina BBQ a try was a must while in Durham. Our Airbnb came equipped with a BBQ map that pointed us in the direction of a variety of options, and we landed on trying out Picnic Durham based on its proximity to our Airbnb, and the fact that, according to the BBQ map, they offered BBQ in the form of “the whole hog”, meaning they serve all parts of each muscle group. We absolutely loved the setting of the restaurant- casual but slightly modern – and unlike Texas at this time of year, we were able to comfortably sit outside on their shaded patio with a beautiful view of the North Carolina pines all around us.
I feel very ill-prepared to take sides in the ever-evolving “whose BBQ is better” argument that will never cease between Texas, the Carolinas, Kansas City, and a few other players that I’m probably forgetting, so I’ll make my statement as brief and unbiased as possible as a Texan that grew up in the Northeast: the BBQ was in fact delicious, tangy, and refreshing. Do with that what you will. 10/10 would recommend Picnic for some amazing North Carolina BBQ.
Queeny’s
After a long day of exploring the city of Durham, nothing sounded better than a good burger, and lucky for us, we got a ton of good recommendations for places to get one. We settled on Queeny’s, located right on Chapel Hill Street in the heart of downtown Durham and were not disappointed. Not only were the burgers fantastic, but they had an extensive selection of beers on tap, cocktails, and delicious appetizers. With its eclectic decor and solid and relaxed atmosphere, it very much reminded us of Austin, so we felt instantly at home and had a wonderful time recapping our day of exploring.
What We Did
North Carolina Botanical Gardens
With a few hours to kill before checking into our AirBnb, food and sunshine was the first thing on our minds, so we grabbed some lunch on the way from the airport and headed over to the North Carolina Botanical Gardens for a much needed nature walk. This free public garden, which is maintained by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was so beautifully manicured and maintained and played host to an enormous variety of plant life. We felt immediately invigorated walking around the gardens, and could have easily spent another few hours there wandering and learning about the unique greenery and flowering plants that are produced by North Carolina’s sandhill geography.
Sarah P. Duke Gardens & Duke University Chapel
Dressed for a hike but with only the energy for another nature walk, we grabbed some coffees and matcha lattes and ventured over to the Sarah P. Duke Gardens and the Duke University Chapel on our second day in Durham. These stunning gardens, that are also open to the public and free (except for parking), are beautifully maintained by Duke University and offer several different themed mini gardens throughout their landscape. Between the open parks that lent themselves to wasting time with a good book and the luxurious pathways through one of the many themed gardens, walking around these gardens was the perfect activity for us weary travelers, nature lovers, and families alike.
Immediately adjacent to the Gardens is the Duke University Chapel. Provided that there is no mass going on, the chapel is also free and open to the public, and if you’re a lover of history and architecture, this is an absolute must-see in Durham.
American Tobacco Campus
Smack dab in the middle of downtown Durham, and right next to the minor league baseball stadium if you’re inclined to see a game, is the historic American Tobacco District. This red brick oasis is home to the storied center of industry when the tobacco business first boomed in Durham back in the early 1900s, and has been transformed into a charming city district complete with restaurants, parks, shopping, and walking paths. The whole district is wonderfully preserved and we had such a lovely time window shopping and relaxing after a big dinner and long day of walking.
124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2
On the final day of our trip, we attended our very first professional golf event (ever!) and major PGA championship, the U.S. Open! I had booked our tickets back in January as a 30th birthday gift for Zachary, so it was absolutely incredible to be able to finally experience our first golf event together after months of planning. The USGA left no stone unturned in terms of giving event-goers the ultimate luxury experience from beginning to end. Transportation from the event lots to Pinehurst No. 2 golf course were provided all throughout the day, so we weren’t super stressed or worn out from the heat by the time we arrived on site. We wanted to also make the most of our time there, so we aimed to arrive at the course around 10am, which ended up being the perfect time to see the first round of notable players tee off!
The tickets we bought included a pass into the Garden areas of the grounds, which included dedicated premium food and drink stations, bathrooms, and covered patios with misters and jumbo TV screens to display the competition all across the grounds. At first these amenities seemed trivial, but as the day progressed, we very quickly became grateful for them since it was exceptionally hot and humid for June in North Carolina and it was always a good place to have a quick break if ever the walking or beating sun got to be too much. Below is an example of the reprieve we felt when we were able to take a minute out of the crowds.
After following a few different players for the first part of the day, we found a grandstand on the 15th hole where we were able to watch players come down the stretch and also be in view of the 16th, 17th, and 18th holes. Despite the heat, this was such a great spot to park ourselves as the day wrapped up, and if you watched the last few hours of coverage of the U.S. Open this year on TV, it was an incredibly exhilarating to be there in person for the glory of it all!
Honorable mentions, but no pictures
State of Golf – Golf simulator and indoor sports venue. Immediately adjacent to the American Tobacco District and such a fun place to escape the heat but get a (virtual) round of golf in.
Umstead State Park – Stunning state park with miles and miles of trails if hiking is your jam. Spoiler alert the Company Mill Trail is definitely more like 6.5 miles.
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