restoring the roost

North Carolina Country Living and Farmhouse Style

North Carolina Country Living and Farmhouse Style
since 2010

Day Trip of the Month: Southern Pines, NC

· Day Trip of the Month

Today we visited the town of Southern Pines: a small, charming town established with the coming of the railroad and boosted by the timber and turpentine industries. Developed primarily during the late 19th through the 20th century, Southern Pines quickly became a resort town known for its healthy pine-filled air and warm climate for northerners. Its proximity to luxurious golf resorts like Pinehurst and Weymouth and its active equestrian community made it a prime location for tourists and natives alike seeking recreational activities.

The downtown area of Southern Pines is remarkably intact and I give it a thumbs-up for preserving so much of its original streetscape.  The surrounding historic district with its quaint cottages, late Victorians, and mid-century homes is equally charming and retains a high degree of integrity.  Architecturally, Southern Pines is a 20th century small-town gem in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. 
I LOVE these cool reflector light fixtures with the large bulbs and cage guards (I even spotted some in the form of streetlights): 
However, I must say that in the area of antiquing, Southern Pines left much to be desired. I was pretty disappointed.  I guess I just didn’t realize how few real antique stores there were in relation to the vast amount of retail shopping located downtown.  Additionally, even though one afternoon is probably not enough time for me to develop an accurate impression, I left without a strong desire to visit again.  Perhaps I am focusing too much on the negative, I really wanted to fall in love this community, but it didn’t happen for me. 
Even still, it was a fun day getting away from home for a bit and seeing a new part of NC! 

Day Trip of the Month: Southern Pines, NC

· Day Trip of the Month

Today we visited the town of Southern Pines: a small, charming town established with the coming of the railroad and boosted by the timber and turpentine industries. Developed primarily during the late 19th through the 20th century, Southern Pines quickly became a resort town known for its healthy pine-filled air and warm climate for northerners. Its proximity to luxurious golf resorts like Pinehurst and Weymouth and its active equestrian community made it a prime location for tourists and natives alike seeking recreational activities.

The downtown area of Southern Pines is remarkably intact and I give it a thumbs-up for preserving so much of its original streetscape.  The surrounding historic district with its quaint cottages, late Victorians, and mid-century homes is equally charming and retains a high degree of integrity.  Architecturally, Southern Pines is a 20th century small-town gem in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. 
I LOVE these cool reflector light fixtures with the large bulbs and cage guards (I even spotted some in the form of streetlights): 
However, I must say that in the area of antiquing, Southern Pines left much to be desired. I was pretty disappointed.  I guess I just didn’t realize how few real antique stores there were in relation to the vast amount of retail shopping located downtown.  Additionally, even though one afternoon is probably not enough time for me to develop an accurate impression, I left without a strong desire to visit again.  Perhaps I am focusing too much on the negative, I really wanted to fall in love this community, but it didn’t happen for me. 
Even still, it was a fun day getting away from home for a bit and seeing a new part of NC! 

Day Trip of the Month: Southern Pines, NC

· Day Trip of the Month

Today we visited the town of Southern Pines: a small, charming town established with the coming of the railroad and boosted by the timber and turpentine industries. Developed primarily during the late 19th through the 20th century, Southern Pines quickly became a resort town known for its healthy pine-filled air and warm climate for northerners. Its proximity to luxurious golf resorts like Pinehurst and Weymouth and its active equestrian community made it a prime location for tourists and natives alike seeking recreational activities.

The downtown area of Southern Pines is remarkably intact and I give it a thumbs-up for preserving so much of its original streetscape.  The surrounding historic district with its quaint cottages, late Victorians, and mid-century homes is equally charming and retains a high degree of integrity.  Architecturally, Southern Pines is a 20th century small-town gem in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. 
I LOVE these cool reflector light fixtures with the large bulbs and cage guards (I even spotted some in the form of streetlights): 
However, I must say that in the area of antiquing, Southern Pines left much to be desired. I was pretty disappointed.  I guess I just didn’t realize how few real antique stores there were in relation to the vast amount of retail shopping located downtown.  Additionally, even though one afternoon is probably not enough time for me to develop an accurate impression, I left without a strong desire to visit again.  Perhaps I am focusing too much on the negative, I really wanted to fall in love this community, but it didn’t happen for me. 
Even still, it was a fun day getting away from home for a bit and seeing a new part of NC! 

Happy All Hallows’ Eve!

· Uncategorized

Halloween is almost here!  I love Halloween and all the traditions that go along with it: pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, costumes, haunted houses, ghost stories, bonfires, and delicious treats.  However, I often forget that historically our colonial ancestors did not celebrate Halloween–nearly all of our modern customs would have been foreign to them except for the display of a colorful bounty of pumpkins. Colonial Americans, introduced to the pumpkin by natives of the New World, consumed the fruit at a far higher rate than most of us do today–pumpkins were a valuable source of food that aided survival during the harsh winters and were prepared in soups, pies, puddings, and as a savory roasted dish by itself. I like to have a variety of pumpkins during the autumn months to enjoy not only for their natural beauty and sweet taste, but to remind myself of how integral the crop was to the early American home.

Of course, I can’t help but carving at least one pumpkin each year:
If you would like to learn more about the origins of Halloween and the role pumpkins played in the domestic lives of early Americans, visit http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Autumn09/pumpkins.cfm  for a good article on the subject. 

Happy All Hallows’ Eve!

· Uncategorized

Halloween is almost here!  I love Halloween and all the traditions that go along with it: pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, costumes, haunted houses, ghost stories, bonfires, and delicious treats.  However, I often forget that historically our colonial ancestors did not celebrate Halloween–nearly all of our modern customs would have been foreign to them except for the display of a colorful bounty of pumpkins. Colonial Americans, introduced to the pumpkin by natives of the New World, consumed the fruit at a far higher rate than most of us do today–pumpkins were a valuable source of food that aided survival during the harsh winters and were prepared in soups, pies, puddings, and as a savory roasted dish by itself. I like to have a variety of pumpkins during the autumn months to enjoy not only for their natural beauty and sweet taste, but to remind myself of how integral the crop was to the early American home.

Of course, I can’t help but carving at least one pumpkin each year:
If you would like to learn more about the origins of Halloween and the role pumpkins played in the domestic lives of early Americans, visit http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Autumn09/pumpkins.cfm  for a good article on the subject.