A Sister City Worth the Visit

Southern Pines is known to most as the small town just outside of Pinehurst, the Home of America’s Golf and U.S. Open tournaments. But don’t be tempted to pass through without stopping; it’s well worth a day trip if not a weekend.

The railroad line can be credited with Southern Pines’ existence and success. In the mid-1800s the town became a convenient pit stop for travelers between the northern states and Florida. Today, the train station and track is just as prominent dividing the center of downtown and Broad Street.

The town owes much of its prosperity to the Boyd family, who has lived in the town since the 1900s. James Boyd, a successful businessman in the steel and railroad industry, made Southern Pines his home creating the 1,200-acre Weymouth estate. His younger son James made his home and authored his first novel “Drums” in what’s now called the Weymouth House. The house became a meeting place for other great writers including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe and Paul Green, beginning a literary tradition that’s still continues today with its Writers-in-Residence program and reading series. The North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame is also housed at the Weymouth Center.

Day trip:

Don’t let the name deceive you! It’s much more than an ice cream parlor serving homemade flavors. It’s a great spot for lunch serving the classics—burgers and fries, hot dogs, and veggie wraps—but try the chicken salad. It’s hard to beat. Tip: If there’s a table available outside grab it before you order, they go fast.

Southern Pines Brewing Co. 565 Air Tool Dr., southernpinesbrewing.com, Monday-Saturday, 12 p.m.-10 p.m.

Brewery tours Saturday, 2 p.m.

Southern Pines Brewing Company is the creation of three Army Green Berets whose home brewing hobby turned into big business. Their flagship beers: Duck Hook, a cream ale; Man of Law, IPA; Plowman’s Folly; and a French-style Saison farmhouse ale. The brewery offers new seasonal beers every six to eight weeks.

Weymouth Center for Arts & Humanities, 555 E Connecticut Avenue, weymouthcenter.org, Boyd House, open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Gardens and grounds open daily

Visit the Weymouth Gardens and Longleaf Pines. Originally planted in the 1920s, they were restored by local gardeners. Peruse the N.C. Literary Hall of Fame and participate in a self-guided tour of The Boyd House.

The Jefferson Inn, 150 W New Hampshire Avenue, jeffersoninnsouthernpines.com

The Jefferson Inn, established in 1901, is the Sandhills’ only boutique hotel. It offers 15 guestrooms and suites with cozy features such as plantation shutters, oversized clawfoot baths and custom made down-filled duvets and pillows. The inn offers cocktails and refreshments seven evenings a week in a tavern-style bar and seasonally in the courtyard.