If you’ve not yet planned a Valentine’s Day getaway for that special someone, you may want to pay close attention to this article, the second installment of our One Tank Trips. In search of a romantic rendezvous within a gas tank’s drive to and from downtown Raleigh, we offer you the Fearrington House Country Inn, situated on an 18th Century dairy farm in Pittsboro, a mere 44 miles away. The Inn offers perhaps the finest Southern hospitality a discriminating weekend traveler can experience in this region. It’s a very romantic and impressive destination, and would be a wonderful Valentine’s surprise.
I made reservations at this unique community for a recent weekend to experience the accommodations firsthand. To make my date even more exceptional, I called ahead and had the room prepared with a bottle of chilled champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and a bouquet of fresh cut flowers. I also scheduled a relaxing and therapeutic in-room massage for two. I hoped these special touches would help take the edge off a long workweek and add to the magic of our Friday evening arrival.
Our room had that warm feeling you long for when staying away from home with someone you care about. Each of the 32 guest rooms at the Inn is unique, surrounded by stunning vistas of trellised gardens, water sculptures, and manicured English gardens. Rich fabrics, marble vanities, and heated towel racks all cater to the guest’s personal comfort. Distinctive touches include ecclesiastical doors used as headboards, canopied beds, and pine flooring from an old workhouse that sat along the River Thames. The rooms also include luxurious amenities such as plush feather beds, micro-fiber robes, and spa-quality bath products.
The Inn’s dining rooms feature views of the Fearrington gardens, and each is furnished with European antiques and accented with original artwork that creates an understated elegance. On Saturday the food was bountiful, starting with a fantastic gourmet breakfast that included seasonal fresh-cut fruit, homemade granola, and eggs benedict. After a picnic lunch on the grounds, we were served a traditional mid-afternoon English tea with finger sandwiches, delicate pastries, and fresh baked scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Saturday evening dinner was over the top. We took our time and worked our way through all five courses with decadent pleasure.
The Fearrington wine list features over 700 selections and the Inn has been awarded the 'Best of Award of Excellence' from The Wine Spectator every year since 2004. This extensive wine list was created to complement a regional cuisine, and in our case, it was a main course of North Carolina Red Drum served with black trumpet mushrooms and shrimp tortellini, resting in a blanket of saffron and vanilla sauce.
There was plenty to do between meals, so we elected to stroll the expansive grounds, browse unique village shops, exercise, and relax on front porch rockers complete with a serene pasture setting of cattle and goats. Fearrington Village has over 30 Belted Galloways grazing along the rolling pastures. These black and white "Oreo" cows are actually a rare breed of Scottish beef cattle introduced to the United States back in the 1950's.
For a truly romantic One Tank Trip, the Fearrington House Country Inn is high on our list. We found ‘farm life’ to be quite intriguing, therapeutically relaxing, and worth the short drive. If you prefer to stay within the confines of downtown Raleigh (not technically a One Tank Trip, but great for spending a weekend "away from home"), you might consider one of the local Inns listed below.
Happy Valentine’s Day planning from the Downtowner and One Tank Trips!
Farrington House
2000 Fearrington Village Ctr.
Pittsboro, NC 27312
919.542.2121
http://www.fearrington.com/
Local Inns:
Cameron Park Inn
Located just off Hillsborough Street at the N.C. State University Bell Tower in Raleigh, you'll discover a delightful place to stop and spend the night, take a mid-week break or settle in for a weekend's relaxation.
211 Groveland Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27605
919.835.2171 or 888.257.2171
innkeeper@cameronparkinn.com
http://www.cameronparkinn.com/
The Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast
Nestled in the beautiful Historic Oakwood neighborhood, the Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast welcomes you to a stay in one of their comfortable guestrooms in this historic home from the Victorian Era. Voted the Best of CitySearch 2007 Winner: Best Bed & Breakfast, Best Business Hotel, Best Tourist Hotel, and Best Staff.
411 North Bloodworth Street
Raleigh, NC 27604
919.832.9712 or 800.267.9712
innkeepers@OakwoodInnBB.com
http://www.oakwoodinnbb.com/
Velvet Cloak Villas
Located downtown, the Villas are condominiums transformed from the plush Hotel rooms of one of the area’s finest Inns. Boasting some of the best views of Raleigh, the Velvet Cloak Villas beckon to elite visitors from across the state and around the region. Suites come in a variety of sizes from large studios to 2,400 square feet.
1505 Hillsborough Street
Raleigh, NC 27605
919.828.0333
http://www.thevelvetcloak.com/
