I met John Woods in Charleston when I heard about the dog-friendly boutique hotel he runs in Highlands. After our conversation, I put it on my calendar to visit and experience for myself how easy it could be to travel with your pooch, and I felt like I hadn’t seen Highlands for ages. Partly because of the pandemic and because I tend to avoid a winding road, Highlands had fallen off my radar. How lucky to rediscover it, along with the premise of dog-friendly travel.
Highlands has grown up, yet again. The sleepy mountain hamlet feels fleshed out, with more places to stay, browse, and nosh right downtown. Where before many points of interest meant get in the car—albeit not for very long—today a full Highlands experience can be had without moving a vehicle.
The Park on Main is not just dog friendly, it’s pro-level dog travel. From the lobby replete with portraits of a dozen breeds to spacious rooms upfit with full-size dog beds, dog bowls, benches, and chaises big enough for a large dog, this is a boutique hotel experience with your pet. Their cleaning protocol alone boggles the mind, and meeting dogs in the elevator and hallways and lobby makes a stay that much warmer. There’s a private, fenced 24-hour dog park, too, and an underground parking garage with elevator access to every floor.
Can you leave your dog at the hotel? For sure. In fact, there are no breed restrictions or weight restrictions, so head out to dinner sans pooch, but Highlands is a dog lovin’ place. Many, many shops allow dogs inside, as do several restaurants, and nearly everywhere has a patio or deck that’s dog friendly.
Back to not moving your car … I wanted to write this story from a “park once, enjoy your weekend” angle, so here we go. I picked a leisurely .75-mile stretch end-to-end, and here are just a few of the things you can do within it. Take a right out of the hotel and walk by the Reeves Ace Hardware (but if you love a small-town hardware store like I do, you may want to pop in). Stop at Wild Thyme Gourmet for lunch, always full of locals.
Natural Selection is a pip of a store filled with goods from mountain artisans including flower tinctures, hand-poured candles, numbered prints, and more. On the same block, you’ll find Oakleaf Flower & Garden, a divine shop brimming with exceptional garden goods, fine tabletop antiques, and home design wares.
Walk past the compound of Old Edwards Inn, which will always be quintessential Highlands to me. Stop in the wine garden; there’s often live music here. A duo of historic churches comes onto the scene; First Presbyterian is painted an iconic buttercream and dates to 1885, built by master carpenter Marion Wright; Church of the Incarnation is a fine example of Carpenter Gothic and was erected about a decade later.
Mountain Fresh Grocery will make you question why every town doesn’t have one. Coffee bar, pizza shop, wine and cocktails, a grill, and a prepared foods counter, with tables inside and out. Don’t miss out on breakfast here.
Unique, handsome furnishings are at Bardo, including a full leather boxing bag hanging on its front porch; The Dry Sink is the kitchen and gift store dreams are made of, and Highlands Mountain Paws has an adorable treat bar. Just a few doors down sits TLJ Estate Jewelers where the bling may only be upstaged by shelves of antique majolica.
The Bascom: A Center for Visual Arts is its own destination. With six buildings and six acres, it’s a pastoral campus, and the stroll over to The Bascom from The Park on Main consists of shaded sidewalks. The Will Henry Stevens Bridge serves as its entrance, and the 87-foot long covered bridge makes a gorgeous backdrop for a photo.
This summer, don’t miss the 11th Annual Studio Barn Pottery Show and Three Potters Symposium featuring the pottery and traditions of Seagrove, N.C.
Highlands Mode
Mountain speed is made for weekends away. It’s a pace that’s purposely languid, and Highlands has perfected it. If you’re staying at The Park on Main, then my suggestions for drinks and dinner sit just across the street.
Highlands Wine Shoppe
The historic little house with the firepit in the yard is the place to hang before dinner. A wine dispensing system means you can taste a dozen or more bottles they sell at Highlands Wine Shoppe, but the store carries deep stock, and managing partner Annelize Giliomee is a breath of fresh air speaking about and selecting wine for guests. There’s charcuterie too.
The Ruffled Grouse
The restaurant/bar at Highlander Mountain House hotel is especially good, and the tenet of “field, forest, fish, fowl, farm” shines on the plate. Reservations are recommended for The Ruffled Grouse, but the bar and its little tables are first-come. Bluegrass starts up some nights, and there are two nice fireplaces to sit by. The interiors (and the trout) are noteworthy.
Not one, but two Greenville mavens told me to go here: designer Whitney McGregor and publicist Jackie Soladay. In my book, that’s a double celebrity endorsement.
Photos provided by Highlands Chamber
