Hickory, NC

It's no surprise that I love my home state of North Carolina and sharing all it has to offer with you! I recently had an opportunity to go check out Hickory, N.C and I can't wait to tell you about it. First of all, the drive is under two hours away from Charlotte so that is a PLUS! The ride wasn't bad at all.

I remember going there for dance competitions growing up but other than that, I don't remember or know too much about the city. I have heard they are popular for furniture. Now, after returning there for the weekend last month, I know a bunch about it! I absolutley loved Hickory and enjoyed the trip! My boyfriend also really enjoyed the town. It's full of great things to eat, drink, and see.

Not to mention, everyone was so nice. It felt good to get out Charlotte and explore somewhere new after a busy work week. If you are looking for a weekend getaway, add Hickory to your list. I am going to break my suggestions down into sections because there are quite a few. A lot of them were walking distance from eachother in the downtown area so that was cool.

Downtown Hickory has a variety of local retail shops that were unique. It also includes their newly renovated Union Square which is like the heart of the city. The feel of the community around there was so charming. They often have outdoor live music, farmers markets, and festivals. There was so much to do in such little time!

We were nonstop on the trip trying different spots. I always try to do alll the things to capture them for yall and I don't regret it one bit. I had tons of fun checking out all the stops we made and I'm excited to share them now! I'll drop all of the places we went and then some must-trys at the end.

I missed some places that I heard were awesome from the locals so I want to include those. Oktoberfest was going on when I was there and they have some really neat Christmas festivities coming up. Check out my QCCHIC recommendations below for awesome activities, restaurants, coffee shops, wine shops, and breweries in Hickory, North Carolina.

THINGS TO DO

-Play games at Dive Bar

-Go for a walk along the City Walk

-Go for a hike at Bakers Mountain Park

-Visit the Hickory Aviation Museum

Other activities to note: Riverbend Park, Emerald Hollow Mine, and Hickory Museum of Art

FOOD SPOTS

-Hatch Sandwich Bar for a sandwich. I loved the casual atmosphere!

-Cowa-Sake for sushi, burgers, and cocktails. I loved the decor and menu options!

-Cafe Rule for dinner and drinks. I loved the cozy patio and pizza!

-Mas Amor Cantina for good Mexican food and good vibes. I loved their mocktails and fabulous service!

-Boca for yummy tapas and a solid wine menu. I loved the flavors of their food and live music at the bar!

Other restaurants to note:

Olde Hickory Station for brunch, Standard Oyster Company for fresh seafood, and Backstreets Bar & Grill with American food. Olde Hickory Station has mimosa flights. Standard Oyster Company has a mean bloody Mary and seafood towers. Backstreets Bar & Grill is a family local owned place that has been opened for years so it is a staple.

Frothy Rooster is a chic brunch place. I took a look inside when I was at Cowa-Sake since it is by the same hospitality group and close by. Y'all, it was such an adorable restaurant.

There were two fine dining spots that I have my eye on for next time I'm in town for a meal. They are highly reviewed and called The Vantage House and Charolais. Charolais is a steakhouse that has a meat cart and salad bar. We drove past The Vantage House and it looked so nice for a date night. I love the fact they take reservations. They have some good looking pasta dishes!

DRINK SPOTS

-Hickory Wine Shoppe for wine and wine slushies. I loved their burrata appetizer and primetime location!

-City Walk Brewing for a brew and snack. I loved their friendly, fun staff. It's new to Hickory!

-Olde Hickory Tapp Room for a beer and bar food. I loved their chicken tenders and mugs everywhere!

-Blowing Rock Brewing for a brew in a historic mill building Hollar Mill. I loved the taproom and corn hole!

COFFEE SHOPS

-Taste full Beans had such a large drink selection. They also served breakfast!

-The Coffee Nookhad books all around and was easy to pop in for a latte. I enjoyed mine!

Taproot Coffee is a popular coffee bus that everyone loves. Find their location on their Facebook!

When it comes to where to stay, the place that we checked out was a historic B & B called Sweet Tea Bed & Breakfast. However, the owners recently sold the beautifully restored home in Conover to family to live in. It was a delightful experience with homemade pastries that I'll never forget. It was located about 15 minutes from downtown Hickory.

I did make sure to ask for a recommendation on where to stay and was told amazing things about 2nd Street Inn. My boyfriend pointed it out when we were strolling around and it looked really neat. It's right by a lot of these places I mentioned in the blog. They also had a lot of beautiful murals that caught my eye!

Don't forget to grab a photo with one of them. They were all around and nice to look at while exploring. These two murals are called the Miracle of Hickory and Historic Beginnings. I'm linking the rest of the Hickory Metro Murals to search for and artist info right here! They are perfect for IG content.

As always, let me know any questions that you have about this travel! It's not always a good time traveling to somewhere you're not familiar with, but I felt right at home in Hickory. I think this is a really dog friendly and family friendly city... so grab your crew and plan a trip.

My next blog will be about the holidays and that's hard to believe! Time is always flying! Have a great weekend ahead and thank you so much for reading. Take care!

Xo,

Rachel