artsy hillsboro

A summary of our weekend in Hillsboro.

Hey hey!! Last weekend we took a trip to my hometown of Hillsboro. That’s because 1) the boys had teaching work on Friday, 2) Thomas was playing in a golf tournament, and 3) Mom was attending an art show. The boys had a great time, balancing art, hiking, and lots of relaxing.

paint it orange

We drove up on Friday in time for the opening reception for the 9th annual Paint It Orange Plein Air Paintout. Artists from across North Carolina had three days to paint outdoor scenes of Hillsboro, all of which were on display at the Tom Stevens Gallery.

Here’s a mom with her “Visitor Center Pig Glyn,” whose life-like model can be seen at the Hillsboro Welcome Center. The pig hearts were made from paper that my mom decorated on a gel plate. The map of the heart is made from the atlas that Mom and Dad used when they first moved to town in the 90s. Take a look here!

My parents bought this piece by my friend Ann Hobgood, which won an honorable mention. And they bought me a watercolor of Churton Street!

Dinner at Serratore

We had dinner at the new Serratore restaurant before going to the art show.

Afterwards, we walk home and always pass the house where I grew up.

Ice cream sundae for dessert!

coffee routine

I love the habit of walking up the hill to and from the best coffee shop, Cup A Joe. My father came with me and we talked about our recent trip to the Dolomites.

After breakfast, head to the farmers market!

I found cheese!

light lunch salad

I was so happy that Birch wanted to play with my old doll.

Occoneechee Speedway

Mid-afternoon we took the boys to Occoneechee Speedway. It was one of the first NASCAR tracks to open and is the only one remaining from the inaugural season in 1949.

There were no trees when this track was used for racing, but now it is one of the most beautiful walking loops through the woods.

You can also see the original racing car!

cozy dinner

For dinner, I made a fancy version using spaghetti with eggplant, peppers, and kale that I bought at the farmers market. I stir-fried the eggplant and peppers first and they were delicious!