Roses are red. Violets are blue. Poems are hard…BEER. You won’t find many poets in Rocky Mount. But you will find a whole lot of people who know about beer. This Tar River town is an incubator for new craft breweries. In fact, it hosts the largest craft beer incubator in the state. So come thirsty and in between sips, play a little disc golf, go bowling, or try your hand at giant connect four. Read on to get your two-day tour packed with barley, hops and a little adventure.
Day 1
STOP 1: Smith’s Red and White
Walk in and smell the bacon. . .and country ham. . .and sausage. This is Southern cooking at its finest and Smith’s has the breakfast bar to prove it. Known for their spicy, savory sausage and pork products available in the store next door, here you’ll get them cooked up as a side to your eggs or on your fluffy, dreamy biscuit sandwich. Prepare to loosen your belt and walk away happy.
STOP 2: Sunset Park Disc Golf
It doesn’t matter if you are the best disc golfer or just the world’s okayest, we have a course for you. Sunset Park’s 18-hole course winds through the woods and around the park. You’ll find long straightaways, doglegs, and one heavily obstructed hole. Bring your best game. Loser buys the first round.
STOP 3: Indoor Shooting Range
Rifles and crossbows and axes. . .oh my! The Eastern North Carolina Shooting and Sports Center is your place to take your best shot at its indoor shooting range. Try your hand at hurling an axe, the latest craze in group activities with an edge. Or summon your inner Robin Hood at one of the 16 archery lanes. This is also the spot to practice your rifle and pistol shooting. Ready, aim, fun.
STOP 4: Stockyard Flea Market
Treasure hunters, this one’s for you. This open air flea market has just about everything you never knew you wanted. Golf clubs, bicycles, vintage typewriters, toys, clothes. . .all available to seasoned and novice bargainers. With plenty of parking and food vendors on site, plan to stay a while. What will you find?
STOP 5: Koi Pond Brewing
Koi Pond features an ever-changing variety of unfiltered ales made with local ingredients. This includes pale ales and IPAs, stouts and Belgian beers, Saisons and more. Try an Angry Squirrel. Toss back a Bozo Brown. Then challenge a friend to a game of giant Connect Four. Not into strategy? Grab a flight and settle in for some trivia and local music. Snacks are for sale. But locals and visitors alike simply bring in food from the fabulous local restaurants next door at Rocky Mount Mills.
STOP 6: The Prime Smokehouse
There’s no debate of Eastern-style or Lexington-style BBQ here: This is Texas-style brought to Rocky Mount by owner and chef, Ed Wiley. The key to great BBQ is patience. Here, Ed uses a dry rub and vinegar sauce on his brisket and cooks it low and slow over indirect heat. The result is a plate of Barbecue that will make you believe in a higher power.
STOP 7: River and Twine – Tiny House Hotel
Ready to feel like a giant? River and Twine is the world’s largest tiny home hotel and it’s located right here in Rocky Mount. You can choose from one of 27 different tiny homes located in a cozy, wooded setting right beside the Rocky Mount Mills campus. Your accommodations come complete with board games and Adirondack chairs around a fire pit. All you have to bring is a sense of adventure and conversation. Did we mention there are breweries just across the parking lot?
Day 2
STOP 8: Books and Beans
Some might say all you need to be happy is a good book and a strong cup of coffee. Perk up your morning at Books and Beans. Breakfast sandwiches, smooth coffee drinks, and inspiration await. Owner and New York Times’ best-selling author Etaf Rum curated this calm space to awaken customers’ senses with locally brewed coffees and teas, as well as a rotating wall of books for sale. She encourages you to borrow a book from the community shelf or donate one you’re ready to pass along. Not a bad way to start the day.
STOP 9: Belmont Lake Golf Club
Get into the swing of things. Hit the driving range or reserve an online tee time at Belmont Lake Golf Club. Situated on the gorgeous 80-acre Belmont Lake, this championship golf course will have you relaxed and surrounded by green on every side. Visit the pro shop for golfing gear and tips on your swing. The onsite restaurant Tavern 19 can set you up with some snacks pre or post round. Bring your goofy sun hat and know you’re in “fore” a great time.
STOP 10: Tipsy Tomato
The Tipsy Tomato is the perfect example of the food you want, precisely where you want it. This little artisan, wood-fired pizza restaurant is located just minutes off the Tar River Trail and right beside the largest Craft Beer campus in this part of North Carolina. Located in a cute, little white house, this place makes you feel both at home and hungry at the same time. Order a large wood fired pizza for the family or build your own personal pie or turnover. Then enjoy your order from a table on their large wooden deck with a view of the Rocky Mount Mills campus. So get your steps in and pop over for a couple slices and a cold one.
STOP 11: Bowling Center
Let the good times roll! The Bowling Center is the place to be when you can spare a minute to bowl a few frames. The classic set-up is right up your alley if you want to grab a bite at the snack bar or play a few arcade games. Bring your friends and knock a few down.
STOP 12: Hopfly
This start-up brewery has one of the best taprooms in Rocky Mount Mills. The expansive marble bar, refinished original wood floors, communal style tables make for a warm, friendly place to unwind and try some new flavors. Try a tasting flight so you can get a sample of all their inventive flavors from the Bootlegged Fireworks Fruited Sour to the Snake Charmer Irish Stout, with a plethora of IPAs in between. The graphic hop logo merchandise might tempt you to walk out with a t-shirt or pint glass memento as well.
STOP 13: Goat Island Bottle Shop
Trying new beers is not a baaaad way to spend the afternoon. Terrible puns aside, this beer and specialty wine shop always has something new to try. It also has a great bar with 11 rotating taps. Like the name? It’s inspired by the island in the Tar River just being Rocky Mount Mills. So take your taste buds on an adventure at Goat Island Bottle Shop, and don’t forget to grab something from the shelves to take home.
