Located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, the neighboring cities of Greensboro and Winston-Salem are rich in history, the arts and a growing food and craft beer scene. Here are three ways to spend a weekend in the burgeoning towns.
For the historian
Friday
Kick off a history-filled weekend with dinner at The Tavern at Old Salem (736 S. Main St., Winston-Salem. 336-722-1227, thetaverninoldsalem.ws), a family-operated restaurant built in 1816 in Salem, North Carolina. Located within the restored historic district of Old Salem, the tavern specializes in 18th and 19th century fare with a contemporary edge. Waitstaff clad in Moravian attire serve dishes straight from nearby gardens and farms, so expect to see menu items like char-grilled pork chops over sweet potato hash, Old Salem okra and grilled figs, alongside the classic Moravian Chicken Pie.
Saturday
Head to Greensboro on Saturday morning to visit the International Civil Rights Center & Museum (134 S Elm St., Greensboro. 336-274-9199, sitinmovement.org/), housed in the former F.W. Woolworth building where the courageous "Greensboro Four" (North Carolina A&T University freshman Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, Ezell Blair Jr. and David Richmond) sparked the sit-in movement of the 1960s. View the original portion of the lunch counter and stools where they protested segregation, an exhibition celebrating groundbreaking African American artists and athletes and relive Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington. That evening, check the lineup at the nearby Carolina Theatre (310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. 336-333-2605, carolinatheatre.com/). Opened in 1927, the Carolina Theatre was hailed as the finest theater between Washington D.C. and Atlanta, and now welcomes acts that range from concerts to lectures from nationally recognized figures.
Sunday
Back in Winston-Salem, visit the historic district of Old Salem (600 S. Main St., Winston-Salem. 336-721-7300, oldsalem.org), a restored 18th and 19th century Moravian community. The Moravians were a Protestant religious group from the Czech Republic that settled the town of Salem in 1766, and due to their meticulous record keeping and craftsmanship, volunteers were able to preserve and restore their township. Now the living history museum showcases 18th and 19th century life with historic buildings from the era, including a Moravian church, print shop, traditional bakery and more, all staffed by living-history interpreters. In addition to self-guided tours of the community, hands-on activities like quill writing and etiquette lessons are available on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
For the foodie
Friday
Spend Friday evening at the most popular pair of restaurants to hit Greensboro in years. Crafted – The Art of the Taco (219-A S. Elm St., Greensboro. 336-273-0030, eatatcrafted.com/crafted-taco/) is a self-described southern taco joint with an international twist. Start the with the stuffed avocado, an avocado half stuffed with chorizo, queso and pico de gallo, served with flour tortilla chips. Afterward, share the Box Truck plate, which comes with three original nachos: Big Truck, made with pulled pork, mac n' cheese, tobacco onions and bacon BBQ sauce; Oxford, with fried chicken, spaghetti squash slaw and spicy Asian mustard; and Bowtie, with beer battered fish, roasted corn and sweet chipotle aioli. Down the road at Crafted – The Art of Street Food (600 Battleground Ave., Greensboro. 336-265-8859, eatatcrafted.com/street-main/) try small and large plate versions of popular street foods from around the world like Indian "naked" fried okra with spicy onion tamarind chutney or Korean meatballs.
Saturday
Ease into Saturday at the Table on Elm (227 S. Elm St., Greensboro. 336-542-0395, thetablefarmbakery.com/greensboro/) bakery in downtown Greensboro, with a handcrafted latte and housemade pastry from their wide selection of croissants, cinnamon rolls and sticky buns. For lunch, visit the Linley Park neighborhood, packed with independently owned local restaurants. Stop into Sticks and Stones Clay Oven Pizza (2200 Walker Ave., Greensboro. 336-275-0220, sticksandstonesclayoven.com/) for wood-fired artisan pizza, where the "Let it Ride" pie topped with roasted shallot cream sauce, prosciutto, local collard greens, fried chicken and mozzarella is a local favorite. Savor a light sushi dinner on the open patio at Sushi Republic (329 Tate St., Greensboro. 336-274-6684, sushirepublicgso.com/) on Tate Street. Start with garlic edamame followed by fresh ahi poke tuna served with wonton wafers and wasabi aioli. After dinner, stop into Gibbs Hundred Brewing Company (117 W. Lewis St., Greensboro. 336-763-7087, gibbshundred.com) to try one of their brews, all named after O. Henry short stories, a Greensboro native.
Sunday
Wait until the hot light is on before making your way to Krispy Kreme (259 S. Stratford Rd., Winston-Salem. 336-724-2484, krispykreme.com/Location/winston-salem) in Winston-Salem. The cult favorite donut shop was founded in Winston-Salem in 1937, and the first Krispy Kreme store was located on South Main Street in what is now part of Old Salem. For a heartier meal, don't miss the griddle-fried cornmeal cakes at Mary's Gourmet Diner (723 Trade St. NW, Winston-Salem 336-723-7239, breakfastofcourse.com), served with organic maple syrup, two eggs any style and bacon. Once you're prepared with a full stomach, it's time to drive about an hour west to one of the best kept wine secrets of the South. The Yadkin Valley is home to more than 40 vineyards and wineries, producing European style wines and native muscadine wines. Visit the Raffaldini Vineyard (450 Groce Rd., Ronda. 336-835-9463, raffaldini.com/), with an estate that looks straight out of the rolling hills of Tuscany, for a tasting of all its varietals and a walking vineyard tour.
For the creative
Friday
On Friday evening, join the theater crowd at the Pyrle Theater at Triad Stage (232 S. Elm St., Greensboro. 336-272-0170, triadstage.org) in downtown Greensboro. The 300-seat theater and 80-seat cabaret space provide an intimate environment for locally-produced performances. Recent seasons included "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "A Christmas Carol," "Fences," and this year's season will feature "Arms and the Man," "The Mystery of Irma Vep" and more.
Saturday
In Winston-Salem, murals and sculptures fill the streets of downtown. Look for the artfully decorated mannequins that line the rooftops on Trade street, or follow the stark red lines on Liberty, Trade, 6th and 7th streets that lead to Artivity on the Green, a public art park. Developed by The AFAS Group (Art for Art's Sake), the park's signature piece is a group of towering, red smokestacks that spray mist every half hour, paying homage to Winston's industrial past. The beams are also aligned to represent the shape of the top of the RJ Reynolds building. The park is lined with 11 murals from local and international artists, and features a performance shelter made from steel ribbons, artist easels and grassy knolls for picnicking. After visiting the park, spend a few hours strolling the art galleries on Trade Street, like Artworks Gallery (564 Trade St. NW, Winston-Salem. 336-723-5890, artworks-gallery.org), an artist-run cooperative gallery in the art district.
Sunday
At the Center for Visual Artists (200 N Davie St., Greensboro. 336-333-7475, greensboroart.org) in Greensboro, sign up for a private pottery, printmaking or photography classes. The center is located inside the Greensboro Cultural Center, also home to The Music Center for private guitar and piano lessons. For a more hands-on art experience, take a basic woodworking, metalworking or 3D printing class at The Forge Greensboro (219 W. Lewis St., Greensboro. 336-252-5331, forgegreensboro.org/), a 7,000 square foot maker space divided into a hard space for wood and metal works, a soft space for textiles and a hacker space for laser engraving, and 3D printing and modeling.
Artists of all kinds won't want to miss the 76th annual National Folk Festival (nationalfolkfestival.com) held in Greensboro September 9-11, 2016. The free, three-day celebration will feature performances around the city from more than 300 of America's finest traditional musicians, dancers and craftsmen, as well as ethnic cuisine and craft beer.
Where to Stay:
Opened in April, the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel is the first boutique property in downtown Winston-Salem, and the first Kimpton property in North Carolina. Located in the historic RJ Reynolds building (the prototype to the Empire State building), the hotel features 174 guestrooms with refined southern design touches like emerald green sliding barn-style bathroom doors and delicate Magnolia sconces.
From $216
336-724-1009
The certified LEED Platinum Proximity Hotel was the first of its kind in the United States, built to use 40% less energy and 30% less water than a comparable property. Sunken windows in the lobby measuring 29 feet are tinted to reflect heat in the summer and double paned to conserve heat in the winter, water is heated by solar panels on the rooftop and refreshed and outside air is circulated into guestrooms to make for a more restful sleep.
From $239
336-379-8200
