48 Hours in Winston-Salem

by Vanessa Infanzon photography

Looking for an excursion close to home? Spending 48 hours in Winston-Salem will ignite curiosity in local history and introduce new adventures, restaurants and shopping in a city just an hour from the Lake Norman area. Squeeze it all in to two days or spread the activities over several visits.

Hotel and art-in-a-box

Book a room at Hotel Indigo, a unique boutique hotel in downtown Winston-Salem, housed in the 1928 Pepper Building. The 75-room hotel is four years old and pet friendly with modern amenities. Like all Hotel Indigo properties, its décor and style reflect the local community.

Hotel Indigo’s lobby features an Art-o-mat, a cigarette dispenser transformed into an art vending machine. Art-o-mat was started by Winston-Salem-based artist Clark Whittington in 1997. More than two dozen may be found in the city and hundreds more are all over the United States (and one in Europe). For a small investment of cash ($5 or more), original jewelry, a painting or a sculpture drops down after a choice is made. Each work of art fits within the size of a cigarette box.

Pack

A Lot Of Living Into A Quick Getaway

Food to fit your fancy

Sir Winston Wine Loft & Restaurant, a long-time Winston-Salem staple, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner on the first floor of Hotel Indigo. Enjoy specialty cocktails and craft beer with dishes such as bourbon BBQ ribs, low country salmon and jambalaya pasta. The hotel is within walking distance of several restaurants. Camino Bakery’s three locations in the city offers bagels, muffins and cinnamon buns to keep you energized for the day. Outdoor seating and authentic Neapolitan pies makes Cugino Forno Pizzeria a good choice for a casual meal. Hungry Palate Bar & Grill’s menu includes flatbreads, build your own macaroni and cheese, meatball hoagies, wings and a wide selection of starters.

Other attractions

Begin at Old Salem Museums & Gardens for a two-to-three-hour self-guided walking tour of the village. Buildings in the village showcase clothing, furniture and tools. Staff are dressed in authentic clothing and answer questions about the original use of the building. Refuel at Muddy Creek Café with paninis, salads and sandwiches. Then head to the Frank L. Horton Museum Center and the

Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, featuring collections from the 1700s and the 1800s.

Reynolda Historic District – gardens, house, museum and village –is a half-day excursion. The Reynolda House Museum of American Art, with permanent and rotating exhibits, is within the Reynolda House, the former 64-room home to Katharine and Richard Joshua Reynolds, founder of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Treat yourself to May Way Dumplings, Penny Path Café & Crêpe Shop, Theodore’s Bar and Market, and Dough-Joes in between tours. Shop at the area’s newest bookstore, The Bookhouse, and its oldest women and children’s store, McCalls.

Winston-Salem’s extensive greenway system allows walkers and cyclists to see various neighborhoods throughout the city. Sign up for a segway or an electric bicycle tour with Triad ECO Adventures (TEA). The guide explains the equipment and makes sure everyone feels comfortable throughout the ride. The Moravian Cookies Trail Tour, offered weekly on a climate-controlled trolley, is a great option for groups who want to learn and eat cookies. Water enthusiasts can take paddleboard lessons on Salem Lake through TEA.

Evenings in Winston-Salem provide many options. Get tickets to a game – Dash is the city’s Minor League Baseball Team. Spend the night at ROAR, sampling various items in the food hall, playing on the indoor sports simulators, miniature golf course or relaxing in the lounge and rooftop bar. Check the schedule at a/perture cinema, a nonprofit theater, or Bowman Gray Stadium for a car race.