Exploring Winston-Salem in 3 Days

Exploring Winston-Salem in 3 Days -If you’re looking for a charming southern city to explore, look no further than Winston-Salem, North Carolina. With its beautiful architecture, botanical gardens, thriving downtown arts district, and amazing local-flare culinary experiences, this city is one to be explored. 

Nestled in the heart of North Carolina, Winston-Salem is a city steeped in history and culture and is home to many colleges and universities, Wake Forest being the most prominent one.  Whether you’re a history buff, an avid gardener, a foodie, or into the art scene, you won’t run out of things to see and do in this vibrant and charming city. 

We recently spent three days exploring Winston-Salem and literally ran out of time. From historic landmarks to trendy coffee shops, our itinerary had a little bit of everything packed in.

Where to stay in Winston-Salem – The Kimpton Cardinal

Sometimes hotels can be, well, just hotels. But that was definitely not the case with the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel. The locals refer to it as just The Cardinal.

As with most things in the area, the hotel has a rich Southern history. It’s located in the historical RJ Reynolds building in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem. 

Aside from its rich history and beauty, one of the most striking things about the hotel, in general, was how nice and charming the staff was. And not just nice and charming because they worked for the hotel; you could tell it was a real and genuinely nice and charming way.

We were lucky enough to get a tour of the entire property from Forrest Howard, the senior sales manager for The Cardinal. We saw many different parts of the hotel and the cultural significance of some of the designs and amenities that we would have likely missed without the benefit of his knowledge.

The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel origins

The hotel has a sophisticated yet Southern casual kind of vibe. From art deco to preserving its historical significance, it is worth spending some time and appreciating all the subtle details.

Some fun facts

According to the locals, The Cardinal is known as the “father” of NYC’s Empire State Building. Turn’s out; there’s a legitimate reason for that. 

The RJ Reynolds building was designed by the architectural firm Shreve and Lamb and was built in 1929. A few years later, the same firm designed The Empire State Building based on the same plans. However, The Empire State Building has 102 floors, while the RJ Reynolds building has only 22 floors. But the iconic shape is visibly the same and, from a distance, looks eerily similar to its New York offspring. Up close, it even has many similarities. For example, the elevators in the two buildings are almost identical. Local legend also has it on Father’s Day each year, The Empire State Building sends a card to the Kimpton Cardinal.

Guest Room & Luxurious Bath

Our room was spacious and elegant, and the amenities were several notches above the average nice hotel room. 

The Cardinal Has a Few Unusual Amenities

In addition to the normal things a hotel has to offer, there were a few unique items as well. On the lower level, there is a gym with state-of-the-art equipment, a bowling alley for a little evening fun, a basketball court for those who want to shoot a few hoops, and a twisty slide for the young ones.

The lobby felt much like a living room/library, complete with a giant wall of books. There were sofas, small tables, and chairs where you could hang out, feel comfortable, and get some work done. And there was always free coffee and water.

What to see and do in Winston-Salem

There are so many things to see and do in Winston-Salem that it’s hard to know where to start. So, we’ll touch on our highlights as we spent three days exploring all the area has to offer.

Discovering Reynolda Estate

Reynolda Estate was the brainchild of the late Katharine Reynolds (wife of RJ Reynolds), and it showcases her vision and progressive thinking around healthy eating, education, art, and enjoying nature’s beauty. The estate now consists of the botanical gardens, the shopping village, and the museum. It all sits on over 1,000 acres.

Reynolda Gardens

One of the highlights of our trip was visiting Reynolda Gardens. And there are a couple of reasons for that. The first is its absolute natural beauty. And second is the tour we received from Jon Roethling, Reynolda Garden’s current Director. When talking about running and maintaining the gardens, he said, “I get challenged on every front of horticulture here.”

Reynolda Gardens comprises 129 acres and a greenhouse and is now a part of the Wake Forest University campus. In the city’s attempt to lure Wake Forest from its original location, the land, and the gardens were donated to the university. 

Strolling through the grounds felt much like walking through the New York or Brooklyn botanical gardens, only on a somewhat smaller scale. While it’s changed over the years, Jon Roethling is trying to bring back some of its most notable origins – at least as much as possible. You could feel Jon’s passion as he told us about all the different plantings and the various projects he was working on. He recently added layers of bulbs (Crocus, Daffodils, Tulips, and more) so that the garden constantly changes. “It’s like walking a tightrope of respecting history but being relevant today,” he said. “The garden needs to be vibrant so people keep coming back to learn.” 

The Greenhouse

The Greenhouse is the original, although, over the years, it has been modified a bit. Believe it or not, it’s a kit from The Lord and Burnham Company, who also built the kit for the conservatory at the New York Botanical Gardens. In the late 1800s, the company began building kits for greenhouses and shipped them all over the country. The company later moved to Irvington, NY, so they could be closer to all the estates that were being built along the Hudson River. Unfortunately, in 1988 the company closed its doors for good. 

Reynolda Village

Today, Reynolda Village is made up of shops, restaurants, and various other local businesses. All the buildings were originally modeled after English cottages and were homes for the workers who took care of the estate as well as the dairy farm, central heating building, the school, and everything else that supported the estate. 

We strolled through the village, visiting many of the shops on our way to lunch at Theodore’s (more on Theodore’s in the “Where to Eat” section of this article). 

Reynolda House Museum of American Art

Today, the museum is housed in the original country manor of RJ Reynolds. The featured art is a chronological collection displaying one piece of art from different artists over a 250-year period. What makes the museum unique is that many of the original rooms of the manor are intact with furnishings consistent with the times. The manor also includes a swimming pool, bowling alley, ping pong room, and other activities. 

Dough Joe’s Coffee and Donuts

A stroll through Reynolda Village would not be complete without a little nourishment at Dough Joe’s Coffee and Donuts. The doughnuts are made-to-order, and you can choose your own topping. We opted for one coffee-glazed and one caramel-glazed cake doughnut, which arrived way too hot to devour right away. 

Started by a couple that met at Wake Forest and stayed after graduating, Dough Joe’s also donates a portion of its sales directly to organizations that make food more accessible in the Winston-Salem area. 

A custom doughnut accompanied with a great cappuccino and we were ready for our next adventure. 

Visiting the art district

The Downtown Art District, or DADA as it’s called, is home to a number of art galleries. The galleries primarily feature local North Carolina artists and craftsmen. DADA is also home to many great restaurants (some featuring local cuisine) and unique coffee shops. We spent the later afternoon wandering through the streets and taking it all in. 

Exploring the parks

There are a number of small parks scattered throughout the downtown area. On our last morning, we grabbed a cup of coffee to go and took a walk through Bailey Park. The park is a 1.6-acre urban green space built by the city for the community to enjoy. The park plays host to many different activities, such as yoga, festivals, movie screenings, and food trucks. 

The park is located in Innovation Quarter, where you can also find many small microbreweries along with several restaurants. 

What to See and Do in Old Salem

Old Salem was originally settled by the Moravians back in 1766. The Moravians are one of the oldest Protestant denominations. 

A living history museum is probably the best way to describe Old Salem Museums and Gardens; all of the buildings are original and still sit on their original sites. 

You can spend a morning or afternoon walking through the streets and experiencing what Moravian life was like back then. From bakeries to schools to boarding houses, you get a feel for how they lived and worked. 

Where to eat in Winston-Salem

You won’t have enough time to try all the different restaurants and coffee shops, but with some help from locals, we found some great spots.

Two great spots for breakfast

The Katharine Brasserie and Bar

We started our first morning with breakfast at The Katharine Brasserie and Bar. It’s located just off the lobby of The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel. With its art deco design and French cuisine that meets Southern cooking, it was a wonderful choice and a great way to start the day.

Louie and Honey’s Kitchen

For our second morning, we wanted something more casual but still featuring local fare. So, we opted for the mother-and-daughter baking company of Louie and Honey’s Kitchen. This place specializes in cakes, pies, and other decadent desserts that remind them of their grandmother’s table. They use only organic and locally grown North Carolina flour. If you’re in the area, treat yourself and don’t miss out on this place. It was a very fun surprise.

Two great spots for lunch

Theodore’s Bar & Market

While exploring Reynolda Village, we stopped at Theodore’s for a quick bite. The restaurant had a casual Southern comfort feel with white subway-tiled walls, rugs, antique furniture, and tables and sofas for eating and lounging. All the ingredients are locally sourced, and they offer a variety of sandwiches, salads, and soups.

Muddy Creek Cafe and Music Hall

As we made our way through Old Salem, we decided to have lunch at the Muddy Creek Cafe and Music Hall. Its philosophy is creating community through food and music. Live music was happening as we had lunch, and most nights are filled with different bands and musicians. 

Two great spots for dinner

Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro

Our first stop for dinner was at Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro, which was a real treat. The restaurant features classic Southern cuisine, but they throw in some interesting twists. We tried the Southern Spring Rolls that were stuffed with barbeque pulled pork, Napa cabbage, and shitake mushrooms. They were so fun, unique, and delicious. We also had one of the dishes they are most known for, fresh tomato pie. It was delicious and something we’d never had before.

The Katharine Brasserie and Bar

We love French food, so we decided to have dinner at The Katharine Brasserie and Bar on our last night in Winston-Salem. The restaurant was alive with tourists and locals, yet it didn’t seem crowded. And the wait staff couldn’t have been more friendly and attentive. 

The food and atmosphere were spectacular. We tried the pan-seared chicken with cognac mushroom sauce, fingerling potatoes, and the roasted salmon with honey-roasted heirloom carrots. Both entrees were spectacular, and it was a wonderful way to spend an evening as our trip was winding down.

Wrapping up three days exploring Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is a charming city that offers an abundance of history, culture, and natural beauty to explore. From the quaint shops and restaurants in the downtown area to the stunning gardens and parks, there is something for everyone in this lovely city.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading: Exploring Winston-Salem in 3 Days. For even more information, check out: Vist Winston-Salem.