Perhaps one of the best things about the highlights of Winston Salem is the fact that they work equally well for entertaining visiting family as they do those living in the area ongoingly. Some cities have a booming nightlife or cool touristy areas to visit, but don’t have a lot going on otherwise for residents.
Hiking & Beautiful Scenery Around Every Corner
Even in and around downtown there are all sorts of beautiful places to go for walks, ride your bike, or settle in on a bench with a good book to the soothing sounds of nature.
Winston Salem’s greenways run for miles throughout downtown, weaving in and out of the areas around Forsyth Tech and up through Salem Lake. (More on Salem Lake in a minute!)
The greenways have numerous entry points, which make that accessible from almost anywhere in the city and also make it easy to start at your favorite part.
More than a few times in my own first walks through these trails I recall thinking, “Wow, who knew all this was out here?” The peacefulness can make the area feel remote, which is great, yet none of the trails really are remote.
One standout trail is Salem Creek Trail, which starts near Forsyth Tech and goes all the way to Salem Lake itself, joining the main Salem Lake Trail. Salem Creek trail crosses a couple streets, passes the site of a historic mill, and then descends into a beautiful forested area along the way. The whole time, of course, the trail follows Salem Creek.
Salem Lake itself is a large lake for boating, fishing, kayaking, etc. The trail that surrounds it bends and weaves through amazing scenery for 7 miles, taking you all the way around the lake in a loop you can start from either direction.
The trail is wide enough for groups to walk together, as well as allowing cyclists to easily ride around walkers without either having to hamper the others’ experience.
Quarry Park is another major site to see in the Winston Salem area. While this one does pop up on numerous sightseeing locations, few of them really explain why this is a destination.
Winston Salem took a large quarry, originally created in 1925, and opened it up to the public. The first thing you’ll see when you arrive is a small building (with bathrooms) with an extended steel platform you can walk out on and look down into the quarry.
You can also walk around the quarry itself following a paved trail with a fence line. That trail heads in two directions; one of which ends in a neighborhood and the other goes for well over a mile or two into forest with beautiful ivy to look at.
Because these trails are paved, they are perfect for family walks with strollers, for roller skating, or biking.
Of course, as you enter the parking lot you’ll also immediately have access to a park area with numerous benches, chairs, and grassy areas for kids to play.
Winston Salem Art Galleries and Lifestyle Perks
Red Dog Gallery has been totally renovated in the last few years, and features multiple floors of local art. There’s a little something for everyone, from oil paintings to mixed media.
The gallery has been a prominent place for local talent to showcase their creations, and a happening thing to do in the downtown area. Conveniently, there are a variety of pubs and breweries within walking distance.
Winston Salem also packs that beautiful scenery we mentioned earlier right into downtown. Bailey Park is situated right near the Bailey Power plant, which is hard to miss, and sports a large grassy area for picnics and private events as well as a raised seating area by a fountain. In warmer months there’s often live music, which graces the air for those sitting nearby as well as all the passersby.
Breweries & Yadkin Valley Wineries
Winston-Salem has numerous breweries – in downtown and further out. Wiseman, Earl’s, Fiddle and Fish, and Foothills are just to name a few, and most of them offer food and outdoor seating.
This offers a distinct local flavor, pun intended, that you can’t find at an ordinary bar. Most of these beers are brewed on location and are unique to the area.
When you have a beer-lover friend or family member visiting from another area, this is a great way to impress and share a piece of the locale with them.
With a little bit of a drive, Winston-Salem is a convenient distance to quite a few wineries throughout the Yadkin Valley region.
A few notable mentions include:
- Raylen Vineyards
- Weathervane
- Brandon Hills
All of these wineries have tastings most days when the weather is warm, and patrons can buy bottles directly from the vineyards to keep their racks stocked with their local favs.
And like the brewery scene, many of these wineries have food trucks and live music on and off throughout the summer, which is a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
The Winston-Salem Real Estate Market Has Seen Consistent Growth
A few years back there were projections that Winston-Salem would see 300,00 new residents in 5 years.
Between city renovations to expand the Arts and Innovation quarter, new apartment buildings, and new construction neighborhoods in the areas outside of downtown, there’s plenty of new opportunity for newcomers.
Winston-Salem has always featured some recognizable brands that provide jobs in the area, such as Wrangler, BB&T, and HanesBrands. But in the last few years the entrepreneurial scene has exploded as well, and coworking spaces allow for new levels of collaboration and starting that next great idea.
It’s not surprising that this area has seen the growth it has, though. The location is a central hub of sorts, standing under 650 miles (in a radius) to half the population of the U.S.
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