6 Things to Do on Your Weekend in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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This past weekend was pretty awesome! My bestie, Candice, came to town last week and was able to celebrate Benjamin’s birthday with us on Saturday. After his party, the three of us took her rented Jeep on a road trip to North Carolina. We spent the weekend in Winston-Salem, where we were visiting good friends of hers. She and I had been there once before, when I was 12 weeks pregnant in 2012, as a pit stop on the way to Washington D.C. This weekend was a beautiful time to visit! We stayed in a sweet AirBnB, walking distance from the downtown area.

If you’re trying to plan a weekend family getaway to Winston-Salem, NC, I highly recommend these 6 things to do.

1. Start your morning at Camino Bakery.

In fact, start every morning you’re in town there. For sure you’re going to want to get yourself the French Toast Latte – a latte with cinnamon, maple, and vanilla syrups. They also have a Snickers Latte that I need to try next time! Benjamin enjoyed hot apple cider (it was cold!) and a banana. Doesn’t he look like a little New Yorker here?!

2. Take the kids to the Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem.

The highlight of the trip for Benjamin, was definitely stumbling across the Children’s Museum. There were so many fun exhibits that we ended up staying for a few hours, until everyone was starving. Haha! See this climbing vine? He must’ve done that 10 times alone! There were exhibits for building, science experiments, and tons of pretend play. His favorite was the Krispie Kreme factory.

3. Visit ARTivity on the Green.
You’ll notice as you walk around downtown, that there is a lot of colorful street art. Be sure to visit ARTivity on the Green – Winston-Salem’s first “Art Park”.

A mural located down the street from ARTivity.

This art is located across the street from Mary’s Diner.

4. Grab a bite at Mary’s Diner.

Breakfast/brunch at Mary’s Diner has become a tradition for Candice and me. It’s a funky diner, filled with artwork to admire and purchase, from local artists. It has a cool and inclusive vibe. I was even touched by the positive post-it notes I found in the bathroom stalls. 😉 Don’t forget to take photos in front of the colorful wall on the patio, outside. It looks like it’s hidden in an alley so you can probably miss it if you’re not looking. We posed in front of this wall 4 years ago, so it was fun to get photos of my son and his godmother this time around!

5. Take a walking tour of Historic Old Salem.

If you do nothing else on your visit, you have to visit the Historic Town of Salem!

“Salem was founded in 1766 by the Moravians–a Protestant religious group that first organized in what is now known as the Czech Republic in the 15th century.

In 1950, a group of dedicated volunteers established Old Salem, Inc. as a way to begin preserving and restoring the town of Salem for future generations. As Old Salem grew, more buildings were restored and new facilities were added – including the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA).

In 2006, Old Salem changed its name to Old Salem Museums & Gardens – to better reflect the increasing importance of the garden program and to clearly distinguish that there are multiple experiences available within the Old Salem district. What used to just be known as “Old Salem” was also renamed the Historic Town of Salem, again for clarity purposes.

Today the museum site operates with more than 200 employees, a thriving retail department, a book publishing arm, a research center, and more than 11 gardens.“

6. Buy Sugar Cake from C. Winkler Bakery.

While you’re visiting Historic Town of Salem, be sure to visit C. Winkler Bakery. It came highly recommended to me and I’m doing you a favor by passing the info along, believe me! Among the other treats you pick up, be sure to buy a couple of sugar cakes! One for yourself and another to share when you get back home from your trip.

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