I really love the Greensboro Cultural Center, it's such a unique hub for the arts! I honestly don't…read moreknow another place like it for the size of our city. What's great is that it brings together all kinds of creative spaces: galleries, a pottery studio, a performance stage... plus so many art programs happening under one roof. It has great programing that ties to First Friday. I also really enjoy how convenient it is to downtown Greensboro, which makes visiting or taking classes so easy. That said, I do wish it were easier to figure out what's actually going on. The center (through Creative Greensboro) has an Arts & Culture Calendar, but I find that it's not always super intuitive or user-friendly when trying to browse classes or open programs. Even asking the front desk and security can cause you to scratch your head on what is happening. As someone who would love to take more classes, see more galleries, and dance classes I often get stuck not knowing what's coming up or what's currently open for registration. Overall, it's a real gem. If the calendar and programs were more clearer and more accessible, it would make it even more inviting for folks like me who want to dive in.

The GCC has so much to offer! From fun filled classes to unique shops, birthday parties, kids…read moreclasses and so much more! I highly suggest stopping by to see what fun you can get into!

Tucked away in a remote corner just south of Lexington, North Carolina is a small buddhist haven…read morethat you'd probably never find unless you had a specific reason to go there. I didn't know about it, and didn't have a specific reason to seek it, until this past Sunday when I saw some posts from a couple of Yelpers about a celebration happening there for the Thai, Lao, and Cambodian New Year, also referred to as the Khmer New Year. It was a beautiful spring day, the mood looked festive, and there appeared to be some interesting tasty food available, so I said why not?! I hopped in the car and drove down to Lexington. Turns out this place wasn't to hard to find. Once you make the left turn the large entryway proclaiming "Lexington Buddhist Temple" cannot be missed, dragon guardians and all. I was greeted by a lush green campus, spotted by various colorful buildings all painted with vibrant colors. People were everywhere laughing, dancing, eating, drinking, and just generally having a happy time. Many were casual but others were dressed in some very fancy clothing befitting of a new year's celebration! The band was playing and setting a great mood, and many people lined up in front of the stage for what appeared to be some pretty well coordinated line dancing. Elsewhere on the grounds, you could find kids participating in various field games like tug of war and sack races. Some were playing basketball on a pretty worn down court in the back, and there was a playground too. Then, you meet the huge line of pop up tents selling all sorts of foods and drinks. The sights and smells draw you right to it. I got some papaya salad (spicy), some Lao sausage, and some beef skewers and found a seat near the dancing area to enjoy. Everything was so succulent. Papaya salad is one of my favorite things and this one certainly had a fresh kick! The Lao sausage had a plethora of spices and really set off the flavors of the papaya salad. The beef skewer was tender and just the slightest bit sweet, it was all enjoyable. I ate my food and just enjoyed taking in all the positive energy of this place. On my way out, i came upon a pair of buddhist monks blessing people and giving them bracelets. I had a lovely time on their grounds, I decided to leave a donation and get a blessing of my own. I bowed my head and they chanted in a language that I myself could not understand as they used a flower to sprinkle water over me. They then said in English "Happy New Year!" and I was on my way, bracelet on wrist, belly full of happy, and feeling very fulfilled. It was a great way to spend a Sunday, taking in the sights and vibrance of a culture that was before only somewhat familiar to me. I hope to go next year with some friends who know more than can help bring me up to speed on exactly what is going on!

I've been going to the Cambodian Cultural Center since I was very young. They have improved so much…read moresince the Cambodian Community of Lexington purchased this location. They have a reception hall for weddings, church service and dancing when Cambodian bands come to town. Monks live in the house located across from the ponds. I usually come to the cultural center during Cambodian New Year. Cambodian New Year is held in April. Unfortunately, it usually rains and the area gets filthy muddy. Vendors from the community come and sell delicious food. Live music is being played all day along with dancing, and games are usually being played. On Sunday's of the New Year church service is held in the reception hall. Donations are appreciated, which goes towards the center. There is no real parking lot. Mostly just field and you just park yourself in rows. The bathrooms are out of date but are usable. Basketball courts and playgrounds for children are available as well as a Volleyball net. The Cambodian Cultural Center still needs some improvement but time will tell when it'll get done. It's a nice place to enjoy during special events.

I came to Rural Hill for the Amazing Maize Maze. Rural Hill is a beautiful place tucked away in…read moreHuntersville. The Maze had a high production value! Not only are you trying to navigate through the large twisting and turning space, but you're also trying to find a series of clues that have a theme. This was definitely one of the more difficult mazes that I've ever done. I went on Halloween and was also pleasantly surprised by the buckets of candy placed throughout the maze During COVID, they did a good job at managing crowds by having people buy tickets for certain time slots. The staff was wearing masks and asked people to wear masks during the beginning and end of the maze.

Whether it's from the maddening crowds of an expansive metropolis, or the pressures of a career,…read moreRural Hill is a pleasant place in which to escape. It's a quaint, restored throwback to the era when the Scots and the Davidsons timbered forests, tilling them into fields and farms. Eventually, the area was established and is known by their name. The Davidson family cemetery is prominently lined with a beautiful stone wall and is open most days. Trails exists for walking but not many use them (which is why I like going). There is an old dirt road that eventaually dead ends at a small shelter overlooking a pond--I think it leaves many disappointed. There's not much to see once you arrive and ALL the land is a County preserve with trespassing not allowed (yep, they got trail cams so if fishing is your plan, you've been warned). The magic, really, is the road itself. It winds through the woodlands for a couple miles with little traffic. I often park and walk portions with my binoculars. I grew up on such a road in Upstate New York. Fond memories rekindle. I am reminded of how happy was my childhood. Sometimes I see turkeys, deer, ospreys, and coyotes. Looking for a leisurely way to spend some time away? I say "give it a whirl." Breath it all in!

The Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities is located in Southern Pines. It is free to visit…read more The grounds are open 7 days a week but the Boyd House is just open Monday through Friday. It is a large estate at 26 acres. I read about Weymouth Center in Our State Magazine and knew I wanted to visit. When I learned Thomas Wolfe stayed here that got me here sooner as I am fascinated by his life. The Boyd House is a great building to explore. The Boyds opened their house over 100 years ago to build a community for writers and artists and those with open minds to come together. The Literary Hall of Fame was nice to explore as I was introduced to new authors while seeing some familiar names. The grounds are lovely and peaceful to explore. Weymouth has a writer's residence where authors can go and work on their writing. Weymouth Equestrians has underserved teens ride and help with horse care. While I was there, a crew was getting tents set up for a wedding the next day. Also I heard that there was going to be live music on Sunday. It seems like such a great venue and the organization greatly benefits the community.

We came here while visiting Southern Pines and so glad we did! Perfect weather for a nice hike…read moresurrounded by longleaf pine trees. Signage is very clear, and it is an easy hike. The welcome center is a good place to start as staff is very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Clean restrooms in the welcome center and a discovery room for children of all ages.

Darren McGill provided an amazing tour for my son and his friends. Be sure to ask him to share his…read morebeautiful voice with you during your tour.

The International Civil Rights Center & Museum is located in the heart of Downtown Greensboro. It…read moreopened in 2010. The museum offers guided, self-guided, and virtual tours if you can't make it to Greensboro. I've done the guided tours and the self-guided tours. With the guided tour, you are provided with background information as you go through, and directed to specific things in each gallery. With the self-guided tours, you start with a video overview of what you will see in each gallery, then you go through the museum at your own pace. One tour isn't better than the other; it just depends on what you prefer. This museum is special in that it is located inside the 1929 F.W. Woolworth building, where the 1960 sit-ins at the lunch counter began. The L-shape lunch counter and the 69 stools remain where they were in 1960. This is where you first enter the galleries. Standing in front of the lunch counter where history was changed is unforgettable. The late Phil Freelon and his firm, the Freelon Group, handled the historic renovation and turned the building into a museum. Eisterhold Associates designed the interactive exhibits. The renovation and preservation made sure that many of the 1929 features remained. From the terrazzo floors to the plaster coffered ceilings. to the lunch counter, to the original stools, to the art deco stairway, to the basement, to the exterior red and gold Woolworth sign. The original dorm furniture is located in the basement. It was the planning room for the NC A&T students. The Hall of Shame is also located in the basement. It is very graphic and difficult to view, but it is so important to see these images, as you will never forget them. Segregated Greensboro shows the segregated signs and vending machines, advertising and The Green Book. The churches played a vital role in the Civil Rights Movement, as this is where they planned. Freedom Songs helped build courage before protests. There are interactive exhibits, and you can try a literacy test to suppress voting. The museum shifts from the dark side to successes. You will see mugshots of 1,200 peaceful protestors. Most of these are from other protests after the sit-ins, paying tribute to those who fought for equality. You can read about the legal triumphs after the sit-ins. After reading about other protests in the country, make sure to read through some of the names on the Wall of Remembrance, especially those you haven't heard about before. The last gallery has many black-and-white, tile-sized photos that form a mosaic of President Obama. They represent the power of community. It is a reminder that everyday people can bring change. Photography is not allowed in the museum galleries because much of the content is copyrighted. I take a lot of photos, so this was initially a challenge. But after a while, I just got so immersed in the exhibits.

Spectacular for the price (free) and would be a solid option, even if there were a modest fee…read more The museum is well-curated and has more exhibits than I expected. You could definitely take a few hours to go through this museum and still have more to see. Some of my favorite exhibits were the huge wagon display, the exhibit on O. Henry, and the area dedicated to local commerce. I didn't know that replacements, inc was local - even though I enjoy fine tableware and am in Facebook groups where that company is talked about a lot. We also had a lovely moment where we were very clearly interested in one of the room replicas and a museum staff member who was on his way out came over and shared a bunch of supplemental info. He was so into his job and sharing about the exhibit, and that is a great sign for a museum when people are passionate about their work. I definitely feel more connected to the area after visiting. Great spot, and I'll be back!

I had no idea this place existed until I was doing a dive on internships and this place popped up…read more I instantly wanted to visit because I'm a history nerd. This place is much bigger than I could've imagined. It was 3 floors full of interesting facts. There were exhibits of local Guilford County History as well as US History and NC History. From historical pictures and antique fire trucks to clothing for different time periods it has a little bit of everything. In one area of the museum they have it set up as a town main Street where you can enter the movie theater, drug store, a one room school house, and even a hotel that was once in the area. Inside these "buildings" were different interactive exhibits including an antique switch board where you could listen to different conversations. If you're stir crazy from all of the snow or just want to experience something new and full of historical documents this is a great place to stop in.10/10 recommend

We popped by on a whim and ended up spending a lovely, informative hour-plus strolling thought this…read morehistoric village site, which is a collection of restored old homes and businesses (and yes, gardens) from the 1700 and 1800s. Interestingly enough there are private residences mixed in as well. OK, so maybe it's really not incredibly riveting but it's still kinda interesting to see how early American life played out for Moravian, Black, and Indigenous peoples that lived in the South. A few of the buildings had docents in period dress relating the history of the particular house (some of these require separate admission tickets) or demonstrating their trades. For instance, we passed by a gunsmith's shop with a working craftsman inside, but it cost to go in. The whole area includes the Historic Town of Salem, the Gardens at Old Salem, the Frank L. Horton Museum Center, and the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) and is a few blocks from Winston-Salem's main downtown area, so probably best to park at the lot of the Museum/Gallery/visitor center and walk across the very cool Old Salem Covered Bridge to the village. We didn't have time to see all the grounds - which by the way, also have the site of the Original Site of Krispy Kreme Doughnut shop, which we did see, and were hugely disappointed by. It ain't nothing but an empty lot. But if you like old stuff like I do, you'll dig Old Salem even if you just go for half an hour. Plus it's mostly free.

Very educational and interesting. The tour was definitely worth the time and money. Make sure to…read morestop by the school for some fun games and loved the gunsmith shop