Situated on the Piedmont Plateau of gently rolling hills, Greensboro and Winston-Salem echo the history, culture, and natural beauty that is North Carolina. These are towns were built from old tobacco and textile money. There’s much more below the surface.
Oldest and closer to the foothills, Winston-Salem is fine for growing tobacco and wine grapes and a haven for live theatre and filmmaking. Downtown Winston-Salem has more of an old money feel to it and yet all of Fourth Street supports WiFi. Greensboro seems to have more of a college town feel and is a national Black heritage site by virtue of its breakthrough contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. Both cities are near one of America’s largest furniture manufacturing centers, High Point, so this is a shoppers delight.
Greensboro is growing more confident in its visitor attractions as well. Greensboro Children's Museum, Greensboro Cultural Center & Festival Park, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, Greensboro Coliseum Complex, and Natural Science Center will pique the interests and stimulate the mind. Each passing year acclaim for the regional wineries grows as well.
Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem and North Carolina A&T University, Bennett College, and Guilford College in Greensboro give the metro area a solid base of students who often stay after graduating. Tourism here is particularly attractive for African Americans who return to discover their roots, visit their alma maters, and attend festivals. You should not miss the Mattye Reed African Heritage Museum at North Carolina A&T, Diggs Art Gallery at Winston-Salem State or a performance by the North Carolina Black Repertory Theatre in Winston-Salem, which hosts the biennial National Black Theatre Festival.
The students and alumni of North Carolina A&T, Bennett College, and Winston-Salem State give the area a distinct soulful flava’. The successful sit-in tactic of the Civil Rights Movement began in Greensboro at the Woolworth Building. When fundraising completes, that Woolworth Building is slated to become a world-class museum. Americans of all stripes should remember that the Underground Railroad is credited as beginning in this region.
Locals can also make a strong case that they have some of the best weather in the nation. Greensboro and Winston-Salem miss the worst of hurricane season and their foothills location bring mild winters. The region has much to offer day trip and overnight visitors. There are plenty of camping, boating and swimming areas in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Smoky Mountains. Lastly, the beaches of North Carolina and South Carolina are within a couple of hours. Be careful though. One visit may hook you into moving here.
RESEARCH CREDITS:
Thomas Dorsey
Sheila Umolu
Calvin Young
BLACK CULTURAL TRAVEL MADE EASY