Why Winston-Salem?
So this morning I woke up kinda bored and decided hey, why not explore Winston-Salem? Grabbed my notebook and water bottle, jumped in the car without even checking the gas tank – big mistake. Almost ran out near Kernersville but found a sketchy gas station just in time. Paid extra for premium ‘cause regular was sold out.
Old Salem Museums & Gardens
First stop was Old Salem around 9:30am. Paid $28 for entry which hurt my wallet, but damn those brick buildings look straight outta 1800s! Wandered through the single sisters’ house watching women in bonnets bake bread in wood ovens. Tried some molasses cookies – sticky mess got all over my phone screen. Spent twenty minutes trying to wipe it off with a wet wipe.
Lunchtime Disaster
Googled “best lunch spot Winston-Salem” and landed at some artisan pizza place downtown. Ordered a “fig prosciutto” pie that cost $22 for six slices. Waiter dropped the first one on my shoes. Second one came with burnt crust. Ate it anyway ‘cause I was starving. Should’ve gone to Cook Out.
Reynolda House Meltdown
Drove to Reynolda House after lunch thinking “free museums are cool”. Nah. $18 admission fee. Saw rich people’s old golf clubs and fancy dresses. Got yelled at by security for sitting on some antique chair. Honestly preferred walking outside in their gardens – free part anyway. Took some blurry flower photos before my phone died.
Surprise Krispy Kreme Run
Car smelled like burnt pizza so I rolled windows down. Saw the “HOT NOW” sign glowing at Krispy Kreme original shop. Got two glazed for $1.50 and finally felt happy today. Sat in the parking lot watching conveyor belt make doughnuts through the window. Pro tip: parking’s brutal behind the building.
Final Thoughts
Drove home at sunset chewing gum to kill pizza breath. Winston-Salem’s got:
- Historical stuff if you got cash to burn
- Food fails unless it’s doughnuts
- Gardens > museums any day
- Gas stations will save your life
Would I do it again? Yeah – but with sneakers instead of sandals and packed snacks. And more wet wipes.
