Exploring Greensboro, NC: WHAT TO DO, SEE & EAT

Whether you are in the middle of planning a trip to North Carolina or looking to add a state to your list I hope this guide can help point you in the right direction. 

North Carolina is a known for its vibrant colors, rich history and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Although I didn’t get west enough for the BRMs I did find a hidden Gem of NC, Greensboro! If like me, you travel off the beaten path and are more into the eclectic finds, then you’ve come to the right place. Lets get exploring!

LOGISTICS

Location:

Greensboro is 1 hr west of Raleigh and 1 hr south of the Virginia, NC state line. It is a perfect mixture of suburban city and rural nature landscape.

Flights:

Greensboro has a small airport but depending on ticket prices you may want to just fly into Raleigh Durham and then travel the hour over to Greensboro. I flew round trip from Denver to Raleigh Durham for $147 on Frontier Airlines.

Getting around:

For this trip you will want to rent a car in order to get around this city and to all of the best hiking.

When to go:

North Carolina is perfect for year round travel. Since its a more southern state, NC has a mild winter. The summers can get Humid but the temperatures don’t usually get above 90 in the summer months. My recent trip took place in February which was about a week early for the major spring bloom of flowers so I believe the perfect time would be in March or April if you are looking for cooler mornings, warmer days, and springs blooms! Otherwise, this city is also a great place to visit if you are looking to see some Fall Colors!

How long to Stay:

I visited for 9 days total but this could easily be a 3 day weekend getaway.

What CAN YOU DO IN gREENSBORO, nc?

Antiquing/ Thrifting 

The best part about the South is that its OLD! Which means great antiquing. With this in mind I was stoked to find what Greensboro had to offer. On Sunday, the day after I arrived it was Rainy so this called for a day dedicated to Antiques! And boy did we find the Honey Holes. 

Antique Marketplace: A 45,000sq. Ft. warehouse, housing 120 Vendors with a wide variety of antiquities big and small. Open Mon - Sat 10-6 & Sunday 1-6. I spent a full 5 hours in this place, with one break to grab lunch at “Carolinas Diner” down the street. See details on Carolinas Diner in the Food section. 

Vintage to Vogue: Located on Elm Street “Vintage to Vogue” is a curated vintage store. Greeted with $3 memosas, I was immediately taken in by the vibrant energy and unique selection of high end vintage items. From furs and purses to dresses and jewelry the shop was curated with quite the selection of items for her store & the memosas were so good. I purchased a woven tie for my boyfriend as well as a purple sweater with shoulder pads. 

Goodwill: Don’t sleep on GoodwillThrifting in Greensboro.. I didnt see a single Peice of clothing priced over $10. I ended up getting 6 pieces for $30 total. 2 pants, 1 shirt and 3 jackets.

Old Mill of Guilford: This could be in the food section but its also quite the antique so ill place it here. This is one of the oldest grist mills in the country originating back to the late 1700’s during the civil war. Still in production today you can purchase everything from flour to oat bran muffin mix (Which I did and its incredible)

Hikes & Walks

Greensboro had an absolutely incredible park and trail system. From small parks with walking trails throughout the city to hiking up and around the lakes north of the city I was impressed each day with what I found. here are some of my favorites.

Owls Roost Trail: Owls Roost Trail is a 5 mile loop on the south side of Lake Brandt following the contours of the lake and then looping south on the Shady side trail to return back to the main part of the park. It starts out on the Greenway at Bur Mill Park which is paved path and then pops off to the left onto a dirt trail for the rest of the loop. You wills start and end in the same place. 

The Piedmont Trail: On the North side of Lake Brandt runs the Piedmont trail. Easiest access is from Bur - Mil Park which is the same park you access Owls Nest trail. You can park and easily acess the north side of the lake taking the greenway west. This trail sits on the backside of a couple neighborhoods, so although it is a nature trail about 40% of it has a view of houses through the trees. Once you get out of the residential area the rest is more remote and has a beatiful view of the lake as you contour around the north side. This is a 7 mile out and back trail when accessed from the parking lot at Bur - Mil and taken all of the way to the parking lot on Lake Brandt Road and back. 

Osprey Trail: Osprey Trail is a 4 mile out and back trail located on the south side of Lake Townsend. The parking for this trail is on the east side of N Church Street. This is one of the easier ones to park, find and follow because it just goes from Road to Road (Like the Piedmont trail) About 1 mile into this trail there is an old chimney on the lake that was so neat to see. Curious to know how old it was and the story behind the home that was built there. 

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (walkabout): The Park was the nations first national park established as a revolutionary War site. (The battle of Guilford court house was fought on March 15 1781.) Walking paths take you on a tour of the historic monuments and share information from the battle that was fought on that ground. 

Hamilton Lakes, David Caldwell Historic Park & Bog Gardens: I wanted to find balance between hikes and walks because Hikes don’t always fit everyone needs. Hamilton lakes & David Caldwell Park, both located in west Greensboro are perfect 1-2 mile walks that could be done on a lunch break, after work or for a quick wake up in the morning. 

Coffee Shops, Food & Entertainment

I’ve always believed a city can be best understood through their food and coffee culture. I would say the same for Greensboro.

The Green Bean Coffee: Located on Elm Street down town this coffee shop has a great atmosphere and environment to chat with a friend or get some work done.

Union Coffee/ Union Coffee North: If you want a more quite low key environment head to the north location, but otherwise they are both wonderful and quite aesthetically pleasing.

Arrowhead Coffee truck: You’ll have to chase this guy down because he is always in a new spot around the city but once you do find him you are in for a treat. (Use his Facebook page to see where he will be next!)

Taste of Ethiopia: Talk about hole in the wall - but that is where the best are found and this was one of the best! I would suggest getting the Injera Bread plates with the vegetables and meat and a Sambusa as an appetizer.

Carolina’s Diner: Up the road from The Antique Marketplace this diner is everything and more that you look for in a local spot. Perfect place to stop in if you are antiquing or headed up to the Old Mill of Guilford.

The Comedy Zone: Knows as one of the best comedy clubs in the country you cannot go to Greensboro and not see show at The Comedy Zone. Be sure to book ahead if you are planning to go.