A Dog-Friendly Weekend Getaway to Winston-Salem, North Carolina

I blinked, and it is already November. I don’t know about you, but it hasn’t felt like November for us on the East Coast. The weather has certainly been leaning on the warmer side this season–perfect for road trips and exploring a new city!

We were so excited to have the opportunity to partner with Visit Winston-Salem and explore Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for a long weekend. Zach and I adore everything about North Carolina and jump at any opportunity we get to visit. 

If you didn’t know, Zach works in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pre-COVID, he would fly down to Charlotte every other week. Also, his family has a house in the Outer Banks. Visiting Winston-Salem was the highlight of our fall.

With help from Visit Winston-Salem, here is an overview of our weekend getaway to the very dog-friendly Winston-Salem, North Carolina!

Day 1: Arrival at the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel

The drive from Northern Virginia to Winston-Salem only took us about five hours. Of course, we had to stop for Duke and Navy to stretch their legs along the way. We arrived in Winston-Salem on a Friday around 4 p.m. For this weekend’s getaway, we stayed at the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel in downtown Winston-Salem. Now, if you’ve read any of our other travel blog posts, you’d know that we have a special place in our hearts for Kimpton hotels. We adore how each hotel connects with local history and culture. Oh, and all Kimpton hotels are incredible dog friendly.

The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel was the first Kimpton property in North Carolina. It is located in the historic R.J. Reynolds building, the architectural muse for the Empire State Building. The hotel was within walking distance of almost everything. We were just steps away from the Art District and a short walk from some fantastic breweries, restaurants, shopping and distilleries.

After checking in and making our way to our room, the dogs (and Zach and I) were pleasantly surprised to see treats for them, food and water dishes, a dog-friendly walking map and two comfy beds for the dogs. If you watched our stories when we visited, Duke instantly flopped between the two beds to find the most comfortable one.

After getting settled, we wanted to explore the hotel more! The fantastic staff offered to give us a tour of the hotel and share a little more about the hotel’s history. There is an expansive fitness center on the hotel’s lower level (honestly, it was the most excellent hotel gym I have ever seen). The hotel converted the building’s boiler room to a great rec room complete with a bowling aisle, slide and basketball court. We could have spent an entire day exploring the hotel alone!

After our tour, we freshened up and headed to have dinner and drinks at the Katharine Brasserie & Bar located off the hotel’s lower lobby. We sat outside on the dog-friendly patio so Duke and Navy could join us for dinner. The menu is French-inspired and celebrates what’s in season. We opted to split a salad and a bowl of french onion soup – which was amazing! We also each had an order of the steak frites-yum! 

We knew our Saturday would be packed full of exploring, so we went straight to bed after dinner.

Day 2: Beer Tasting, Exploring Old Salem and Shopping in the Arts District

Saturday was a busy day. We started the morning walking a few blocks to Canteen Still Life for breakfast. All I can say is WOW. The aesthetic of Canteen Still Life was right up my alley. There were live plants everywhere! 

This coffee and wine bar serves coffee, tea, baked goods, cocktails, and the most amazing breakfast sandwiches. We also had the opportunity to sample some of their lunch bites as well. Though our visit to Canteen Still Life was brief, I would come back! The space is pretty ample and complete with plenty of outlets and strong wifi. Perfect for those who want a change of scenery when working remotely.

After breakfast, we hopped in our car for a short drive to Old Salem Museums and Gardens. We certainly could have made the walk had we known how close it was to downtown. Luckily there was an ample amount of free parking right next to the visitor’s center.

Old Salem is the historic district of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Initially settled by the Moravian community in 1766, the small city is filled with history. Before COVID, you could interact with the staff dressed in period attire. We were not disappointed to get our social distanced walk with the pups in!

After our afternoon of strolling the streets of Old Salem, we drove back downtown (a less than 10-minute drive) for lunch and beer tasting at Foothills Brewing. Foothills Brewing is the second-largest brewery native to North Carolina. Foothills Brewing is known for their Sexual Chocolate Russian Imperial Stout (both Zach and I tried it, and we are fans) and a Jade IPA. 

The inside of the building was right up my alley. Exposed brick, high ceilings, great atmosphere…I could go on and on. Because we had the dogs with us, we sat outside on the patio. I appreciated that Foothills was enforcing mask-wearing and social distancing at the tables. It made us feel more comfortable as we sat down to enjoy our beer and lunch.

And speaking of beer, all the beer we tried was fabulous–and I am not a big beer drinker. Zach ended up purchasing a case and a few cans to bring home for his parents to try.

The Foothills Brewing food menu was pretty extensive, and everything looked amazing. It was so hard to choose… I settled on the Pear and Arugula Salad, and Zach ordered the Smoked Gouda Pimento Grilled Cheese. I wish I would have saved some room for the Bavarian Pretzel and beer cheese. The table across from ours ordered it, and it looked amazing!

Foothills was within walking distance from our hotel. After our late lunch filled with beer tasting, we needed a break before exploring the Downtown Arts District.

The Downtown Arts District is packed with shopping, restaurants, art studios, galleries, and so much more. We spent the majority of our time shopping in Mast General Store–which was dog friendly! We also had a blast walking through Artivity on the Green, a public art park located in the heart of downtown. Directly across the street is Bark Avenue Boutique and Barkery. We let the dogs pick out a couple of toys and treat to enjoy.

As we walked around the Arts District, we made a note of all the places we wanted to visit during our next trip. Be sure to scroll to the end of this post to see our list!

The dogs were exhausted after our day of exploring. Visit Winston-Salem gave us a couple of recommendations for dinner that evening. We ended up ordering a pizza from Mellow Mushroom a few blocks away and enjoyed it in the hotel. It was … amazing!

After dinner, we walked to Wise Man Brewing for a nightcap. Founded by three wise guys (a chemist, lawyer, and accountant), this brewery is on Winston-Salem’s art district’s border. The taproom had an extensive offering of craft brews and ciders on tap. There is also a rotating schedule of food trucks that serve up a variety of cuisines. They converted a part of their parking lot to allow room for outside dining and drinking. 

I had the Cranberry Crossroads cider while Zach tried the Wondrous Wild and Full Current sours. It was the perfect way to end our Saturday night.

Day 3: Outdoor Adventures in Winston-Salem

We started our Sunday off right with coffee and pastries from Krankies Coffee–a short walk down the hill from the Kimpton Cardinal hotel. Our photos do not do Krankies justice. This place was cool! Our coffees were delicious. I should have grabbed a breakfast sandwich for the road. Everything on the menu looked amazing.

After breakfast, we hopped in the car to drive to Reynolda Mile to explore Reynolda. We were met by the Director of Marketing for Reynolda Village, who gave us a brief history of Reynolda and a walking map.

Reynolda was the estate of Mr. and Mrs. R.J. Reynolds. Complete with a lake, golf course, formal gardens, greenhouses, and walking trails, we could have spent our entire day just exploring! The formal gardens are not dog friendly, but there are plenty of trails around the 129-acre estate to give you a good view of the gardens.

After we walked the grounds, took in the sites, and captured more than enough photos, we walked back towards Reynolda Village, a collection of boutique shops and restaurants located in the buildings that once supported the estate. Because we were visiting on a Sunday, most of the shops were closed. However, the local favorite Dough-Joe’s Doughnuts was open! After all that walking, we treated ourselves to a donut or two. Duke and Navy both enjoyed a complimentary pupaccino!

For lunch, we had reservations at the well-known, award-winning Village Tavern. Everything on the menu looked delicious, making it difficult to choose. Zach ordered the Tavern Omelette, and I ordered the Beet Salad. We split a bowl of French Onion Soup, and each shared a few mimosas. All in all, the food was tasty, and the atmosphere was delightful. We would recommend it for anyone visiting.

After our brunch, we went back to the hotel to rest and recharge a bit. Shortly after, we drove to Salem Park for an afternoon of outdoor exploring! Salem Park was a short drive from downtown Winston-Salem, making it a perfect little afternoon getaway from downtown. A trail encircles Salem Lake. As we walked around, there were plenty of runners, walkers, and bikers. We also noticed quite a few people kayaking and stand-up-paddleboarding. Next time we visit, I want to kayak!

We spent a few hours relaxing by the lake and walking the trails before heading back to the hotel to allow the dogs to rest their legs. We walked to Incendiary Brewing for dinner and drinks, which was located right next to Cugino Forno. This entire area was incredibly dog friendly. We saw so many people sitting on the expansive outdoor patio with their dogs. Incendiary allows dogs in their taproom, so we grabbed a hightop table and sampled beers. Because Cugino Forno is located right next door, you can order your food, and they will bring it to your table at the brewery. Zach and I shared a pepperoni pizza (because pizza is our favorite food) and a salad. 

The pizza was to die for! Paraphrasing from their website, this pizza is the most affordable trip your mouth will ever take to Italy. Their ingredients are as authentic as it gets being shipped straight from Italy. I wish we would have ordered a pizza to take home with us…

Day 4: Departure Day

We all knew this day would come, but I wasn’t ready for it—departure day. Luckily, Zach had a couple of work calls to take care of in the morning, so Navy and Duke and I spent the morning exploring the hotel rec room and grabbing some photos at Bailey Park. 

The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel offers late checkouts and will hold your luggage, so we definitely could have spent another day exploring. Zach had to get back to wrap up some work at home, so we departed Winston-Salem around noon and made it home in time for dinner.

On the way home, Zach and I were so excited to talk about our trip we called his parents to tell them all about it. Who knows, maybe we will revisit Winston-Salem soon… 😉

Dog-Friendly Activities in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Visit Winston-Salem went above and beyond to provide us with excellent dog-friendly options to choose from when we visited. Though our stay was about three and a half days, we saw so much, but certainly could have seen more! Here are a few of the things we weren’t able to do but plan to do next time!

• Reserve a table ahead of time and have dinner at Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro or 6th and Vine wine bar and restaurant.
• Try some North Carolina barbeque at Camel City BBQ Factory.
• Eat ALL the tacos at Crafted the Art of the Taco.
• Enjoy a scenic hike at Hanging Rock State Park and Pilot Mountain State Park.
• Take in the views at Quarry Park.
• Admire the art in Red Dog Gallery and Delurk Gallery.
• Shop local crafts and goods at Sunnyside Mercantile.
• Grab a natural energy drink at Sunshine Beverages.
• Take a photo tour of the many art murals downtown. 
• Have a whiskey and rum tasting at Broad Branch Distillery.

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I want to apologize for this post’s length. We honestly had a blast visiting Winston-Salem, North Carolina; I couldn’t hold back. Who knew how fun Winston-Salem would be? Before we close this post, we wanted to extend another big THANK YOU to Visit Winston-Salem to put together this itinerary and organize our trip. You better believe we are planning to visit again soon.

Have you ever been to Winston-Salem, North Carolina? Let us know in the comments below!

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