The Charlotte 500, Laps 71 - 75: Daytrip to Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem is less than 90 minutes north, and slightly east, of Charlotte, the perfect distance to discover some new things without the expense of hotels or too much gas.

Lap 71: Reynolda Gardens - Now part of Wake Forest University, Reynolda Gardens is located on the grounds of what used to be the Reynolds (as in RJ) family farm. The gardens are a quiet, peaceful island in the middle of a fairly large city, with, as you probably guessed, lots of flowers, trees, and vegetables. There are also a few shops and restaurants on the grounds, but they are designed so as not to ruin the atmosphere.

Lap 72: Foothills Brewing Company - Located in downtown Winston-Salem, Foothills offers up the usual pub grub, but with some different twists. You can get the beef and chicken, but you can also have buffalo and ostrich. The chips were pretty good, too. I won't say it was outstanding, but it was pretty good and convenient to downtown. Plus, if the weather's nice, you can eat outside.

Lap 73: Mayberry Ice Cream & Sandwich Shoppe - One of the shops located at Reynolda Gardens (there are other locations, too), Mayberry makes the list because it is ice cream and ice cream is good!

Lap 74: Wake Forest University - Although it wasn't long before classes started again, the Wake Forest campus was pretty much a ghost town so we didn't get to see much but the outside of the buildings, which is usually the most interesting part anyway. The campus seemed to be spread out, and it was very clean, with many trees and extensive green space.

Lap 75: Warthogs Baseball - Professional baseball in Winston-Salem dates from 1905, with the current franchise operating since 1945. The Warthogs, Class High-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, played their games at Ernie Shore Field in Winston-Salem. They'll be moving to a new stadium closer to downtown in 2009. The team will also be playing with a new name and mascot. Too bad, I liked Wally Warthog.