w-s (winston-salem, while-snowing)

so after knowing my friend becca for at least three years i thought it was pitiful that i had still not visited her hometown. so on our way down to greenville (sc, not nc) my mom and i stopped in winston-salem. we couldn't have asked for a more perfect tour guide than becca who, not only has lived there all her life, but is an avid historic preservationist (read: she knows about buildings).

just as we pulled into the city it began to snow. this is evidentally pretty rare and, while it was nothing compared to the massive snowstorms up north, we felt pretty lucky to see the city a way few people do. during our initial driving tour becca told us that winston-salem is home to not only cigarettes but krispy kreme donuts. in other words, the birthplace of the leading causes of death. hmm, maybe not something you'd put on a billboard. after driving through the downtown we stopped near this cute little square (see: gazebo) for a delightful lunch of soup and sandwiches perfect for a winter day.

the city is also home to the historic salem college, which we drove through around dusk. the fresh snow and the streetlights added nicely to the effect. other fun sights along the way included a giant teapot and washington park, where becca spent many fondly-remembered childhood hours. we also stopped at a used bookstore (that also had movies and vinyl records, good find) and a delightful moravian bakery. their trademarks are their paper-thin yet delicious cookies and many-pointed moravian stars. apparently there was a significant moravian population in winston. and thank goodness! they make a delicious coffee cake.

after a quick power nap at the hotel we braced ourselves to go back out into the storm. (i'm using the word loosely, here). the town was looking pretty quiet but luckily the mexican place next door was still hopping. and by hopping, i mean they let us eat there and were waiting at the door when we left. still, we enjoyed (too much) delicious mexican food as well horchatas/flavored margaritas. at that point becca and i decided to venture out and see if there was any nightlife to be had. it seems the snow scared most of the businesspeople (and customers presumably) away; it was more or less a ghost town. still, we had a nice walk through the downtown and marveled at the wachovia building (it dominates the skyline) and the christmas trees in the square below (not pictured: massive christmas tree that topped in the wind).

the next morning the snow had stopped and without much difficulty we were able to get our car out of the snowy lot. but before we left we just had to stop at (another) bakery, ollie's. this town loves their pastries. i like that in a city. there we enjoyed some chai tea and delicious croissants. and on the way out we were greeted by ollie himself. (coming to work in the snow at his age, quite a champ.)

we were sorry to go but felt privileged to get to see the city at such a unique time. it's more than tobacco and donuts!

a wintry williamsburg

as i've said richmond is located pretty much in smack in the middle of the state. which makes day trips (well, in-state day trips) quite convenient. next on the list was williamsburg, home to the historic colonial city, outlet malls, and most importantly my good friend jenny.

we started out that afternoon with a little outlet shopping - your basic gap/banana republic/nine west, with a gourmet kitchen store and michael kors for good measure. good for some last minute christmas buys but we didn't go too crazy. this was followed by dinner at jenny's favorite local restaurant, food for thought. it was very cute, as promised. there are quotes lining the walls to pique your interest, and if that's not enough each table is stocked with brain teasers and trivial pursuit cards. the food itself was great too and jenny tells me all the ingredients are bought locally. not what you'd expect from a restaurant that shares a block with the christmas mouse and a ripley's believe it or not. it's easy to forget what a popular destination williamsburg is, thankfully we have ridiculous tourist traps to remind us.

the main event that evening, and the impetus for the trip, was the grand illumination. basically this is where colonial williamsburg gets decked out with tasteful decorations, like wreaths and candles, and then sets off fireworks to celebrate how classy they are. it draws a big crowd, making driving and parking even more of a challenge than usual (they have an intersection that's widely known as 'confusion corner,' to give you an idea). somehow we made it and, more amazingly, were able to meet up with our friends, for the event. we made our way through the throngs of people and eventually gave up on the hot cider when we couldn't see the end of the line. fortunately the fireworks began just a few moments later. the event lived up to its name; the fireworks illumination the old city beautifully.

after the smoky finale, we and the other several hundred people, made our way back towards the downtown to our nearby destination, the green leafe. our desination? mug night, apparently a williamsburg staple. each sunday night the bar sells enormous cheap plastic mugs which they fill with even cheaper beer. sitting with a bunch of william & mary grads, i learned no one's ever made it past three. though some of us made a valiant effort (not pictured). cruelly, just next to the bar is some sort of evil establishment that sells cheese fries and other greasy delicious things to patrons who wander in at all hours of the night (though, to be fair, it was probably no later than 10:30). i don't remember how we got there, i just remember devouring a plate of cheese fries. like i said, evil.

the next morning, after we had all sufficiently recovered, we made our way to aroma's coffeehouse. what a treat! a favorite of locals and students, it's easy to see why. it's warm and inviting, the list of specialty drinks was miles long, and the menu made me want to come back for their brie fondue (!) and delicious cakes. even the breakfast menu proved daunting, it took me about 15 minutes to decide if i wanted a bagel with lox or strawberry crêpes.

all in all, less than 24 hours in williamsburg. but they were all delightful.