Bicentennial - Bog Gardens & Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway Trail

Another spot in Greensboro that I wanted to visit was Bicentennial - Bog Gardens. The gardens were just 10 minutes from my rental, so I decided to go there on one Friday after work. What a beautiful place! It is so well taken care of that I didn't even want to disturb it.

A really comfortable bench

The duck was so comfortable around me, she sat there with her babies for a while

Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway Trail is a 12-mile paved greenway designed for walking and cycling. There are a lot of cyclers there. It is well shaded for the most part, so at the end of my stay in Greensboro as it was getting hotter and hotter, it was a perfect trail to hike. Originally, I just planned to hike the greenway, but I stumbled upon Big Loop Trail right off it and could not resist. The trail veered off the pavement into the forest along the lake. It was so peaceful and quiet in the early morning that I could hear myself walking.

Company Mill Preserve Heritage Trail and Moores Knob Trail

Company Mill Preserve Heritage Trail was one of the trails within 30 minute distance that was on my wish list on Alltrails. It was a warm day to hike without shade, so I decided to head out early, of course, after a visit to the bakery! The hike was very relaxed with almost no elevation change. It started from a parking lot adjacent to a park.

Old structure that seems to be falling apart

The rest of the trail went deeper in the forest with only a few people crossing my path. There were some abandoned buildings along the way. The trail had a turn around point next to the water where I found a few turtles enjoying (?) the heat.

Another old building, appears to be sturdier

A turtle swimming in the pond

Moores Knob Trail was a bit further away in Hanging Rock State Park, which apparently, was quite popular with the locals. Unfortunately, due to its popularity, the first part of the hike, by the lake was noisy with some Latin music blasting as people attempted to enjoy their retreats.

Hanging rock...

Fantastic views from the top with a map of the mountain peaks

Another beautiful summer day

Greensboro - The Vibes, Culture and Safety

The first two nights in a new place are not the best. I'm not sure if it's the anxiety or the excitement to move to a new place, but it has been a consistent trend in my travel experience. Interestingly enough, when I travel for work and stay in hotels, I don't have that issue. 

In the new Airbnb the bed was fantastic. I was excited to not worry about ants crawling all over me. Everything was so clean, that I really felt very comfortable. There was a thick cozy comforter that I covered myself with that made me feel I was on a cloud. Unfortunately, summers in North Carolina are pretty hot, so I got rid of it on the second night and just used just the thin duvet cover. 

My cat settled in pretty quickly as well. He loved the sunlight coming through the skylight in the morning. He would stretch out on the bed and move as the sun shifted throughout the day. To position himself right in the middle of the most sunny spot. I have no idea how he doesn't get hot. 

Seriously?

The neighborhood was wonderful as well. After a sleepless night I decided to take a walk. It's been a while since I have taken a walk in the neighborhood. I was excited to finally be able to do that. The neighborhood seemed peaceful and quiet and reminded me of the time I lived in New York. I felt safe walking in the neighborhood both day and evenings, the activity I took on daily averaging over 10,000 steps.

I also realized the diversity within Greensboro. It was great seeing a multiracial community with pride flags, Black Lives Matter signs on lawns and more liberal presence.

I met a local who recommended to visit Piedmont Farmers Market about 20 minutes away from where I lived, towards Winston-Salem. On Friday morning that was the first thing that I did. The farmers market was gigantic with several sections. I bought a whole bunch of produce including strawberries, tomatoes and cucumbers. The following morning I also stopped by the even more local market - The Corner Farmer's Market - which I liked even more. Here I found my favorite stand where I could buy fresh eggs, vegetables from the small farmer. Maybe it's strange, but I love to see eggs unwashed knowing where they're coming from. I guess you know where eggs come from in general, but when they're coming from pasture-raised chickens they are even better. I also bought kombucha, although I didn't find it that good after all. 

I decided to go on a hike to Bill Craft Trail and spent a few hours in the woods. It was so exciting to have a hike only 10 to 15 minutes away from my rental. On Sunday, I decided to hike another trail - Piedmont trail - that was probably my favorite throughout the whole stay in Greensboro. I got a message later that day from my host who invited me to have pizza with them and drinks. We had a great time together. This is one of those reasons why I decided to travel. Meeting people in a casual atmosphere is something that allows you to learn about the neighborhood and also gives some perspective on what the area is like.

Piedmont trail

Piedmont trail

After figuring out that the Internet speed would not be ideal if I do a major presentation at work, I started researching my options. I went to several local libraries, which were within 10 to 15 minutes. Surprisingly, only one had an enclosed outdoor area where I could potentially do a presentation without disturbing anyone else. Only one library had Internet strong enough where I could do a presentation from my car. That was definitely unexpected. I had to figure out an alternative. I spoke with the host about the issue, and they quickly contacted AT&T to upgrade their speeds. The following week they had somebody doing the upgrade. I didn't think it was going to solve the issue because there was no node in the apartment itself, just multiple extenders from their house. After the upgrade the speeds did not change much for me. It was still doable to work from home, but the calls were a bit choppy. After another week of that I spoke with the host again who called The Geek Squad. Finally, they installed the new extender in the apartment resolving the issue. I had only one week remaining at this place, but the Internet was fantastic.

During one of the weeks, I met with a girl in Winston-Salem who I met on Bumble BFF, and we walked around the garden in Reynolda Village. She invited me to go join her and a few other girls at a concert on Saturday evening. After hiking Owl Roost Trail in the morning, I headed to Winston-Salem and walked around the downtown. I stopped at the bar and got a peach cider. I asked the bartender why the downtown was so empty, and she said that the town has become like that after the COVID pandemic. Also, it was the summer break and most students have already left. I didn't get a very positive feeling there. Somehow it was not the place for me. I was so tired that after eating a large ice cream I decided to skip the concert and head home. 

The following morning I hiked another trail not far away from the farmers market. Cascades Preserve trail was only 2 1/2 miles, but I encountered a snake and found a turtle.

I also started to frequent the local bakery where I've been purchasing a variety of pastries. It has become my Saturday tradition to get a few pastries there right after visiting The Corner Farmer's Market. I was settling in my routine again. This routine didn't seem bad though. Greensboro felt like home, although I realized quickly that the neighborhood I was living in was one of their more pricey neighborhoods. In fact, I later found out that my hosts were real estate developers owning multiple properties in town.

I could see myself living here, but in the meanwhile the time in Greensboro was coming to an end. I packed my things once again and headed to Rougemont to the most expensive rental thus far. I had high expectations, but Greensboro also set the bar pretty high, so I was worried to be disappointed.

Farmer's Markets + More Hiking in Greensboro, NC

I love having access to fresh fruit and vegetables. I have been spoiled with sweet strawberries, juicy organic blueberries in Fresno and blackberries that I gathered on the side of the road back in Napa. During the winter and spring months living in Tennessee, traveling to Kentucky and North Carolina, I have not had as much access. Don't get me wrong, I can always go to supermarkets to get what I need, but the quality of it is not the same, tasteless strawberries, underripe tomatoes, barely sweet apples... With the start of the season, I was impressed by Amish produce, but few places have good size communities. I also have seen the expansion of farmer's markets back in Knoxville as well as in Greensboro.

There are two farmer's markets I have visited thus far. One is right in Greensboro, The Corner Farmer's Market. It is a small market that offers pretty much anything you might need. I stopped by a small farmer Armstrong Artisan Farm where I bought a dozen of pasture raised eggs that are incredibly delicious and some kale. I stopped by a lady who makes her own kefir and kombucha and got a 32 oz jar of peach kombucha (I wish she made something with ginger!). 

I waited in line to buy some strawberries, but then decided to get them elsewhere. I haven't ordered anything online yet, but I am going to! The orders are put in a paper bag, and the only thing you need to do is to pick it up.

Another market I like is Piedmont Farmer's Market about 15-20 minutes from Greensboro. Now this market is gigantic attracting vendors from all over. Their produce is a bit more from "big scale" farms, which I am not a huge fan of, but I found one lady who sells amazing tomatoes. I also bought strawberries and a large bunch of collard greens (I mean it's so large, I have nowhere to store it besides outside on the porch. I am also a bit concerned about pesticide usage as I have yet to find a truly organic farm at this market. It used to be a more popular thing in California, but here it is a rarity.

One thing to note about this farmer's market is that while it opens at 7 am, the vendors don't start their sales until 9. I found out about this the hard way by showing up at. 7.30 am and deciding to go on a hike until 9 to buy some vegetables.

The hike, on the other hand, was fantastic. Cascades Preserve Loop was on my local list as an easy hike. This early in the morning it turned out to be a very peaceful hike as well. The parking lot across the road is small. Another car was leaving as I pulled in making me the party of 1 for this trail.

I love the shade of the woods, especially when the sun is still barely rising. There were a few streams, albeit pretty low flowing. I guess no major rain events and high heat exhaust the stream supply. One section of the hike, about 15 minutes in was particularly special. I am not sure why, but as I approached this spot below, there was this pure energy of happiness around it. I sometimes find spots like this in other hikes, but it is pretty rare. It's not that there is something incredibly beautiful in front of you, it's the feeling.

Somewhere mid-way I found a bench overlooking the stream. I sat on it for a minute (until the mosquitos and annoying flies got to me) and took this photo.

The view of the stream

The second part of the hike was filled with animal interactions. I found a turtle and this gorgeous black racer crossing the trail.

Eastern box turtle - not even afraid!

Black racer

In just 2 miles round trip, I have fulfilled my daily quota of nature enjoyment. It was time to get back.

Exploring Greensboro, NC and Winston-Salem, NC

My adventures in Greensboro started with local trails. As I discovered, there are quite a few of them within 15-20 min driving distance. These are not typical urban greenways, but actual trails in the woods, albeit more densely trafficked. 

The first trail I hiked was Bill Craft Trail, just under 7 miles round trip in distance with minimal elevation gain. While I enjoyed the trail, it just felt a bit long. Maybe it was because the trail itself was not super challenging or because it was really narrow that I had to navigate carefully not brushing against any grass to avoid ticks (somehow I wore capris instead of my typical long pants). The last part of the trail was the most interesting as it ended with a nature classroom, something that I have not seen in too many places.

After resting for several hours I got bored and decided to hike another trail later in the early evening the same day around Hamilton Lakes. It was more of an urban hike, but the lake was really nice regardless. I would consider hiking this trail again as it was more of a walk, not a true hike.

Piedmont Trail was my favorite so far. This was a true hike in the woods next to a body of water. Early in the morning few people were around, so peace and quiet was there without any doubt (well, until 10 am or so). The trail was around 5.5 miles round trip with little elevation gain, but there was something about it that made it special. Maybe it were the birds singing with no other sounds around, or possibly the feeling of soft pine needles and leaves under the hiking shoes, or even the shade created by the trees, but this trail was special.

One day after work, I went to check out Guilford Courthouse Monuments Trail, a short one mile trail in the historical park with monuments for the Revolutionary War battle. It was really hot that day, so any elevation gain (and there was very little, if any) felt like torture. I am not sure I would repeat this hike again, but it's a nice walk in the shade with elements of history if you like that kind of stuff. I somehow did not even take any pictures of anything there. I guess that tells you how much I enjoyed the hike.

Owl's Roost Trail was the most recent hike. It was more of a biking trail as I have encountered more bikers than I even wished I would. The trail started out with loud frogs and a fishing pond, but continued further into the woods along a real body of water. Without bikers it would have been a nice hike, similar to Piedmont trail, but some of them were pretty obnoxious and rude reminding me why I am an introvert and prefer to stay away from people. It was a pleasant hike nevertheless. Even though the trail goes along the lake, you hardly can see it as the trees cover most of the view. In some spots the foliage opens up showing lake water reflecting the sky. I don't mind no views on these hikes. The hike itself is usually rather peaceful (or almost peaceful).

Mailbox in the woods - a spot to leave a note

Finally, I checked out Winston-Salem today by walking downtown and near the college. I somehow expected more from this pathway (I can't truly call it a trail), but there were a few nice views.

I originally planned to go to a show later as I got the ticket, but after walking in the heat, having a mango cider at Dogwood Hops and Crops and eating an insane portion of ice cream from Chill Nitro, I felt tired with no motivation to disturb my nightly routine of going to bed early (the show was to start at 8 PM, way past my bed time). What can I say? At first I thought I was boring, but I just choose different priorities in life that at times incorporate other people/activities.