Tour Itineraries

Tour Itinerary 1

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Tour Itinerary 2

8:30 am - Enjoy a hearty breakfast and prepare for a day outdoors.

9:30 am - Arrive at the Tanger Family Bicentennial Gardens and David Caldwell Historic Park. Enjoy seven gardens offering an exotic experience in sight, smell and touch. The Garden of Fragrance is very popular because of its unique scents and the bronze sculpture, "The Student," commemorating the David Caldwell Log College.

10:30 am - Stroll across the street and visit the Bog Garden. This unique park features a half-mile elevated wooden walkway providing easy and safe access through the garden, allowing you the rare opportunity of venturing inside a bog. Enjoy viewing the more than 8,000 individually labeled trees, shrubs, ferns, bamboo and wildflowers, as well as wildlife indigenous to a bog.

11:30 am - Nearby is the Friendly Center & The Shops at Friendly, one of Greensboro's most popular open air shopping centers. Choose from an array of unique restaurants that offer everything from fast food to casual dining experiences.

1 pm - Drive over to the nearby Greensboro Arboretum and discover the area's newest treasure. The 17-acre arboretum includes nine permanent plant collections of various species that provide appeal throughout the year. Special displays and features include a hosta and wildflower trail, gazebo, rhododendron garden, vine covered overlook and arbor, a butterfly garden and a lighted fountain.

3 pm - Return to your hotel for an afternoon siesta. Call the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department (336-373-2574) to see if there is a concert in the park tonight.

5:30 pm - Pick up a picnic dinner from any of Greensboro's restaurants or caterers, and head to one of the city's parks. Enjoy a quiet evening, or hit the tennis courts.

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Tour Itinerary 3

8:15 am - Depart the hotel for a trip to the NC Zoo. (NOTE: It takes a full day to tour the entire zoo.) So, put on some comfortable shoes. Here we go!

9 am - See more than 800 wild, African animals living in large, natural habitats at the NC Zoo. Stroll along shady pathways to visit animals in eight large outdoor exhibits. Giraffes, baboons, lions and more. Marvel at the brightly colored tropical birds in the R.J. Reynolds Forest Aviary, one of the top 10 zoo exhibits in the United States. Discover more than 200 animals in the African Pavilion, including Colobus monkeys, Meerkats, Weaver birds and the like. Enjoy watching herds of antelope leap and run across the 37-acre African Plains.

1:30 pm - Enjoy lunch at the zoo in a beautiful setting.

2:30 pm - Spend the rest of the afternoon at the zoo's newest exhibit, North America. From arid deserts to dense swamps to cold northern coasts, you will experience the rich diversity of the continent's wildlife. See alligators bask in the Cypress Swamp exhibit. Watch polar bears swim the waters of the rocky coast. Observe bison as they roam the grassy expanse of the prairie. Don't forget the indoor desert with Saguaro cactus, roadrunners and rattlesnakes.

Or

See exhibits of North Carolina Pottery and related activities from prehistoric Native American times to the present. The center provides maps, information and displays to assist visiting more than 90 potters in the Seagrove area and hundreds of potters across the state. Only 45 minutes from Greensboro, the Seagrove area is one of the largest communities of working potters in the country tracing its roots back to the 18th century. Potters maintain individual shops throughout the rolling countryside. Many are nationally and internationally recognized for their work. Hours Tues-Sat 10am-4pm. Closed Christmas Eve-Jan 1, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Thanksgiving. Admission fee: 250 East Avenue., Seagrove. (336) 873-8430. www.ncpottery.com.

5 pm - Travel back to your hotel in Greensboro. Look back over your zoo postcards, and show off your pretty new pots. Rest up and refuel for the evening.

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Tour Itinerary 4

8 am - Start the day with a delicious breakfast in the hotel.

9 am - Travel just east of the city to the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum at Historic Palmer Institute, which honors an African-American woman. The site was formerly the location of the Palmer Institute, a black preparatory school established and founded by Brown in 1902.

12 noon - Tour the Hoskins House & Tannenbaum Historic Park, a seven and a half acre park that was the 18th-century farmstead of Joseph Hoskins. Hoskins served the Guilford County community as a constable, tax collector and sheriff. During the Revolutionary Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Hoskins' land served as a staging area for British troops under Cornwallis' command. Plan to tour the Colonial Heritage Center - it's both informative and fun! The hands-on displays are a favorite.

1:15 pm - Don't miss the Old Mill of Guilford, a working, water-powered gristmill where you can experience the sights and smells of another era. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the mill also features a gift shop with stone-ground meals, honey, ham and an assortment of pottery and crafts.

2 pm - Another historic landmark worth seeing is Castle McCulloch, a restored 19th-century gold refinery built from granite and nestled on 60 wooded acres in Jamestown. The castle includes a moat, walking trails and the Crystal Garden
reception hall.

3:30 pm - Not too far from the castle is Mendenhall Plantation. This early 19th-century Quaker plantation houses a museum, art gallery, and one of two existing false-bottom wagons used to transport runaway slaves during the time of the Underground Railroad.

4:30 pm - Return to the hotel for a short rest.

6:30 pm - Depart for the Barn Dinner Theatre. Enjoy cocktails and a gourmet buffet. After dinner, the "magic stage" will descend from the ceiling for a delightful Broadway show.

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Tour Itinerary 5

8:30 am - Enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the hotel restaurant.

10 am - Arrive at the Greensboro Cultural Center at Festival Park. This arts showplace is home to 15 visual and performing arts organizations, plus four art galleries featuring various exhibits with gift shops. The galleries include the African-American Atelier, Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art and ArtQuest, Center for Visual Artists and the Guilford Native American Art Gallery. Walk across the street to Center City Park. Enjoy the park's beautiful running fountain and many unique sculptures that relates Greensboro's history through art.

12 noon - Stay in the downtown area for lunch. Restaurants in and around the Cultural Center offer everything from salads and sandwiches to full-course meals.

1:30 pm - Stop by North Carolina A&T State University and visit the University Galleries offering collections from world art and community ethnic groups.

2:45 pm - Arrive at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to visit the Weatherspoon Art Museum, located in the Anne and Benjamin Cone Building. Nationally recognized for its outstanding collection of 20th-century American art, Weatherspoon features works from its permanent collection in addition to changing exhibits.

4 pm - Depart for the hotel to enjoy a leisurely swim or exercise in the fitness area.

5:30 pm - Start the evening by dining at one of Greensboro's many restaurants. Choose from the selection of events held at the Carolina Theatre, Greensboro Coliseum Complex or First Horizon Park for your evening's entertainment.

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Tour Itinerary 6

8:30 am - Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and prepare yourself for a full day of exploration.

10 am - Arrive at the Greensboro Historical Museum, and discover the fun and fascination of history. Among the 10,000 artifacts housed in the museum, you will find churns and sewing machines; a dagger found on the battlefield at Guilford Courthouse; a letter from the great short-story writer O. Henry to his sweetheart; Dolley Madison's, wife of the fourth president of the United States, snuff box; and phonograph records from the 1920s. Also, enjoy the gardens, cemetery, two restored log houses and the Hockett Blacksmith Shop.

11 am - Arrive at Blandwood Mansion, home of former North Carolina Gov. John Motley Morehead. Blandwood Mansion, a treasure of architectural and historical significance, was built as a farmhouse in the 1790s and redesigned as a Tuscan villa in 1844. Blandwood Mansion is a National Historic Landmark.

12:30 pm - Arrive in Old Greensborough where you will be captivated by the historic buildings and unique shops. Located in downtown Greensboro, Old Greensborough is a cluster of history dating back to the turn of the century and before. Enjoy a tour of craft, furniture and antique shops and purchase whatever strikes your fancy.

1:30 pm - While touring Old Greensborough, you'll be delighted to have lunch at one of the many downtown restaurants. Choose from menus with everything from hamburgers to hoagies, soups to salads to sandwiches to pasta and more.

3 pm - Enjoy shopping and browsing in Old Greensborough.

6 pm - After a rest from the day's activities, enjoy dinner at one of Greensboro's fine restaurants.

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Tour Itinerary 7

8:30 am - After a good night's sleep, enjoy a continental breakfast in your hotel and prepare for a day of fun and games.

10 am - Arrive at Celebration Station with friends and family. This recreational and amusement facility features miniature golf, water bumper boats, go-carts, games and more. Spend the morning here, and enjoy lunch in the themed restaurant before you leave.

12:30 pm - If you're here between Memorial Day and Labor Day, don't miss Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe Water Park - the Carolina's largest water park. This 45-acre park, with more than 36 water rides and attractions, is a family favorite.

Or visit an art gallery for children - ArtQuest in the Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art. Children can enjoy hands-on activities dealing with clay, paper, computers, paint and other materials.

At any time of the year, travel just a few minutes south of Greensboro to the Richard Petty Museum. The Museum houses unique displays of the seven-time Winston Cup Series Champion's race cars, trophies and awards, a mini-theatre, photos and more.

While you're in the area, stop by Seagrove to see traditional North Carolina pottery. Enjoy demonstrations of pottery making, and perhaps purchase pottery made by the eighth or ninth generation of potters in Seagrove.

5:30 pm - Return to the hotel, and relax prior to dining at one of Greensboro's fine restaurants.

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Tour Itinerary 8

8 am - After a hearty breakfast in your hotel, put on your walking shoes and prepare to tour some of Greensboro's manufacturers.

9:30 am - The first stop is Greensboro's famous Replacements Ltd., which boasts the largest inventory of obsolete, active and inactive china, crystal and flatware patterns in the world. The free tour begins with a guided walk through the warehouse areas and ends with a visit to the showroom. The showroom offers giftware, antiques, one-of-a-kind items, collectibles and special purchases of table- ware. Thirty-minute tours begin at 9:30 a.m. and are offered seven days a week until 6:30 p.m. Replacements, Ltd. is located off I-85/40 at Mount Hope Church Road, exit 132 between Greensboro and Burlington. Call 336-697-3000 or 800-562-4462.

4 pm - The Triad area is known worldwide for its furniture manufacturing. If you are interested in visiting any of the discount furniture stores and ordering some new furniture, this is the time to do it. Suggestions on places to visit can be found in many of the shopping guides available in the area.

5 pm - Return to the hotel and rest before venturing out to one of Greensboro's unique restaurants.

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Tour Itinerary 9

You've had a fun-filled day in Greensboro, and now you're ready for a night on the town. Pick and choose from any of these entertaining options:

Sports
Greensboro Grasshoppers Baseball - Cheer for a professional Class-A farm club for the Florida Marlins and enjoy America's favorite pastime with a variety of foods and beverages. Games played at NewBridge Bank Park, located at the corner of Bellemeade and N. Eugene Streets, run from April to September. Call 336-268-BALL for tickets.

Carolina Dynamo Professional Soccer Club - Enjoy action packed soccer at Macpherson Stadium, Bryan Park. May through August. Call 336-316-1266 for tickets.

Music and Theatre
Community Theatre of Greensboro - The CTG has been presenting non-traditional, original and Broadway plays for more than 45 years. Its Studio Theatre is located in the Greensboro Cultural Center at Festival Park at 200 North Davie St. Call 336-333-7470 for show information.

Eastern Music Festival - Enjoy more than 60 summer concerts from symphonic works to chamber music by professionals and talented students from around the world for five weeks. Most concerts are performed at Dana Auditorium at Guilford College. Call 336-333-7450 for more information.

Greensboro Ballet - A traditional December production of "The Nutcracker" is just one of the many artistic and educational activities offered. Come see why this Greensboro group is growing by leaps and bounds. Call 336-333-7480 for a detailed schedule of events.

Greensboro Opera Company - Local and international talent combine every November in an annual, full-scale production performed in the original language with English supertitles. Other activities include special events, educational opportunities and related activities throughout Greensboro. Please call 336-273-9472 for performance information.

Greensboro Symphony Orchestra - Hear classical and pops concerts and enjoy educational programs for young listeners throughout the year. Most concerts are held at War Memorial Auditorium. Call 336-333-7490 for information.

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Tour Itinerary 10

8 am - Wake up to a delicious breakfast at your hotel.

8:30 am - Head out to one of Greensboro's many golf courses! Golf is always in season, as the mild climate allows play on some of North Carolina's most challenging and well-designed courses year-round.

Bryan Park Complex offers two golf courses for the discriminating golfer. The Players Course is an 18-hole championship layout featuring 79 bunkers and eight ponds/lakes. The Championship Course, designed by nationally-renowned architect Rees Jones, features 97 sand traps, grass bunkers and hollows and seven waterholes bordering scenic Lake Townsend. Bryan Park Complex is located at 6275 Bryan Park Rd. in Browns Summit, six miles north of Greensboro. Call (336) 375-2200 for information.

Grandover Resort and Conference Center offers two outstanding 18-hole courses designed by former U.S. Open Champion David Graham. Picturesque courses with varied, natural terrain plus a driving range and practice putting green make for a great golf outing. You can try 22 other courses while you're in the area - something for the novice, as well as the semi-pro!

12 noon - Now that you've worked up a sweat, it's time to savor an icy cold drink and scrumptious lunch. Try any of Greensboro's taverns.

1 pm - Head over to the Guilford College Gallery. View rotating selections of fine arts and crafts. Located at 5800 West Friendly Ave. on the Guilford College campus. Call 336-316-2438.

2 pm - Stop by the Irene Cullis Gallery at the Greensboro College Gallery. Exhibitions are scheduled from August through June. The gallery shows six exhibits each year. Located at the Cowan Building on the Greensboro College campus. Call 336-272-7102.

3 pm - Have a snack and a cappuccino at a local coffee house.

4 pm - Shop 'til you drop at Four Seasons Town Centre, one of the Southeast's largest enclosed malls. Four Seasons offers 200 department stores, specialty shops and restaurants. Catch a fashion show, art display or other special event that is regularly featured at the unique Centre Court. Located at I-40 and High Point Road.

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Tour Itinerary 11

8 am - Enjoy a delicious Southern-style breakfast, and get ready to explore Greensboro's African-American history.

A note of interest: The Guilford College campus is known as the location of a Hiding Place or Underground Railroad Network, where Vestal and Levi Coffin helped escaped slaves flee to the North from 1830 until the end of the Civil War. A commemorative marker is located on West Friendly Avenue.

10 am - Head downtown to the historic district of Old Greensborough, and visit the site of the famous F.W. Woolworth Company (now closed), where on Feb. 1, 1960, four NC A&T State University students sat at the then segregated lunch counter and were refused service. Thus began the first sit-in. Woolworth is now being renovated and preserved by the Sit-In Movement, Inc. as an international civil rights museum, housing research laboratories, workshop space, classrooms and a bookstore. The museum is still under construction and can only be viewed from the outside.

11 am - Stroll through the Greensboro Historical Museum where the sit-ins are commemorated in a striking exhibit. The Cultural Center is home to the African-American Atelier, which showcases local African-American artists.

12:30 pm - Enjoy lunch at one of over 43 unique restaurants downtown. Stroll along South Elm Street as sidewalk makers chronicle six chapters in local African American history, raning from a fugitive slave on the Underground Railroad through the first African-American state Supreme Court Justice.

1:30 pm - Visit Greensboro's colleges, which offer a mecca of African- American history. NC A&T State University is home to the University Galleries which houses one of the largest collections of African culture between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. World art and community ethnic groups are also showcased with tributes to astronaut Ron McNair and Rev. Jesse Jackson. Holgate Library at Bennett College for Women features paintings by Varnette Honeywood.

3 pm - Top off your day with a visit to the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum at Historic Palmer Institute, the first historic site to honor an African-American and a woman. It was formerly the Palmer Institute, a preparatory school established in 1902 by Dr. Brown. Enjoy exhibits, tours and audiovisual presentations.

5 pm - Return to your hotel, and prepare for an evening of ethnic entertainment at one of the colleges in the area.

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