Our State/April/Perfect Weekend/1,269 words

By Ralph Grizzle

This month marks four years since my wife and I left Greensboro to live in Asheville. Though we return often to the Triad--my children's grandparents live there--we seldom get a chance to experience Greensboro as tourists.

But we came back in early February to do just that. Our goal was to try to experience the best that the Gate City had to offer in just two days. We set out to make the perfect weekend, or at least, to make this particular weekend as close to perfect as we could.

We began by dropping our kids off at their grandparents. Thus liberated, we headed for the new O. Henry Hotel, a rise of red brick conveniently located near Friendly Center.

The stately hotel evokes the grandeur of the original O. Henry, which stood in downtown Greensboro from 1919 until being demolished in 1978. The new hotel was designed, as were hotels at the turn of the century, to be a part of the community. Thus, the O. Henry's fine restaurant, the Green Valley Grill, features a separate entrance, a doormat, if you will, for local residents.

Upon entering the hotel itself, you step into a beautiful, warm-toned lobby. The design, inspired by the English arts & crafts style, incorporates wood-paneled walls that were crafted from Carolina yellow pine. The dark-stained panels combined with Hunter green trim makes for a masculine room. The lobby's new leather sofas and chairs were made to appear old by repeatedly sanding and staining the leather. Even though the O. Henry opened less than six months ago, the ambience creates the impression that the hotel has been here for a long time. "I wanted guests to walk into this hotel and ask, 'Why haven't I stayed here before?'" says designer Don Rives.

It's important to note that my wife and I were guests of the hotel (the regular $174 per night rate--$152 for AAA and AARP members--was waived for us) and that the O. Henry regularly advertises in this magazine. Still, the O. Henry is a remarkable hotel. Even if you were to strip away the over-sized accommodations, excellent service and wonderful restaurant and bar, you'd still have one of the things we liked best about the O. Henry: proximity. All that we wanted to do in Greensboro during our perfect weekend was located within walking distance of our front door.

Across the street is Friendly Center. This shopping center, originally opened in 1957, is a telling example of how to successfully manage a retail-shopping establishment. "The secret of our success is that we have not stood still," says Bill Hansen, director of property management for Friendly Center.

Renovations began in 1992 and have continued since. Spanking new shops include an Ann Taylor Loft and Chicos, which opened in February. Also new is a multiplex theater, The Grande.

Other shops include Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Eddie Bauer, Victoria's Secret, The Gap and more. Friendly Center also boasts several restaurants, including the fine establishment, Harpers, and the ever-popular Jay's Deli.

If you wanted to make a shopping extravaganza out of your perfect weekend, you could stay in the O. Henry and the only time you'd need to handle the keys to your car would be to open the trunk to load the goods. Of course, Greensboro does offer much more beyond Friendly Center, including the boutique shops at State Street and the antique stores in Olde Greensborough.

For our perfect weekend, we wanted a place where we could relax, do some shopping and get some good food. We also enjoy walking, and Greensboro provides plenty of opportunities for that. Within walking distance of the O. Henry are two parks: Bicentennial Park, a beautiful garden, and the Bog Garden, a marsh of ferns, bamboo and other plants.

To get to the Bog Garden and Bicentennial Park from the O. Henry, walk out of the front door, turn left on Green Valley Road, then right on Northline Road through Friendly Center. Continue until you reach Hobbs Road, about a 15-minute walk, and turn right. Bicentennial Gardens is just a few minutes ahead on your left. Turn right on Starmont Farms Road to reach the Bog Garden.

You will want to feed the ducks at the Bog Garden, so be sure to carry some bread, which you can get at the Great Harvest Bread Company in Friendly Center. Ask for "duck bread," and, if available, you'll receive a bag for free. On our way back from the parks, we stopped to browse books and have a cup of coffee at Barnes & Noble Booksellers.

Another pleasant walk within reach of the hotel begins across the parking lot from the O. Henry. Head for the sidewalk alongside Bryan Blvd., turning right. About five minutes ahead, you will come to a junction where you can join a paved walking trail.

Heading away from the O. Henry will take you as far as the UNC campus. Heading toward the hotel will take you as far as the Arboretum, a little trickier to get to as the path skirts a wide road for some of the way, but well worth it if you are up for a long walk.

For any of these walks, you will want to start with a hearty breakfast. For its guests, the O. Henry offers a complimentary buffet breakfast, served in a sunlit pavilion that looks out on an English-style garden. If the buffet is not your style, Jay's Deli in Friendly Center can get you off to a good start.

For lunch and dinner, Greensboro offers many fine establishments. On the first evening of our stay, we dined at Revival Grill at Guilford College Shopping Center. The recommendation was the Revival Grill's ever-popular crispy flounder, but I opted for the Porterhouse, a cut of Angus beef topped with a delicious Gorgonzola cream sauce. My wife chose pan-sautéed Grouper topped with a white wine and lemon butter sauce–and adorned with capers. For dessert, we shared a chocolate mousse torte topped with caramel. Our bill, with wine and tip, was about $70.

The next evening, we dined at the hotel's Green Valley Grill. For appetizers, we shared a dish called "Expensive Mushrooms and Fancy Grits," moderately priced despite the name. The grits resembled polenta and were topped with chopped tomatoes and portobello mushrooms. We followed that with Steak Salad, topped with Gorgonzola crumbles. With a glass of wine and tip, our bill totaled $48.

Of course, you can only do so much in one weekend. And your tastes, both in restaurants and things to do, may differ from ours. But Greensboro really does offer some wonderful choices for nearly everyone.

Golfers can choose from no fewer than 19 golf courses, including the two fine courses at Bryan Park. History buffs will find great museums and historic sites, including Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. Visitors may choose to begin their morning, afternoon or evening walk at the military park, with more than 200 acres of wooded walking trails, monuments, memorials and exhibits.

If you are still in the mood for more Revolutionary War history, venture over to nearby Tannenbaum Historic Park where you can take in the new diorama depicting the 1781 Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

Whatever your interest, the Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau can provide a wealth of free information on almost anything of interest in the Gate City. To plan you perfect weekend, call the folks there at 800-344-2282.