Traveling Pants Trading Company

Statesville got a welcome addition to the downtown shopping area with the recent opening of The Traveling Pants Trading Company. Owned by Brenda and Tom Ralston, this quality consignment shop opened for business December 1, 2009. The shop specializes in clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories and will also consign jewelry, small house-wares and decor items.

The store address is 108 West Broad Street, Statesville, NC 28677 and the operating hours are Monday – Friday 10:00 – 5:30 and Saturday 10:00 – 3:00. You can phone them at (704) 872-4288 or visit their web site at www.travelingpantstrading.com.

The Traveling Pants Trading Company is only about a 15-20 minute walk from The Kerr House Bed and Breakfast.

Daveste Vinyards

Daveste Vineyards (pronounced: dah vess TAY) opened the 1000 case winery in the fall of 2006 and produces several traditional dry red and white french varietals including Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Viognier, Malbec and a Meritage blend.

The tasting room, which overlooks the vineyard, is a 1,500 square-foot rustic timber-frame style which opened in September 2008. Today July 29, 2009 was our first visit since we attended the Statesville Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony last year.

The setting is in a 52-acre rural locale featuring rolling hills, a pond with a waterfall, hiking trails and (of course) fields of grapevines.

The vineyard hosts various events such as the upcoming Wine Dinner January 28, 2010. Please check the “Upcoming Events” link on their website www.daveste.com.

Driving from The Kerr House B&B, Daveste Vineyards is about 15-20 minutes away.

Shadow Springs Vineyard – Hamptonville, NC

Shadow Springs Vineyard

Shadow Springs Vineyard is a fairly new vineyard in the Swan Creek region of the Yadkin Valley in North Carolina. The owners, Chuck and Jamey Johnson, opened the vineyard for visitors in July 2008 with a beautiful 5000 square foot tasting room suitable for parties and business meetings.

We visited on a nice sunny Wednesday about a week or so ago and had a very nice lunch with a glass of wine that was about an equal mix of the “Strawberry Shortcake” and “Dark Shadow” wines that are offered at the vineyard. While we are not usually fond of the sweeter wines, we both like strawberries and chocolate and the combination really was delicious (we bought 3 bottles of each). You cannot purchase lunch items at Shadow Springs but you are welcome to bring your own. We were able to pick up very nice sandwiches and some chips at the Amish-run Shiloh General Store just minutes away from the vineyard.

Besides the wine choices currently being offered at the vineyard, two more will be offered in the fall: Chambourcin and Meritage (a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot). More information about the vineyard can be found on their web site www.shadowspringsvineyard.com. I asked a question about the small white bags that were seen hanging at the end of some of the grapevine rows and was told that they contained bars of Irish Spring soap which apparently keeps the deer away from the grapes, go figure!

Shadow Springs Vineyard is located in the Swan Creek region of Yadkin Valley and is about 31 miles (38 minute drive) from the Kerr House B&B in Statesville, NC. The Swan Creek region now has 5 wineries within about a 5 mile area which makes it perfect for a self-guided wine tour. We will be adding more posts in the (hopefully) near future with information on the other wineries in this area.

Statesville Convention & Visitors Bureau

Statesville Visitors Center

When visiting the Statesville, NC Iredell County area, your first stop should be at the Statesville Visitors Center located at 1551 East Broad Street in Statesville. From I77 North take exit 50 and go through the light at the end of the exit to enter Newtowne Shopping Plaza, look for the visitors center to the right nearest Broad Street. From I77 South, take exit 50 and take a left at the end of the exit, go to the next light and turn left into Newtowne Shopping Plaza.

Libba Barrineau or Sherry Johnson will be happy to answer your questions, provide directions and supply brochures for points of interest in the surrounding area. You can get information online at www.visitstatesville.org or by emailing requests to info@visitstatesville.org. Also, check out the Statesville pages on Facebook and Twitter. Call for information at 704-878-3489 or toll-free at 877-531-1819.

The Visitors Center is open Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Salem Lake Park – Winston-Salem, NC

The park is a Winston-Salem municipal park open to the general public. We visited on a beautiful, sunny Carolina day last week and were impressed by what the park offered.

The park itself covers 1,465 acres which includes the 365 acre lake. At the entrance to the park on the western end, you can find parking, a picnic shelter, and restrooms. There is also a fishing station where you can rent boats, get  a NC boating registration and a NC fishing license. Live bait is available, information can be acquired and there are some concessions.

There is a 6.9 mile fitness trail that circles the lake and offers a very scenic walk or bike ride. Not far from the lake is Old Salem Museum and Gardens.

To get to Salem Lake from The Kerr House Bed & Breakfast in Statesville, NC; head east on Interstate 40. The distance is about 49 miles and the drive takes about 52 minutes. For more information, go to the City of  Winston-Salem’s website  page for Salem Lake Park and you can also get a Salem Park Greenway map in pdf format.

Salem Lake Park - Winston-Salem, NC

Westmoreland Antiques & Collectibles

Westmoreland Antiques & Collectibles is located at 117 S. Center Street, Statesville, NC.  There are two floors of all types of antiques, including (but not limited to) furniture, all types of glassware, paintings and artwork. There are also many collectible items available, coins, postcards, magazines and much more. The exhibit area  covers approximately  18,000  square feet.

We have spent many enjoyable hours browsing in the store during walks downtown. The store occupies a building that housed the first department store in Statesville around the late 1800′s to the early 1900′s. It was advertised as “Ramsey and Bowles – Notions & Dry Goods”. Marshall Edwin Ramsey, the store founder, built the house at 519 Davie Avenue, now known as The Kerr House Bed & Breakfast, in 1891.

Westmorelands does not currently have a web site but you can view some of the items that  they  have available  on eBay at
http://westmorelandantiques.com/
.  You can walk to the store in about 15 minutes from The Kerr House Bed & Breakfast, following in the footsteps of Mr. Ramsey when he used to walk to his old department store.

The Second fret Coffeehouse/Cafe

Second Fret Coffeehouse/Cafe

The Second Fret Coffeehouse was opened for business October 1, 2008 in Statesville, NC. The owner and President is Bob Barber and the manager (a certified barista) is Miranda Baker.

More than a coffeehouse, the Second Fret offers breakfast, lunch and dinner along with a music hall featuring performers both scheduled and unscheduled. Besides coffee drinks, beer and wine is also available.

Second Fret is smoke-free and provides a pleasant relaxing atmosphere. To find hours of operation and schedules for upcoming music events, go to their web site at
http://www.thesecondfret.com/
. The Second Fret is located at 240 West Broad Street in Statesville, NC right near the heart of downtown and about a block away from Mitchell Community College. From the Kerr House Bed and Breakfast you can get to the coffeehouse in about 20 minutes walking.