Welcome to the Carolinas, where rich history meets proximity to the beach and mountains – the perfect combination for attracting various unique attractions. If you like unusual experiences, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’re covering seven of the most notably unique sites within a four-hour drive from Winston-Salem, including – a producer of Italian-style wine, a faux-Mexican-themed attraction, an annual event celebrating Chinese culture, a town succumbing to the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, a Wild West theme park, a real-life Wild West town, and the largest privately owned house in the U.S.
🍷 Raffaldini Vineyards
Raffaldini is a producer of Italian-style dry white and red Appassimento wines. The vineyard is in the Yadkin Valley wine region, which competes with the wines of Napa Valley.
📍 Ronda, NC
🛞 45 min drive from Winston-Salem
🌮 South of the Border
South of the Border is a “world famous” campy Mexican-themed attraction in South Carolina on the halfway point to Myrtle Beach from Winston-Salem. It is so named because it is just south of the border of N.C. The theme alludes to Mexico’s location south of the U.S. border. South of the Border uses comedic billboards to advertise the strange attraction aggressively. At one time, more than 250 billboards were dotting I-95 and other highways from Philadelphia to Daytona Beach. Today, the billboards are more contained, spanning north and south from the Virginia/North Carolina to the South Carolina/Georgia state lines.
📍 Hamer, SC
🛞 2 hour and 20 min drive from Winston-Salem
🏮 The NC Chinese Lantern Festival
The festival is held annually from Nov – Jan to celebrate Chinese culture, mythology, and arts. The lanterns showcase the artistry of Chinese culture, which Chinese artisans handcrafted.
📍 Cary, NC
🛞 1 and a half hour drive from Winston-Salem
🌊 The Inn at Rodanthe
The Inn at Rodanthe is the film location of the big-screen adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel Nights in Rodanthe. The Atlantic Ocean seems to be claiming this Outer Banks town. In 2010, the owners moved the Inn to another oceanfront lot. The Inn is still available for rent for as low as $2,395 – $6,995 per week – What a deal!
📍 Rodanthe, NC
🛞 5-hour drive from Winston-Salem
🚂 Tweetsie Railroad
Tweetsie is a family-oriented Wild West theme park and the second oldest theme park in the South. The main attraction is a 3-mile ride on a train pulled by a historic narrow-gauge steam locomotive. While on the ride, keep your eye out for bandits! That’s right; this ride has live entertainment featuring the Wild West Marshal and his posse fending off outlaws.
📍 Blowing Rock, NC
🛞 1 and a half hour drive from Winston-Salem
🐴 Love Valley
Love Valley is a town in the N.C. foothills, modeled after the Old West towns in Hollywood films. The town has a saloon, a general store, hitching posts, and rodeos. People use horses and horse-drawn vehicles because automobiles aren’t allowed in town limits.
📍 Love Valley, NC
🛞 1-hour drive from Winston-Salem
⛰️ Biltmore Estate and the World’s Fanciest McDonalds
The Biltmore is a historic house, museum, and tourist attraction. The Biltmore is a Châteauesque-style mansion, the largest privately owned home in the U.S.
To maintain the luxurious feel of the estate, the Biltmore Estate is home to the “world’s fanciest McDonalds.” Most of the fast food restaurant’s building is red oak and wrought iron. There is a grand chandelier, a gold leaf fireplace, a baby grand piano, and servers in bowties.
📍 Asheville, NC
🛞 2 hour and 15 min drive from Winston-Salem
