goTriad.com

During these dog days of summer, we often want to leave town for a beach or mountain getaway. But there's no need to hit the road for summer fun. Greensboro offers plenty of hidden treasures that'll keep you cool and busy all season.

Don't let the summer pass you by. Here are some must-do things in Greensboro to experience before the summer ends.

Brush up on history

Learning history from a textbook is boring. But at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, you can trace the footsteps of Gen. Nathanael Greene, who commanded the American forces against Lord Charles Cornwallis and the British Army during the Revolutionary War’s pivotal Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Trails lead through the park’s leafy forest and grassy expanses, past nearly 30 historical markers and statues honoring major players and key moments in the war. 2332 New Garden Road, www.nps.gov/guco

More history awaits downtown at the new International Civil Rights Center & Museum, which opened in February. Housed in the former Woolworth, where four N.C. A&T students staged lunch counter sit-ins in 1960. The center features interactive exhibits telling the history of the movement. 134 S. Elm St., 274-9199, www.sitinmovement.org

Outdoor flicks

Center City Park’s Center City Cinema lets you enjoy movies under the stars. At 8 p.m. every third Friday through October the park features outdoor screenings of family-friendly flicks (“Charlotte’s Web,” Aug. 20; “Hairspray,” Sept. 17; “Akeelah and the Bee,” Oct. 15) while highlighting the work of local nonprofits. Movies are free, with bargain-priced snacks available. 200 N. Elm St., www.centercitypark.org

Backyard bean bags

At most restaurants, you just have to sit there while you wait for a table or your food. But at Lindley Park Filling Station, waiting means extra time to play the game Cornhole. The popular bean bag toss game draws patrons to the eatery’s leafy courtyard for a few rounds of friendly competition before dinner. 2201 Walker Ave., 274-2144, www.lindleyfillingstation.com

Summer sounds

All summer, Greensboro’s parks and university lawns fill with the sounds of free music. Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park concerts feature a variety of genres including Latin rhythms of West End Mambo and the Greensboro Concert Band performing in local parks such as Bur-Mil and Latham. www.musep.info

Waterside dining

What’s better than cold beer and homemade potato chips? Enjoying cold beer and homemade potato chips on a lakeside patio. At Ham’s Lakeside, diners get a front-row seat to watch seagulls, cranes and other waterfowl soaring above tranquil Buffalo Lake. And on Saturday nights, local bands and musicians perform. 699 E. Cone Blvd., 358-1525

Get Wet ’n Wild

Imagine hurtling along a rushing stream of water, spinning 360-degrees and dropping 40 feet — in the dark. On Dr. Von Dark’s Tunnel of Terror at Wet ’n Wild Emerald Pointe, you’ll do just that. The slide, one of only two of its kind in the nation, offers a more thrilling way to cool off. For the less adventurous, more than 30 other rides offer watery fun. 3910 S. Holden Road, 852-9721, www.emeraldpointe.com

Cheesecake on a stick

It’s like the “Golden Girls’ ” dream come true: cheesecake that you can eat anywhere. Cheesecakes By Alex’s frozen cheesecake on a stick is totally portable. No plate or fork necessary. Flavors such as chocolate chip and strawberry get the Popsicle treatment (with optional chocolate coating), getting just cold enough to cling to the stick but not cold enough to hurt your teeth on that first bite. 315 S. Elm St., 273-0970, www.cheesecakesbyalex.com

Take me out to the ball game

Grasshoppers baseball games have it all: a chance to see players who could become the next big stars, dollar beers on Thirsty Thursday, fireworks on Friday and arguably the coolest batgirl in the game –– Babe, the bat-retrieving dog. 408 Bellemeade St., 268-2255, www.gsohoppers.com

Edible Schoolyard

At most museums, patrons are not allowed to touch the exhibits. At the Greensboro Children’s Museum’s Edible Schoolyard, not only can you touch, you can eat the exhibits, too. The only licensed Edible Schoolyard in a museum setting in the nation, the schoolyard’s gardens allow families to learn about growing fresh, organic foods. The museum’s testing kitchen teaches methods for preparing foods with fresh, healthy ingredients. 220 N. Church St., 574-2898, www.gcmuseum.com/edible-schoolyard

Browse local art

Instead of fighting the crowds to shop for the same old chain-store merchandise at the mall, get some fresh air while browsing handmade items by local artists and crafters. At the First Friday Indie Market, from 4 to 9 p.m., local artists gather downtown in an open-air market, selling art, jewelry, home accessories, clothing and more. South Elm and Martin Luther King Jr. streets, firstfridayindiemarkets.blogspot.com

Biking/walking the greenway

With all the traffic and one-way streets, driving downtown can be a bear. Luckily, the Downtown Greenway offers a better way to enjoy the city center. Looping around much of downtown’s neighborhoods, such as Latham and Fisher parks, the paved path allows cyclists, runners and walkers a new way to explore the city, without road rage. www.downtowngreenway.org

Drinks and dancing

Perched on a rooftop in the middle of downtown, Heaven Night Club serves up chilled cocktails and thumping dance beats underneath the stars. Cabanas shrouded in gauzy curtains shield clubgoers from the rest of the crowd, and bar tables along the roof’s wall give a bird’s-eye view of the action on the street below. 113 S. Elm St., 370-1311, www.muchbar.com

Midnight madness

Years ago, midnight movies were a weekend staple. B-list epics and campy slasher films delighted moviegoers willing to stay up late. That late-night movie fun continues.at Midnight Madness Fridays at Carousel Luxury Cinemas. For $5, you can see films such as “The Last House on the Left” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” along with two refreshment tickets good for popcorn, soda or beer. 1305 Battleground Ave., 230-1620, www.carouselbattleground.com

Yum Yum

Every town has a favorite old-fashioned hot dog and ice-cream restaurant. For Greensboro, that spot is definitely Yum Yum Better Ice Cream. Nestled in the heart of UNCG’s campus, the tiny eatery stays packed in the summer with students and locals lining up for chili-laden dogs and ice-cream cones. 1219 Spring Garden St., 272-8284.

Summertime Brews Festival

Featuring local breweries such as Natty Greene’s, Red Oak and Foothills Brewing, as well as craft, import and microbrews from around the world, the Summertime Brews Festival on Aug. 14 is a beer drinker’s dream. Inside the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center, beer connoisseurs crowd around rows of booths, tasting brews ranging from fruity lights to the darkest of the dark. 1921 W. Lee St., www.rock92.com

Lake fun

At Greensboro’s Lake Brandt, people can rent kayaks, canoes and rowboats to explore one of the area’s three reservoir lakes. Anglers may fish for wide-mouth bass, crappie and catfish, and landlubbers may pass the time with archery, environmental education classes and hiking the woods surrounding the lakes. 5945 Lake Brandt Road, 373-3741, www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/Parks

Summer workshops at the Natural Science Center

We all remember those summertime kitchen science projects — making a mess with vinegar and baking soda volcanoes or studying the life cycle of fireflies trapped in Mason jars. But at the Natural Science Center’s summer workshops, kids get to learn about subjects including outer space and lizards, without dirtying the kitchen. 4301 Lawndale Drive, 288-3769, www.natsci.org

Rooftop brunch

Situated just far enough down Elm Street, Ganache’s rooftop patio offers diners a prime view of Greensboro’s growing skyline. Saturday and Sunday brunch is the time to take it all in – the morning air keeps things cool, and the menu offers breakfast and lunch items, such as cheesy omelets and the juicy Ganache burger. 403 N. Elm St., 230-2253, www.ganachebakery.com

Contact Jennifer Bringle at jenniferbringle@gmail.com

topCars

featured ads