Winston-Salem offers all types of shopping options, thanks to its dual Southern and Moravian heritage. Stratford Place, Stratford Road at I-40 Business (tel. 336/723-2221), offers a collection of specialty shops and restaurants in one locale.

Winston-Salem has a selection of antiques stores, as do the neighboring cities. Those worth a look include Oxford Antiques and Gifts, 131 S. Stratford Rd. (tel. 336/723-7080), and Reynolda Antique Gallery, 114-C Reynolda Village (tel. 336/728-2500). These shops are open Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm.

If rare and old used books are your passion, we recommend a stop at Larry Laster Old and Rare Books, 2416 Maplewood Ave. (tel. 336/724-7544), a great place to make that rare find. Visits are by appointment only and must be made 1 day in advance.

Everything you might ever have associated with the Moravians is available in the cozily claustrophobic premises of the Moravian Gift Shop, 614 S. Main St. (tel. 336/723-6262), where the folkloric and Christmas traditions of the town's earliest settlers remain alive. Expect an inventory of arts and crafts, beeswax candles, Moravian stars in all shapes and sizes, upscale gift items, and a safe and somewhat stodgy collection of conservative reading material. A nearby competitor with roughly equivalent merchandise is T. Bagge, 626 S. Main St. (tel. 336/721-7387).

Winkler Bakery, 529 Main St. in Old Salem (tel. 336/721-7302), is known for its domed and wood-fired brick oven in this shop dating back to the turn of the 19th century. Drop in for a bevy of goodies, including old-fashioned and paper-thin Old Salem Moravian ginger, lemon, sugar, and black walnut cookies.

The funky and appealing Earthbound Arts (Gifts from Nature), 610 N. Trade St. (tel. 336/773-1043), is what you get when you mix a psychedelic-era "head shop" with New Age philosophy, an art gallery, and a dose of hillbilly charm. The result is an emporium of scented soaps that seems to pull you into the nearest bathtub or shower. Also for sale are handcrafted jewelry and scented herbs. Everything on display here shows a great sense of fun and whimsy -- always with a North Carolina accent and a strong sense of the state's mountains and hideaway hollers.

Piedmont Craftsmen, 601 N. Trade St. (tel. 336/725-1516; www.piedmontcraftsmen.org), is richly inventoried with products from more than 350 craftspersons based throughout central North Carolina, each of whom is required by company charter to pass minimum standards of quality, creativity, and originality. As such, its merchandise is more appealing and, in many cases, much more humorous than that found in competing shops. Much of its creative force derives from its founder and executive director, Tomi Melson, who's famous for her pithy, well-articulated company motto. Come here expecting to be charmed.

Just a 7-mile drive north of Winston-Salem is the town of Germanton, settled in 1790 by German immigrants. It's the home of the Germanton Art Gallery and Winery, Hwy. 8, Germanton (tel. 800/322-2894 or 336/969-6121; www.germantongallery.com), where you can find originals and prints by many internationally known artists. The gallery is an authorized dealer for art dealers all over the world. The wines are well worth tasting; the climate of the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains provides an ideal setting for the French-American hybrid grape to flourish. Allow time for shopping, and bring a credit card. Open Tuesday to Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.