Destination: Greensboro

With the economy in the state it's in, it is very difficult for many of us to justify an expensive vacation to a far-off place. Although it might not be an option for everyone, let me suggest a FABULOUS (and easy) place to visit for residents of the southeastern United States: Greensboro, North Carolina!

When I moved to Greensboro about four-and-a-half years ago for a career opportunity, I had the intention of staying for my two-year contract and moving on. After all, it was what I had done in the past two cities I had lived in: Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and Thomasville, Georgia (both beautiful places, but I am a metropolitan New York-born-and-raised girl who needed my daily dose of the big city). But let me tell you, Greensboro definitely had more in store for me.

I got here in the fall of 2004 and quickly fell in love with the 70-degree weather (with enough crisp fall days thrown in to make me feel like it really was autumn), the glorious changing of the verdant landscape to striking shades of red, gold, and burnt orange (people from all over the world come to North Carolina to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway and be awed by the fall colors), and the expansive, cloudless Carolina-blue skies. My first mild winter (and every mild winter I've spent here since) was a wonderful change from the bitterly cold winters in Wisconsin, and I was overjoyed to be able to call my grandfather in New York on Easter Sunday to tell him I was sitting poolside in 80-degree weather. He laughed, and told me that until he had spoken with me he was excited about their 50-degree day.

I mentioned my need for the big city, and although Greensboro is a city of just over 250,000 as opposed to the 8-million people in New York, downtown Greensboro has undergone quite a renaissance in the past several years and offers tons of fun things to do without being overwhelming. Dozens of trendy boutiques, laid-back taverns, hip nightclubs, and a wide variety of restaurants pepper the downtown area. Greensboro's single-A baseball team, the Grasshoppers (http://www.gsohoppers.com/), boast a state-of-the art new stadium within walking distance of Elm Street, the main drag. Live music, laughter, and the peaceful rushing sound of several fountains float through the air from Center City Park (http://www.centercitypark.org/), Greensboro's 1.9-acre central gathering place in - you guessed it - the center of the city. An upscale high-rise condominium building is currently being renovated (http://www.centerpointegreensboro.com/), adding to the newfound stylishness of downtown. Add those things, along with the new Elon Law School, two theaters, a Children's Museum, the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, and many other attractions, downtown Greensboro (and the city as a whole!) has it going on for both residents and visitors! Check it out online: http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/.