Riding To Lexinton, NC On Christmas Day

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Main Street Lexington, NC

Holidays and especially Christmas offer an unusual opportunity to ride bicycles on roads that normally the traffic is too heavy on. With almost all the businesses in the city of Lexington, NC closed, today was a perfect day to visit the town's historic "uptown" district. The desire to ride to Lexington has been in the back of my mind for quite some time. Today was the day. It was cloudy with temperatures in the very low 50s and NO RAIN. 

Several years have passed since the last time I rode to Lexington and it took me awhile to remember my route.  As I had expected, once I got there traffic was very light. I was able to ride down Main Street in the business area with no problems.

My ride ended up being a  total distance of just under 52 miles. When I started out on my bike this afternoon the skies were mostly clear and the sun was peaking out. It wasn't long before it became very cloudy. The temperature didn't drop much, but I was getting pretty cold by the time I finished riding. I was glad to get out on my bike and thankful it didn't rain!

The city of Lexington, NC was first settled in 1775. Lexington was incorporated in 1828 by the North Carolina General Assembly and became the county seat of Davidson County in 1847.  The North Carolina General Assembly recognized Lexington as "The Hickory-Cooked Barbecue Capital of Piedmont North Carolina" over 25 years ago.

Lexington Style Barbecue:

“Lexington-style barbecue is generally juicier, smokier, sweeter and milder than its counterpart in eastern North Carolina. Whereas barbecue flavored by wood smoke is only an option in the East, in Lexington it is, with a few exceptions, an unspoken but unyielding expectation. The tangy, red barbecue slaw is usually the spiciest part of a Lexington barbecue sandwich, whereas the milder, creamier coleslaw on an Eastern-style barbecue sandwich is meant to balance the relatively fiery chopped pork.”
—    Bob Garner, author “North Carolina Barbecue”

Scattered around Lexington you will find statues of pigs. These statues are part of the “Pigs in the City” Art Initiative. The pigs are usually decorated in different themes to go with the business or city land mark that they belong to. The three pigs in front of the giant Christmas Tree singing Deck the Halls in the photo above are in the town square. The Lexington Town Square is at the intersections of Center and Main Streets.

Just behind the Christmas Tree is Conrad & Hinkle Food Market. They have been in business at this location since 1919. Conrad & Hinkle are known for their vegetables, fruits, fresh meat department and their homemade pimento cheese and chicken salad. Click here to learn more about Conrad & Hinkle Food Market.

This is the Davidson County Historical Museum. It is located in the "Old Courthouse" on the square. Built in 1858, it has been on the Register of Historic Places since 1971. The building is an excellent example of temple form architecture.

This pig, located in front of the "Old Courthouse", is decorated with images of the building and the dates 1858 - 2008. It is wearing a birthday hat to celebrate the 150th birthday of the "Old Courthouse".

When in Lexington you have to visit The Candy Factory. This store has a wonderful selection of candies and also antiques. This business was started in the front room of the Piedmont Candy Company's manufacturing facility in 1978. Piedmont Candy Company was owned and operated by Robert and Francis Ebelein. The store opened in it's present location in 1979. The candy manufacturing business was sold to the Reid family in 1987. Today The Candy Factory store is operated by the Ebelein's three daughters; Jeanne Leonard, Beth Dean and Leigh Foster. Click here for more information on The Candy Factory.

The pig in front of The Candy Factory is painted like a Peppermint Puff.

 The video below provides information on points of interest when visiting Lexington, NC and the surrounding area. 

Of course we have to celebrate the holidays with a music video. This is the 1958 Chuck Berry Classic Christmas song "Run Rudolph Run". It was written by Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season!