A couple of long faces showed up in downtown Winston-Salem the other night.
It's not that Bo and Doc were sullen, mind you. They're horses. And they are the newest fixtures on the Winston-Salem party scene.
Bo and Doc are Belgian quarter-horses who will provide the, um, horse power for the Camel City Carriage Company. The company is Toni Phillips' venture.
Last night, she launched the company, which will provide horse-drawn carriage rides from the West End to Trade Street. Along the way, the carriage will stop at restaurants, coffee shops, bars and other designated spots. A one-way ride is $6.
Phillips is a real-estate agent who loves horses and the West End, where she lives with her husband, David.
For a few years, she and George Bryan, the president of The Children's Home, talked about having horses at the home's farm for the children to enjoy.
Phillips came up with a plan to board horses at the farm and start a carriage business that would serve her favorite part of the city. Over the summer, she turned 40 and decided it was time to act.
Phillips bought Bo and Doc, named after musicians Bo Diddley and Doc Watson, from a farm in South Carolina.
"We were trying for Winston and Salem, but they didn't look like a Winston or Salem," she said.
Several local businesses bought advertising that will be displayed on the wooden carriage.
Janine Vlasis, who owns The Old Fourth Street Filling Station, is one of the advertisers.
"I just think it adds charm to an already charming city," she said. "You see it in charming old towns, certainly Charleston and downtown Wilmington. It's just a different way to see a historic part of town."
The route will begin near The Old Fourth Street Filling Station and the Zevely House, which is across the street.
From there, it will travel along Fourth Street, which could cause some congestion when traffic is heavy, said Keith Redmon, a sergeant in the traffic unit with the Winston-Salem Police Department.
"After 7 or 8 o'clock, when it dies down, there would be less of a problem, but that remains to be seen," he said.
The route will then continue to Trade Street to its intersection with Seventh Street, then loop back to the West End.
Rides will be offered on Thursday to Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. The carriage can seat eight. Phillips hopes to expand the business to include themed carriage rides that will focus on history and story-telling.
Bo and Doc have pulled carriages before and have already learned their stops in Winston-Salem. Phillips, her husband and other family members will drive the horses. Phillips also is training some of the staff at The Children's Home farm.
The carriage and the horses will be available to the staff there to lead tours around the farm.
Oh, and the horses will be wearing manure catchers.
"I produce green," Phillips said.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement