- One way to explore a new path is by spending an afternoon in a small town and stopping in its shops and restaurants.

And that's exactly what producer Stephanie Borland did when she visited the small town of Graham in Alamance County.

[soft music] - [Stephanie] One of the stars of downtown Graham's main street is Press, a bustling European inspired restaurant specializing in crepes and coffee.

- We didn't wanna do all the things that normal Graham had already.

We wanted to go outside the box and try something different.

I went to Europe, I watched them make some crepes, I saw what they could do and came back, I was like, we could make crepes, we could do this with a crepery coffee shop.

And it just kind of took off.

- [Stephanie] Press's continued popularity, prompted Brett DeVries to open another in Durham and one in downtown Raleigh.

But it all started right here in Graham 10 years ago with a simple idea of taking familiar ingredients and presenting them in a new way.

- I'm a big sandwich type of guy and the crepe is just the vessel to put the sandwich goodies on the inside and it just worked.

And as the guests would come in, I could sell them on, you know, a bacon egg and cheese biscuit is my down home, which is bacon, egg and cheese in a crepe.

And it just worked.

- [Stephanie] The menu has expanded and it changes seasonally, but one item that's always on the plate is the blueberry with lemon curd crepe.

Darren DeVries gives us a look at another Press favorite.

So tell me about this dish right here.

It looks amazing.

- Thank you.

So this is our avocado toast.

So we use a local source bakery out of Durham.

It's Google Huff Bakery, so we use their sourdough.

It's got an avocado mousse, fresh avocados, local sourced heirloom tomatoes, little bit of balsamic reduction and some goat cheese over top with a lemon wedge for a squeeze over the top of that.

- [Stephanie] O.V.

Yonder Outfitters is just a short walk away and it's the perfect place for an adventure with an indoor 22 foot rock climbing wall.

It's also great for gathering supplies and planning your next excursion.

Carson Talley says his store is one of a kind.

- I think my main thing here is we really just try to sell the experience of just putting a smile on people's faces.

Just seeing how unique this place is and all the different things going on.

I mean, literally there's not a space, a spot in the store you stand and just see something that is either historical, that is interesting, or just something custom that we made.

- [Stephanie] Nearly 90% of the shop was created by Carson and his dad from his own handmade stained glass to repurposed wood pieces.

They even curated a Ferris wheel seat for the shop.

Expert craftsmanship surrounds you as you peruse the merchandise or wait for Carson to make you a cup of coffee.

[soft music] From near or far, folks are finding Graham's treasures, especially inside The Main Line Local Artisan Marketplace.

- I'm from Fargo, North Dakota, so I came a long way and I just wanted to do something fun for the weekend.

So I'm really excited that Sadie took me here.

I think it's just so fun.

The crystals definitely brought me in.

Every time I've come to Graham, this store always kind of like calls out to me.

We were just heading out and so we were gonna go to the boutique down the street and then head out.

But I was like, oh, we have to stop in here 'cause I love the crystals and the vibe in here is just so like calming and serene and it's just, it's really nice.

- [Shopper] It's lovely.

- [Stephanie] And that vibe continues next door at Sandy & Co.

Throughout downtown Graham, nostalgia flows past the historic cinema where the highest ticket price is just four bucks.

And don't forget a stop at the soda shop.

- So the Graham Soda Shop has been around since 1937.

If you were a young kid back then, you could pony up to the bar and if you didn't have any money, you would order what's called a pine float, which is basically water and a toothpick.

Now you can come in, you can get you a Nehi grape soda float, a cherry Coke soda float, get some great hamburgers.

- [Stephanie] After a long day exploring Graham, it's time to relax at a speakeasy.

Right above Press, Fitzgerald & Faulkner takes a note from the literary giants of a bygone era.

- People always ask me, how long you stir?

You stir until it's cold enough.

- [Stephanie] Nate Windham isn't just making a drink, he's re-imagining Fitzgerald's favorite libation.

- He really loved gin rickeys.

And so this is sort of our play, a little play on a gin ricky.

So we're gonna start with gin.

So it's an ounce of gin, a lime cordial, which is like Rose's lime juice, and then a half ounce of Herbsaint, which is one of the original absinthe substitute.

- [Stephanie] Top it off with some sparkling wine and a little lime.

Cheers to a fun filled day spent in downtown Graham and we've only scratched the surface.

- To plan your visit to Graham, go to visitalamance.com.