Tandra Wilkerson: Exploring murals, shops and bar-arcade in Graham

Completed exams left my teenager with unexpected days out of school. This meant an opportunity to explore. With my youngest still in classes, however, we couldn't go far.

New-to-us businesses and artwork in Graham had stirred our wanderlust for a while. The weather was chilly but sunny and allowed us to walk the streets comfortably. We passed many familiar places but a new find also led to a later afternoon hangout.

It's hard to visit Alamance County without noticing art and, in recent years, the murals have created an energy all their own. The popular 'Love, Graham' piece was a community project (2018). My daughters were happy to add their names to it.

Roaming the streets led us to others we hadn't seen or had forgotten about.

Current business hours are as follows for the season:

The arcade is open to all ages until 8 p.m. Afterwards, you must be 21 or older to enter.

Seeing that it was our first visit, we arrived right after doors opened. We quickly found seats and then traded our dollar bills for coins. An ATM and coin machine are located conveniently inside.

My daughters laughed their way from game to game, and I enjoyed watching. There's quite a selection to choose from. I'm sure they played almost everything but some of their favorites were air hockey, Space Invaders, MotoGP, Mortal Combat and basketball.

Powercade seems to be an inviting place for quick family fun, a casual date or meeting up with friends. Enjoy karaoke on Thursday nights from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. And if you're looking for something a bit more private, you can reserve the space for parties outside of business hours.

Other kid-friendly attractions and restaurants we've visited within walking distance: