Raleigh, North Carolina is a fast-growing yet slow-moving city. Visit the city to have a relaxing vacation by taking in cultural sites such as the N.C. Museum of History and fun places like Artspace and Cameron Village.
Raleigh is the fast-growing capital city of North Carolina. Part of the Research Triangle, Raleigh is home to N.C. State University, the North Carolina Legislature and Governor's mansion, and the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team, who were in the Stanley Cup finals in 2002. Raleigh also boasts great shopping and events, with snow in the winter and hot summers. Raleigh combines the fun and excitement of a college town with the world of Southern politics, and really cannot be beat. Here are some of the best things to do in Raleigh, although there are definitely more fun activities to be found.
10. Sift for treasure at the Flea Market. Held on the fairgrounds (1025 Blue Ridge Blvd.) the Flea Market is open every Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Here you will find beautiful antique furniture and jewelry as well as puppies and kittens available for adoption. Pottery is huge in N.C., due to the enormous amount of red clay soil, and some really beautiful artifacts and current art can be found at the fair. The inside is air-conditioned and there are snacks and drinks available. Fun for the kids!
9. Visit Artspace, a non-profit visual arts center that is both a gallery and a space to see artists actually creating their work live. It is the second largest open studio in the country! Artspace was voted the Best Art Gallery for 2004 by readers of Independent Weekly in the Triangle area. (The Triangle is Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill.) The emerging artist in residence holds hours that are subject to change but must be in the public work-space for 15 hours per week. A great chance to forego stuffy art museums and immerse yourself in real, live art. Located at 201 E. Davie St., call 919/ 821-2787 for more info.
8. Two words: frat party. Free beer, and for the females reading this article, N.C. State is about 65% male, and since the females are so few, they definitely know how to treat the ladies. Cruise around Hillsborough St., N.C. State's main thoroughfare, to hear where the parties are being held. Be safe and have fun!
7. Hit the N.C. State Fair! Dates for 2005: October 15-23. At 1025 Blue Ridge Blvd. (Don't touch the animals""they gave some visitors E. Coli last year, everything else is safe!) Ride the rickety fair rides and enjoy the sweet and clinging taste of cotton candy in 80 degree heat. Cool off with some sweet iced tea or lemonade! Try your luck panning for gold and gems in the goldmine.
6. Visit the North Carolina Museum of History at 5 East Edenton St., in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Here you can see a reproduction of the Wright Brothers' airplane, the first to take flight, from Kitty Hawk, NC, as well as get a sense of the breadth of North Carolina's history, from the Civil War to the current era of NC's dominance in college basketball, including UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, Wake Forest, and N.C. State University. Don't forget that Michael Jordan began his career at UNC-Chapel Hill!
5. Go to Two Guys pizza place at 2504 Hillsborough St. and bask in the nostalgia of your college or even high school days. Everyone has a favorite pizza place, and since Brothers' Pizza (which was two doors down) closed in February 2005, Two Guys is the obvious winner. Prices are low and the atmosphere is classic college. Attempt to blend in with the undergrads.
4. Go to an N.C. State basketball or football game. The Wolfpack cannot be missed! Put up your pointer finger and pinky, and make a snout out of your two middle fingers and thumb by pointing them straight out, moving the "mouth" to signal "Go Wolfpack!"
3. Shop at Cameron Village, an upscale boutique area with friendly faces. It's located at the corner of Oberlin Rd. and Clark Rd. Don't miss Beanie and Cecil or Uniquities for upscale designer clothes (harder to find in NC, but the salespeople are nicer) as well as Charlotte's which has beautiful but moderately priced silver jewelry. Cameron Clothiers is the place for older-yet-hip Southern women. Be sure to address more than one person as "y'all" and you'll fit right in! There's a Jos. A. Bank Clothiers for men, as well as chain-stores such as Ann Taylor and Victoria's Secret. Have lunch at the K&W Cafeteria or the Village Deli, two classic Raleigh eateries, and have a relaxing massage or manicure at Jolie The Day Spa. You could spend a whole day here!
2. Tour the Capitol building at 1 East Edenton St., which was completed in 1840 and housed the NC Legislature until 1888. Don't miss the enormous acorn statue in the city's center, as well as a Spanish naval deck gun, a tribute to NC Vietnam Veterans, (more than 206,000 from NC served) and a statue dedicated to the women of the Confederacy. Visit the Governor's mansion at 200 North Blount St., where the governor has lived since 1891.
1. Eat at the Char-grill, 618 Hillsborough St. Nothing will give you more of a sense of what Raleigh really is than eating at the Char-grill. Old and young, rich and poor, black and white, all come to enjoy the most delicious burgers, hot dogs, and milkshakes that North Carolina has to offer. Pull up in your car, jump out and fill out the order sheet, place it in the slot as if you'd been doing this all your life, and wait 10-15 minutes to sink your teeth into a fresh tasty hot dog or burger. Be sure to bring your friends or family and share in the experience. There really is nothing better.
