Where To Go For A Day At The Beach In North Carolina

One of the best things about North Carolina is its world-class beaches. Some of the best in the world lie along our Atlantic shores, and a number of them are just a short drive away.

Load up the car with your beach chairs and Boogie Boards on Friday night, get up early on Saturday, and you'll have your toes in the sand by 10:00 am. Enjoy a full day at the beach and be home by dinner.

Here are three beaches that are a two-hour drive or less from the Triangle area:

Relax On Topsail Island

The first thing you need to know is "Topsail" is pronounced "Tops'l." That's about the only thing that's particular about this laid-back area. Located just north of Wilmington, Topsail Island is an easy drive down I-40.

Once you're there, you'll find…

5516 Views, 1 Comments

Best Ice Cream Shops In The Triangle

The Triangle offers some of the best ice cream shops in North Carolina, and anyone willing to take a little drive can enjoy a cool treat.

It may seem surprising to visitors, but the Triangle takes its ice cream very seriously, and there are some off-the-beaten path ice cream shops that are sure to delight the most discerning palates.

Here are four places that are definitely worth a visit:

Sunni Sky's, Angier

Straight south of Raleigh, just outside of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it  Angier, is Sunni Sky's, a premier destination for the ice cream enthusiast. The fact that it stands by itself along Highway 55,  practically in the middle of nowhere, only adds to the allure.

Once inside visitors will find more than 100 flavors to choose  from,…

2340 Views, 0 Comments

The 3 Best Beer Festivals in the Triangle, NC

The Triangle boasts a wide range of breweries and craft beer styles, and beer enthusiasts can sample many of them at the area's three best beer festivals.

A couple weeks ago, local beer blogger Kyle Rubeling offered some of the can't-miss breweries in the Triangle. But if you want to try them all at once (and you have a designated driver), a beer festival is the way to do it.

Here are the Triangle's three beer festivals, when and where they are, and what you can expect to see (and taste) at each.

World Beer Festival - Raleigh and Durham

This is actually two beer festivals, as the the World Beer Fest takes place in the spring in Raleigh and in the fall in Durham. Both festivals are a favorite among casual beer drinkers and beer enthusiasts…

1768 Views, 0 Comments

6 Must-Try Restaurants In The Triangle Area

When you are looking for a great place to eat in the Triangle, it may be difficult to decide where to go to first. For an area its size, the Triangle boasts a great variety of fine dining establishments, and the number is growing due to the many foodies in the area. Southern Living magazine has even called Durham the "South’s Tastiest Town".

Here are some restaurants you want to be sure to try:

The Fearrington House Restaurant

This restaurant should not be overlooked for its fine food and luxurious style. It is located south of Chapel Hill in the The Fearrington House Inn hotel, and is the only 5-star Green Certified restaurant in the U.S. It is also heralded as one of the top 100 restaurants in the country. They grow their own food on the…

3494 Views, 0 Comments

5 Must-Visit Art Studios & Shows In Pittsboro, NC!

Pittsboro is a town that thrives in the arts all year long. It is small (just over 4,000 people) and quiet, which makes it perfect for the development of artists and musicians, and many of them come here for that reason.

Chatham Artists Guild

A recognized group that encourages people all over North Carolina to get into the arts is the Chatham Artists Guild, which has been around for 24 years. They also aim to connect artists with patrons, and provide training for artists.    

They regularly host various exhibits of local artists, as well as the works of artists from around the state. The Studio Tour is free, and introduces the artists, their local studios and their art.

Cooper Mays Pottery

If you are looking for unique pottery to add to…

1651 Views, 0 Comments

The 3 Best Pumpkin Patches In The Triangle Area

Pumpkin carving is one of the most cherished Halloween traditions, but going out to the farm, picking the perfect pumpkins, and sharing in some good old family fun is how great family memories are truly created. Lucky for residents of the Triangle, there are a number of family-owned farms in the area that offer plenty of wholesome fun and fantastic pumpkins too!

Here’s your guide to some spooktacular family fun this Fall in the Triangle.

McKee’s Cedar Creek Farm in Rougemont

Located about 25 minutes north of Durham, McKee’s Cedar Creek Farm has been a Triangle family favorite for generations. Every Fall, the farm creates a unique pattern in their 12-acre corn maze to challenge and impress their visitors. For little adventurers, they also…

3170 Views, 0 Comments

7 Best Barbecue Stops In Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh

Barbecue in the Triangle: There’s nothing better!

Just saying 'barbecue' in this part of the country will get your mouth watering. If you love barbecue, there are so many incredible places preparing it that it's easy to think you've died and gone to hog heaven.

The first choice you need to make is the kind of barbecue you want. You see, in North Carolina, there are two types of barbecue that compete for your love and attention: eastern style and western (also called Lexington or Piedmont style).

Chapel Hill is the dividing line between the two styles of barbecue in the Triangle area. East of Chapel Hill you will find Eastern-style barbecue. Western style barbecue is found west of Chapel Hill. Both styles are known for great, slow-cooked…

11661 Views, 3 Comments

Triangle Area Food Trucks - Everything A Foodie Could Want, On Wheels!

If you've been living in a cave for the last 30 years, the phrase “food truck” might conjure up images of a sandwich truck at a construction site or a truck serving greasy fast food on a college campus. Once called roach coaches, food trucks have grown up. Today's food truck are nothing like their ancestors.

There are about 150 food trucks in the Triangle area, offering a huge variety of foods. Most trucks specialize in certain foods just like restaurants do. What do the food trucks offer? Several types of BBQ, hot dogs, hamburgers, gourmet grilled cheese, cheesesteaks, gourmet sliders, deli meats, pizza, Maine lobster, tacos, sandwiches, dumplings, meatballs, and more. There are also trucks specializing in sweets such as cupcakes and cookies,…

1158 Views, 0 Comments

Discover History, Culture, & Nature Along The American Tobacco Trail In Durham

It’s hard to live in the Triangle area without hearing about the American Tobacco Trail (ATT), but it’s more fun using it. The trail is a 22-mile recreational greenway which travels through the City of Durham, south through Durham, Chatham, and Wake counties. The northern end is a 10-foot wide paved trail, while the southern end is made of stone dust rather than asphalt.

American Tobacco Trail Access

The trail is located on an abandoned corridor of the Norfolk Southern Railroad. The original railroad took tobacco from farming communities in Wake, Chatham, and Durham counties to the American Tobacco Company in Durham for processing. Over time, trucks replaced the trains, and the trains eventually discontinued the route. The tracks were removed in…

1969 Views, 0 Comments

Independence Day Celebrations in the Triangle Area

This coming weekend we celebrate Independence Day, the day we declared our independence from England. We usually get together with family and friends for a day of fun, parades, barbecues, picnics, concerts, and, of course, fireworks! This year, you can actually catch fireworks on both Sunday and Monday if you plan ahead. Some places are celebrating the holiday on Sunday and others on Monday, the 4th. To help you plan your holiday, we have listed below some of the more popular events for the weekend.

Events for Sunday, July 3:

Fuquay-Varina Independence Day Celebration

South Park, 820 South Main Street, Fuquay-Varina. 6 pm.

This event includes free music, inflatable rides, tons of food vendors, and spectacular fireworks after dark. A…

997 Views, 0 Comments