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Raleigh & Durham, NC
Updated: July 29th, 2020
Below is a list of best places I would visit on a trip to this location. My picks fit my personality and interest. Everyone has a different interest so you may not like everything I listed which is fine. If you like a place, I recommend saving it to Google Maps for a future trip down the road. I made sure to include the address or GPS to make it easier to find. You can find out more about me in the "About Me" section to see if we share common interests.
In the info below, the yellow cost number is just an estimated amount at the time I checked their website; over time, the amount could change. With the cost of a hotel room, I'm pricing a queen bed for two people for a night on the weekend, and the amount shown is before taxes. These figures are just a rough estimate of what places could cost, so if incorrect, I apologize.
Breakfast
Activities
- North Carolina Museum of Art
2110 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607
The museum features over 40 galleries as well as more than a dozen major works of art in the nation's largest museum park with 164-acres. The admission is free to the permanent collection. Their European collection is regarded as one of the finest in the United States.
Lunch/Dinner
- Benchwarmers Bagels
500 E Davie St STE 107, Raleigh, NC 27601
The next two places are part of Transfer Co. Food Hall, one of the best food halls in the United States. Benchwarmers is primarily a bagel place, but Thursday through Saturday from 5 pm to 8 pm, they make square slice pizza. Some of the best pizza in Raleigh.
- Mama Crow's Burger & Salad Shop
500 E Davie St STE 116, Raleigh, NC 27601
A very good burger place also located at the Transfer Co. Food Hall. I would order the Crow Burger, double 3 oz patties topped with American cheese, charred onion, house pickles, and crow sauce. Just make sure to make room for a slice of pizza from Benchwarmers.
- Al's Burger Shack
516 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
One of the best burger places in the country. I would order the Sean's Bacon Cheeseburger, a burger with bacon, cheddar cheese, and mayo. Side note: Almost 100% of the interior of the restaurant was recycled from the prior business, the picnic tables, and bar tops are made from reclaimed wood and some of the bricks for the patio steps are over 200 years old. They are conscious of the world and always looking to make it a better place.
- Angus Barn
9401 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27617
The best steakhouse in Raleigh. The building looks like a big red barn, and the interior is well decorated, making for some excellent photographs. They have one of the best wine cellars in the country. Make sure to order the BBQ ribs and for dessert, the chocolate chess pie.
- The Roast Grill
7 S West St, Raleigh, NC 27603
The Roast Grill is a no-frills old school hotdog place in Raleigh. Some people say they have the best hotdogs around. Their franks are 90% beef with just a bit of lean pork flavor, which they cooked to a crisp black char on their 70-year-old original grill. The only toppings available mustard, onions, slaw, and their famous homemade chili. (No Ketchup) They only serve hotdogs and soda; payment is straight cash only.
Places to Stay
- The Durham Hotel
315 E Chapel Hill St, Durham, NC 27701
+ The Restaurant at The Durham headed by James Beard Award-winning chef Andrea Reusing
+ The Roof at The Durham, a great spot to enjoy a drink and maybe a special event.
+ Food Network claims that The Durham Hotel has the best hotel food in the country.
+ Each room featuring modern interiors, platform beds, and retro light fixtures.
The average cost a night on a weekend in August: Check their website, COVID issues
- The Siena Hotel, Autograph Collection
1505 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
+ An Italian boutique hotel in the heart of Chapel Hill
+ Oversized rooms with living area
+ The Il Palio is an Italian inspired, farm to fork restaurant, only 4 diamond Italian restaurant in the state
The average cost a night on a weekend in August $159
- The Carolina Inn
211 Pittsboro St, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
+ Iconic hotel on the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill
+ The historic hotel has earned the AAA Four Diamond Award since 1997.
+ The building's original front was modeled after George Washington's home at Mt. Vernon
+ Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
+ AAA Four Diamond Dining at Crossroads Chapel Hill
The average cost a night on a weekend in August $186
21 and Up Fun
- Fullsteam Brewery
726 Rigsbee Ave, Durham, NC 27701
+ Twenty rotating beers on tap inside the taproom
+ Take pride in brewing beer with ingredients from local farms.
+ Try "Southern Basil," a farmhouse ale (5.0% ABV) with basil from three different local farms.
+ Current Hours (As Dated at Top) : Mon-Thurs 12pm-10pm Fri-Sat 12pm-11pm Sun 12pm-8pm
- Big Boss Brewing Company
1249 Wicker Dr, Raleigh, NC 27604
+ Twenty-two rotating beers on tap inside the taproom
+ Try "Sea Bee Gose," a gose (4.5% ABV) with tangerine and raspberry plus coriander to lend a subtle floral note to the aroma.
+ Current Hours (As Dated at Top) : Varies Check Their Website
Out of Bounds
- North Carolina Zoo
4401 Zoo Pkwy, Asheboro, NC 27205
The North Carolina Zoo is the world's largest habitat zoo. (2,600 acres) They receive more than 900,000 visitors a year. They care for the second-largest pack of American red wolves in the world. Coming 2023, Asia region of the zoo with animals like tigers, red pandas, and Komodo dragons.
82.1 miles from Raleigh
- Sunni Sky's Homemade Ice Cream
8617 NC-55, Angier, NC 27501
They claim to have the hottest ice cream around to the extent that you have to sign a waiver before tasting either "Cold Sweat" or "Exit Wound" flavor. If spicy ice cream, not your thing, Sunni Sky has over 120 flavors to pick from and free samples to boot.
20.2 miles from Raleigh
- Maple View Farm Ice Cream
6900 Rocky Ridge Rd, Hillsborough, NC 27278
A perfect description is taken from their website, "Scenic views of open farmland, antique dairy collections, Holstein Cows and our fresh churned Southern Ice Cream." Autumn is around the corner; they will soon have some unique ice cream flavors like Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Spice. Their last award was 2017 by Food Network for the best ice cream in North Carolina.
37.7 miles from Raleigh
Again these are my picks that fit my personality and interest. If you feel that I left one-off that may interest me or other people, message me on Facebook about the location. I value a person's opinion and never just discard the information. Always looking forward to learning about new places to add to my Google Map. ~ Shawn