Most of you are at least passingly familiar with the Triangle, but some of you are not! We’ve both lived here for over 20 years, and we love it here. Some of our faves include…
Chapel Hill
We live here!
Things to do
- UNC’s campus is beautiful at most times, but especially in the fall.
- Flyleaf bookstore – unsurprisingly one of a few indy bookstores in the area (Epilogue and Golden Fig are also nice), but we [heart] Flyleaf especially
- Franklin Street Yoga – Lori’s studio is great if you need a stretch while you’re here
- North Carolina Botanical Gardens – the Home of the Venus Flytrap License Plate is, fun fact, right down the street from our house! They have a nice little trail network if you fancy a walk
- The Ackland Art Museum on Chapel Hill’s campus is a tiny gem on the edge of UNC’s campus
Food and drink
- IP3 (Italian Pizzeria III (no, we don’t know what happened to I or II)) – the place to be
- Lantern – tasty, gorgeous bar, lovely outdoor dining
- Med Deli – recently reopened after a major fire, pop in and grab some shawarma
- Coffee: Perennial (on Franklin Street) or Driade (further down Franklin Street, but also in the woods somehow??)
- Drinks: If you like classic cocktails, leather furniture, or fireplaces, check out The Crunkleton or The Dead Mule
Carrboro
Paris of the Piedmont!
Things to do
- Weaver Street Market, original location (the lawn is, to quote Chris, “Carrborific”)
- Peel Gallery – the best, go see Lindsay’s combination gift/book shop and gallery! Buy some art! Meet her later at our wedding!
- Carrboro Farmer’s Market – Pick up some flowers or grab one (dozen) of our friend Jeremy’s delicious donuts (Yee Haw Donuts)!
Food and drink
- Carrburritos – we eat here more often than I should admit!
- Pizzeria Mercato – pizzas are great, but don’t sleep on the starters
- Coffee: Open Eye – Carrboro’s living room
- Drinks: Orange County Social Club – Carrboro’s late night living room
Hillsborough
Seat of Orange County
Things to do
- Eno River Walk – part of the Mountains to Sea trail!
- Eno River State Park – if you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, the state park has a lot of great hiking trails, ask us for a rec
- Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail – take a walk around the only surviving dirt track from NASCAR’s inaugural 1949 season
- Art galleries – Downtown has a delightful collection of small galleries
Food and drink
- Wooden Nickel – most excellent brew pub downtown
- Coffee: Cup-a-Joe – delightful local chain
Chatham County
Things to do
- Pottery studios – Chatham county, and Pittsboro in particular, is home to a wealth of pottery studios
- Chatham County courthouse in Pittsboro (a neat building that, fun fact, held evidence during the John Edwards trial)
Raleigh and Durham
Both are very close and have a lot to do. For example, the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh is wonderful, free to visit, and situated in an extensive park with outdoor art installations and plenty of room for kids to run off some energy. For other recommendations around Raleigh and Durham, shoot us a text or an email and we’re happy to send some options.