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heartland towns
Aiken, SC
Bennettsville, SC
Camden, SC
Cary, NC
Chapel
Hill, NC
Charlotte, NC
Cheraw, SC
Columbia, SC
Durham, NC
Fayetteville, NC
Florence, SC
Greensboro, NC
Greenwood, SC
Hartsville, SC
Hickory, NC
High
Point, NC
Lexington, SC
Lincolnton, NC
Manning, SC
Marion
County, SC
Newberry, SC
North
Augusta, SC
Orangeburg, SC
Pinehurst, NC
Raleigh, NC
Research
Triangle, NC
Sanford, NC
Santee, SC
Sumter, SC
Vance
County, NC
Winston-Salem, NC
Books About The
Carolinas
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No urban jungle,
here. Sarah P.
Duke Gardens provides
a retreat where people
of all backgrounds
and ages come for
beauty, education,
horticulture,
solitude, discovery,
study, renewal and
inspiration.
There’s a reason it’s
called the “crown
jewel of Duke
University.”
Visit and you’ll
understand.
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Carolina Day Trips: Insider
Tips to visiting Durham, NC |
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f you only have 36 hours to spend in Durham, you'll have a tough time deciding what to do. For sure, you'll experience only a fraction of what's available in a setting which garners accolades by the dozens.
We know you'll dine well in this, America's #1 Foodiest Small Town, according to
Bon Appétit.
First things first: accommodations. You can't go wrong with Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, located on the Duke University campus, and featuring its own public golf course. The 300-acre site is lush and the award-winning inn and dining room are sure to pamper and impress.
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f you prefer a B&B, consider the bucolic
Arrowhead Inn, built in 1775 and rated both Four Diamond and Select Registry. Chef Phil Teber's food has been called exquisite, extraordinary, and from the
New York Times, "imaginative."
The King's Daughters Inn is another treasure, and offers complimentary bicycles (called Flying Pigeons), as well as recommendations for must-do activities.
Safely settled in any of these picture-perfect surroundings, begin the morning with a trip to
Guglhupf, rated
Best Bakery from 2005-2009 by Indy Triangle Awards. We suggest the lemon pistachio petit fours, or perhaps a Sacher Torte for Two. If it's too early for such indulgence, visitors can choose from tantalizing muffins, breads and other delights.
Fortified and armed with readily available brochures from Durham's excellent Convention & Visitors Bureau, you can begin a sure-to-be satisfying marathon shopping experience.
Golden Belt is a green facility fashioned from one of Durham's historic textile mills that contains artist studios, art galleries and lots of live music – restaurants are coming soon. (In 2009, Golden Belt achieved LEED Gold Certification in recognition of its sustainable, green features. We like that.)
And then there's the Ninth Street District, an alternative (some say edgy) shopping area filled with independently-owned businesses that fully captures the college-town feel.
Don't ignore Brightleaf Square, with its unique mix of restaurants and shops in two former historic tobacco warehouses. There's always something happening in the Courtyard.
If you're about ready to drop and breakfast seems light-years ago, we suggest a stop at the
Q Shack. Rated #10 out of 394 Durham restaurants in Trip Advisor, there's some quibbling about whether this is truly NC barbecue, but no hesitation when it comes to the pulled pork sandwich. Locally owned and operated, the Q believes in serving farm fresh foods, organic produce and quality fare.
Afternoons can be spent at Sarah Duke Gardens, or the Nasher Museum of Art
on Duke's campus.
There are 10 golf courses worthy of your attention, three of which are public, and
47 annual festivals, if you time it just right. When it's time to eat again (this is the culinary epicenter of the southeast and eating well is
de rigueur) Six Plates offers, you guessed it, six small plates of food and six wines by the glass matched to those plates.
There are lots of options here, but for dinner, Magnolia Grill, rated #11 on
Gourmet magazine's Top 50 restaurants, has been described as offering layers of flavor with a Southern sensibility. Karen and Ben Barker are the chef-owners and their philosophy pervades this setting.
Another choice is Four Square, offering endless creativity in its contemporary American cuisine. Imagine global flavors, with strong emphasis on local produce (much of it grown by chef Shane Ingram and his wife and partner, Elizabeth Woodhouse).
If you're not too exhausted, check out what's playing at Durham Performing Arts Center – it has the largest stage between DC and Atlanta (translation: original productions have no problems in this hall). Want more low-key entertainment? You'll find there are live music venues, a late night dining scene, and plenty of watering-holes that satisfy many diverse interests. This is a university town, after all.
Related Reading
Durham, NC
Day
Trips Directory
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About the Author
Katherine O. Pettit
has worked as a writer,
magazine editor, printer
and public relations
consultant. The Columbia
resident has published
more than 250 articles
in magazines and
newspapers. Her writing
explores a variety of
subjects including
travel, lifestyles,
business and management. |
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