Lifestyle

Triangle Tales

Autumn is upon us, and what better way to escape the balmy squalls of The Magic City than to take a quick trip to The Triangle, the cultural center of North Carolina and a trio of cities on the economic rise.
Text by Ryan Jarrell | May 15, 2018 | Lifestyle

As the season sets in, many South Floridians are feeling the call of crisp breezes and charming foliage just a brief jog up north. Consisting of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, a weekend getaway to The Triangle offers a quaint, collegiate vacay with a competitive pricepoint. Mention visiting a college campus to most people and images of shameful morning strolls and severely uninteresting young men with acoustic guitars stream to their forebrain. As a scenic counterpoint, The Triangle has some of the oldest and most prestigious educational institutions this country has to offer, and each is a joy to explore. The campus of the University Of North Carolina features a simple, classical Southern architecture that makes strolling its grounds a pleasure, and no trip to the Piedmont is complete without at least a brief tour of the magisterial Duke Chapel. For lodgings, try the elegantly overstated Carolina Inn, located right in the heart of Chapel Hill. A mere 48 hours may not be enough time to break even the culinary crust of these genteel Southern towns, but you can make a start. For breakfast, you must stop in at world-famous Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen on East Franklin Street. For lunch, a great local secret is International Delights in Downtown Durham. Try the cheese steak. It will be well-worth the calories. For an innovative cocktail, head to Lantern’s swanky bar in Chapel Hill, which will pair well with your decadent dinner in Raleigh’s historic Second Empire Restaurant. As a final so-long, make sure to visit the Duke Botanical Gardens. The elegant landscapes will make you wish you had more time to waste in the Old North State!