Growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, I had the perfect spot to take a lot of day trips. My mom, sister, and I would go on hikes to the waterfalls of Hendersonville, go on bear watches in the mountains of Georgia, and visit nearby vineyards. There were so many options for a girl’s weekend that made us feel as if we were in another world. From the vast openness of the Linville Gorge Wilderness, to being instantly transported to Bavaria in the quirky town of Helen, Georgia. It was always so fun to take a couple of days and see more of the world around us.
Now living in Raleigh, I am not super close to the mountains and the places I used to visit, but I still find lots of great and new places to visit. I love taking a morning and walking around one of the many museums we have or hiking at a nearby lake. However, my absolute favorite thing to do in the summer is go to the farmers market because I love getting my food as fresh and local as possible. The market also reminds me of the weeks I spent in Sicily. The people there go to the market and get their food for the day multiple times a week and everything is at peak freshness. The farmers market makes me feel almost like I am back in Sicily with everyone giving you samples of what they sell from juicy bright red strawberries to the creamy goodness of creamed honey.
We get so caught up in planning the next big adventure across the country or across an ocean, that we forget that the places around us can be just as exciting. Even though I do not get to have as many out of the country trips as I would love too, I still try to find great experiences that are close and do not break the bank!
Here are my top 10 favorite things to around Raleigh:
- Go to the Farmers Market! (as I am sure you already guessed)
- Go Dancing with my Friends
- Go to the Ballet
- Hike around Lake Johnson
- Visit the museums
- Go to a Summer Music Festival
- Visit Videri Chocolate Factory Downtown
- Try new Restaurants
- Go to one of the many Festivals the City of Raleigh hosts (I recently had a blast at Brewgaloo)
- Read a book in the Azalea Garden
Happy Travels!
-Kaitlin