Triangle Hotspots

So, despite my lack of computer, I was able to put this together for my ward's RS meeting last night.  My extra thanks to AP, the biggest Charity Pants I know, for the service section.  Happy day-tripping.  For those of you not in NC--sorry!

Triangle Hotspots 

1. Places to eat

• Durham: http://www.durham-nc.com/dining/eat/index.php
• Taste of Durham always has a delicious variety: http://www.tasteofdurham.org/
• Chapel Hill: http://www.visitchapelhill.org/dining
• Raleigh: http://www.visitraleigh.com/visitors/restaurants/   
• The Indy’s Triangle Dining Guide: http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/LocationSearch?locationSection=1218750
• Open Table: http://www.opentable.com/
• A splurge for foodies: http://www.tastecarolina.net/files/tours.php

2. .  Places to serve

• Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina—lots of different jobs; good for 12 and up; youth groups or families: http://www.foodbankcenc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=FBCENCHome
• SEEDS—community gardens are healing: http://www.seedsnc.org/
• Achievement Academy of Durham—help young adults that have dropped out of school increase reading skills, get a GED, and enroll & succeed in postsecondary program: http://achievedurham.org/   
• Piedmont Wildlife Center—help with animal care! Fun! http://piedmontwildlifecenter.wordpress.com/
• Urban Ministries of Durham—provides food, clothing, and shelter to folks in need; help prepare and serve breakfast and lunch at the Community Cafe; evenings and weekends are reserved for groups: http://www.umdurham.org/
• WelcomeBaby—providing parenting education and support to young families: http://www.welcomebaby.org/
• Full Frame Documentary Film Festival—It's coming in April! Manage venues, sell tickets, watch movies: http://www.fullframefest.org/
• SeeSaw Studios—an afterschool program teaching design and entrepreneurship skills to teenagers: http://www.seesawstudio.org/SeeSaw_Studio/Home.html
• AnimalKind—the more volunteer hours worked at the ReTail thrift store, the more strays that are spayed and neutered. Everyone wins!: http://www.animalkind.org/retailsvolunteers.html
• Volunteer Center of Durham—find all sorts of orgs that need volunteers; match to your age, interest, and time commitment: http://www.thevolunteercenter.org/tp42/Default.asp?ID=139710

 3.  Events - Sign up for their RSS feeds, e-newsletters, or just link to their calendars, but it is fun for everyone!

• Durham: http://www.durham-nc.com/things/
• Chapel Hill: http://www.visitchapelhill.org/calendar/events/
• Raleigh: http://www.visitraleigh.com/visitors/events.search.php  

4.  Attractions

• NC Fairgrounds - These fairgrounds are THE place to be in mid-October, but you’d be surprised how many other events take place there (Yay--Roller Derby!): http://www.ncstatefair.org/events/calendar.htm
• Museums:
• Nasher Museum (Free to all on Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m. courtesy of SunTrust): http://nasher.duke.edu/
• Ackland (free): http://www.ackland.org/index.php
• NC Museum of Life and Science (membership or one-time fee, but look for deal days--Admission waived for Durham County residents on Wednesdays from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m., though a $2 per person contribution requested): http://www.ncmls.org/
• Morehead Planetarium (pay per show, but discount if you hit multiple shows on various days—a household membership is a tax deductable $60, so if you are taking a largish group, and would want to come back, get the membership): http://www.moreheadplanetarium.org/    
• NC Museum of Art:  http://www.ncartmuseum.org/ (Admission to the Museum’s permanent collection and Museum Park is free. There is a charge for some special exhibitions and programs, such as concerts, films, classes, and performances.)
• List of all the area museums can be found on the visitor’s bureau websites. 
• Duke Chapel (free unless there is a wedding, funeral, or other special event): http://www.chapel.duke.edu/calendar.html
• Botanical Gardens
• Duke Gardens (free admission): http://www.hr.duke.edu/dukegardens/
• UNC (free admission):  http://www.ncbg.unc.edu/
• The Forest Theatre: http://ncbg.unc.edu/pages/40/ with http://www.paperhand.org/
• Farmer’s Markets
• Carrboro: http://www.carrborofarmersmarket.com/
• Durham: http://www.durhamfarmersmarket.com/
• Raleigh (and they have a restaurant): http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/facilities/markets/raleigh/
• CSAs in the area: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/csafarms.html
• The Arts
• DPAC: http://www.dpacnc.com/
• Memorial Hall (Chapel Hill): http://www.carolinaperformingarts.org/
• Progress Energy Center (Raleigh), includes Carolina Ballet, opera, and the NC Symphony: http://www.progressenergycenter.com/event-calendar.  
• Art Walks:
• Chapel Hill (Second Friday)—free!: http://2ndfridayartwalk.com/   
• Durham (Spring and Fall): http://www.durhamartwalk.com/index.php
• Raleigh (First Friday)—free!: http://www.godowntownraleigh.com/firstfriday/index.htm
• Music
• Cats Cradle:  http://www.catscradle.com/
• Jazz:  NCCentral or the Beyu café: http://www.beyucafe.com/
• Bluegrass, Friday’s on the Front Porch at the Carolina Inn (usually throughout the summer): http://www.carolinainn.com/hotel-events/chapel-hill-event-calendar.php?year=2011&month=6 or Broad Street Café: http://www.thebroadstreetcafe.com/ —Irregardless Café even has dancing after 9pm: http://www.irregardless.com/.
• The Lincoln Theatre: http://www.lincolntheatre.com/
• Live music venues: http://www.trianglesource.com/venues/category/live-music/
• Music in general: http://eventful.com/raleigh/events/categories/music
• Books
• Libraries:
• Durham: http://www.durhamcountylibrary.org/
• Chapel Hill: http://chapelhillpubliclibrary.org/
• Used Book Stores (my favorite is the readers corner in Raleigh): http://www.raleigh.com/used-book-stores/business-directory
• Movie Theaters
• Regular Theaters: http://www.fandango.com/
• Raleighwood (Restaurant and Theater—new movies, old movies, and charity screenings): http://www.raleighwoodmovies.com/
• Independent and Foreign film venues
• Chelsea (Chapel Hill): http://www.thechelseatheater.com/
• Carolina Theatre (Durham): http://www.carolinatheatre.org/
• Outdoor Movies (mostly during the summer)
• Lumina (Southern Village, Chapel Hill—they also have fun kids events and other community things, so subscribe to their newsletter): http://www.thelumina.com/
• Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre: http://www.boothamphitheatre.com/movies.htm
• NC Museum of Art: http://ncartmuseum.org/calendar/type/films/ (they are showing the Red Shoes in March!)
• Blue Ridge Theater (Raleigh--$1.50 a movie): http://raleigh.mrmovietimes.com/movie-theaters/Carmike-Blue-Ridge-14-Cinema.html  
• Sports:
• Carolina Hurricanes: http://hurricanes.nhl.com/
• Nascar (technically this is in Charlotte, but if you like that sort of thing, it is a good ol’ boy time): http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/lms/
• Durham Bulls (Minor League baseball that is fun for the whole family all summer—take advantage!): http://www.durhambulls.com/
• Roller Derby (really, it is a fun experience): http://www.carolinarollergirls.com/
• University Sports:
• Duke: http://www.goduke.com/
• UNC:  http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/
• NC State: http://www.gopack.com/
• Area trails
• Bike/Walk Durham: http://www.bikewalkdurham.org/
• Chapel Hill: http://www.trails.com/city-trails.aspx?keyword=Chapel%20Hill&state=NC
• Area 5Ks
• Race for the Cure (I try to do this every year—let me know if you want to start a team): http://www.komennctriangle.org/
• Area 5Ks: http://www.runnc.com/Race_Schedule.htm   

5.  Websites:

• Durham: http://www.durham-nc.com/         
• Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Hillsborough:  http://www.visitchapelhill.org/
• Raleigh: http://www.visitraleigh.com/index
• General NC: http://www.visitnc.com/
• The Indy: http://www.indyweek.com/ (great food and event reviews)
• Coupon sites (Don’t be afraid to take advantage):
• Living Social: http://livingsocial.com/
• Groupon: http://www.groupon.com/

General North Carolina 

1.  Attractions

• Biltmore: http://www.biltmore.com/
• Civil War spots:
• Near the coast: http://www.coastalguide.com/attractions/NC_civil_war_military.shtml
• throughout the state: http://www.visitnc.com/journeys/articles/history-historic-sites/1/on-the-north-carolina-civil-war-trail
• NC Civil War facts: http://www.visitnc.com/journeys/articles/history-historic-sites/1/north-carolina-civil-war-facts
• Reenactments: http://www.civilwarhome.com/reenact.htm
• Blueridge mountains:  
• the parkway: http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/v.php?pg=69
• the mountains: http://www.blueridgeonline.com/
• Smokey Mountain Railroad: http://www.gsmr.com/:
• The beach! http://www.ncbeaches.com/
•  the aquariums: http://www.ncaquariums.com/
• The outer banks: http://www.outerbanks.org/
• Lighthouses: http://www.carolinalights.com/
• The zoo! http://www.nczoo.org/
• The Conservator’s Center: http://www.conservatorscenter.org/about.cfm
• Tiger preserve: http://www.carolinatigerrescue.org/
• The Western North Carolina Nature Center: http://www.wildwnc.org/
• Highland games: http://www.gmhg.org/events.htm
• Highland games: http://www.gmhg.org/events.htm
• Pirate stuff: http://www.ncmaritime.org/Blackbeard/default.htm
• Gems: http://www.suite101.com/content/dig-your-own-gems-in-north-carolina-a94925
• Art: and Antiques: 
• PIttsboro: http://pittsboronc.gov/
• Pinehurst
• Carrboro
• Farms
• tours:  Tour various local farms and get the skinny on the best places to get locally grown food: http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/
• Pick your own farms: http://www.pickyourown.org/NC.htm
• Hiking: http://www.trails.com/stateactivity.aspx?area=10008
• State Parks: http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/by_activity/main.php
• Festivals: http://www.ncfestivals.com/events/default.asp
• NC Jazz Festival: http://ncjazzfestival.com/
• Bluegrass festivals throughout the state: http://www.bluegrassfestivalguide.com/nc.htm
• Seafood festival: http://www.ncseafoodfestival.org/events.htm?id=1
• Balloon Festival: http://www.carolinaballoonfest.com/
• Old Salem (our NC version of the Pennsylvania Amish—fantastic at Christmas, etc.): http://www.oldsalem.org/