Raleigh, NC

And finally, we've made it to our last major leg of our super fun and excellent vacation. Just as a refresher, so far it's gone: Orlando, FL (Harry Potter World for three days - see parts 1 & 2) to Savannah, GA (just for a bite to hold us over) to Charleston, SC (and Folly Beach) and now finally, one full day and two fun nights in Raleigh, NC!


Raleigh was the perfect choice for a stop because some good friends of ours recently relocated there for work and we had a free place to stay! (Are we just opportunists? Free loaders? Lucky? Have super nice friends? All of the above? Yes.) Plus, we've heard nothing but the best about the Raleigh/Durham area and we were super stoked to give it a whirlwind couple of days.


After being greeted by this adorable puppy (everyone say "Hi, Augie!"), we kicked off our first night in Raleigh by going to Durham! (Wait...)

We went to Motorco Parts & Labor for some seriously awesome food and brews, and then hopped right across the street to Full Steam Brewery to sample some local beers. Obviously, we were too tired to remember to snap a few photos, but Motorco had some great vegan/vegetarian options and we loved their "hipster" poutine (Sarah LOVES poutine!) After a long day on the road and a few beers in my belly, it was a miracle I didn't fall asleep on the ride back to our friends' place.



We woke the next morning to be met by a nasty storm (that was a ton of fun to watch and that luckily passed by lunch time) and some quality puppy time. Once the skies cleared, it was off to downtown to meet our friend for lunch and drinks.


Raleigh Times is a great restaurant/bar/coffee shop/super hybrid were we spent a good portion of our time that day. We kicked it off with lattes and a jalapeno cheddar scone at Morning Times (the coffee shop component of the trifecta) then hopped over to Raleigh Times to sit down to some lunch. Apparently pimento cheese is a big thing down there that everyone talks about. Since I was definitely off the wagon regarding "no dairy" on this trip, I figured I'd give it a go! My verdict: it was delicious, but I don't care to think too hard about what is actually in it...

There are bars-a-plenty in Raleigh, and although it was still early after lunch, the beautiful weather was just begging us to sit somewhere cool and enjoy some delicious brews (it's vacation for crying out loud!) and so we landed at Busy Bee Cafe. This place has a fantastic atmosphere and a beer selection that speaks for itself.

On our last night in Raleigh, it was time to take in an indulgent last meal with our friends before waking early and hitting the road. We trekked out to a neighborhood/community called North Hills (if you're familiar with Pittsburgh, think Bakery Square times ten) to find a restaurant called the Yard House. Now, I realize that "lots of beers on tap" is quickly becoming a way of describing waaayyy too many bars, but trust me when I say that about this place. It is safe to say it has more beers on tap than I've ever seen in my life. It was quite impressive. Not to mention the food was absolutely bomb dot com. I'm talkin' truffle fries, veggie burgers, and pizza for days, folks. If you're a vegetarian familiar with Gardein products, you would love the entire Gardein section of their menu!



Sarah & Nick