As the capital of North Carolina and part of the Triangle, Raleigh is a rapidly growing city. Forbes list featured Raleigh’s rapid development on many fronts. Re-energized, the City of Oaks still maintains pride in its history, from downtown to the warehouse district.
Even so, Raleigh can often leave visitors and residents wondering what exactly to do or where to eat.
Raleigh has continued to allure a creative energy flourishing the downtown area with bakeries, coffee shops, bars, food trucks and food galleries. Here are a few restaurants organized by the best day and time to visit each.
Friday, noon. – Walnut Creek Wetland Center
Opening in September of 2009, the Walnut Creek Wetland Center, 950 Peterson St., was created to increase awareness of the importance of wetlands. The wetlands are just as beneficial to its visitors as it is to the plants and wildlife it houses.
The facility occupies a space within a 59-acre park bordered by State Street, Peterson Street and Garner Road. Visitors can rent facilities, attend a scheduled program (free to all ages), or stroll along one of the many greenway trails. The wetlands host an expansive deck from which there is the opportunity to spot everything from the common fox to the occasional bald eagle.
Friday, 6 p.m. – Angus Barn
A fixture in Raleigh since the mid-1960s, Angus Barn, 9401 Glenwood Ave., is known for its grilled, dry-aged steaks of which it sells about 20,000 every month. With eight different cuts to choose from, diners have the option of six different sauces and toppings. The menu includes an assortment of seafood and lamb, as well as vegetarian options. Don’t forget to save room for the award-winning chocolate chess pie or blackberry cobbler.
Friday, 10 p.m. – Legends Nightclub
End the night like a queen with a drag show at Legends Nightclub, 330 West Hargett St. Friday nights, the club hosts three showings: 10 p.m., noon and 1 a.m. Primarily catering to Raleigh’s GLBT community, Legends features the best new dance tracks, live entertainment and the “finest female impersonations.” Legends only allows in those 18 and older, charging a cover of $7.
Saturday, 9 a.m. – Raleigh Flea Market
Start the morning off right with a trip to the Raleigh Flea Market, 1025 Blue Ridge Rd. A tradition in the Triangle since 1971, the Raleigh Flea Market occupies space at the Historic North Carolina State Fairgrounds. Every weekend, the aisles line with vendors showcasing their endless treasures. Shoppers can scour the more than 600 vendors for nearly anything: homemade jewelry records, clothing, furniture and so much more.
Saturday, 11 a.m. – Turkish Delights
The attention-grabbing, vibrantly purple house on the corner of Glenwood Avenue is Turkish Delights. A coffee and pastry shop featuring a number of popular Turkish treats sits at the lower level of this cozy cafe. As the owners make all of the pastries, customers can sample anything from traditional baklava to authentic Turkish coffee.
Saturday, 1 p.m. – Historic Yates Mill County Park
The Historic Yates Mill County Park, 4620 Lake Wheeler Rd., lets visitors “escape from the daily grind.” A 174-acre wildlife refuge and environmental research center, the park offers tours, hiking trails, picnic areas and fishing spots. The park, located in Wake County and once home to more than 70 water mills, now has the last operable water-powered gristmill. Sightseers can tour the mill while learning about the once heavily agriculture-driven Wake County.
Saturday, 3 p.m. – JC Raulston Arboretum
Raleigh’s nationally acclaimed garden, the JC Raulston Arboretum, 4415 Beryl Rd., is always worth a visit. The arboretum is home to the most diverse collection of cold hardy temperate zone plants in the Southeastern United States. An extension of the Department of Horticultural Science at N.C. State, the garden works as a place for research, teaching and simply visiting. Roughly 10-acres, the arboretum is open 365 days a year with no charge to enter. Visitors can wander through the Zen garden or lounge on a bench surrounded by rose bushes.
Saturday, midnight – Raleigh National Cemetery
The Raleigh National Cemetery, 501 Rock Quarry Rd., was established in 1865 as one of five national cemeteries meant to provide burial grounds for the Union’s dead. During the declining years of the Civil War, many soldiers were buried in the cemetery with bodies reinterred from graves all across the region. Reports of ghost encounters in the cemetery trace as far back as the 1970s.
