Historic Oak View County Park currently is on 27 acres. The pecan grove is 11 acres of that. When…read moreOak View was a working cotton farm it was over 900 acres. I took a guided tour of Historic Oak View County Park and learned some of its history. Wake County purchased the land for an office park before learning on the land's history. The property was saved from demolition and has since been added to the National Register of Historic Places. They are still learning more about it from research. Fourteen slaves were owned on the farm before the Civil War. Afterwards, some purchased land on Oak View and became sharecroppers or tenant farmers. The Farm Center History Center is where you can get information before you start exploring the park and it is a small museum. The goats are either found in the livestock barn or at the goat pen near the Tenant House. A cotton gin house can be toured and you can read about the cotton process. A cotton field is outside the building. They also have bee hives to pollinate the plants. A Plank Kitchen built in 1825 is the oldest building remaining on the property. It has a garden near it. The Main Farm House is open to tour, both the original house and the additions. Then there is the Tenant House replica that was brought to the park from Wendell as it had the same features of the buildings that had been torn down. I like that the park had walkways and ramps. The pecan grove is huge and each November the public can take some pecans home. While I was there, some people were fishing and others were having picnics. The goats can be fed carrots and apple slices.

This is a great park to explore with a little one. The space is huge and it's pretty easy to stay…read moresocially distant. They recently did a story book walk through the parks department that was neat. If you get lucky you may catch the goats out, but we haven't been so lucky yet. I've ready that you are allowed to feed them some carrots if the employees okay it. They do have a chicken coop as well which my son loved. He spent quite a bit of time just staring at the chicken walking around. If you follow the path to the left of the entrance it heads to a pond and if you follow it to the right there is a small cotton field and an old cotton wagon in the back of the old gin silo. It's a great spot for family photos, every time we have been we have seen people walking around with their photographer. The pecan trees and historic houses make for great photos. Right now due to COVID the bathrooms are closed. There is plenty of parking here. I know they offer so much more than what is currently available during COVID. Definitely a park to keep on the radar!

Interesting spot to walk around and learn about some Civil War history. You can walk inside some of…read morethe structures and the house on the property. The staff were all very friendly - they were setting up for a field trip the morning we visited. Next time, I'd like to go on a guided tour to learn more about the site. We also took a walk through the trails in the woods, that only took us about 15 minutes. The trails were easy but they do have a lot of roots, so you need to be careful not to trip! Some parts of the trail were a little overgrown, but still passable.

Really interesting historical site, kind and knowledgeable staff. The trails are also lovely for…read moresome added walking opportunities.

Love the Town of Cary! The food options are fantastic and there's so much range in types of cuisine…read morehere-- and it was a pleasant surprise as I truly didn't expect that in such a small, quaint town. The art is beautiful here and the downtown park is fantastic. Traffic and parking are fine, so getting around is a breeze. My Favorite Cary Spots: Peck & Plume TaiPei 101 Hank's Downtown Dive Downtown Cary Park SideBar Scratch Kitchen Brunches Lucky 32 The Improv AVA Rooftop Sports & Social Doc B's Paragon Theater Cheers!

During our four years living in Chapel Hill, we were impressed with the Town of Cary. We went to…read moreCary several times, mainly to eat good Asian food and go to H Mart. From my perspective, Cary continues to be a safe, clean, up-and-coming town with a lot of smart people. It seems like a great place to raise a family. I've heard Cary referred to as "Cannot Afford Raleigh Yet" and "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees." Haha. Seriously though, with all the new construction in recent and forthcoming years, I can see the appeal in living here as opposed to Raleigh. Just look at places like Fenton as one example. In this Yelp review, I list my top 10 restaurants in Cary from our time in the Triangle, June 2020 through July 2024: 1. Herons - One of my top two restaurants in the Triangle including Fearrington House. True fine dining for special occasions. https://www.yelp.com/biz/herons-cary-2 2. Szechuan Mansion Hotpot - Best Chinese hot pot in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/szechuan-mansion-hotpot-cary 3. Seol Grille - Best Korean barbecue in the Triangle, that we tried. https://www.yelp.com/biz/seol-grille-cary-3 4. Chengdu 7 Sichuan Cuisine - Outstanding Sichuan food. https://www.yelp.com/biz/chengdu-7-sichuan-cuisine-cary 5. Andia's Ice Cream - Best ice cream in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/andias-ice-cream-cary-2 6. Taipei 101 - Excellent "authentic" Taiwanese and Chinese food. https://www.yelp.com/biz/taipei-101-cary 7. Guasaca - Terrific arepas. https://www.yelp.com/biz/guasaca-cary-3 8. So Hot - Another solid Chinese hot pot restaurant. https://www.yelp.com/biz/so-hot-cary 9. Milk Lab - Yummy rolled ice cream. https://www.yelp.com/biz/milk-lab-cary-cary 10. Brecotea - Good Asian bakery and bubble tea shop. https://www.yelp.com/biz/brecotea-cary-4 Honorable mention: * Geluna Gelato - Delicious small-batch gelato in downtown Cary. https://www.yelp.com/biz/geluna-gelato-cary * Kung Fu Tea - Probably the best bubble tea in Cary. https://www.yelp.com/biz/kung-fu-tea-cary-cary * Peck & Plume - Good American restaurant located inside The Mayton boutique hotel (formerly known as The Mayton Inn). Ideal for brunch. https://www.yelp.com/biz/peck-and-plume-cary-2 ** Downtown Cary Park - Not a restaurant, so I'm making an exception here, but you've got to check out this new $68 million municipal park. https://www.yelp.com/biz/downtown-cary-park-cary

Durham is a great city. During our four years living in the Durham County portion of Chapel Hill,…read morewe went out in the City of Durham more than the Town of Chapel Hill. Parts of Durham are hip and progressive, reminding us of cities like Asheville and Decatur, Georgia. I think Durham may have the best food scene when it comes to the Triangle cities, even beating Raleigh (and Cary, which continues to rise). We spent a lot of time eating at restaurants in downtown Durham. In this Yelp review, I list my top 10 favorite restaurants in Durham from our time there from June 2020 through July 2024. 1. M Sushi - The best sushi in the Triangle. Try one of the omakases. https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-sushi-durham 2. M Tempura - Outstanding and unique. Get the kaiseki. https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-tempura-durham-3 3. Juju Asian Tapas + Bar - Consistently great food with a fun, comfortable atmosphere. https://www.yelp.com/biz/juju-asian-tapas-bar-durham-3 4. Nana Steak - I love prime rib and theirs is among the best I've had anywhere. https://www.yelp.com/biz/nana-steak-durham 5. Rose's - Exceptional ramen and ice cream sandwiches. Best ramen in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/roses-durham-3 6. Mateo Bar de Tapas - Best tapas in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/mateo-durham 7. Pizzeria Toro - Excellent Neapolitan-style pizza. https://www.yelp.com/biz/pizzeria-toro-durham 8. Namu - Terrific gimbap and other Korean food/snacks in a neat indoor-outdoor beer garden environment. They serve coffee too. https://www.yelp.com/biz/namu-durham 9. Eastcut Sandwich Bar - Amazing sandwiches. https://www.yelp.com/biz/eastcut-sandwich-bar-durham-durham 10. Viceroy - Fantastic, higher-end Indian restaurant. https://www.yelp.com/biz/viceroy-durham Honorable mentions: * Asian Kitchen - "Authentic" hand-pulled noodles, dumplings, and other Chinese dishes like ong choy (water spinach). https://www.yelp.com/biz/asian-kitchen-durham * Emmy Squared Pizza - Incredible Detroit-style deep-dish pizza. https://www.yelp.com/biz/emmy-squared-pizza-durham-durham-4 * M Kokko - Best Korean fried chicken we tried in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-kokko-durham * M Pocha - All-around great food, "inspired traditional Japanese cuisine with Peruvian and Spanish influences." https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-pocha-durham-2 * Makus Empanadas - Superb empanadas. https://www.yelp.com/biz/makus-empanadas-durham * The Original Q Shack - I think this was the best barbecue we had in Durham. https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-original-q-shack-durham * The Parlour - Our favorite ice cream shop in Durham. https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-parlour-durham-2 * Saltbox Seafood Joint - Tasty fried seafood and chowder. https://www.yelp.com/biz/saltbox-seafood-joint-durham-3 * Sister Liu's Kitchen - Yummy, small Chinese dumpling and sandwich takeout joint. https://www.yelp.com/biz/sister-lius-kitchen-durham-2 * Szechuan Mansion Hotpot - Absolutely delicious Chinese hot pot. Make a reservation. https://www.yelp.com/biz/szechuan-mansion-hotpot-durham

This is for Stacy who works in Durham department of water services. She was an absolute gem. She…read morewas kind, sharp, helpful, peppy, all of the amazing things you want when you're calling a customer service rep. She got us easily setup in a timely manner. Absolute best person I've spoken to when calling a government service.

I was staying in downtown Raleigh, meandered away from my hotel and found myself in the middle of…read morethe Cuegrass Festival. Lucky me. I just wandered in, looked at some selections from local artists, listened to some blue grass, and grabbed a pulled pork sandwich. There was so planning, I kept smelling food, turned left, and there was a festival in the streets. I. Love. That. It is so charming and welcoming. No cover charge to get in, a saxophone player jamming out to Whitney Houston on his speakers, BBQ everywhere, local artists, and a stage with wonderful people performing blue grass. I was lucky to have stumbled upon it, and it just makes me like Raleigh more.

More like sh**ty plaza. Nah not really, it's quite nice and fancy…read more This is the financial center of Raleigh and there are a lot of new trendy businesses popping up in these parts. It's not my favorite part, probably because it's too new, corporate, fancy, and un-Carolinian. But it is a nice sight to see and is a lot more modern than you would imagine for this historical region, the Triangle.

Decorated for Christmas and included live music in the rotunda!…read more Impressive building and well worth a visit. Amazing architecture. Symbols of our state and our country including the portrait of George Washington are impressive.

Was in Raleigh for work and went walking around and saw the State House. Had no clue Raleigh was…read morethe capital more knew anything about it really. As I walked by snagging some pictures I saw an inviting sign so decided to walk in. Free to the public and did the self-guided tour. It was such a nice detour and so glad I did. The old Library inside, rotunda, and old Senate chambers were especially cool to see. I tried imagine of what it was like in those halls in the mid-1800's. I would recommend stopping in and check it out.

The North Carolina Fallen Fire Fighter's Memorial is a nice tribute to the men and women who lost…read moretheir lives in the line of duty. The Memorial is in Nash Square in Downtown Raleigh and across the street from a fire station. The large memorial is a bronze statue with four firefighters. Three firefighters are rescuing a fourth that was under a steel beam. The names of the fallen heroes who have died since 1902 had to be redone as they ran out of room as unfortunately more names needed to be added. They also include those who have died of heart attacks and car accidents. If you are near Nash Square make sure to stop by this memorial.

Nice park located in the heart of Raleigh to honor the lost Firefighters that we lost during 911…read more Park it's self is simple piece that covers a sq block that has beautiful landscape and trees. But other than that it has no playground or anything that makes it a place to come hang out and chill.

We've just moved here from the West Coast, and family came to visit. They love historical homes and…read morehistory, but all the ones online that are so beautiful I guess are closed now, which is really sad!! So we didn't have any hopes for this one BUT ladies were there and helped us get a tour the next day!!! They were all so sweet and great!! My parents were so impressed with the facts of the tour and our tour guide that we talked about it for hours afterwards!!! So if you love history and gorgeous homes, make sure you sign up for a tour!! You can also stay in the house if you're having your wedding there!

I got married at Haywood Hall & Gardens on 11/04/2017. We found Haywood Hall in July 2016 and…read moreimmediately fell in love! Greg, Haywood Hall's curator, is so helpful and can answer any question you might have about holding your wedding at the location. The grounds are beautiful and the house as the backdrop to the ceremony is unique. We spent about 16 months planning our wedding. Greg has lots of recommendations for outside vendors, as you need to bring everything, from tables and chairs, alcohol, food, cake, etc. in as none of this is provided by the venue. This gives you a lot of flexibility to plan your own wedding, but does require a lot of time and effort. Both the ceremony and reception sites are outdoor, so be wary of that because there is no flexible rain plan. It might not be the great choice for summer or winter, but mid-April through early June and mid-September through mid-November are perfect for holding a wedding. I've seen the springs blooms and we had peak fall colors the first week of November. Just an all-around unique piece of Raleigh that in my opinion is a great place to have your special day.