We are all entitled to our own opinions, right? Well here's mine:…read more Parking: 4 Location: 4 Decor/ambiance: 4 Customer Service: na Compared to the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeos, this one was miniature. It featured (2019) about 25 trucks all spread out along the main drag of downtown Cary. There was a truck for every taste bud so the food was popping! There was security everywhere so you had no choice but to feel safe. Parking was not a struggle as it free and parking lots all over downtown Cary. The 2019 Chowdown was a success and I look forward to the next one. Two of my favorite trucks where in attendance so I was happy!

Cary's Downtown Chowdown Food Truck Rally is always a fun time. The food options are not as large…read moreas other food truck rodeos but I do enjoy grabbing a drink and food to enjoy by the fountain while listening to music.

I think 147 is the highest score you can possibly get in snooker? Is that right? Well it's also the…read morebest highway you can possibly ride on in the Triangle. This little Motorway is really useful because it will take you through the heart of Durham, and way down towards Chapel Hill and Cary and Morrisville, and the reason that it is great is because if it didn't exist, you'd have to go all the way right around on 85 and 40 and traffic in the region would just be absolutely nightmarish - somewhat like Atlanta. But as it happens this road does exist, and if you will forgive my sacrilegious Bible Belt inspired expressiopn, it's a Godsend.

Hooray for the fifth annual Raleigh Typhoon Scavenger Hunt! It was a lot of fun, a lot of food and…read morejust a wee bit of drinking. A great chance to explore the City of Oaks and get silly with 500 other scavenger hunters criss-crossing through the downtown area. But as Christina mentioned, the end was not quite what we hoped for in terms of prizes and how it was handled, bummer. We played leap-frog, passed a hula hoop, did word jumbles, hop scotched, counted crosses, rocked and scissored it out and more. Along the way we got to check out Ripple City, the Big Easy, Woody's, The Oxford, Hibernian, Armadillo Grill, Noir, Jules and a slew of other sponsors. And yes, we drank some beer! But given the amount of ground we covered, we had to hydrate! ;-) All-in-all a fun event that could use a little better organization. Just know that Team Yelp was in it to win it. Puzzles: Finished. Drinking: Complete. Eating: Done. Next year we're bringing home a big prize! And only 3 sombrero's were sacrificed during the evening. Nice job peoples!

Honestly, I'm really glad I competed in this year's Raleigh Typhoon, but I'm not sure I'd do it…read moreagain, or if I did I'd focus more on enjoying the drinks and games instead of trying to get it all done, because at the end of the day...it was about the journey, not the reward (because there was none). Seriously, the deck was stacked against participants in the first place. After registering, we received a white sheet with clues on where we could find 'challenges' that would earn us blue puzzle pieces. Challenges ranged from a good ol' crossword, to origami crawfish to more physical challenges like a team vs. team leap frog race. Once we had the blue puzzle assembled (before any other team we saw) we had an entire new list of 17 items we needed to find and paste to a 24x24 posterboard to get the $400 prize. The $600 prize puzzle was a 'letters missing' puzzle and the $1000 prize was a pictogram to find a key that would open a safe. So yeah, not easy. Things that need work: 1. Attention to detail: Our blue puzzle, once assembled, was cut from different stacks so we had whole words missing (effectively eliminating us from being able to even compete for the 'letters missing' $600 prize). 2. Closing/Prize Ceremony: I don't know about you, but after I've been running around in costume for 9 hours in the heat, not stopping for food, but stopping for lots of drink, I want to pay for MORE beer and listen to LOUD Katy Perry/Gaga pumping out of the same mic used to announce rules for submission of posters / prizes. It took them 3 hours to even announce the winners. Tighten that shiz up! Then, we'll party. AND...when it came time to submit the posters for the $400 prize, they chose the winner based on the first one they liked out of only 20 submissions. Our poster was complete, along with our other items at 7:30, when some people were still making theirs at 8:30. I know it's not a race, this just seems unfair. 3. Confusion: We understood that we were supposed to get photos at every stop, save receipts and other such requirements, so we did it all. At no point in the prize ceremony were these items mentioned or considered, enhancing the feeling that we busted our butts for nothing. GoodTimes: 1. Meeting other teams! There were some playing dirty (grab all the matchbooks...you know who you are...) but most people were happy and having a wild-eyed good time. 2. Getting to see Raleigh! Businesses I'd never been to like The Union and Gypsy Jule made a great impression. Others were less welcoming (and that's pretty interesting too). 3. Bonding with my own team! Raleigh Typhoon is a great way for a group of people to see many sides of each other, working together, keeping each other pumped and sacrificing your own comfort (feet & heat) with your eyes on the prize.

A group of us decided to take a Preservation Tour about Durham's Tobacco Heritage. After loving my…read morelast tour I was excited to take another. We waited in the grass where the meeting location was described but a tour guide never showed. There were others waiting for the tour as well. The website did say they may cancel last minute but none of us received the cancellation.

Last week, I stumbled across a Facebook event for a free walking tour through downtown Durham…read morefocusing on Architecture and Urban Landscape tour. I thought this is great! I'm on a budget and I want to learn more about Durham! The Facebook event has the official location as the office of Preservation Durham, but it actually meets at the Durham farmers' market. I made the mistake of showing up to the office, but did a quick google and realized a different page listed the proper meeting place. Luckily I caught the group on the way to the first stop! The tour itself was fabulous. The guide had photographs from previous eras of architecture to hold up against the current view which definitely helped me, who knows nothing about architecture, to actually visualize what Durham used to look like. Overall, there are 3-4 other tours they offer on Saturday mornings both on bike and on foot. I'm super excited to try another tour the next time I'm free!

Where can you find a well-concealed sculpture garden in the woods of the Duke campus? Hidden behind…read morethe college of law! The parking lot required a pass of some kind that I did not possess. But, I can't be stopped! I parked out on the street and just walked to the back of the building and found my way! The labeled sculptures are found along a circular path that meanders in a vague circle through the woods. Each is definitely unique and worth seeing! Life is good with a unique sculpture garden in the woods!

I cannot stop laughing at the viral videos on YouTube of trucks and other overheight vehicles…read morecrashing into the bridge. I don't know whether the driver are dumb or if they are inexperienced or if they just don't care. Lowering the road is not possible because of the water pipes that run under the street, and since it is obviously a railroad bridge, raising it isn't possible either.

Years and years ago, I saw a magic video of an indestructible bridge. In the video, a series of…read moretoo-tall trucks attempt to clear this too-short bridge. And while these trucks got their tops sheared off, air conditioning units ripped off, loads of hale bales shoved off, the theme song from the Rocky movieis played. Hilarious. The bridge is indestructible. I didn't think that I would ever get a chance to visit this magic place for myself and yet... here it is. An honest to goodness real place that I'd seen first on the Internets. The Strongest Bridge in the World. Or, as the locals call it, The Can Opener. Seriously, watch the video for yourself and tell me... you want to see this place for yourself. https://youtu.be/JsAlzV4qSD8 I did stick around for about ten minutes. No trucks hit the bridge. Was it wrong that I was disappointed?

State of North Carolina Marianne and Daughter Love North…read moreCarolina. I've got family members and my friends living there who I've had for over 50 yrs. Then years ago we made Manhattan friends that originally came from North Carolina. I've been to North Carolina staying in my Aunt and Uncle's time share. I can't say enough about how much I enjoy this State. If I didn't have to have a car to get around in North Carolina I'd want to move there in a heartbeat. But that's only if I had to leave Manhattan for some reason. Naturally I love and want to stay here in Manhattan. I'm so happy that I have so many connections in my personal life to this state. It's definitely welcoming and I can visit when I want! If you're looking for a place to retire or relocate for any reason I recommend North Carolina!

Other than two years when I was living in the UK, I've lived in the Tarheel State for the last…read moresixteen years. I've lived in six states (NY, MA, FL, PA, AR, NC) and two countries (US, UK). This is my favorite place. Our motto: "To be, rather than to seem." Don't fake it. North Carolina was one of the original thirteen colonies, the twelfth to join the Union and the last to join the Confederacy during the Civil War. We're in the South now, y'all. It's a huge state, incorporating the cities of Charlotte, Raleigh (the state Capitol), Greensboro, Durham, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville and Asheville. We have the barrier islands, the Great Dismal Swamp, the steel and concrete jungles, the mountains, beaches and the rivers. North Carolina has the highest point in eastern North America, Mount Mitchell. Our license plates say "First in Flight" (because the Wright Brothers flew here first at Kitty Hawk) and "First in Freedom" (as my fellow Charlotteans declared independence a full year before John Hancock signed that other famous Declaration). We have 420 miles of I-40 (the busiest east-west corridor in the USA), 182 miles of I-95 (the busiest north-south), 231 miles of I-85, I-77, I-74, I-73. I-26 clips the corner of the western end of the state and at 12.9 miles long, I-87 is the shortest designated primary Interstate. To drive from Tennessee border (west) to the Outer Banks (east), it's about six hours. Or you can drive three hours from north to south. Could we do better? Sure. North Carolina got worldwide news and boycotts for the enactment of HB2. Officially the "Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act" it got notice as the "Bathroom Bill" that required people to use the bathroom that corresponded to their birth certificate. We're also known for the gerrymandering of our 12th Congressional District that was described as "political pornography" by the WSJ. We hosted the 2012 Democratic National Convention and the 2020 Republican National Convention. We currently have a Democrat governor and both houses of the legislature are Republican. It's interesting. We are home for the Carolina Panthers (football), the Carolina Hurricanes (hockey), the Charlotte Hornets (basketball) and we have the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Charlotte Motor Speedway and Rockingham Speedway host car races. Minor league baseball include the Charlotte Knights and the famed Durham Bulls. The North Carolina Museum of Art, the North Carolina Museum of History, the Durham Performing Arts Center and the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. In education, Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest University are routinely ranked in the top 100 best colleges in America. Thirteen of the Fortune 500 are based in North Carolina, including Bank of America, Lowe's Home Improvement and Honeywell International. Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is the sixth busiest airport in the world after Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Chicago and Los Angeles, ahead of Orlando, Guangzhou and Las Vegas. The Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte is the 56th tallest building in the United States. Pepsi-Cola was invented in New Bern, Cheerwine in Salisbury, Texas Pete hot sauce and Krispy Kreme Donuts in Winston-Salem and we have the headquarters for Bojangles Famous Chicken N' Biscuits in Charlotte. The UPC bar code and the CTRL-ALT-DEL key sequence were developed in our state. You might be wondering why we have a NORTH Carolina and a SOUTH Carolina. Here you go: https://www.carolana.com/Carolina/thesplit.html We don't talk to them much. :) Taxes are not excessive, the roads are okay, the crime rate is climbing and it's all good. I love it here. Come visit! [Review 19084 overall - 3402 in North Carolina - 53 of 2023.]

Can you find these three public art exhibits in Durham? We did! They were designed by artist Mary…read moreCarter Taub after she was chosen from 27 applicants for a city sponsored art project. It's a blend of Art Deco and Pop Art inspired by Rice Krispies! Parking was a major challenge to take pictures at each location but we didn't get any tickets! Just be bold and be safe! The locations are at the corner of Blackwell and Vivian, near the Marriott City Center and The Bull Statue, and at the Durham Central Park on Foster Street. Life is good with unique local art!

This is not named after the rice crispy treats. This is the snap crackle and pop public art…read moredisplay. We are walking around and I came across this and thought it was pretty cool.