Raleigh and the Triangle - A Visitor's and Local's Guide Pt. 2

[tarheelhockey]

You realize the issue of me living across an entire body of sea known as the Atlantic Ocean forces me to go with an intense schedule. If I am in NA I have to make it count.

Believe me, I do the same thing when I visit Europe. More than once I’ve had to be talked out of midnight visits to border countries just to say I’ve been there and then turn around and leave. Even knowing that it was an absurd idea, I still hated knowing I’ll probably never get another chance to go to Lichtenstein.

Realistically though, you’re not going to want to arrive at the beach, spend part of one day, and then leave the next morning. Same with the mountains, the whole attraction is to be able to relax and slow down for a few days. You have plenty of time for that, except for trying to see the entire Atlantic coast in the same trip.

I’ve done a quick day trip to Philly before, and I do think that city can be somewhat “done” in a day. Obviously it would be a superficial overview of the big tourist attractions, but I think that’s OK unless one plans to rent an apartment (I am cynical about the idea of “connecting with locals” as a tourist). Plan your day carefully, and Philly can be a stop on the way to other places.

Can’t imagine doing NYC or Washington DC in only one or two days. NYC is like visiting London or Paris, there are only two ways to do it in such a compressed timeframe:

1) Ignore many of the “must see” attractions and focus only on a handful of specific experiences that are meaningful to you. This can be a great experience, but I get the sense that you don’t travel this way (I don’t either).

2) See the city at a manic pace, but don’t do it in depth. Eat fast food, take photos but not tours of the attractions, and don’t get into neighborhood exploration. This checks the “I saw the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and Central Park in the same day” boxes, but leaves you with few real memories of them.

Better to just take an extra day or two that do either of the above.

Likewise, DC is not a fast city to visit. The National Mall is much larger than it looks, and everything there is going to have a line for entry. The Smithsonian museums truly are worth at least a day in their own right… I’ve done them in a half-day, but it means zooming through and glancing at the highlights. If you skip the museums (tragically) then maybe the rest of the city can be done in 2 days. One to arrive and do a quick tour of the Mall, the other to explore a couple of neighborhoods and then get back on the road.

The biggest killer in all of this is the drive time. You’re losing half a day every time you change locations, which adds up to something like 2-3 days of the trip.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Believe me, I do the same thing when I visit Europe. More than once I’ve had to be talked out of midnight visits to border countries just to say I’ve been there and then turn around and leave. Even knowing that it was an absurd idea, I still hated knowing I’ll probably never get another chance to go to Lichtenstein.

Realistically though, you’re not going to want to arrive at the beach, spend part of one day, and then leave the next morning. Same with the mountains, the whole attraction is to be able to relax and slow down for a few days. You have plenty of time for that, except for trying to see the entire Atlantic coast in the same trip.

I’ve done a quick day trip to Philly before, and I do think that city can be somewhat “done” in a day. Obviously it would be a superficial overview of the big tourist attractions, but I think that’s OK unless one plans to rent an apartment (I am cynical about the idea of “connecting with locals” as a tourist). Plan your day carefully, and Philly can be a stop on the way to other places.

Can’t imagine doing NYC or Washington DC in only one or two days. NYC is like visiting London or Paris, there are only two ways to do it in such a compressed timeframe:

1) Ignore many of the “must see” attractions and focus only on a handful of specific experiences that are meaningful to you. This can be a great experience, but I get the sense that you don’t travel this way (I don’t either).

2) See the city at a manic pace, but don’t do it in depth. Eat fast food, take photos but not tours of the attractions, and don’t get into neighborhood exploration. This checks the “I saw the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and Central Park in the same day” boxes, but leaves you with few real memories of them.

Better to just take an extra day or two that do either of the above.

Likewise, DC is not a fast city to visit. The National Mall is much larger than it looks, and everything there is going to have a line for entry. The Smithsonian museums truly are worth at least a day in their own right… I’ve done them in a half-day, but it means zooming through and glancing at the highlights. If you skip the museums (tragically) then maybe the rest of the city can be done in 2 days. One to arrive and do a quick tour of the Mall, the other to explore a couple of neighborhoods and then get back on the road.

The biggest killer in all of this is the drive time. You’re losing half a day every time you change locations, which adds up to something like 2-3 days of the trip.

I guess it's fu^k Philly then and we switch to NY-DC-NC

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

VERY SERIOUS REQUEST.

I contemplate an East Coast trip.

It is far away on a timetable and She is yet to know (I want it to be a surprise, usually I plan only short-term), but I need some consultations.

Basic premise: week/10 days/2 weeks to travel along the east coast north to south. Starting with New York (possibly Boston), then Philadelphia, then the Heart of Enemy (Washington), then I need something interesting on the way to Raleigh and then Triangle and surroundings.

Summoning @3CanesInTheBox as a New Yorker (based currently in WSH if I am not mistaken)
Summoning @VAcaniac as the one living in Enemy territory
Summoning @bleedgreen because he always feels kinda well-traveled

I am in Boston and lived in Philly for a year if you have any questions

 

[Navin R Slavin]

The biggest killer in all of this is the drive time. You’re losing half a day every time you change locations, which adds up to something like 2-3 days of the trip.

This is not so true in the Northeast. There's some overhead in moving all your shit, but Amtrak actually works quite well in the DC to Boston corridor, with hourly departures. Realistically, if you get hotel rooms near the stations, you can check out of your Boston/NYC/Philly room at 11am, have a nice leisurely lunch on the train (that you pack yourself, Amtrak food sucks) and a quick nap, and be checked into your NYC/Philly/DC room by 3pm.

Once you hit DC, taking the Metro to DCA, renting a car and driving south for the NC portion is probably your best bet, assuming you leave the car at RDU and fly home at the end. For reference, DCA to RDU drive time is roughly 5 hours with typical traffic.

A word of warning, though: NC is a long, long state -- 9 1/2 hours from Murphy to Hatteras. You'll have to choose carefully what your want to see.

 

[tarheelhockey]

This is not so true in the Northeast. There's some overhead in moving all your shit, but Amtrak actually works quite well in the DC to Boston corridor, with hourly departures. Realistically, if you get hotel rooms near the stations, you can check out of your Boston/NYC/Philly room at 11am, have a nice leisurely lunch on the train (that you pack yourself, Amtrak food sucks) and a quick nap, and be checked into your NYC/Philly/DC room by 3pm.

Once you hit DC, taking the Metro to DCA, renting a car and driving south for the NC portion is probably your best bet, assuming you leave the car at RDU and fly home at the end. For reference, DCA to RDU drive time is roughly 5 hours with typical traffic.

A word of warning, though: NC is a long, long state -- 9 1/2 hours from Murphy to Hatteras. You'll have to choose carefully what your want to see.

Man, I wasn't even factoring in Boston. IMO it's just out of the question to try and make that run unless you are truly just setting foot in each city for a few hours.

Agreed about Amtrak, though. It's a far better experience than driving I-95, especially as a foreigner having to adjust to all the different signs and customs. And the fact that the local driving laws change every 2-3 hours. One traffic ticket will make the rental car more expensive and spoil the whole trip.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Important question.

WHERE IS THE BEST ZOO.

 

[LostInaLostWorld]

Bronx Zoo perhaps. Another day in NYC.

Bronx Zoo - Wikipedia

Saving Wildlife and Wild Places - Bronx Zoo

 

[MinJaBen]

Home - Duke Lemur Center

Important question.

WHERE IS THE BEST ZOO.

For a serious answer, I’ve been to both the National Zoo in DC and the NC Zoo. Both are good but very different in scale. You can walk the National Zoo in about an hour or two, while the sheer acreage of the NC Zoo means a half day or more. I’ve never been to the Bronx Zoo, but heard it is very good.

Not a zoo, but if you are into unique animal exhibits, consider a tour of the Duke Lemur Center in Durham when in NC.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

Important question.

WHERE IS THE BEST ZOO.

The NC State Fair.

 

[LakeLivin]

The NHL Situation Room in Toronto?

 

[HisIceness]

Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC is cool FWIW. But I'm not sure it's worth going out of your way for if you're doing an east coast trip thing.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Another vote from me for the DC National Zoo.

 

[DaveG]

Important question.

WHERE IS THE BEST ZOO.

Boston Aquarium

Actual zoo is probably DC

 

[garnetpalmetto]

This is not so true in the Northeast. There's some overhead in moving all your shit, but Amtrak actually works quite well in the DC to Boston corridor, with hourly departures. Realistically, if you get hotel rooms near the stations, you can check out of your Boston/NYC/Philly room at 11am, have a nice leisurely lunch on the train (that you pack yourself, Amtrak food sucks) and a quick nap, and be checked into your NYC/Philly/DC room by 3pm.

Once you hit DC, taking the Metro to DCA, renting a car and driving south for the NC portion is probably your best bet, assuming you leave the car at RDU and fly home at the end. For reference, DCA to RDU drive time is roughly 5 hours with typical traffic.

A word of warning, though: NC is a long, long state -- 9 1/2 hours from Murphy to Hatteras. You'll have to choose carefully what your want to see.

I'll have to agree to disagree on Amtrak food sucking. The food from the dining cars is usually pretty legit (although not made from scratch except on the Empire Builder (Chicago-Seattle/Portland) and the Auto Train (DC-Orlando, essentially)). Cafe car food is whatever, though. Unfortunately to curb costs Amtrak took dining cars off the Silver Star although I believe it's still on the Silver Meteor.

Important question.

WHERE IS THE BEST ZOO.

Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC is cool FWIW. But I'm not sure it's worth going out of your way for if you're doing an east coast trip thing.

National Zoo in DC, Bronx Zoo in NYC, or as @HisIceness mentioned, Riverbanks in Columbia. Easily one of the best zoos in the country especially in combination with its botanical gardens. It kicks the shit out of the sorry excuse for a zoo they have down in Asheboro.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

I'll have to agree to disagree on Amtrak food sucking. The food from the dining cars is usually pretty legit (although not made from scratch except on the Empire Builder (Chicago-Seattle/Portland) and the Auto Train (DC-Orlando, essentially)). Cafe car food is whatever, though. Unfortunately to curb costs Amtrak took dining cars off the Silver Star although I believe it's still on the Silver Meteor.

Ok, so the food is great on Amtrak, with the possible exception of literally every Amtrak train I've ever been on.

Your mileage, as they say, may vary.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

botanical gardens

Off the curent plan of the journey, but this specific portion is a big deal for Missus. She gets all giddy when she can take photos of light playing with leaves of plants and this kind of stuff.

 

[MinJaBen]

Off the curent plan of the journey, but this specific portion is a big deal for Missus. She gets all giddy when she can take photos of light playing with leaves of plants and this kind of stuff.

If she likes that, the NC Botanical Gardens in Asheville are very nice, and Duke Gardens in Durham are very nice as well. Another option, but more pricey, would be the gardens of the Biltmore Estate, also in Asheville.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Ok, so the food is great on Amtrak, with the possible exception of literally every Amtrak train I've ever been on.

Your mileage, as they say, may vary.

Easy, friend. I wasn't meaning to criticize you, just saying I've had decent eats in Amtrak's dining cars back when they actually had them on the Silver Star. Apologies if that came off as critical.

If she likes that, the NC Botanical Gardens in Asheville are very nice, and Duke Gardens in Durham are very nice as well. Another option, but more pricey, would be the gardens of the Biltmore Estate, also in Asheville.

There's also the North Carolina Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill - nothing too fancy there though - all plants native to North Carolina from prior to the Columbian Exchange. Another option if @MrazeksVengeance 's wife likes plants would be Brookgreen Gardens down in Myrtle Beach (a botanical and sculpture garden and zoo), Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, or Middleton Place in Charleston.

 

[LostInaLostWorld]

The Raulston Arboretum is 1.5 miles or so from PNC arena where our hockey gods are known to stickpuck. Nothing extraordinary but is a pleasant walk and she could easily yet some pics of the sort you says she likes.

JC Raulston Arboretum - Home Page

Schenk Forest is even closer to PNC.

Forests and Facilities

And Umpstead Park (large forest) is not too far either.

William B. Umstead State Park | NC State Parks

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Easy, friend. I wasn't meaning to criticize you, just saying I've had decent eats in Amtrak's dining cars back when they actually had them on the Silver Star. Apologies if that came off as critical.



There's also the North Carolina Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill - nothing too fancy there though - all plants native to North Carolina from prior to the Columbian Exchange. Another option if @MrazeksVengeance 's wife likes plants would be Brookgreen Gardens down in Myrtle Beach (a botanical and sculpture garden and zoo), Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, or Middleton Place in Charleston.

Thanks for the advice, I do have to correct you on the wife part though.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Easy, friend. I wasn't meaning to criticize you, just saying I've had decent eats in Amtrak's dining cars back when they actually had them on the Silver Star. Apologies if that came off as critical.

Whoops, sorry. Guess I needed a smiley there, I took no offense at all. I would be delighted to have one of these mystical "edible Amtrak meals" though. I have some spectacular counter examples!

Though, on the main, the food is actually edible if you keep your expectations low.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Important question.

WHERE IS THE BEST ZOO.

The national zoo in DC has pandas, FWIW. The NC Zoo is fine, but it’s nothing to go out of your way to see (and takes a lot of time to tour because of its layout).

An easy way to include a botanical garden is to go to the National Botanical Garden in DC, which is located directly in front of the US Capitol. The NC Arboretum is also a solid choice. The DC one is much more urban and a faster visit, the Asheville one is more scenic and slower.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

The national zoo in DC has pandas, FWIW. The NC Zoo is fine, but it’s nothing to go out of your way to see (and takes a lot of time to tour because of its layout).

An easy way to include a botanical garden is to go to the National Botanical Garden in DC, which is located directly in front of the US Capitol. The NC Arboretum is also a solid choice. The DC one is much more urban and a faster visit, the Asheville one is more scenic and slower.

Pandas are overrated in terms of viewever attractivity. Once you’ve seen them, you have seen them. They are the worst bear species.

 

[LakeLivin]

Pandas are overrated in terms of viewever attractivity. Once you’ve seen them, you have seen them. They are the worst bear species.

Green Bay Packers fans would beg to differ.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Green Bay Packers fans would beg to differ.

Chicago Bears blowhards who won’t shut up about ‘Da 85 Bears, who ignore that it’s been more than 30 years ago and a wasted potential dynasty at least DON’T EAT BAMBOO.