This is part two of my three part article series about Raleigh, North Carolina. Find part one here.
7. North Carolina Museum of History
This is a fun place to walk through and learn more about what makes North Carolina so great. I took my boyfriend here on one of our first dates and we definitely enjoyed walking through the winding exhibits together. Of course, every Carolinian student in the third grade learns a lot about North Carolina's history but this exhibit takes it to the next level. You learn the usual history with the natives but you also learn more about the sports teams and the history of their rivalries, famous artists and their time in North Carolina and a more recent history that textbooks delve into. I would reccommend anyone who has recently moved to the area to visit this museum to get a better understanding of our past and our culture here in North Carolina. It's also a great free date idea.
8. North Carolina Museum of Natural Science
If you like to touch things, push buttons and experiment, this is the place for you. This museum is so good, in fact, I had a college field trip here to examine the exhibits and report back on what I learned about certain things. It's really cool to walk around and see what could have been boring pages in a textbook brought to life with these intricate exhibits.
9. Yates Mill
If you've ever been to Lake Wheeler or several of the NC State farms in the area, you've passed by Yates Mill. This 174-acre wildlife refuge and environmental research center is home to a historic water-powered gristmill. The mill is from circa-1756 and has been fully restored. If you visit the area March through November, you can see a live demonstration as to how to the corn is turned into cornmeal using the mill. Guided tours are also available and all proceeds support maintenance of the park. Pretty cool, right? It's also a beautiful backdrop to engagement photos but make sure you get the necessary permits first. You don't want to get into trouble with the county government. This land just has a historic feel to it; it's seen the days of the Lord Proprietors, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Great Depression and it's changed hands so many times throughout the years. Stop by the museum located on the premises to learn more about the intricate history of Yates Mill.
10. Any Ashley Christensen Restaurant
Ashley Christensen is an amazing chef and has gifted Raleigh with six unique and cool resturants. I, personally, have been to three of them and I have plans to go to more. There was once a seventh restaurant, Joules Coffee + Table but that has since been closed down. Ashley Christensen actually sold the lease to Joule to his former head chef so the guy could start his own restaurant in the space he worked so hard to build. If you're in the mood for the best burger in all of Raleigh, stop by Chuck's. The indoor has a rustic-meets-modern feel and the food matches the ambiance. Beasley's Chicken + Honey has amazing chicken and waffles that I could devour by the plateful and their chicken pot pie is perfect to warm you up on a cold, windy day. Poole's was the first AC restaurant and it serves comfort food. You can't go wrong ordering anything at Poole's. Fox Liquor Bar is an AC bar that also serve food but not a full menu like the restaurants. Death by Taxes is the latest addition to the AC family and it focuses on the technique of cooking by wood fire. There's also an event space called the Bridge Club located above Death by Taxes. These restaurants are all also convientently located to other cool stuff in Raleigh (and a parking garage! Thanks, AC).
This concludes part two! Check back for part three soon.
