10 Ways To Make The Most Of Your 2020 Summer If You Live In Raleigh, NC
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

10 Ways To Make The Most Of Your 2020 Summer If You Live In Raleigh, NC

How to still have an amazing summer even without concerts and street festivals.

103
10 Ways To Make The Most Of Your 2020 Summer If You Live In Raleigh, NC

Ah, summer. It's my absolute favorite season. Some of my best memories have been made going to outdoor concerts, the food truck rodeo in downtown, chilling by the pool...wait.

Summer 2020 is definitely going to be different from any other summer. North Carolina, especially in comparison with neighboring states, is re-opening slowly. Bars, gyms, and movie theaters are still shut down. Most kids won't be going to summer camps and for the first summer in memory, Walnut Creek and Red Hat amphitheaters will be completely silent.

But Raleigh and the state of North Carolina still have many adventures to offer. Here are 5 local activities and five day trips that can still be done during the 2020 pandemic.

1. Explore the NC Art Museum and the Cloud Chamber for the Trees and Sky

Head outside to the museum park to discover Chris Drury's outside exhibit "Cloud Chamber for the Trees and Sky." If you were taking a stroll in the woods, you would probably walk by the structure without noticing. It looks like the kind of place a secretive hobbit might live.

This chamber is a camera obscura, which displays an inverted image of the outside world onto the hut's white walls. Inside the light-tight structure, you get to sit back and watch a projection of the surrounding nature. You'll get to experience the clouds, trees, and sunlight in a new way.

2. Day trip: Hang out at Hanging Rock

Hanging Rock State Park, about two hours west of Raleigh, is filled with stunning views of rolling mountains, more than 20 miles of hiking trails, a scenic lake for swimming and boating, and campsites.

3. Kayak on one of the local lakes

Raleigh and surrounding areas has many lakes where you can paddle board, canoe, fish, or kayak. You can also find hiking trails and biking trails at various parks in the city.

4. Day trip: Find peacefulness at Hammocks Beach State Park

Two and half hours east of Raleigh, Hammocks Beach State Park is a 4-mile-long undeveloped barrier island off the coast of Swansboro that can only be reached by ferry, canoe, kayak, or boat. Here you can swim, camp, boat, fish, sunbathe, hike, relax, collect shells; really whatever you desire! Hammock Beach on Bear Island is stress-free bliss.

5. Learn to scuba dive

There are quite a few dive shops in and around Raleigh and some offer classes! Fantasy Lake Scuba Park in Wake Forest offers camping, as well as day and night scuba diving in a lake quarry. Learn a new skill that you can use on your next vacation or year-round at Fantasy Lake.

6. Day trip: Cool off on a natural water slide tucked away in the mountains

Four and a half hours west, the 60-foot Sliding Rock is actually a waterfall with a really gentle grade, ending in a 6-7 foot natural pool.

7. Support your local restaurants!

There were so many businesses planning to open in spring and summer 2020. With the pandemic putting some plans on hold, this is the best time to support your favorite or a new local business.

Check out Lady Luck, a new tapas style restaurant in downtown Raleigh that is offering take-out and limited dine-in service.

8. Day trip: Get lost in the Jockey's Ridge sand dunes

Three hours east of Raleigh, Jockey's Ridge is a 100 ft. high shifting sand dune brings a swath of desert to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. While the sand dunes are certainly the biggest and most noticeable attraction in Jockey's Ridge State Park, there are actually acres of outdoor activities to explore in this diverse recreational area, from kayaking to kiteboarding, hiking to just soaking up the sun. With extensive nature trails, an easily accessible sound side beach, and virtually every type of sport an Outer Banks vacationer can enjoy on the water or the land,

9. Find all the local murals to fill up your Instagram page all summer long!

There are so many talented artists in Raleigh and sure enough, there are many murals and art displays all around the city and the surrounding towns. Spend a day with friends, your pup, or your love and snap some cute pics at all the murals that inspire you. This list by Visit Raleigh is a great place to start: https://www.visitraleigh.com/plan-a-trip/visitraleigh-insider-blog/post/outdoor-murals-worth-finding-in-raleigh-nc/

10. Day trip: Ride the new alpine coaster in Banner Elk

Banner Elk, three and a half hours west of Raleigh, is close to Boone, Blowing Rock, and Grandfather Mountain. Here, there is a new alpine coaster that is worth checking out. You might not make it to your favorite theme park this summer, but you can find plenty of new heights in the mountains of North Carolina.


Report this Content
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

16245
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

945640
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

122491
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lots of people sat on the cinema wearing 3D glasses
Pinterest

Ever wonder what your friend meant when they started babbling about you taking their stapler? Or how whenever you ask your friend for a favor they respond with "As You Wish?" Are you looking for new and creative ways to insult your friends?

Well, look no further. Here is a list of 70 of the most quotable movies of all time. Here you will find answers to your questions along with a multitude of other things such as; new insults for your friends, interesting characters, fantastic story lines, and of course quotes to log into your mind for future use.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments