First time in Raleigh for July 4th weekend. What can we see in 3 days? (Charlotte: rent, chapel) - Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary - North Carolina (NC) -The Triangle Area - City-Data Forum

typ8lbb · 06-08-2010, 08:37 AM

Hey guys,
Me and my fiancee will be going visiting Raleigh for July 4th weekend (Arriving Friday July 2 at night and returning Monday July 5th afternoon). I know it is not a lot of time so thats why we're trying to get a bit of help from locals as far as what how we can make the most of our short time there.
I guess I should say although this will be a 'vacation trip' it also serves us as a trip to check out the area since we're considering moving in the future and the Raleigh area is a place that keeps coming up as a nice place to live.
We will be staying at the Clarion hotel in downtown Raleigh since it seems to be a fairly central location.
We will be renting a car to be able to drive around and visit the adjacent towns (Cary, Chapel Hill, etc).
If you had never been to the Raleigh Area and you wanted to mainly check out the area as a possible place to move to, and you were staying downtown Raleigh for 3 days (2 and a half technically). Where would you go the first day, the second and the third (half a day).
I have a Visit Raleigh guide in which they list a lot of amenities and things to do in the area. I am sure we'll be doing some of that at night r late afternoon, but during the day we want to be able to concentrate on checking the city out as well as the suburbs (hopefully without getting lost) since it seems most adjacent towns are within 30 minutes from Raleigh.
I see quite a few towns listed that meighbor raleigh...from Apex to Zebulon. Obviously we can't see them all, so if you had to pick a couple which ones would it be? Of course any 'must see' attractions would be nice to know as well, after all it is technically a 'vacation' trip as well...

Thanks for your help!!

Lou

annesg · 06-09-2010, 07:25 AM

Well, the Durham Bulls game on the 3rd would be really fun, and includes fireworks! The stadium has a great location in Durham so you could catch dinner or drinks close by and check out Durham.

Really depends on your interests, I guess. But that's the first thing that came to my mind! Downtown Apex is kinda cute. Are you looking for a suburban feel? Or a more urban existence?

ech86 · 06-09-2010, 08:11 AM

Durham Bulls game was the first thing that came to my mind too! They are playing Sat and Sun. I am going to the game on Sunday. It's at 7pm. They're having fireworks after the game. I expect the fireworks to be bigger and better than the ones they have after the other games since it's July 4th. There's plenty of places to eat around the ballpark. I love hanging out outside the ballpark before games because the scenery is really nice.

FauxPas · 06-09-2010, 09:53 AM

There won't be anyone here. They'll all be at the beach. So it might be a really good time to look around.

bellasformas · 06-09-2010, 09:56 AM

You might check the town websites that you're considering visiting. The weekend of the 4th, they usually have things going on for you to do. It might also give you a list of places you don't want to go, since they close off the downtown areas of places like Apex, for the festivities and it makes navigating the town a bit more challenging.

Raleigh should have quite a bit going on for the 4th, including fireworks at the NC State Fairgrounds, and some things at the Capitol in the afternoon:

July 4 Independence Day Celebration at NC State Capitol 2010 -

StMichael929 · 06-09-2010, 10:05 AM

Eno festival:

Festival for the Eno

lovebrentwood · 06-09-2010, 05:05 PM

IMHO, I wouldn't advise anyone from out of town to go walking around the area around the Durham ballpark unless they really knew where they were going.

typ8lbb · 06-10-2010, 06:25 AM

Thanks for the tips! The game and festival sound good, we'll get a GPS so hopefully we'll get around OK.
I did hear a bout most people going to the beach on that date, so yes, hopefully that'll give us a bit more room to look around since it wont be as crowded.

annesg · 06-10-2010, 07:22 AM

If you were interested in checking out the area in terms of where to LIVE, I'd have in mind what you are looking for (subdivision, downtown urban environment, rural, etc.), how much you'll want to pay in rent or mortgage, and where you might be working. If you're looking for quaint suburban, check out Apex and it's downtown center. IF you'll be in RTP working, try Brier Creek, NW Cary, and Morrisville. Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough have some fun, funky, arty feels to them. Durham is an increasingly hip place, with both nice suburbs around the Southpoint mall (if you're stuck and want familiarity, the mall has tons of upscale shops and restaurants like cheesecake factory) and around the ballpark. Wake Forest, North Raleigh, and downtown Raleigh have their own good points. Just depends on what you think you want!

typ8lbb · 06-11-2010, 07:12 AM

Thanks for the descriptions of the different areas! We would love a bit of a suburban area, so definitely will have to check Apex and I guess Durham. Not too crazy about the big city life (had enough of that already when I lived in Miami a few years ago), thats why we decided to visit the Raleigh area as opposed to Charlotte.
Of course like you said it depends on where we get jobs, my girlfriend is finishing her PHD and would like to teach at a university. I work in the IT field . Obviously we wouldn't move without first landing a job, but its always good to check out the surrounding areas and know what they look like and which ones you like the best and try and get something close by.