Category Archives: Raleigh

Sports weekend in Raleigh: Canes and the Wolfpack

canes_02It was going to be a big sports weekend in Raleigh. No Major League Baseball playoffs, but opening night for the Carolina Hurricanes and college football with NC State were on tap for us. My mom drove in from the Outer Banks on Friday, October 10. I left the office early, but was working from home on the upper deck to finish out the work week.

Merri Beth arrived with the kids and then the babysitter showed up about quarter to 6:00 pm to watch Coco for the evening. Mom, Zander, MB, and I were ready to head to the PNC Arena for the opening night for the Canes against the New York Islanders. We arrived and checked out the fan zone, then headed into the arena. Continue reading

A Ride Around Raleigh — Literally

raleigh_greenway_loop_01It was a whim of an idea on a late Friday night after a long week—to bike around Raleigh piecing together the greenways near the beltline. Merri Beth, Coco, and I decided to give it a try on Saturday, July 12.

We started on the Walnut Creek Greenway heading east after parking at the trail head on Lake Wheeler Road near the Farmer’s Market. Once we got to Worthdale Park, we took to the streets to connect to the Crabtree Creek greenway. Continue reading

Red Hat Craft Fair: A huge success for salsa and books

Red Hat Craft FairOn Thursday, December 12, I participated in my first Red Hat Craft Fair. It’s an event held at Red Hat headquarters where the crafty folks or their spouses/family members get a chance to sell their home goods to Red Hatters. I thought it would be a good idea to sell my book and my salsa. It turned out to be a good idea. Continue reading

Bucket List Check Off: The North Carolina State Fair

While not on my original fall bucket listnc_state_fair, I had to add the North Carolina State Fair to the must-do things in Southwest Raleigh. With almost 1 million visitors this year, the fair is a familiar time of year for my family. Attractions, exhibits, food, rides, games, and more are a great way to enjoy a nice fall day in Raleigh, North Carolina. Continue reading

Bucket List Check Off: Run the City of Oaks

city_of_oaksFor the seventh year in a row, I’ve run in the City of Oaks half marathon. So adding this race to my fall bucket list was special. Why? Because it was my 20th half marathon—and to run that in Raleigh and cross the finish line at the NC State Belltower was awesome. For anyone new to Raleigh, running in a road race is a great was to enjoy the sites.

The weather was perfect for race day. Runners gathered at the start line, near the NC State Belltower, and headed downtown via Western Blvd. The course took us into Downtown Raleigh with a great view of Red Hat Tower, then through Boylan Heights for one of the best views of the Raleigh skyline. Runners then went through the heart of downtown, up Fayetteville Street, over City Plaza, towards the State Capital. Continue reading

Bucket List Check Off: Experience and NC State Football Game

ncstate_07For anyone new moving to the Triangle, one of the first things you’ll hear is that you need to pick a team. Whether your fancy is football, basketball, baseball, or some other college sport, fans in the Triangle almost require you to pledge your allegiance to either NC State, Duke, or Carolina. I graduated from State, so my allegiance comes with an earned degree. And I’ll be the first to tell you that the tailgate scene at an NC State football game is one-of-a-kind. Continue reading

An NC State Sports Trifecta

ncstate_22 On the weekend of November 2-3, the family enjoyed a trifecta of NC States sports. We started out with football game against rival UNC Chapel Hill. Then we headed over to the PNC Arena for an exhibition game the basketball team was playing. Finally, on Sunday, it was a trip out to the ballpark.

It was a beautiful fall Saturday with a chilly morning and a 12:30 kickoff time. Michaela and David Huff joined us for the game. Jim also joined the family. The tailgate scene was off the chains with Carolina in town. There’s something about the tailgate that draws you in. The sights, the smells, the anticipation. Whatever that is, it was in the air at Carter Finley stadium this past weekend. Continue reading