Category Archives: Sports

Sports weekend in Raleigh: Canes and the Wolfpack

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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

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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 →

Spring Break in the Rockies Day Three: Dog Sledding and Snowboarding

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dog_sledding_34We woke up to several inches of snow on Monday, March 31. A winter storm had passed overnight and there was some fresh powder to play in today. Since we had been snowboarding all day yesterday, we wanted to change things up a bit. The family got ready for the day and headed south to Breckenridge. The roads had snow on them, so we were cautious and allowed extra travel time. Our first stop for the day was Good Times Adventures.

Zander didn’t know where we were going or what we were doing. It was a complete surprise. It was a long, winding, snow-packed road to get to our destination. As were approached Good Times, Zander saw some people dog sledding. And he was really excited. Surprise! Continue reading →

Spring Break in the Rockies Day Two: Loveland

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loveland_43Another full day of snowboarding was on tap for Sunday, March 30. We had a blast at Copper Mountain yesterday. First we needed some gear, then some lift tickets. We hit up the Pioneer Sports store that was conveniently located in our hotel. Snowboard packages were $32 a day and included boots, board, and bindings. Rental gear: check. Next, we printed out lift tickets to Loveland ski area at the kiosk, also conveniently located in the hotel lobby. Discounted lift tickets were $56 for adults and $25 for children. Lift tickets: check. Continue reading →

Spring Break in the Rockies Day One: Copper Mountain

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copper_mtn_28Let Spring Break begin! Merri Beth, Zander, and I were at RDU airport on Friday, March 28 heading to Denver, Colorado. We had a direct flight on Southwest Airlines that left at 5:00 pm ET and arrived by 7:00 pm MT. Our plan was to get some snowboarding in this weekend. Meanwhile, Coco and the dogs would be enjoying Spring Break at the farm with Jim and Beth.

After arriving at the Denver International Airport, we got our bags, a rental car, and headed west and made a pitstop for dinner in Golden, CO. We ate at a place called Blue Canyon Bar & Grille, watched some of the NCAA tournament and enjoyed our food. We had about an hour drive before we arrived in Silverthorne—which would be basecamp for the next few days. Continue reading →

Bucket List Check Off: Go to a Carolina Hurricanes Game

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canes_03One of the items on my fall bucket list was to go to a Carolina Hurricanes game. Since making the list, I’ve been to two games and I’m going to the game tonight! The first game was on Friday, October 11 against the LA Kings. It was a total sports weekend for my family. My mom was in town and we took her to the Canes game on Friday, then the Syracuse at NC State football game on Saturday. But this bucket list item is about the frozen puck, not the pigskin. Continue reading →

Bucket List Check Off: Run the City of Oaks

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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

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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

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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 →