[i am the heart that you call home] [i may be a bird in a cage but at least it's your cage]

I know I have North Carolinians -- both natives and long-term residents, and ex-natives and ex-long term residents -- reading this, so I've got a question for you: where are your favorite secret places in North Carolina? Where can I go take pictures that I might not already be aware of?

I'm particularly interested in small towns that have been around a while, have traditional "downtown" areas with older buildings/signs/what have you, or might have interesting decaying bits, and in places where we could do a little nature walking without having to be, you know, hardcore hikers. Extra extra bonus points for places within 25-30 miles of Chapel Hill/Carrboro -- I'm mostly looking for half-day trips -- but I'm willing to go further if someplace is totally awesome. (Anything neat on the coast or up in the mountains that could be made a weekend trip also welcome.)

I've already spent time in Pittsboro, Hillsborough, Bynum, Siler City, the state park area around the Haw River on 15-501 before Pittsboro, the back roads between the CH and those places, and of course Jordan Lake. I'm looking for new places; can you guys tell me any? Does, like, Mebane have an actualfax downtown? All I know of Mebane is that stretch right by I-40 where the Sonic and all the cheap gas stations are. (Mmmm. Sonic.) Are there any cool little festivals that you know about, ala Benson Mule Days? (I am weirdly obsessed with the idea of Mule Days. I find it totally hilarious.) Can anyone tell me exactly, in very small words and great detail, how to find the cement hippo in Bolin Creek Park? What about Durham County outside of the actual city of Durham? Oh, and has anybody been out to the Orange County Speedway? Is it awesome? Should shep. and I go?

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Have you been to Eno River State park (http://www.enoriver.org/eno/parks/WestPoint/westpoint.html), on the north side of Durham? It has a nifty old mill (reconstructed), and there are trails up along the river. There's the Festival for the Eno every July 4 (which is fun), but I like exploring the area best when it's not over-run by crowds.

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I haven't been, though it's been on my list for a while. I just keep forgetting about it. (And the price tag for the festival is just way too high for me, so it would definitely be at some other time!)

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Yeah, it is kinda pricey. I've been going to the festival for about 14 years now, and I think I've paid twice. Most years I volunteer: http://www.enoriver.org/Festival/volunteer.php

Raising the big top is my usual volunteer slot, although I've started putting up posters, too.

This is probably too far for you, but if you're ever near Charlotte, there's a small town (which has now started suffering from metro expansion, but still has its historic downtown) near the NC/SC border called Waxhaw (http://www.waxhaw.com/). I grew up a ways out from town, and still love visiting. The time to go is on July 4th, when they do this awesome little small-town parade. It's also near Camp Creek Park, but it's been a very, very long time since I've been there, and I can't remember how nice it is/what it's like now.

I'll keep it in mind! Charlotte is very much a haul for us and if I'm going to drive that far I'm going to go to the mountains or the coast, not, uh, well, Charlotte, but if we're ever looking for a longer day trip, I will definitely keep that in mind!

It would be a haul from CH, but I'm partial to King (http://www.ci.king.nc.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={C423A162-BCD6-4F47-8A99-BAA90C4ED7C7}), which is a teensy town north of Winston-Salem. There's a small downtown. Go when there's going to be a ball game at Recreation Acres and take some pictures of Little Leaguers. :) And get ice cream at the Dairy-o. As a bonus, you could hit Hanging Rock (http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/haro/main.php) on the way home, which has hiking trails for all levels.

Graham has some pretty buildings (and a traffic circle with a courthouse in the middle, which is... odd, and which would likely photograph well) and would be a short drive up 40 from CH.

The Charlotte Hawkins Brown (http://www.nchistoricsites.org/chb/chb.htm) historic site would make for some great pictures and a good walk. Take 70; it's slower, but it's way prettier than 40.

Have you been to the state capital building in Raleigh? Not a small town, but it's GORGEOUS. Go eat lunch at Cooper's (http://www.clydecooperbbq.com/) afterward.

Guilford Courthouse Battleground Park in Greensboro (again, a haul from the CH, but) is also lovely, good for the low-key nature walking, and makes nice photos, if monuments are your thing. Greensboro has a lot of lovely outdoor space, in general.

One place in the city of Durham worth braving, if you haven't been: Duke Gardens (http://www.hr.duke.edu/dukegardens/).

Have you been to Umstead state park (http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/wium/main.php)?

I could natter on for a long time (though I have more information about parks and such than small towns); I love my state. :)

Oh, man, anything near Winston-Salem: Winston, I swear to God, is located in some kind of time warp, where it takes three times as long to get home as it did to get there originally. But I'll add King to my list for sure; that's the kind of thing I'm looking for for sure.

I only have a sense of Graham as a place we pass on our way to G'boro, but I'm going to make a note about the courthouse. That sounds awesome.

I have been to Duke Gardens (I pick my farmshare up there every week, and we tend to park over that way and cut through when we're on way to Duke's central campus) but not Umstead State Park. You have made me an awesome list! Thank you so much!

You're welcome! :)

I'm amused; the Dairi-O has a Yelp (http://www.yelp.com/biz/dairi-o-king) page.

When you're up for a road trip, I'd check out Boone. It's basically a less polished version of Chapel Hill... small downtown with a mix of cute stores, great restaurants, and random hunting stores. Mostly, I like driving around the back roads, popping into Boone for lunch, and then doing more driving/hiking.

Ah, Boone, so full of hippies. We keep meaning to get up there but I think we're going to do it next winter when there's snow there and not here. :)

Durham, because I know it best and love it:
Walk around downtown Durham, seriously, it is safe and really interesting photos - I can draw you a good loop if you want.
I'm not sure it if the still do now that construction is complete but American Tobacco used to offer free tours of the rehab.
My favorite railroad tracks in Durham are the ones that you cross from East Campus on foot to get to the Center for Doc Studies.
Also the old Coca-cola building by East that is now Duke offices.
Jordan Lake.
Jordan Lake Dam.
West Point on the Eno.
Eno River State Park.
The Butterfly garden (not free).
If you park on the Central Campus side of the Duke Gardens and walk like you are cutting through to Main West campus, but turn right at the lake instead there are some really AWES walkways.
NC751 through the Duke Forest.
Also if you go around the circle on 751 and take, I think, the second Forest driveway (up a hill) there is some really nice walking (there has to be some way to get a map of all the Duke Forest trails).
Walk Parrish Street.
Go to Hayti and seem honest and they'll tell some great places to see Durham history.
Ask at the Scrap Exchange if they'll let you take pictures inside the store.
If you walk around NC Central eat at The Know and think of me fondly.
Turn off 751 on to Massey Chapel Road, follow it up and it'll turn into Barbee, stop at the u-pick and pick fruit (if you pick muscadines I will be jealous), and then cross 54, stay on Barbee and just before you get to Woodcroft there is a vegetable stand that is run beside someone's drive way, then turn left on Woodcroft and there is a park on your left that has a hill that is at the perfect angle for laying with a book and that is my favorite place in all of Durham to lay on my back and listen to the sounds of rec league baseball, the dog park, and summer (it helps to pick up a watermelon at the fruit stand on the way).

Darnit, now I'm home sick.

You should go to Orange County Speedway and to Bahama.

Edited Date: 2009-06-02 10:53 pm (UTC)

I know you love Durham best. ♥ You already drew us a loop, too, we just haven't gotten around to walking it yet -- we want to do it on a Wednesday because Farmer's Market, but none of the recent Wednesdays have worked for us. Soon, I hope. Because otherwise it's gonna be too hot to do anything but lie around like slugs.

have you been to saxapahaw? Not sure about that spelling, but I've heard great things about this small town and they have live music on the weekends.

i may be a bird in a cage but at least it's your cage

[i am the heart that you call home]

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July