I love cats! Obviously it was required to visit this giant mural while in town. It is fun it is…read morefunky and while strolling along easy to get to and snap a photo of. It was purrrrr-fect!

This park has such beautiful, well-kept grounds with nice walking trails and plenty of outdoor…read moreart/sculptures to keep you entertained and amazed. There is also a flower garden, a mini lake, a picnic area, and plenty of parking available. We came on a Monday afternoon with the intention of going to the museum that is within the park, however, since it was closed we decided to walk around the park instead. We thought it would be 30 minutes and we would have walked the entire thing. We were wrong. The place is huge! We tried to say within the shaded spots but ended up walking through the parts without shade. There were so cute things like a little hut I dubbed the hobbit house because it kind of looked like one. There was an interactive art installation area with musical swings (apologies if these aren't the correct terminology) but you swing yourself and it triggers some musical notes. Way cool! Another installation were these bars you pull or push around which also triggers musical notes. We had a great time checking out some outdoor arts and taking in the scenery during our stroll. This park had so many interesting things to look at or in my case, take photos at with my long lost sister. Next time I am in the area, I am definitely coming here again. What a beautiful place!

I love this park. We typically come during the day to enjoy the paths but we came today early in…read morethe morning with our run club. The trails within the park were closed (not sure why), so we went running around the park. It's especially hilly in this area and connects to the greenway. It's great for endurance training. We also love to come here for picnics, photo shoots, and bike rides.

The 2009 race was featured on Man Vs Food. And I think folks may have been wondering how could 2010…read moretop that. But this is just the kind of race that gets better (and more remarkable) with age! What is Doughman? Think Ironman -- but a lot, well, doughier. For those not in the know (and really you should check out that M v F episode -- hilarious!), Doughman combines competitive eating with a 4-person team quadrathlon and crazy costumes. The charities this year were SEEDS and See-Saw Studios -- both Durham youth programs. And the food stops on the race were all Durham restaurateurs with a local focus. I volunteered with some fabulous yelper helpers: Mari J, Helena K and her hubby, Al. We were stationed at the first stop in the race, Hog Heaven. Bikers cycled in and proceeded to wolf down (or try to) a chicken leg, cup of pulled pork and three hushpuppies. Sound outrageous? It is. The next stop involved an inner tube and paddling across a pool. Some of the best costumes were the Stay Buft team (cute Pillsbury hats and shirts!), Inconceivable! (a Princess Bride cast... how the hell they raced in pirate boots and capes is unbeknownst to me), and Breakfast of Champions (Biscuit King and Wonder Bread Woman?? So clever and well-produced!). But of course it was our very own Make Me Yelp team (Tripp W, Jane W, Phil G, and Meghan B) that won first place in costumes this year... for some very homemade Richard Simmons'-inspired outfits complete with curly wigs -- and the jumping jacks and high knees to go along with them! They finished 16th place (out of 70) in the race; and Yelp raised enough money to earn the 10th spot on the fundraising leaderboard. In other words, you yelpers rock! ;) Super-excited for the Doughman Banquet (yummy local food and beer) which takes place this evening. Ticket funds go to the charities. Awesome way to participate in Doughman if you don't necessarily feel like dressing up like superheroes and stuffing your face with a hoagie at 9am. Time to start planning for next year's race! --- So I just has to post a quick same-day update to say the Doughman hEArTs Durham Banquet was so fabulous. Terrific local breweries, great live music, and really good catered food (especially loving the Dolly Mama chocolate; LocoPops; and the bbq). And just swell company. People ate, drank and made merry for sure. Wish I could've stuck around for the dancing but I was pretty pooped after such a big day!

Being a part of the Doughman race is one of the more fun things I have done in a while. What other…read moreevent can you simultaneously dress up in ridiculous costumes, get exercise, act stupid, eat amazing food, get a scenic tour of Durham, meet interesting new people, and dance to 80's music? That's right, no where else but Doughman. We represented yelp proudly and with tons of spunk (can someone say random acts of jumping jacks?). I feel I got the best food draw of the team with local yogurt and a BBQ platter, but with the uphill 10 mile bike ride, I definitely earned every tasty morsel. Fav moments: - Phil G hopelessly roaming around for food prior to the race. Blah blah blah donut blah blah. - Kicking the Biggest Loser team's butt. There was no way I was going to let them come even close. - Meghan B 80's mix. Imagine me rolling through Durham driving the chaser truck, windows down, full Richard Simmons costume, singing 80's tunes at the top of my lungs, and waving to every person that passed me by. Classic! - People mistaking the wig for my real hair - The 3rd place team's coach in short shorts and an armadillo belt buckle - Eating and drinking my weight in food and beer at the banquet that night (still not really sure how I did it) So much fun. I can't wait to do it again next year!

Likely overlooked often because both Morgan and McDowell are busy streets, so most folks don't stop…read morehere often. This small "green space" next to the parking deck is also ignored by walkers. But here at the corner is an interesting piece of art. "Hedron" (stainless steel, 2004) by local artist Carl Billingsley was created in 2004 and purchased by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission. About eight feel tall, the sculpture is interesting. Matte steel and angled, it looks almost robotic. The artist's web page: http://billingsleyatelier.com/ [Review 12480 overall, 2269 of 2019.]

A group of us decided to take a Preservation Tour about Durham's Tobacco Heritage. After loving my…read morelast tour I was excited to take another. We waited in the grass where the meeting location was described but a tour guide never showed. There were others waiting for the tour as well. The website did say they may cancel last minute but none of us received the cancellation.

Last week, I stumbled across a Facebook event for a free walking tour through downtown Durham…read morefocusing on Architecture and Urban Landscape tour. I thought this is great! I'm on a budget and I want to learn more about Durham! The Facebook event has the official location as the office of Preservation Durham, but it actually meets at the Durham farmers' market. I made the mistake of showing up to the office, but did a quick google and realized a different page listed the proper meeting place. Luckily I caught the group on the way to the first stop! The tour itself was fabulous. The guide had photographs from previous eras of architecture to hold up against the current view which definitely helped me, who knows nothing about architecture, to actually visualize what Durham used to look like. Overall, there are 3-4 other tours they offer on Saturday mornings both on bike and on foot. I'm super excited to try another tour the next time I'm free!

We are all entitled to our own opinions, right? Well here's mine:…read more Parking: 4 Location: 4 Decor/ambiance: 4 Customer Service: na Compared to the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeos, this one was miniature. It featured (2019) about 25 trucks all spread out along the main drag of downtown Cary. There was a truck for every taste bud so the food was popping! There was security everywhere so you had no choice but to feel safe. Parking was not a struggle as it free and parking lots all over downtown Cary. The 2019 Chowdown was a success and I look forward to the next one. Two of my favorite trucks where in attendance so I was happy!

Cary's Downtown Chowdown Food Truck Rally is always a fun time. The food options are not as large…read moreas other food truck rodeos but I do enjoy grabbing a drink and food to enjoy by the fountain while listening to music.

We had a fun four years in Chapel Hill. This is a quintessential college town with some beautiful…read moreneighborhoods. Being from Atlanta, we found Chapel Hill very easy to get around. I will use this Yelp review to list my top 10 restaurants in Chapel Hill from our time here, June 2020 through July 2024. To qualify for this list, the restaurant must have a Chapel Hill address. 1. Bin 54 Steak & Cellar - I loved this place. A great local steakhouse for special occasions or if you just want to treat yourself. https://www.yelp.com/biz/bin-54-steak-and-cellar-chapel-hill-2 2. Lime & Lemon Indian Grill & Bar - My wife and I, and our close Indian friends, ordered takeout from here a lot. Lime & Lemon was consistently excellent. Their Indian food is among the best we've had anywhere. We wish we had an Indian place like this in Atlanta. https://www.yelp.com/biz/lime-and-lemon-chapel-hill-chapel-hill 3. Osteria Georgi - Very good, higher-end, modern Italian restaurant. https://www.yelp.com/biz/osteria-georgi-chapel-hill 4. Hawthorne & Wood - Great New American restaurant with creative dishes. https://www.yelp.com/biz/hawthorne-and-wood-chapel-hill 5. Bluebird - Very good French restaurant/bistro with a stylish vibe. https://www.yelp.com/biz/bluebird-chapel-hill 6. Kipos Greek Taverna - Solid Greek food and wonderful service. https://www.yelp.com/biz/kipos-greek-taverna-chapel-hill 7. Mediterranean Deli - Fantastic Mediterranean food and salads. https://www.yelp.com/biz/mediterranean-deli-chapel-hill-2 8. Merritt's Grill - Chapel Hill institution with outstanding sandwiches. https://www.yelp.com/biz/merritts-grill-chapel-hill 9. Bangkok 54 - One of our go-to restaurants and a bit of a sentimental pick. The food and service here was always solid, especially the noodles. https://www.yelp.com/biz/bangkok-54-chapel-hill 10. 411 West Italian Cafe - Reliable, more-casual Italian restaurant. https://www.yelp.com/biz/411-west-italian-cafe-chapel-hill Honorable mentions: * bartaco - This was one of our go-to spots. Fun and tasty. https://www.yelp.com/biz/bartaco-chapel-hill-chapel-hill * Bonchon - Chapel Hill is lucky to have a Bonchon for yummy Korean fried chicken. https://www.yelp.com/biz/bonchon-chapel-hill-4 * Brenz Pizza Co. - Like Bangkok 54, another bit of a sentimental pick. We ordered pizza delivery from Brenz a lot. https://www.yelp.com/biz/brenz-pizza-co-chapel-hill-5 * Elements - Modern Asian fusion and New American in a nice atmosphere. https://www.yelp.com/biz/elements-chapel-hill * Kahlovera Mexican Bar & Grill - Like bartaco, Kahlovera at Meadowmont Village was another one of our go-to spots for tacos and margaritas. https://www.yelp.com/biz/kahlovera-mexican-bar-and-grill-chapel-hill-3 * Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery - Another Chapel Hill institution. You must sit on the patio overlooking Franklin Street. https://www.yelp.com/biz/top-of-the-hill-restaurant-and-brewery-chapel-hill * Wegmans - Technically, not a restaurant, but they have a dining room and lots of freshly-made, ready-to-eat foods. We ate a lot of Wegmans sushi. https://www.yelp.com/biz/wegmans-chapel-hill * Wheat - Great place for "authentic" Chinese food on Franklin Street. https://www.yelp.com/biz/wheat-chapel-hill-2

Located in front of the Orange County Public Library in Hillsborough, this 15 foot tall sculpture…read morelooks like a ribbon to me. Titled "Embrace the Moment", it is by artist Wayne Trapp. I was able to find some information about the artist, "Wayne Trapp was an American Postwar & Contemporary artist who was born in 1935." He died in 2016. Some of his works were recently displayed at the Appalachian State University Turchin Center. https://tcva.org/event/wayne-trapp-a-life-in-the-arts/ I don't get "Embrace the Moment" from it, but I did appreciate the artistry and certainly the effort it would take to achieve such an artwork. [Review 17988 overall - 3312 in North Carolina - 1509 of 2022.]

Sometimes in life, you just have to embrace the moment. Sit back relax take a breath and realize…read morewhat you're doing. And that is what this is representation of.