I've been wanting to redo our "vacation" spent in SC working on my folks house. As with every year the end of the year is always a triple threat - Christmas, New Year's Eve and Eleanor's Birthday.
Friday, January 04, 2008
After some research and some thinking I settled that maybe it would be an opportune time to look into the Research Triangle area of Raleigh/Caary/Durham. We could get some nice cooler weather away from tourists and other riff raff associated with Orlando. Plus, as a bonus I could see if this area is where I thought our next move should be should I decide to hang my design hat and take a chance on my dreams of opening up a restaurant.
I did happen to find a nice package deal on Travelocity for a 4 day/5 night stay at The Umstead, North Carolina's first five-star rated hotel and spa, in Cary. With itinerary in hand I cleared my plate momentarily of all work and worries to spend some time with my little girl and wife.
I did happen to find a nice package deal on Travelocity for a 4 day/5 night stay at The Umstead, North Carolina's first five-star rated hotel and spa, in Cary. With itinerary in hand I cleared my plate momentarily of all work and worries to spend some time with my little girl and wife.
The hotel itself was beautiful and the service impeccable. Our first day there room service sent up chocolate covered strawberries for the birthday girl. The place was very modern and brand spanking new and featured blown glass of Dale Chihuly in the main lounge.
Although it was too cold to make use of the pool, we were able to explore the grounds. There was plenty of opportunities to catch some nice shots.The room itself was nice and spacious with a king size bed. Our first night there was very comfy and I think the girls enjoyed the oversized down pillows.
I wanted to treat El to some of the spa features as part of her decompression. After some resistance she opted for the one hour deep tissue massage, although she backed out of the facial and manny/peddy.
The car I initially rented, a Dodge Caliber, sucked ass. Who the hell makes cars with manual windows/locks and mirrors? Terrible design it was hard to see around the car while driving (too many blind spots) and no remote ensured the damn thing was being returned the next day for a Mitsubishi Outlander.
The car I initially rented, a Dodge Caliber, sucked ass. Who the hell makes cars with manual windows/locks and mirrors? Terrible design it was hard to see around the car while driving (too many blind spots) and no remote ensured the damn thing was being returned the next day for a Mitsubishi Outlander.
One day we even took Isa to Marbles, a kid's museum, where she could intermingle and play with other children.
I even met a couple of fellow SCAD grads at ArtSpace, a self-promoting art exhibit, in the downtown area. While downtown we had dinner one time at The Duck and Dumpling, a modern Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant, rated as Top 10 Dining Spots in Raleigh. Speaking of which we also tried to hit as many as the "Top 10's" listed in a website to try and experience as much as we could on our short visit. Some were a hit (Cameron Village, North Mills, Marbles) and others were not (State Farmers Market, Nana's Chophouse).
After spending some time we also noticed a few other pros/cons. The houses are bigger and less expensive than here in Orlando, which are all in newer neighborhoods. In an article I read while there the city has been under a sort of transformation to update its look. There are plenty of trees on hilly roads. Everything is close to each other via interstates.
For kids the area is a safe place to grow up in. For adults there didn't seem to be a whole lot to do if you're no longer in the bar/music scene. There are no nearby beaches unless you travel to Wilmington - a big con for myself - about 130 miles away (or about 2 hours drive). On the other hand, you do get 4 seasons there vs 2 1/2 in Orlando. Everyone we spoke to thought highly of the place.
New Year's Eve we bought tickets to the First Night Raleigh, which is what I was centering our whole trip on. Basically it's an alcohol-free recreation of Times Square in NYC and geared towards families.
In Orlando, or anywhere else for that matter, New Year's Eve in a downtown situation usually entails overpriced covers, terrible food, traffic, no places to sit and people standing shoulder to shoulder pushing their way in a drunken manner thru the crowds. Not here. It was definitely crowded, but not in a bad way.
A quick drive home and we were in bed to finish the end of the year together watching Ryan Seacrest (yuck) drop the ball in NYC. Overall not a bad way to cap off a nice trip. The next morning was spent packing and getting ready for the trip home back to Orlando...yeesh. Do I have to?
Hope everyone had a great New Year!
Hope everyone had a great New Year!
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