NorthCarolina

RALEIGH & DURHAM
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Durham, North Carolina
 
	After spending most of the day on Virginia Beach, where the water was nice and warm, but the weather was pretty cloudy, we headed for Durham.  We rolled into town at sunset looking to check out Duke University (its campus is really beautiful, and it is located near Duke Forest, which apparently has great mountain bike and hiking trails), and find a good dinner (which we did find on 9th Street), followed by a movie with plans to camp at Umpstead State Park.  Unfortunately, maybe because of the Labor Day weekend, the town was pretty empty, there were no late movies, and Umpstead Park was inexplicably locked up.  So, we got a cheap rate at the Days Inn.  Probably a blessing in disguise as Ruthie has a raging case of Poison Ivy (which might have camping less pleasurable for both of us!).  

	As for Durham, we couldn’t help noticing that it definitely needs some economic revitalization.  We have since learned that the city has had plans to revitalize the downtown area for quite some time, but just has not gotten around to it, which is a shame, because it could really be beautiful and probably would bring some much needed revenue, and ideally jobs, to an area that could use it; instead, it remains very poor and very rundown!  

Raleigh, North Carolina:

	If there is any competition going on between Raleigh and Durham, not that there necessarily is, Raleigh wins hands down.  It has an inherent advantage in that that capital is there, but in addition to beautiful Ante-bellum government buildings, it has a quaint charm that Durham is definitely missing.  It was Labor Day, and pretty empty, so after we did a little exploring, and took some pictures (check out the one of the memorial of Presidents Polk, Jackson, and Andrew Johnson in front of the capital) we hit breakfast a little roadside diner called Watkins Grill.  It’s a must hit breakfast spot in Raleigh; cheap, yummy and definitely has greasy spoon southern charm.
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NORTH CAROLINA
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Raleigh & Durham: North Carolina
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