It is hard to believe.  I have been living in the Triangle area (Triangle area is what the locals call Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) for over six years.  Sometimes the things that you like about a place can be hard to quantify.  There are many things that I love about Raleigh.  The place just speaks to me.  How does it speak?  It speaks with its feel.  It feels clean.  It feels beautiful.  It feels relatively safe.

The Parks

First of all, let me say, that I think that every city or town has its beauty.  There are places that have obvious beauty.  There are places that have hidden beauty.  There are museums, parks, buildings, restaurants, and other places that make a place special.  Some are out front. Some are hidden, known only to locals, and others are to be discovered by the seeker.  There are park and walking paths (called greenways) almost everywhere here.  Maybe they are in other cities, but I did not have such an awareness or maybe I did not notice them until I arrived in the area.

Raleigh in general

For all of the time that I have lived here so far, I never tire of finding new parks, new restaurants, new adventures in the area.  There is always something that catches my eye or my curiosity…

Sometimes I will pass something and put it in my mind to comeback to visit, but end up seeing three or four other places on my journey and forget the things that I saw earlier.

There is a place call Lafayette Village that reminds me of a French village.  I have gone to visit this area many times and have yet to even try the seemingly popular French restaurant or the coffee shop, or the butcher’s market that is there.  the place is just so beautiful and relaxing that I will just go there on a Saturday or Sunday just to people watch and relax.

The Beaches

Oh boy!  This is one of my favorite things.  I love the beach.  No.  I REALLY LOVE THE BEACH!  I do not find many people who say they do not.  I will say that if you like beaches, North Carolina has several GREAT beaches, and most are within a two hour drive from the Raleigh area.  Below is Topsail Beach

Relaxing short video taken at Topsail

There is another beach that I love here in North Carolina.  It is on an island.  Bald Head Island.  There are other islands that are popular destinations, but this is one that I have visited and have really enjoyed. Bald Head Island is accessible by ferry.  No cars.  You either have to walk.  Rent a bike or rent a golf cart.  Did I mention that there are NO cars?!  And to boot, there is a lighthouse.

I could go on forever.  I will attempt to blog more about other great things here in Raleigh and in North Carolina.  Did I mention how much I LOVE Raleigh AND North Carolina?