Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 919-447-4000;
www.theumstead.com
;
100 Woodland Pond Dr; r/ste from $279/369;
)
Computer chips embedded in the silver room-service trays alert bellhops to whisk
away leftovers post haste at this lavish boutique hotel. How's that for taking care of de-
tails? In a wooded suburban office park, the Umstead caters to visiting biotech CEOs
with simple, sumptuous rooms and a Zen-like spa.
Raleigh Times
PUB$
(14 E Hargett St; mains $10-12; 11:30am-2am)
Chase plates of BBQ nachos with pints of
North Carolina craft brews at this popular downtown pub.
Poole's Downtown Diner
MODERN AMERICAN$$$
(
www.ac-restaurants.com
;
426 S McDowell St; mains $18-22; 5:30pm-midnight)
Chef Ashley
Christensen sautés burgers in duck fat and bakes the world's most exquisitely creamy
mac 'n' cheese at this Southern diner-meets-Parisian bistro, the toast of the local food
scene. Don't miss the haute takes on classic American pies like banana cream. No reser-
vations.
Information
Raleigh Visitor Information Center
(
919-834-5900;
www.visitraleigh.com
; 500 Fayetteville
St;
9am-5pm Mon-Sat)
Hands out maps and other info.
Durham & Chapel Hill
Ten miles apart, these two university towns are twinned by their rival basketball teams
and left-leaning attitudes. Chapel Hill is a pretty Southern college town whose culture re-
volves around the nearly 30,000 students at the prestigious University of North Carolina,
founded in 1789 as the nation's first state university. A funky, forward-thinking place,
Chapel Hill is renowned for its indie rock scene and loud 'n' proud hippie culture. Down
the road, Durham is a once-gritty tobacco-and-railroad town whose fortunes collapsed in
the 1960s and have only recently begun to revive. Though still fundamentally a working-
class Southern city, the presence of top-ranking Duke University has long drawn pro-
gressive types to the area and Durham is now making its name as a hot spot for gour-
mands, artists and gays and lesbians.
The hip former mill town of
Carrboro
is just west of downtown Chapel Hill. Here, the
an informal town square, with live music and free wi-fi.