Feel like traveling to some of the top places in the world this year? Stay where you are. Forbes Travel Guide just added Raleigh to its list of the 12 Top Destinations of 2017.
Yes, Triangle friends, the City of Oaks just took home another capital accolade for its growing food scene and charming way of life.
Named to a global list that boasts the likes of Montreal, Washington, D.C., Lisbon, and Bali, Forbes focuses on Raleigh’s culinary talent and tables to tempt travelers’ taste buds. According to the Forbes Travel Guide:
We’ve screamed of the charms of North Carolina’s capital city before, but now that eight restaurants (including James Beard-nominated chef Scott Crawford’s Crawford & Son and the 22,000-square-foot Morgan Street Food Hall and Market) have decided to open their doors by spring, we can back up our fawning with a bit of flavor.
But just as new places around town start to find their culinary groove, Raleigh-area standards are keeping their kitchens cooking with a commitment to fresh ingredients and a calendar stuffed with epicurean fun (Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Herons’ four-course Valentine’s Day dinners, February 10 to 14).
Have you had the opportunity to experience all that Raleigh and the greater Triangle area have to offer?
Like Forbes, we’ll start with the food. With the annual Triangle Restaurant Week well underway (now through Sunday, Jan. 29), this is a great week to test out some of the area’s newest and most loved restaurants. Make a reservation to take advantage of lunch specials and three-course prix fixe dinner menus. Can’t make it this week? Valentine’s Day is just around the corner—call now to grab a seat for you and your sweet.
Seeking a cultural scene? Take in a Broadway show at the DPAC in Durham or the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh. Music lover? Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh and Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro bring in the cool bands you seek. Are instrumental pieces more your style? The North Carolina Symphony often performs at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary during the spring and summer months.
Interested in learning more about art, history, and science? Raleigh is home to the North Carolina Museum of Art, the North Carolina Museum of History and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Children will also enjoy Raleigh’s Marbles Kids Museum and Durham’s Museum of Life and Sciences. Plan out a Saturday visit to each to take in a world of information and have some educational fun.
Green space and recreation activities await you. The Triangle is home to hundreds of miles of greenway trails and public parks at every turn. Spend a day (or two) at the 5,599-acre William B. Umstead State Park exploring winding, wooded trails with canoeing and fishing on the lake. Take a bike ride along the scenic American Tobacco Trail that links Durham, Chatham, and Wake counties. Head north to Falls Lake State Recreation Area for camping, hiking, rock climbing and more.