The weekend before the Fourth of July, Mr. Evans and I flew to Durham, NC to visit my cousin and her husband. A trip with my husband to have a weekend of fun - I was on board! And, my parents graciously watched Nina. Win win!
My cousin Melissa (
Missy) isn't just my cousin. I'm an only child, so she's like a sister. We were even each others Maid/Matrons of Honor. :)
Here's a bit about our trip...
We flew out of O'Hare on Friday late morning and arrived in Durham in the early afternoon. After a quick tour of their home, a visit with their new puppy Magnolia and some delish snacks, we headed out to Raleigh (the state capitol). It was easily 105+ degrees, so our first stop was a local brew pub (naturally). Later, we headed to dinner at
Poole's Diner. It was fantastic with a capital F. I would go back monthly if I could! Check out Missy's blog
here for a recap. In the evening, we went to a local art museum for an outdoor playing of the movie E.T. Popcorn and some candy topped off a great night!
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| The State Capitol building, the gang at the brew pub and Missy and I at E.T. |
On Saturday, we spent the day in Durham. Missy made yummy Ina muffins for breakfast, we wandered around Duke's campus (including stops at the Chapel, famous Cameron Indoor arena/gym, and sampled Locopops). We also stopped by the beautiful Duke Gardens (see photos below). For lunch, we went to the
Q Shack. OMG - it was delicious. I was stuffed, but every bit was well worth it (see photo below of my lunch plate). The boys then settled their stomachs with an afternoon scotch while Missy and I did a little shopping. Later that afternoon, we ventured to
Fullsteam Brewery and to the American Tobacco District. Dinner was made by Missy and then the fun continued into the wee hours. It was a full (and hot) day and we enjoyed every new sight and taste! :)
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| Missy and I in our TOM's (we did a lot of walking!) and playing with puppy Magnolia. |
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| Duke campus sights. |
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| Duke gardens and the boys climbing in a Magnolia tree. |
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| My lunch at the Q Shack (pork butt, cole slaw, macaroni and cheese and hush puppies) and the American Tobacco District. |
Sunday, we went to brunch at a great little place in Chapel Hill. We also saw the UNC campus, did a little more shopping, etc. When it was time to head home, our flight was delayed four hours so it was late arrival! I didn't mind... we had a very memorable trip, experienced many new things and were grateful for such wonderful hosts. If you're ever looking for a unique weekend trip to "the Triangle."
