SARAH & BRIGHTON
Things To Do
Bull City Ciderworks Durham
Y'all know Sarah loves her hard cider, and this is our favorite spot to go for locally-made cider! In downtown Durham, just a few blocks away from the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and American Tobacco Campus. Public parking can be found at the Venable Apartments Parking Deck or Justice Center Parking Deck.
Vici Ristobar
Our favorite spot for pasta and a glass of wine in our neighborhood. Brighton's parents treated us to a wonderful dinner here the day after last year's proposal, and it works for *any* kind of night - from Valentine's Day to a random Tuesday.
NAMU Korean Eats
Many a date night or drinks with friends have been spent in Namu's amazing garden space. While the parking situation can be a little funky, it's worth visiting for the great food and atmosphere. There's nothing bad on the food menu!
The Can Opener Food Truck Park
This is SUCH a fun spot, and one of the newer gems of downtown Durham! You can get all kinds of food here, there's plenty of indoor/outdoor seating and get to see one of the local landmarks: a low bridge known for shearing the tops off of 18-wheeler trucks who think they can squeeze underneath (hence the name, The Can Opener).
The Velvet Hippo Bar & Lounge
One of our newer favs since we moved to Durham, where we've both held and gone to several birthday celebrations with friends. It's got really fun cocktails and a rooftop that overlooks part of downtown!
Bull City Escape
If you're looking for some engaging and active spots, this is our FAVORITE escape room in the area (and they have a sister spot in downtown Chapel Hill too, linked below)! We've never played a bad room here, with some of the themes being locally-themed and proudly boast an undefeated record of escaping...often with a lot of help from friends! You might want to try and book this a few days before visiting, if you want to give it a try.
Leigh Farm Park
Looking for a place to stretch your legs before the ceremony, or before you head home over the weekend? This is a neat spot that Brighton discovered for its disc golf course! It's a historic farm turned into a park by Durham County with some great open spaces, trails and – yes – a GREAT disc golf setup.
American Tobacco Trail
The American Tobacco Trail has an entry point right by our neighborhood and we love to use it to get to the nearby movie theater or as an excuse to exercise. In fact, it was a long walk on the trail that led to us having the conversation about what our timeline for marriage would look like – and where we ultimately took our engagement photos! The address here takes you to one of its designated parking lots, but you can hop on and off wherever you please.
The Old Well (UNC's Campus)
An iconic landmark of UNC-Chapel Hill, the Old Well was how the people of the university got their water when it first opened in 1793. These days, students partake in a tradition of lining up for a sip on the first day of class each year - and it's the site of many photos of us together! There's also lots of other great scenes around UNC's campus, but fair warning: Saturday Oct. 25 is a home football game for the Tar Heels, so it's likely to have a lot of traffic. But it'll also be an excellent opportunity to see the college absolutely alive with action!
Merritt's Grill
This isn't necessarily a *creative* suggestion, but if this is your first time visiting Chapel Hill or returning after a while...consider this your excuse to go grab one of Merritt's acclaimed BLT sandwiches. For those who aren't the biggest tomato fans (like Brighton), the chicken sandwiches are great too. Just be prepared for potentially long lines to order!
He's Not Here
A Chapel Hill classic, and one of our favorite haunts from college (and still, to this day!) It's the postcard mural on the outside of this bar where Brighton proposed to Sarah, because we took photos of each other at the mural on our first date in 2016. Be prepared for some big, blue cups if you're looking to drink - and lively scene on Saturday before/during/after UNC's football game.
The Casual Pint of Chapel Hill
MANY UNC basketball and football games have been watched with friends at The Casual Pint, including UNC's Final Four win over Duke in 2022. The bar is also not too far from Brighton's radio station! It's worth it for the WIDE range of beer options and great brats + bar food.
Tar Heel Escapes
If you're both hanging around Chapel Hill and are looking for an escape room/fun activity, this is the spot. The sister business to Bull City Escapes, we've done most of these rooms are they're both a great time and impressive! Similarly: if you're thinking of doing this, booking a day or two in advance might be the best idea.
