Press is one of our staples! First introduced to us by one of Sarah's friends when Colton lived in Greensboro, we visited their downtown Graham location and it quickly became one of our favorites. Thankfully, since we live in Apex, NC now, we no longer have to travel an hour when we want to get Press! Their coffee/lattes are AMAZING and the food is to die for. Colton's favorite is the Southern Style Crepe, followed by the Country Hash Crepe. Sarah's favorite is the Strawberry - Banana Nutella Crepe.
UNC Chapel Hill, a classic! We all know the "Carolina Blue," so why not check it out in person! Part of the tradition in moving down to North Carolina is that you have to "pick a blue" (UNC or Duke). We chose UNC and love going to their basketball games, the environment is electric! This address will take you to their stadiums: 1 Stone Ctr Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, but if you want to go to their main street to walk the campus and get food, go here to Top of the Hill Restaurant: 100 E Franklin St 3rd floor, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.
For those who aren't chanting "Beat Dook" during the NCAA tournament, check out Duke University. Another athletic powerhouse with an absolutely gorgeous campus. This address will take you to their Public Gardens, which is 55 acres of pure beauty. The gardens doubles as a wedding venue, and comes HIGHLY recommended by our friends for visitors to check out. Duke is closest to the hotels and is worth walking the campus. This address: 115 Whitford Dr, Durham, NC 27708 takes you to the LEGENDARY Cameron Indoor stadium. However, if you want to park and walk the main campus, go to this parking garage: Bryan University Center, 106, Durham, NC 27708.
Boxcar is a barcade that always comes highly recommended from our friends! They have a huge indoor arcade and an amazing outdoor seating space that backs up to the Durham Bulls practice facility! Boxcar is relatively close to the hotels (not walkable, you will need to drive), and will bring you close to Downtown Durham if you would like to explore!
We have yet to go to Maverick's yet (so if you do, let us know!), however Maverick's is a chance for you to try some authentic Southern BBQ! When we first moved down to NC, BBQ was one of the first food items on the list to try (at least for Colton lol). Maverick's is also by some of our favorite shopping places in Durham in the Tobacco District. All of the restaurants and shops are local business owners and are housed in the old tobacco plants. This will give you a good chance at experiencing the history of Durham, one of the old tobacco hubs here in NC.
The Avenue is the start of the main street in Raleigh, and is always our first stop when we go to downtown. They have tons of TVs with any sport you can imagine on, tons of outdoor seating and games, as well as a dining window that serves chicken tenders, hot dogs and smash burgers! The Avenue is on Glennwood Avenue, which is the main street where all of the most popular restaurants, bars and live musicians are in Raleigh. This will be the furthest recommendation from the hotel, but it would be worth the trip!