My Favorite Things

I’ve lived in Chapel Hill for 20-plus years and loved every minute of it. We have all the perks of small-town living. Plus, we have many of the grand opportunities of big city life without the traffic, noise or high costs.

Here are some of the reasons why I love where I live:

Generally Speaking

  • The terrain. With plenty of trees and rolling hills, nature provides a gorgeous backdrop to everything that happens here.
  • The architecture. It runs the gamut, and I love our old neighborhoods with winding streets. The town has done a great job keeping an old-timey, “village” feel.
  • The seasons. I’m crazy about all of them. Well, sometimes I complain a bit about August, but other than that, I love this climate.

The Great Outdoors

  • My favorite walk takes me about an hour. It starts at the Community Center on Estes Drive and takes me through Battle Park and to the Forest Theatre. It feels like a piece of the Appalachian Trail.
  • Don’t miss the hiking trails of Carolina North Forest.
  • For a paved route, check out Bolin Creek Trail. I love to ride my bike on it. Sometimes, I take the (free!) bus back home. The buses have bike racks, so it’s simple.

Culinary Delights

  • I’m a regular at two farmers’ markets: The Chapel Hill Farmers’ Market and the Carrboro Farmers’ Market. Our food is as good as it is because of the many wonderful farms a few miles from here. A great meal starts with quality ingredients.
  • I love to decompress with a drive out to RambleRill Farm in Hillsborough, where I buy eggs and spinach.
  • I’m crazy about the seafood at Squid’s. You can’t go wrong with the fish of the day and a martini. Oh, and don’t skip the hush puppies.

The Creative Spirit

Photo of Memorial Hall courtesy of C5Media - stock.adobe.com

Fun Shopping Spots

  • My go-to spots when I need to buy a gifts are South and Sally Mack
  • For clothes, I love Sophia's Boutique, Lark, and  Wilden
  • I read a lot and support Chapel Hill’s amazing independent book store -Flyleaf Books.  Even if they don’t have a book I’m looking for, they’ll order it!