I am an explorer by nature.  After moving every few years growing up I have yet to find a city, state, or country that is not worth exploring.  Each new place brings new adventure, including Raleigh, NC.  When I moved here in July of 2012 to pursue a Master’s of Education in Higher Education Administration at NC State, I was not quite sure what Raleigh had to offer.  I have been pleasantly surprised by the constant entertainment available in this city.  From First Fridays downtown to Raleigh’s city parks, there is always something to do—that is, if you can find time away from reading, class, reading, assistantships, reading, internships, and did I mention reading?

While I’m no Raleigh expert, I have developed a few Raleigh favorites over the past 14 months of living here.  In no particular order, the following are my (current) top five:

Lake Johnson (and the Greenway)

The Capital Area Greenway Trail System provides over 100 miles of trails around the city.  Lake Johnson is connected to the trail system and offers a three-mile trail along a serene lake as well as flat water canoeing and paddle boating.  But don’t be fooled, while the lake is calm, the hills on the trail can be pretty brutal during a run! More info here.

Ashley Christensen

Ashley Christensen is the name behind restaurants such as Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, Poole’s Downtown Diner, and Chuck’s. Beasley’s serves up some of the best mac ‘n’ cheese around and Chuck’s offers a unique variety of mouth-watering burgers.  Interested in supporting local farmers? Give Poole’s a try. More info here.

Museums

As visitraleigh.com notes, Raleigh is sometimes referred to as the ‘Smithsonian of the South.’  Some of the major museums include the Contemporary Art Museum, North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of History, and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.  Each of these provides great entertainment, particularly for a rainy Saturday, and most are at the right price for a grad student—free! More info here.

Food Truck Rodeos

If you’ve lived in other U.S. cities then you probably aren’t a stranger to food trucks, but Raleigh takes this idea to a new extreme.  On several occasions this summer over 50 food trucks parked downtown along 10 city blocks to serve up one-of-a-kind fare to thousands of attendees.  If you know what’s good for you (or perhaps bad for you in this case), you’ll cross your fingers in hopes that this becomes an annual tradition. More info here.

NC State Football Games

Perhaps I’m cheating here since this isn’t so much a ‘Raleigh’ favorite as it is an NC State favorite, but it’s worth including.  From the anticipation of the game, to the tailgate, to the final fan leaving the stadium, NC State football offers all of the excitement that one would expect from college football (I know, this is when those of you from the Big 10 and SEC think to yourself ‘It doesn’t begin to compare,’ but give it a chance!). While there are many collegiate sports to be enjoyed here, there’s just something about fall and football that make me happy. More info here.