Tag Archives: Chapel Hill

September 23, 2010 · 5:50 am

Terravita’s Grand Tasting on the Green at Southern Village in Chapel Hill – October 16, 2010

Terralogo

If you are into the local food scene or looking to try organic and biodynamic wines, make sure you mark your calendars! TerraVITA’S inaugural Grand Tasting on the Green will be held at Southern Village in Chapel Hill, NC, on Saturday, October 16, 2010, and will be the first event in the Southeast to offer participants an opportunity to sample more than 100 biodynamic and organic wines and microbrews in a single open venue.  The event will feature 30 of the top-rated North Carolina sustainable chefs and artisan food purveyors with some of the finest biodynamic and organic wines and microbrews from around the world.  Tickets cost $65 dollars but you can enter a discount code – TVE2010 – to get $10 off each ticket through this weekend.

Alongside international wine and beer producers, premier chefs from western North Carolina to the Triad, the Triangle, and the Coast will be present to prepare some of the freshest and finest food samples using locally grown ingredients and products provided by Organic Valley.  In addition, chocolatiers, cheese-makers, bakers, and organic coffee and tea producers will prepare tastings for event attendees while live bluegrass-inspired music plays throughout the afternoon.

TerraVITA also will offer attendees the opportunity to bid on exclusive food and wine merchandise, sustainable products and services, and original art by prominent artists in a silent auction benefitting two local non-profit organizations.  As an additional commitment, TerraVITA has set the goal of producing a zero waste event.  Working with Solar Tech South, TerraVITA will have access to clean solar energy to support a portion of the event’s electrical needs.  In addition, other sustainable practices will be employed including the intensive use of compostable and recyclable goods. 

For more information on attending or participating in TerraVITA, please visit their website www.TerraVITAevent.com

Leave a comment

Filed under Events

Tagged as , ,

July 21, 2010 · 12:50 pm

“MythBusters” duo coming to NC Science Festival in Chapel Hill September 19th

mythbusters18

The Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is bringing two TV stars who specialize in science entertainment — Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, hosts of the Discovery Channel television show “MythBusters” — to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as part of the North Carolina Science Festival in Septmeber. Check out the official press release for more information about the show and how you can get tickets.

“An Afternoon with Adam and Jamie” will begin at 2 p.m. Sept. 19 in UNC’s Dean E. Smith Center. The event is part of the North Carolina Science Festival, Sept. 11-26, the first-ever statewide science festival in the United States. UNC’s Morehead Planetarium and Science Center coordinates the festival, with participation by museums, parks, community sites and other facilities throughout the state.

During the 90-minute program, Savage and Hyneman will share stories from behind the scenes of their popular show. They will also feature special video presentations of spectacular explosions and other “for fans only” outtakes.

The program includes a question-and-answer session led by Chancellor Holden Thorp, with opportunities for questions from the audience.

Tickets go on sale July 26, through www.tarheelblue.com. Lower-level seats are $28 per person, and upper-level seats are $18 per person.

A limited number of premium tickets are available at $100 per person. Each premium ticket includes a meet-and-greet reception before the event with an opportunity to have a photo taken with Savage and Hyneman, reserved seating in front of the stage and a North Carolina Science Festival T-shirt.

Both Savage and Hyneman are known for their work in special effects. Savage’s credits include more than a dozen feature films, including “Star Wars,” “The Matrix” and “Terminator” movies. Hyneman has produced effects for more than 800 commercials and designed fighting machines for “Robot Wars” and “BattleBots.”

In each episode of their TV show, Savage, Hyneman and their team of investigators apply scientific method to commonly held beliefs, testing myths with lava lamps, rockets, sharks, port-a-potties and other items not found in the typical science lab. Their experiments have included converting a vacuum cleaner into a jet engine, swinging 360 degrees around a swingset and floating on a raft filled with helium.

Savage and Hyneman have completed nearly 170 episodes and tested more than 700 myths for the Discovery Channel’s “MythBusters,” which first aired in 2003 and just received its second Emmy Award nomination for “outstanding reality program.”

For additional  information check out:  www.ncsciencefestival.org or www.moreheadplanetarium.org

Leave a comment

Filed under Events

Tagged as ,

March 9, 2010 · 6:26 pm

Picture of the Week – Art in the Park

DSC04031

This week’s picture comes from my weekend jaunt to Chapel Hill to take a walk along the Bolin Creek Greenway Trail. There is a nice little park at the entrance to the greenway complete with art and a large rose garden. I found this statue particularly interesting! I should have a post with more pictures from the greenway trail later up this week.

As always, if you would like to submit a picture for consideration please email me at triangleexplorer@gmail.com

Leave a comment

Filed under Picture of the Week

Tagged as ,

March 8, 2010 · 6:47 am

Discover Caffé Driade in Chapel Hill – A Coffee Lover’s Dream

Caffe Driade 1

On Sunday my wife and I made the most of the beautiful weekend weather by taking a trip over to Chapel Hill. The highlight of our day was a visit to Caffé Driade for a relaxing cup of coffee. The café is tucked away in a private woody setting just off of E. Franklin Street and is probably the most unique place to enjoy coffee in the Triangle and is widely regarded as having some of the most skilled baristas around. In addition to their drink menu, which also includes beer and wine, they feature fresh baked goods from the Guglhupf Bakery in Durham.

Caffe Driade 7

The quirky looking exterior of the café resembles something you might expect to find in the desert of Arizona. The interior is small with a cool funky ambiance and includes a few tables tucked away by the coffee bar. There are also a few tables inside a temporary enclosure as you enter from the front porch area. I believe they take the enclosure down after the winter months. Seating outside is spectacular and plentiful with both a front and rear patio surrounded by a garden area and woods with additional seating set down amongst the trees behind the café. My wife and I sat on the back patio overlooking the trees that lead down to the Bolin Creek greenway trail. I had delicious a large frothy mocha while my wife enjoyed one of their hot teas.

Caffe Driade 10

The café cleary has a strong following and can be quite busy at times.  The gravel parking lot was almost completely full when we arrived. For a minute I was actually thinking we weren’t going to find a place to park, but they have additional parking in a lot next door. Like most coffee shops there are plenty of people working on their laptops. I read online somewhere that with wifi access is not free there, but I don’t know for sure you may want to look into that before heading over there if that is an issue. It looked like a pet friendly place as I noticed a few dogs relaxing on the patio.  I understand that occasionally they have music performances or DJs at night on the weekends.

Caffe Driade 8

I think the combination of skilled baristas, quirky ambiance, and natural outdoor setting is what keeps people coming back to Caffé Driade. While my wife and I sat on the patio we really felt like we were a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Triangle. I noticed they had strands of Christmas lights strung across the trees above the patio and think it would be neat to come back on a summer night to have a glass of wine under the patio lights while listening to some live music. I’m looking forward to our next visit!

Caffe Driade 12

To see the rest of my pictures from our visit to please check out my flickr photo album.

2 Comments

Filed under Coffee

Tagged as , ,

February 3, 2010 · 6:21 pm

Dog Parks in the Triangle

After living in Raleigh for a while I have come to realize that there are a lot of people here who have dogs.  There are several dog parks located across the Triangle where pet owners can let their dogs run free safely and legally without a leash. 

Most of the locations offer separate play areas for big dogs and little dogs. Check out each town’s dog park website for specific details. Below is a quick list the current dog parks located in the area.

Raleigh

Millbrook Exchange Dog Park
1905 Spring Forest Road, Raleigh, NC

Park features a water spigot and buckets so you can let your dog have a drink.

Oakwood Dog Park
910 Brookside Drive, Raleigh, NC

Includes large dog park and a small dog park for older dogs or for dogs that are anxious around larger dogs.

Carolina Pines Dog Park
2305 Lake Wheeler Road, Raleigh, NC

Three separate fenced in areas, each being covered in a layer of mulch and having plenty of space for your dog to run freely.

Link to more information about Raleigh Dog Parks: Link

Durham

Piney Wood Park
400 East Woodcroft Parkway, Durham, NC

Three acres of land with four enclosed areas including a small dog area 15” or smaller, 30 lbs and under, and one for dogs 30 lbs. and over.

North Gate ParkPiney Wood Park
300 West Club Boulevard, Durham, NC

Includes a Big dog area for dogs 15” or taller, 30 lbs and over, and a separate “Pup Pen” fenced area for dogs smaller than 15” and 30lbs and under.

Link to more inforamtion about Durham Dog Parks: Link

Chapel Hill

Homestead Dog Park 
100 Northern Park Drive, Chapel Hill, NC

A 20,000 square foot enclosed area with a 5 foot high fence to prevent dogs from escaping. 

Southern Community Dog Park
1000 Dogwood Acres drive , Chapel Hill NC

A2-acre dog park with water and a small dog area.

Link to more inforamtion about Chapel Hill Dog Parks: Link

Cary

CaryDog Park 
2050 North West Maynard Road, Cary, NC

Park is one acre and located adjacent to Godbold Park. Annual Membership & Day Pass fees apply. Check out the town website for more inforamtion. 

Link to more inforamtion about the Cary Dog Park: Link

Wake Forest

 Flaherty Dog Park
1150 Nort hWhite Street, Wake Forest, NC

The park is approximately two acres and located adjacent to the Flaherty Park baseball and softball fields.

Link to more inforamtion about the Flaherty Dog Park: Link

2 Comments

Filed under Parks

Tagged as , , ,