Raleigh VIP Club » Brandy’s Travels

Raleigh Compared to Northern Virginia

Brandy — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:46:34 +0000

Part of the DC suburbs is Northern Virginia where there’s a lot of business going on. I remember the area used to be compared to Silicon Valley back in the 90’s. There are a lot of big technology companies headquartered there and government subcontractors. Actually after I left the hotel catering field, I dabbled in the technology arena for about 9 years in that area.

And aside from the business hustle and bustle, the Raleigh towns remind me a bit of Northern Virginia circa 20 years ago. Friends of mine that I go way way back with, met me for Sunday brunch on my trip over the past July 4th weekend. Oh, and one of their little ones joined us (see cute photo). So, my friend Lisa sent me a text message saying that Ruthie would be joining us but that she’ll be a lady. I replied back…I don’t know about the lady bit but I’m sure she’ll be sooo darn cute! …and she was happy with her kids meal and her sippy cup she couldn’t put down. Whoever invented a straw was brilliant!

But anyway…the Willow Creek Farm restaurant we ate at was born in the 2000 era. It’s run by a DC metropolitan area restaurant chain called Clyde’s that started in Georgetown back in the 60’s.

This particular restaurant has several different large rooms and 625 seats. It’s located in an area called Ashburn in the Dulles Corridor. A lot of families live out that way. Ashburn by the way kinda reminds me of Wake Forest a little. Everything is contained within the community and coincidentally there’s even a ice rink in both towns. Where Fairfax used to be in the heart of Northern Virginia, Ashburn could very well be now the new center as Northern Virginia has spread out westward.

Here are some photos…

Does this remind you of any famous Raleigh restaurant? There are high ceilings, lots of dark wood, horse decorations, barn like feel, and vintage country paraphernalia.

…it reminds me of Angus Barn a little.

Oh and here’ s my highschool friend driving around without her kids which is a rare occurence. Notice the car sign. Her husband is a Black Belt jiu jitsu expert and instructor. He’s a bad a$%. They run a Jiu Jitsu school for adults and children in Northern Virginia.

When I was up in NoVa as we natives call it, I also saw a firework display since it was July 4th weekend. They’re everywhere up there. Unlike the distant pop-pop from the NC State fireworks, anywhere in the DC area they have great fireworks. The DC fireworks are grand and you should definitely see it at least once, but insider wise, it’s not the thing to do if you want to avoid crowds. Driving into the city is a hassle and even taking the metro can be an ordeal.

…And while all the post-Independence Day activities were going on, I got a chance to catch the tail end of the Wimbledon men’s final match that seemed like it could last all day. Great tennis in action! Wished Roddick could’ve had a win, but proud of Federer for his 15th Grand Slam…they’re my two favorites.

Federer wins 15th Grand Slam

Left Raleigh For DC Independence Day Weekend

Brandy — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:36:21 +0000

How was your July 4th weekend??? Do anything special in Raleigh or elsewhere? Me — I spent the weekend up in the nation’s capitol. No, not just shopping…although that’s a great way to celebrate our nation! Oh, and you’d think there would be a mad dash to see the fireworks up there… but ironically, traffic was light. I mean it doesn’t get any more American than the fireworks shot near the Washington Monument. But, a lot of people who live in that area tend to flock out of town on July 4th weekend and the tourists come into the city. I know this ‘cause I lived up there for over 26 years. I now have a new appreciation for visiting the Northern Virginia area as I’ve been gone for almost 6 years now. Traffic up there is usually real bad and the overall area has spread beyond towns that I didn’t even know existed about 20 years ago.

Lined up for Georgetown Cupcakes

On my trip up there I was able to get some time downtown in Georgetown. It has changed so much. It’s more like the New York scene to me now…like the West Village and SoHo combined. There’s a lot of shopping and less restaurants and bars than I remember from back in the 80’s and 90’s. I even stood in line for a cupcake at Georgetown Cupcakes. Somehow this made the list of must-see things for a DC summer intern that I talked to standing in line.

Had to stop in my Kate Spade store also…

…And in Old Town Alexandria, it’s more laid back, quiet and quaint. There’s an entire clothing boutique district.

Some shops were open for July 4th and others weren’t like this dog boutique.

This boutique gets designer clothes at a discount so prices aren’t outrageous like in some boutiques. Their inventory was really sparse this time around as they’re waiting for fall clothes to come in. One of the girls that worked there commented that they normally don’t have sunglasses but they did this time around.

Stay tuned for more peeks into my weekend time in Northern Va…

Beautiful lakes west of Raleigh

Brandy — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:08:54 +0000

Raleigh is full of lakes that you can walk around like Shelley Lake and Lake Lynn. And there are big lakes like Lake Wheeler and Jordan Lake. But if you head west in North Carolina to the mountains, there are some even bigger lakes that would take you days to walk around and you can do all kinds of fun boating and watersports. What better than combining the lake with the mountains?!

Lake Lure is an amazing lake in the town of Chimney Rock. The mountain backdrop is something you’d think you’d have to visit a different country to see. Or at least I’ve never seen anything like this on the east coast!

Lake Lure at sunset

There’s also a public beach near where you rent the boats. Across the street from the beach, the Lake Lodge Inn and Spa had scenes shot in for the 80s movie “Dirty Dancing”. Do you remember this cabin house? The photographers there are shooting photos of the Groom’s wedding party for a wedding.

A cabin from 'Dirty Dancing' movie

Oh, and if you want a nice meal, go to Larkin’s on the Lake. You can actually take your boat there if you like. We ate there one night and here’s what my meal looked like below… Fresh mountain trout encrusted pecan (probably caught in the lake or river across the street). I chose baby snap peas for my side and loved them…it’s different than the usual sides.

Pecan encrusted trout with snap peas

Here’s a photo of Larkin’s on the Lake Restaurant in the background. The downstairs outdoor area is less fancy than the upstairs but we’re still talking casual dress code at both. You can drive up with your boat. How fun! The best kind is the pontoon boat. It’s a lot funner than going on a boat tour if you can only do one. Sure, on a guided tour of the lake you’ll get the history of Lake Lure but there’s nothing like driving your own boat!

See me all smiles…I was feeling free and happy.

Plus…you can bring a pizza (and your dog) on board. La Strada Restaurant across the street from the boat rental place has the best NY style pizza!

La Strada Pizza

When we were docking, my husband pulled a smooth move . As I was getting off, he reversed the boat so he wouldn’t hit the dock. The problem was he didn’t tell me he was going to so I flew out of the boat and hung on to the outside rails of the boat for dear life. Or at the very least I really didn’t wanna fall in the water near the dock. I’m sure it made for comedy hour for the onlookers.

But I got him back for that…pushing him off the boat here. Just kidding! It’s all in good fun!

Thai Sushi Raleigh Restaurant

Beyond Raleigh…a beautiful mountain oasis!

Brandy — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:37:02 +0000

I was just vacationing not too far a drive from Raleigh. Have you ever been to Chimney Rock Park? If not you have to go! It’s absolutely breathtaking and one of the best kept hidden secrets in North Carolina…I always thought of myself as an ocean person more than a mountain person. I think it’s just what you grow up with. Not that you have to be one or the other, but I have found my opinion has totally changed after visiting Chimney Rock. And it doesn’t hurt that not only are the mountain views beyond amazing, but there’s also a huge gorgeous lake (Lake Lure) that surrounds the mountain town.

This should be one of the wonders of the world…that’s how gorgeous I think it is.

Even Apollo did the 2,280 foot hike with us to Chimney Rock which is a flat rock that juts out of the mountain. It’s marked with a big American Flag. Apollo liked climbing up and down the steps. And there sure are a lot of ‘em. There’s only one step he couldn’t make because it was too steep but he had no problems and could’ve left us in the dust with his energy.

Apollo the mountain dog!

We met a couple from the England countryside. They were on an US east coast tour and as you’d imagine, places like Washington D.C. were on the tour, but you wouldn’t expect the mountains of North Carolina to be a highlight but it was! That’s saying something.

Anyway, we climbed all the way to the top as far as we could go on foot. The Opera Box is as high as you can go now because Exclamation Point was closed off (2,480 feet).

Hickory Nut Falls

One of the highlights of the trip is going to Hickory Nut Falls which is a 404 foot waterfall…that’s steeper than Niagara Falls! There are scenes from the movie, the “Last of the Mohicans” that were shot behind the waterfall. That’s not part of the trail but interesting to know.

Visit the North Raleigh Farmers Market