Quick Raleigh Getaway

We asked family and friends for recommendations to check out while we were in town, and we heard good things about Whiskey Kitchen.  Look how charming!

Hubby got an Old Fashioned (his standard), and I got a Sazarac.  Both were amazing, natch.

We split dinner (pork chop and veggies, smoked mozzarella salad) and a beer while waiting out a random summer downpour.

There were tons of cute murals everywhere you turned!

I had really wanted to see the Postmodern Jukebox concert that evening at Red Hat Amphitheater but we agreed we might not get into town in time and didn't want to be panicked trying to make it.  When we finished at Whiskey Kitchen, I wanted to take a stroll around the amphitheater where the show was to see if we could hear any tunes.  I overheard the announcement that Straight No Chaser was about to take the stage, whom I wrongly assumed were the opening act, which made me wrongly assume that the entire show was delayed due to rain.  Under these assumptions, we decided to head to the box office after all, and under some serendipitous circumstances, we found ourselves with free tickets and headed inside to enjoy Straight No Chaser's set...woohoo!

Once they finished, the audience started getting up and leaving...and I was totally confused. I asked a security guard if Postmodern Jukebox wasn't playing because of the rain (it had rained once or twice during SNC's set), and she looked at me funny before telling me that PMJ was the first act.  

We missed them after all.

Oops.

After the show, we stopped at Poole's - a retro diner with a hipster vibe.  It was such a neat atmosphere and seemed to attract all sorts of people - a great place to round out the evening with a nightcap cocktail and a peach and cherry cobbler for dessert.

The next morning, hubby and I met a coworker for breakfast and to get keys to the office before heading in for several hours of work for him (I helped a bit) and reading for me.

We left the office after packing the car full of computer hardware to bring back to his home office, and we stopped for a photo op along the way (that's our hotel in the background).

Clouds Brewing was our next stop for a late lunch, with pour-your-own taps and some pretty great food.  We split a burger, fries, and a wedge salad - great choices!

After lunch, we visited the Museum of Natural Sciences and rushed through its last 30 minutes before closing.  I'd definitely want to check this place out again - we didn't make it to all the floors, and really weren't able to give the exhibits the attention they deserved!  We went geocaching "on the way back" to the hotel - taking the long way around the city to see what we could see.

Once we ran out of tokens, we headed closer to the hotel to State of Beer where we sat at the bar and enjoyed a couple of dishes - bean dip, salad, and a sandwich.

We rolled home and were pretty worthless the rest of the evening - full of beer and good food.  I still woke up around my usual time, though, and was glad to see such a beautiful view!

 This weekend was good for my soul.  Sometimes you just need a quick getaway to shake up your routine and appreciate some of life's simpler pleasures.  We had a great time being tourists and taking notes about places to check out next time we're in town! 

Where are your favorite places for a quick weekend getaway?