Routes to Raleigh: Dashing from the West
(1) Starting Point: Los Angeles, California
Hollywood Boulevard. Shutterstock, 1 Mar 2016, https://bit.ly/lastockphoto.
To Do: The Broad, a contemporary art museum offering free general admission and an active program of rotating exhibitions.
To Eat: The Little Door, with a consistently rotating menu, The Little Door holds the title for the "Best Romantic Restaurant of LA." A Parisian-style restaurant with seasonal French fare, pastries, and fine wines.
To Drink: Bar Bohemian, a sleek, bright and breezy craft cocktail rooftop bar and lounge at Citizen Public Market.
(2) Albuquerque, New Mexico
To Stay: Painted Lady Bed & Brew, a twist on the traditional B&B concept. Built in 1881 as a brothel and saloon, The Painted Lady is rumored to be haunted, if you’re into that sort of thing.
To Do: Hike La Luz Trail to the top of South Sandia Peak for a beautiful view of the city. If the weather’s good, take the cable car back down to the bottom.
To Eat: Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm, technically a hotel, but their restaurant’s food is grown right on the property.
To Drink: Sip on local wines at Casa Rondeña Winery.
(3) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City Skyline Sunset. Pixels, 13 Apr 2019, https://bit.ly/okstockphoto.
To Stay: Colcord Hotel, housed in a historic building from the 1910s, the Colcord is a boutique hotel smack in the middle of the downtown scene.
To Do: Ride OKC’s Bike + Brews, a three-hour-long bike tour, with stops at five breweries and a few other notable city sites along the way.
To Eat: Grey Sweater, one of OKC's newest and most unique restaurant concepts.
To Drink: Elemental Coffee, a minimalist cafe with espresso and craft coffee drinks. Their beans are roasted in-house!
(4) Nashville, Tennessee
Spirit of Nashville Bus. Shutterstock, 15 Feb 2020, https://bit.ly/nashstockphoto.
To Stay: Kimpton Aertson Hotel, located in Nashville’s Midtown district next to the legendary, Music Row. Pet friendly!
To Do: You can’t go to Music City without hearing some live music. Go see a show at the Grand Ole Opry.
To Eat: Pinewood Social, a trendy restaurant, cozy coffee shop, craft cocktail bar, and a bowling alley. All in one!
To Drink: Yee-Haw Brewing Co., a dual distillery and brewery in Sobro that is a much-loved go-to.
(5) Asheville, North Carolina
To Stay: The Foundry Hotel Asheville, restored and resurrected an abandoned steel foundry.
To Do: Take a hike in the Pisgah National Forest.
To Eat: Jargon, located in historic West Asheville, Jargon is an intimate spot that offers modern American dishes along with craft cocktails.
To Drink: Capella on 9 takes rooftop drinking to the next level. Smack in the middle of downtown Asheville, Capella has a great cocktail program with phenomenal city views.
Welcome to Raleigh, West Coasters!
Routes to Raleigh: Dashing from the East
Woah! Another hypothetical road trip itinerary for our East Coast Dash Bash attendees. Find part one here, with part three to follow shortly!
Road Trip Itinerary. NYC to Raleigh, NC.
Read time: 5min
(1) Starting Point: New York, New York
Lower Manhattan - Chinatown. Getty, https://bit.ly/nycstockphoto.
To Do: Sleep No More, an award-winning, interactive theatrical experience. Follow a film-noir portrayal of Macbeth through a five-story 1930s hotel located in the Chelsea neighborhood.
To Eat: Juliana's, a neighborhood pizzeria serving new york-style pies. Pro-tip: if wandering over from Manhatten, take a stroll along the Brooklyn Bridge, as the restaurant is located just under it.
To Drink: Attaboy, a cocktail bar hidden in plain sight on an obscure bit of Eldridge Street. If you enjoy more of an intimate speakeasy vibe, this spot’s for you.
(2) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
To Stay: Lokal Hotel - Fishtown, a modern apartment-hotel in one of Philly’s hottest neighborhoods. Fishtown is home to some of the city’s most trendy restaurants, bars, shops, and cafes.
To Do: Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, a non-profit organization and gallery space on South Street. It is the largest work created by mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar to date. Covering an indoor and outdoor space equivalent to half a city block, the tiled passages weave over and underground.
To Eat: Reading Terminal Market, a huge indoor marketplace featuring some of Philly’s best local eateries. Comprised of dozens of stalls with a variety of food—homemade ice cream, donuts, cheesesteaks, whoopee pies, you name it.
To Drink: Elixr Coffee, a cafe on a small side street in the heart of Center City. The walls are covered in vibrant murals that change every few months. Elixr is known for its light roast, so if you like it dark, head elsewhere.
(3) Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore Inner Harbor Skyline. Getty, 3 Dec 2019, https://bit.ly/baltimorestockphoto.
To Stay: The Admiral Fell Inn, a historical inn in Fell’s Point made up of seven historic structures. The buildings’ past lives have included a rooming house for sailors during Fell’s Point’s rough-and-tumble days, a YMCA, and a bottling factory.
To Do: The Edgar Allan Poe House, for all of our spooky story fans. Check out where Poe launched his renowned career. Note that the house is small with tight winding staircases, so is unfortunately not 100% accessible.
To Eat: Woodbury Kitchen, a farm-to-table favorite that's well worth visiting for the restored space alone. Think old factory turned hip, rustic-chic.
To Drink: The Bluebird Cocktail Room, named one of “The South’s Best New Bars,” this literary-themed bar in Hampden features cocktails named after famous authors.
(4) Washington, D.C.
To Stay: Hotel Hive, DC's first micro-hotel. Located across the street from the George Washington University campus, Hive is a converted warehouse turned hotel space.
To Do: The Tidal Basin Loop, an easy 2.1-mile loop surrounded by cherry trees. The loop will take you past many monuments, including the Japanese Pagoda, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the Washington Monument.
To Eat: Paying homage to French cafe culture, Le Diplomate is seriously boujee, and worth every penny. We will forever recommend their brunch.
To Drink: Located two blocks from the waterfront, Bluejacket is a microbrewery serving craft beers in a century-old former factory.
(5) Richmond, Virginia
Autumn on Monument. Getty, https://bit.ly/richmondstockphoto.
To Stay: Quirk Hotel Richmond, located in Downtown Richmond’s art and design district, Quirk is a boutique hotel located just two miles from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
To Do: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the U.S. with more than 5,000 years of art from around the world.
To Eat: Rappahannock, an Industrial seafood spot nestled in the historic Grace St. corridor of downtown Richmond with offerings of an oyster bar, craft cocktails, and beer in airy digs.
To Drink: Charm School Social Club, a dual coffee and ice cream spot. ‘Nuff said.
Welcome to Raleigh, East Coasters!
Routes to Raleigh: Dashing from the North
Let’s say that, hypothetically, one or more of you fine folks would choose to road trip to our beautiful city for the Bash. Boy, do we have a (hypothetical) itinerary for you! Parts two and three to follow shortly.
Road Trip Itinerary. Vancouver, BC to Raleigh, NC.
Read time: 5min
(1) Starting Point: Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Financial District. Getty, https://bit.ly/vancouverstockphoto.
To Do: Stanley Park, an absolutely massive 1,000-acre urban park in Vancouver’s backyard. Head over in the morning and spend a few hours exploring the zoo, beaches, and aquarium.
To Eat: Kissa Tanto, tucked away in the upper story of a faded building in Chinatown you’ll find one of the city’s hottest supper clubs. Kissa Tanto fuses the flavors of Japan with the warmth of Italian cooking.
To Drink: The Diamond, a cocktail lounge in the heart of Gastown with an old soul. The Diamond is a cool, laid-back place to meet a friend for a cocktail and apps. Additional fun fact, it was given number 17 in a roundup of the top 50 bars in Canada.
(2) Seattle, Washington
To Stay: Ace Hotel Seattle, a boutique hotel set in former maritime workers' lodging. This trendy hotel in the Belltown district is a nine-minute walk from both Pike Place Market and Olympic Sculpture Park.
To Do: Pike Place Market, home to more than 200 artisans selling everything from homemade baked goods to hand-thrown ceramics.
To Eat: Pestle Rock, Serving up Thai cuisine in the heart of Ballard, Pestle Rock is a culinary gem. Most are used to the taste of Bangkok-style Thai food, think Pad Thai, but don’t come here looking for that. Pestle Rock specializes in Thai food from Isan, known for its pungent, spicy dishes.
To Drink: La Marzocco Cafe, a chic coffee shop slinging beans from around the world and bites from The London Plane.
(3) Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis Skyline at Dusk. Getty, https://bit.ly/minnstockphoto.
To Stay: Alma Hotel, a 15-minute walk from the central downtown area, Alma is a beautiful, boho-styled boutique hotel. Bonus: the hotel’s restaurant sources its produce seasonally from local organic growers and makers.
To Do: Minneapolis Institute of Art, home to more than 90,000 art pieces, MIA is one of the largest art museums in the U.S.
To Eat: Named after two grandmothers, Sooki and Mimi is James Beard Award-Winning chef, Ann Kim's, newest restaurant located in the uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis.
To Drink: Meteor, in their own words, “An old ass bar with good ass drinks.” Enough said.
(4) Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin. iStock, https://bit.ly/madisonstockphoto.
To Stay: Graduate Madison, located just a block from the university’s campus, Graduate is set alongside Lake Mendota on historic Langdon Street, and just around the corner from Memorial Union Terrace.
To Do: Captial Farmers Market, if you happen to be there on a Saturday morning—on the drive back, perhaps—check out the Danes County Farmers Market around the capital building. There is a large variety of vendors; you can even eat breakfast combining the carts. Enjoy a picnic of your goodies on the capital grass!
To Eat: The Old Fashioned, paying tribute to all things Wisconsin. From cheese curds to 50 local beers on tap, they have it all.
To Drink: Showcasing new and innovative spirits from microdistilleries around the Midwest, The Robin Room is a cozy cocktail hangout in a retro space.
(5) Charleston, South Carolina
To Stay: Hotel Emeline, a trendy boutique hotel located in a restored estate from 1852. The hotel is a minute’s walk from the Charleston City Market and a mile from The Battery defensive seawall. Bonus, doggos welcome!
To Do: The Battery, a pedestrian-only walkway and park along Charleston’s waterfront. You’ll find Charleston’s famous Pineapple Fountain here. Pineapples are a symbol of welcoming in the south, and this fountain is one of the most visited sites in the city.
To Eat: Leon’s Oyster Shop, a relaxed seafood joint serving oysters, southern-style meals, and fried chicken in a cool space with a patio.
To Drink: Félix, a Parisian-inspired cocktail bar and small plates restaurant in the heart of Charleston.
Welcome to Raleigh, Northerners!