Seeking a surprise-filled saunter? Well, buckle up. If you’ve ever wanted to take an adventurous and off-the-beaten-path road trip without all the planning, Guess Where Trips has got you covered.
The brainchild of Jessica Off, what began as a creative Christmas present to her parents has since blossomed into a full-blown biz sending travelers to a slew of surprise scenic spots based on their trip style. The road trip venture touts starting points in cities in Canada and the Southern U.S.—with NC most recently making the list (!).
Guess Where Trips offers five ubercool and curated NC trip itineraries—with Raleigh and Charlotte-area launch pads—ranging from a leisurely travel day to overnight/weekend excursions. For our Raleigh roamers, a “Sandhills Sauntering” could be just the ticket for a low-maintenance warm weather foray (hey, picturesque drives, trail trekking, art explorations and one-of-a-kind photo ops!).
Each trip includes four planned stops and an explanation of what to know before you go—with just enough deets to keep you prepped without ruining the surprise. To wit, the creative travel company doesn’t send travelers out on expeditions they haven’t tried and tested themselves. The team’s boots-on-the-ground approach ensures your mystery adventure will be well planned—with delightful destinations sprinkled along the road less traveled, plus myriad choices to appeal to all types of interests.
“It was so interesting to research all the hidden gems around North Carolina,” says Off. “There are so many historic and quaint towns, fantastic restaurants, photo moments, and scenic roads that made it really easy to plan a road trip there.”
And amping up Raleigh’s road trip appeal, the City of Oaks is Guess Where Trips’ most popular sauntering select in the state—leading Off to consider creating another Raleigh-area trip based on the high demand.
“There’s still so much you can do in the state. I didn’t think I wanted to come home—it was beautiful in North Carolina and I was very in love with it,” laughs Sydney Schouten, trip producer. … Obviously, we have to agree.
As they look to the horizon, the wanderlust enterprise plans to expand excursion opps into the Baltimore and DC area in the near future. … Ready to guess where you’re going next? guesswheretrips.com
It’s officially summertime (!) and the livin’ is easy… We already know we’ll be spending those lovely summer days outside soaking up the sun—over food and drinks, natch. If you’re like us and looking to take full advantage of the warm weather, here’s the RM team’s top patio picks around town. Here’s to warm weather and good eats!
“The Longleaf Lounge.” —Gina Stephens, Publisher, @ginasdawgs
“Wye Hill (obviously) for the brews, views and bites!” —Lauren Kruchten, Associate Editor, @laurenn_nicol
“I love the patio, plants and vibes at Gringo A Go Go!” —Anna Beth Adcock, Editorial Assistant, @_annabethadcock
“Wye Hill—it’s the best view in Raleigh and the vibes are good.” —Cameron Rhinehardt, Account Executive, @camrht
“Humble Pie’s patio is the perfect spot to sip margs and pet cute dogs!” —Kelsie Barton, Contributing Writer, @kelsie_barton
“After a recent dinner at Mulino, that’s got to be my vote. The atmosphere is perfect!” —Susan Holt, Contributing Photographer, Susan Holt Photography, @susanholtphoto
A local athlete is returning home with a silver medal from the 2023 Special Olympics.
We’re flipping out (!) over our very own Raleighite and Special Olympics athlete, Erin Cagle, who jetted to to Germany’s cap city and repped the USA in the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 in late June. After competing in an array of events—including vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise, plus the all-around competition—Cagle is coming home with a silver medal in vaulting (!) plus a slew of other placements worth noting (4th in the all-around competition, 5th in balance beam and uneven bars and 7th in floor).
And this wasn’t her first rodeo, either. The 43-year old artistic gymnast has been competing in the Special Olympics since 2008. (Fun fact: She also dabbles in Alpine skiing and tennis!).
“I like gymnastics because it keeps me strong and healthy,” Cagle said in an interview with SONC. “I like it when I am more flexible. I have a few favorites; I like the floor exercises and the balance beam.”
To prep, Cagle trained twice a week at Sonshine Gymnastics in Holly Springs with her coach, Brenda Candland and the constant support of her dad.
“It’s always been a lot of fun for me,” said Cagle’s father, Greg, of his daughter’s athletic endeavors. “I get a lot of enjoyment from watching her compete. This whole idea of competing for her country in the Special Olympics World Games, it just couldn’t get any better than that.”
To boot, Philip Blount (of Mecklenburg County) nabbed the gold medal in shot put and placed 5th in the 100m and 6th in the 4×100 meter relay. And sports-seeking spectators could also catch Special Olympics USA reps competing in watchworthy events such as badminton, cycling, kayaking, field hockey, swimming, sailing, volleyball and more. Gold stars all around! sonc.net
Poised to grow some good is Produce Purpose, a new 501(c)(3) planting its roots in Raleigh. The sustainably focused org has entered into contract with William Peace University to carry out its mission of facing myriad social problems simultaneously—from special needs unemployment rates and climate change to arable farmland crises and campus nutrition issues.
“Produce Purpose provides desperately needed meaningful employment to people with special needs through on-campus hydroponic farming,” explains Executive Director Matthew Harvey. “In doing so, it promotes healthy nutrition for on-campus dining, a multitude of immersive learning opportunities for the academic curriculum, and appreciation for the special needs community within the greater campus culture.”
The nonprofit operates through hydroponic farms—essentially growing plants sans soil—which translates to hands-on tasks that lend well to the special needs community, whose work leads to fresh and healthy fare heading to campus dining halls and onto students’ plates. … Everybody wins!
For Harvey, this organization’s MO is personal—his brother Gregory has autism, leaving Harvey to be his eventual sole caregiver. So, Harvey operates the nonprofit with a goal of providing for his brother’s future, along with others in the special needs community.
Looking ahead, Produce Purpose plans to continue partnering with more schools throughout the Triangle. To boot, keep your eyes—and appetite!—out for the org’s first harvest this fall (fingers crossed for September).
“Produce Purpose is a true nonprofit that strives to make a profound impact not only on the lives of those with special needs and their families, but also all members of the William Peace University academic community,” says Harvey. “It is our hope that like-minded people who are committed to such important social issues will support this endeavor.”
Crank Arm Brewing bowing new Durham bike/brewing hub.
Photography by Steffen Gonzalez
Holy spokes! Ahead of its 10th anniversary celebration July 23, Crank Arm Brewing Company has officially signed the dotted line for its second cycling/sip outpost in Durham—and the beer/bike lovin’ biz’s gearing up to open by the end of the year (!).
The new hoppy digs will be situated in the ground floor of luxe Beckon Apartments (also in Durham’s social district—dubbed “The Bullpen”), taking up 3,000+ square feet, boasting rollup doors, an indoor/outdoor space and a mere ~20-step commute from the highly anticipated Downtown Durham greenway trail. To boot, the Bull City location will tout 24 brews on tap (plus, seltzers, wine and ciders—and liquor, thanks to the updated ABC licensing laws!).
At the helm of the buzzy new locale, find the same four partners behind Raleigh’s Crank Arm Brewing—Adam Eckhardt, Michael Morris, Dylan Selinger and Bob High.
Wondering what drew the bikers and brewmasters to the Bull City? “It’s a burgeoning city,” says Eckhardt. “There’s a lot of folks moving here. It’s our sister city, and there’s an active cycling culture here.”
For those with a case of the, er, spins—Durham patrons can expect pop-ups, collabs with the local cycling community, weekly rides and run clubs that echo the MO of the OG Raleigh location. Yet, due to its prime positioning at the bottom level of Beckon Apartments, the team hopes to situate itself as an integral watering hole for residents and those around the area.
“As opposed to a Downtown neighborhood bar, we are literally the bottom of the neighborhood,” says Morris. “We want to be a neighborhood establishment here.”
Echoes Eckhardt: “We’re very excited to become part of the community in Durham the way we have in Raleigh. We are going to start doing pop-up events ASAP, start working with local cycling organizations and just introduce ourselves if folks aren’t familiar—and to meet them as well.” … Ready to wheel up for some brews and pedal up a buzz, Bull City? crankarmbrewing.com
