by Christa Gala | Oct 28, 2015 | Do, November 2015
Triathlon growth may be leveling off across the country, but it’s still ramping up in the Raleigh/Cary area.
On September 27, more than 2,500 athletes from across the U.S. and around the world participated in Ironman
Chattanooga, each competing for the opportunity to race at the Ironman World Championship in Kailla-Kona, Hawaii in October 2016.
Of the 50 slots available, 5 went to local athletes (yeah, the City of Oaks claimed 10 percent of the total)!
These five, who train at Inside/Out Sports in Cary, are Kona-bound next year: Jason Biggs, 41, Jeanna Chain 43, Sophie Evans, 43, Chad Kufen, 43, and Michael Sumbs, 29. Each of them was a top finisher in his or her age group.
Maybe it’s the climate or maybe it’s because there are so many great triathlon races across North Carolina, but our area is not seeing the leveling off of other states.
USA Triathlon (USAT) Membership stands at over 477,000 nationally, down from 495,330 in 2013, according to the 2014 USAT Membership Report. But North Carolina has the ninth-most USAT members of any state and produces the fifth-most events.
“Raleigh and Cary are great places to train throughout the year,” says Jason Biggs. “Swim facilities are readily available and open year round, and we’re surrounded by three lakes for open water swimming. For running, there are many great choices with varied terrain, from American Tobacco Trail, which is flat, to Umstead Park, which is hilly.”
Chad Kufen adds: “There are lots of quiet roads with challenging terrain to ride and hundreds of miles of park service trails and greenways. The Raleigh and Cary communities are also very supportive of the local athletes, showing great enthusiasm at local events as well as great respect and understanding while we are on the roads training.” Congrats!
by Christa Gala | Oct 28, 2015 | Do, November 2015
We have a secret: Winston-Salem is our favorite city in the Triad. (Don’t tell Greensboro and High Point.)
We can’t help it. There’s so much to do and see—whether you’re into the arts, history, live music, good eats (or all of the above). A few of our faves, just an hour-and-a-half from Raleigh.
ARTivity on the Green: A former parking lot turned green space? It doesn’t happen often, but the transformation was finished this past spring. This modern art mecca is near the downtown arts district and Wake Forest University (at Liberty Street). Enormous red smokestacks beckon. Other steel sculptures and installations are a nod to the city’s history. 630 N. Liberty Street.
Reynolda House: It’s not the Biltmore, but touring the home of tobacco magnate RJ Reynolds is still awe-inspiring in its excessiveness. RJ’s wife Katharine, some 30 years younger than her husband, designed the “60-room bungalow” (bungalow?!!) with the help of several prominent architects. Harry Truman and Edith Vanderbilt took meals in the dining room as did Raleigh’s own Josephus Daniels.
The 1917 architecture with its staircases and catwalks is amazing. We’re so house-smitten, we almost forgot: the Reynolda features a wide collection of American art as well, including Georgia O’Keefe and Mary Cassatt. Reynoldahouse.org, 2250 Reynolda Road.
Old Salem: A tried-and-true Winston-Salem staple, the Moravians founded this village in 1766 and all the traditions that went with it(including those delicious wafer-thin cookies).
If you’ve done the traditional village tour, consider the Christmas by Candlelight tours running through Dec. 19. It’s a little pricey ($25 for adults; $20 for kids 6-16), but you get that warm and fuzzy holiday experience with all the trimmings (music, games, food and a little nostalgia).
Winston-Salem Pit Stop
Foothills Brewery & Tasting Room
3800 Kimwell Drive
Open Wednesday – Sunday
Visit the 28-tap Tasting Room brewery and sample the core beers along with seasonals and one-offs.
If they brew it, it will be on tap there.
Indoor and outdoor seating with snacks and TVs. Yes, dog friendly.
Or…
FootHills Brewpub
638 West Fourth Street
11 a.m. – 2 a.m. daily
foothillsbrewing.com
From Bacon Wrapped Trout to Fried Jalapenos, there’s plenty here to warrant ordering a nice pint with which to wash it all down.
Downtown Art District (DADA)
5th, Trade and
Liberty Streets
Most open Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. -5 p.m.
dadaws.org
The historic buildings from the once thriving tobacco market now house art galleries, shops and restaurants.
Black Mountain Chocolate Factory
732 Trade
Street NW
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
blackmountainchocolate.com
Take a self-guided tour any time or sign up online for a special behind-the-scenes tour (very limited dates – sign up early).
by Christa Gala | Oct 28, 2015 | Eat, November 2015
It’s not often you see fine dining and fast food hold hands, but Angus Barn teamed up with PDQ to create a new chicken sandwich.
Walter Royal, Angus Barn executive chef and Food Network Iron Chef winner, created, what else?, the Royal Chicken Sandwich.
It’s a chicken breast marinated in a special sauce of cracked black pepper and honey, topped with crispy bacon, pickles, shredded lettuce and a homemade barbecue ranch sauce.
One dollar of every sandwich sold will be donated to Raleigh’s Foundation of Hope, which promotes awareness of mental illness.
Sandwiches are available in PDQ locations in Cary, Raleigh, Wake Forest, Durham, Fayetteville and Winston-Salem.
by Christa Gala | Oct 28, 2015 | Buzz, November 2015
The Wolfpack Men’s Basketball team will play all home games at the PNC Center while Reynolds Coliseum undergoes massive renovation.
NC State’s season kicks off against Cal State Los Angeles November 8 at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $7 (parking passes cost $10). Team members will sign autographs on opening day.
We talked with head coach Mark Gottfried about the 2015-2016 season.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge you anticipate?
A: We need to replace our 3-point shooters. The question will be if we can be a good 3-point shooting team.
Q: What are some of the team’s biggest strengths this coming season?
NC State basketball game
A: I do think we are athletic, and we have some quickness. We also have some very versatile players.
Q: What would your players say is your “catchphrase” in the locker room—something you say all the time to motivate?
A: “They gotta guard us too, pal!” Although I save that for our bigger games.
Q: Do you have a favorite after-game spot in Raleigh?
A: That’s a really tough one. I have a lot of favorites in Raleigh and a lot of great friends in the restaurant business here. That’s one of the great things about Raleigh. There are so many great choices.
Pack plays Broughton
The women’s basketball team will play all home games at Broughton High School during the Reynolds reno. Well-heeled basketball aficionados know that some good bball has been played at this historic Raleigh high school. NBA players Pete Maravich and Shavlik Randolph were graduates as was former NC State player and NCCU coach Phil Spence. We feel sure the women Wolfpack will honor the tradition.
The men and women will play a doubleheader Friday, November 13 at the PNC Center—the men against William & Mary; the women against Villanova. Gopack.com
by Christa Gala | Oct 28, 2015 | Buzz, November 2015
As much as I hate to do math, let’s do a little. If you shop local, more than 51 cents of every dollar stays in Raleigh, compared with 13 cents if you buy at a chain.
Nationally, we each spend close to $800 on gifts and food during the holidays, according to the National Retail Federation. So if I spent, let’s say, $600 in Raleigh this holiday season, more than $300 would stay here. If I spent it at a chain, only $78 would stay here.
Whaaat?
Jennifer Martin wants to show Raleigh the money. The money we’re giving away.
It’s Martin’s job to think about such things as the executive director for Shop Local Raleigh, formed in 2009, the brainchild of the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association. Membership has grown from 100 members to more than 500.
It’s all about distribution. If you buy from a chain, there are a lot of people who get a cut of your coin, including the CEO and a bunch of guys in the middle.
“Within the local community, the money goes to just one or two owners, maybe a few employees and then they’re usually renting space from a local place,” says Martin.
We all have to buy at the national stores for some things, though—like laundry detergent and Triscuits—and Martin gets that.
“We know it’s really hard to do everything all at once, but if each month we each shift just 10 percent, we’d add billions of dollars in tax revenue to our community each year,” she says. “Maybe it’s that cup of coffee every day or when you’re going out to dinner.”
Or buying gifts.
If you’ve ever wondered why the Raleigh Christmas Parade kicks off so early, it’s so independent businesses can kick off the holiday season. You rarely see chains in that parade, but you see a lot of locals, investing time and money in floats and freebies. Throughout the year, they donate to charities and schools with giveaways, their spaces and often their time.
They don’t just work here; they live here.
You can’t say the same for the big-box CEO and all those middlemen.
$20 on the 20th Means Big Savings and Local Rewards
Encourages shoppers to take $20 and spend it with a local merchant rather than a big box chain. Visit shoplocalraleigh.org/care-2/20-on-the-20th for a list of SLR merchants offering extra savings on the 20th of the month when you mention Shop Local Raleigh.
