Free Raleigh, NC Getaway

I've written in the past about moving South someday. North Carolina is one of our favorite dream destinations. Anyone who has flown South has probably connected through Raleigh/Durham airport-I have a bunch of times- but not many have taken the time to explore the city of Raleigh. Since I come from Boston, much of the USA and many of its cities looks like homogeneous urban sprawl to me. Boston is a city with colonial charm and an "old world" feel. So is Raleigh-it has been around almost as long as Boston and it has that charm.

Raleigh is also a heck of a lot more affordable than Boston! For the money we spent on our spacious town home in the burbs of Boston, we could buy a MANSION in Raleigh! There's a lot of fun stuff to do in Raleigh too. The Durham Bulls (minor league baseball) is nearby. Minor League baseball is a great pass-time in my book. Good baseball without the whiny millionaires.

The great thing about Raleigh is it has the feel, sophistication and charm of a Northeast City without all the hustle bustle. The Southern, relaxed atmosphere is far less hectic and stressful. There's lots of great stuff to do in Raleigh. It's a fantastic place to plan a Fall Getaway. There are many wonderful small concert venues with international talent nearly every week of the year. You could see Trace Adkins in Concert if you wanted to. Elvis Costello is even performing with the North Carolina Symphony. (I wonder if they'll do "Pump it Up?")

There are two things I love: Travel and Free Stuff. I may have found a really cool contest and it involves Raleigh. You could win a Free Raleigh Getaway by registering with the Raleigh Convention and Visitor's Bureau Free Vacation Site. If you win, you get:

-$25 gift certificate to Bloomsbury Bistro
-Free VIP admission for two to Rum Runners
-2 tickets to the North Carolina Theatre
-2 tickets to the N.C. Museum of Art’s Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism
-2 tickets to Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.

Winning a free vacation is definitely worth 5 minutes of my time!