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I had just a few hours left in Raleigh, and I had a couple of stops left on my agenda. Having spent the morning touring the Capitol Building and the Museum of Natural Sciences, I had worked up quite an appetite.

Just Add Gravy

Oh my gosh! How can such a simple dish taste so decadent?

A New Bern friend provided a top recommendation for lunch, a restaurant named Gravy. Was this to be a homestyle cooking café? Once I came upon the restaurant, I realized gravy referred to homemade pasta sauce.

Gravy is everything you desire in an Italian restaurant. Aromas of garlic, fresh bread and seasoning filled the air. As plate after plate passed by, I wondered if the spaghetti and meatballs I ordered was too basic. Once my plate of pure heaven arrived, that thought quickly disappeared. It was delicioso! A pound may have been gained in one hour, but it was well worth it.

Just One More Museum

My last stop was to visit the North Carolina Museum of History. With my parents being native Tar Heels, I felt it was my duty to learn more about our favorite state. Since time was limited, I focused on one main exhibit, “The Story of North Carolina.”

The North Carolina Museum of History provides the opportunity to experience our state’s memorable moments.

As you enter, you feel as if you are on the Carousel of Progress ride at Disney World. As you go from one century to the next, you learn more about the state through antiques, artifacts, informative narratives and hands-on activities.

Three displays stood out in the exhibit. One, Blackbeard was a real person. I thought his story stemmed from legend. Apparently, his ship wrecked off the North Carolina coast, and several things were recovered, including a cannon. Two, I saw the next best thing to being in Kitty Hawk. The exhibit offers a life-size replica of the 1903 Wright Brothers’ “plane” used in the first flight. Three, and perhaps the most impactful, was the replica of the 1960 Woolworth lunch counter sit-in during the Civil Rights Movement.

In addition to the Museum of Natural Sciences and Museum of History, Raleigh boasts several other museums, including ones for contemporary art and kids. While Raleigh may be the second city to house the state capitol building, it’s the first for museums to call home.

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A Stone to Pick

With the museum’s worldly exterior, I had to see what was inside.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is the Southeast’s largest natural history museum. It has exhibits on four floors that are, in the basic of words, really cool. While I passed over the reptile exhibit for obvious reasons, I spent a great deal of time walking through the Nature Exploration Center. I had no idea the Venus Flytrap originated in the Carolinas, or there was such a bird named the Carolina Parakeet. I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit about the hidden gems of North Carolina. Apparently, the Tar Heel State was home to the first gold rush in the U.S., and it is the only state where emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds have been found.

A Bone to Pick

Another noteworthy section is the whale bone exhibit. I have yet to see a whale in person, so to get up-close and personal with massive whale bones was definitely memorable. I had no idea what a Right Whale was (is there a Wrong Whale?), however after walking through the exhibit, I now know it is literally the “right” whale to hunt due to its slow pace and floating after being killed. Another “heightened” experience was the skeleton of an Acrocanthosaurus (say that fast three times). The dinosaur looked like a T-Rex to me, so needless to say, it was a very big bone collection.

The museum has a plethora of hands-on activities, and it is an ideal place to spend the day experiencing everything science with your kids. They won’t even realize they are learning with all the fun they will have. This kid sure did!

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Pre-Visit Refresher

First, a brief history lesson as to why Raleigh was favored over our beloved town. As the latter part of the 18^th Century progressed, so did the population growth moving westward. The fact that New Bern is perfectly close to the Atlantic and at the convergence of the Trent and Neuse Rivers made it even easier to access during the American Revolution. Oh yes, and Tryon Palace basically burned to the ground. It made sense to have the capital of the state be in a more centralized location.

Visit Remarkable

The State Capitol Building in Raleigh is picture-perfect. Literally, as this is from a postcard. The day I visited was too cloudy for a good shot.

While there was restoration work being conducted on the capitol during my visit, that did not stop the opportunity to experience historical magnificence. The exterior is Neoclassical architecture, with massive columns, domed rotunda and Greek-like design. George Washington seemed to be everywhere, four times in fact. I had to ask a guide as to why in one statue George is in Roman uniform. Apparently, the sculptor was Italian and felt it displayed him with extreme strength, courage and honor. Other highlights were learning the capitol served as North Carolina’s first public library, and to this day showcases a massive collection due to many returned books checked out during the 1830s fire (see next paragraph). The last notable was the monument outside of three presidents: Andrew Johnson, James Polk and Andrew Jackson with a horse. All three were born in North Carolina. However, only Jackson being on the horse could offer some hidden meaning.

Post-Visit Reminder

The building I toured was not the first one in Raleigh. The State House (the building erected once Raleigh became the capital) was burned down in 1831. For both New Bern and Raleigh, I was reminded that North Carolinians have amazing strength to rebuild, restore and renew. And that should be with three capital Rs!

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