Anyone who’s taken a U.S. history course knows about Raleigh, North Carolina. Whether you associate the city as the namesake of Sir Walter Raleigh or the birthplace of Clay Aiken, local blogger Erika of Fashion Chalet has us convinced that Raleigh is a definitely a place to stop by.
Now, let’s start our tour!
Our tour guide, Erika, wears the Wing Along Dress, At Ease Jacket, and Street Safari Boot in Night.
1. North Carolina Museum of Art. “When I first moved from Miami to Raleigh, I was excited to explore everything in this modern building. My grandmother came to visit last Christmas and also had a ball. We tend to like Impressionism best. This place also boasts a great café and modern art wing.”
2. Carino’s Italian Restaurant. “This place holds many happy memories, from tantalizing my taste buds with mushroom linguine to quiet meals with my family. This is also a great place to celebrate good news. They have the most decadent desserts and tasty appetizers.”
3. Bahama Breeze. “The second I step inside this chain, regardless of location (I’ve frequented the ones in Miami and Fort Lauderdale too often to count), I am transported to island vacations and mouthwatering food. The ambiance and music create the feeling of a Disney World ride or restaurant — enchanting and fun all at once. I highly recommend their portobello sandwich and chicken pineapple salad. Don’t forget to try a side of their sweet potatoes. DE-LI-CIOUS!”
4. Downtown Raleigh. “I work downtown, so it’s always great to meet up with friends afterwards. So many restaurants, boutiques, and fun things to do. I love taking photographs here.”
5. Natty Greene’s. “I don’t drink, and although this is a pub, I like how quiet it can be inside. During off-hours, I can stop in with my laptop and work on my blog. I also tend to meet people here; [it's] a great place to talk and catch up. I always stop in for the Carolina Burger!”
6. Ice Cream Shoppe. “I highly recommend banana as a topping to any chocolate ice cream sundae, cone, or scoop.”
Thanks for the tour, Erika! Any other Raleigh residents out there? What would you recommend?
18 loves 
Raleigh Times in downtown has amazing food, and its a pretty good bar at nights. Does get pretty crowded, though! Slim’s is another good bar.
As a Raleigh native I loved this post! I also have to recommend The Cupcake Shoppe on Glenwood South. Adorable, great service, and delicious cupcakes.
I think I need to go make a banana split…
Thanks for the tour. Love all her looks too.
Raleigh is a great place! Crabtree valley mall is the best!
You guys should consider visiting Asheville, NC. It’s easily the coolest city in NC, and among the best of the East Coast & South East.
It is notable that Raleigh is extremely proud of local business, produce, music and artists; making it a colorful place to live and visit. I also love Natty Green’s but it isn’t just a pub, it is a tasty local brewery! nomz
Such a creative idea! I love it!
My favorite look has to be her leather jacket with her skinny jeans & black heels. Definitely something I would recreate myself!
alissa b
http://www.alissab.us
p.s. also love how in the first look she isn’t afraid to wear yellow! i know i sure am!
I am a recent resident of Raleigh and am attending NC State University. I’m originally from Charlotte, NC. I love the Raleigh area and can’t wait to explore! Charlotte is also a wonderful town and deserves a bit of credit for being so fun.
Also, anytime you’re in Raleigh, you should try to attend a Carolina Hurricanes Ice Hockey game! Tons of fun, I highly recommend it!
awesome
Oh, man- but there’s SO much more than that. One of my favorite places to go downtown is Father and Son antiques. Also, for all you vegan/vegetarians out there, the Remedy Diner is a good bar and has the best vegan pub food. I like to get the vegan coconut cream pie whenever I go. First Fridays are also fantastic for gallery hopping or going to see old crazy sci-fi films at the Museum of Natural Science.
man, i used to live about an hour from there and never explored that city…i believe the state fair is held there, that sucked though.