after5's Journal: ...nice place to visit.

A journey of a thousand+ miles begins with a few missteps. I'm not in New England yet, still in the South. A few hundred miles away from Atlanta in a place called Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill. That's right, I'm in the Triangle.

If there is any one goal throughout this trip it was to avoid excessive exposure to the horror that is South Carolina. As some of you may know, SC was the site of my one and only speeding ticket...given to me by a highway patrolmen in a Camaro Convertible! Needless to say I'm still bitter about the experience. Redneck cops in redneck cars have no business giving me tickets. Therefore I did what any sane person would do and drive at exactly the speed limit. In Atlanta that would get me killed, in SC it only makes the truckers do their best impression of alien posession from "Maximum Overdrive" starring Emilio Estevez.

Upon arriving in Raleigh I immediately regretted choosing it as a destination. I mean, I pictured rolling greenery and a picturesque campus of NC State dominating the landscape. Every street should be named MLK, Jr. Blvd if you know what I mean. Yeah, it's all ghetto.

Next stop, Durham and Duke University.

Duck Fuke. No wonder they all worship basketball, that's the only thing to do in that town. Since three colleges (well, plus a few minor ones) are located relatively closely in the Durham-Raleigh-Clay-Chapel Hill area, I'd figure there would be a decent college town atmosphere. That's a negatory, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.

From what I was able to find, Duke has about one main "drag" on Ninth Street consisting of a few ghetto restaurants and "bars" that seem to pass for nightly entertainment. Not only that, but the whole town doesn't really exist. It's a Duke "campus" and the ginormous Duke University Hospital (Durham is the 'City of Medicine') and that's about it. Then again, maybe I was unable to properly find the local hangouts within walking distance of campus, but it shouldn't be hard folks! I mean, Tallahassee has the Tennesee strip that has Momo's! FSU has a great little town, wouldn't like to live their due to flooding and the hazards of working at the local restaurants (Now Hiring Assistant Manager to replace one in hospital due to parking lot brawl!).

So carrying on my voyage I arrived at UNC - Chapel Hill. Now, by this point I'm rather tired and hungry, so my exploration of Chapel Hill was mediocre at best, but what did I find? A proper collection of stores, boutiques, shoppes, bars, and eateries located on something quaintly called "Main Street!" I was flabbergasted! It was nicely walkable, reasonably cleanly, and my idea of what a strip would look like. But still, no wild partying or the like, then again it is summer.

Moving onward I was in dire need of a location to hang my hat - if I had a hat to hang. Ah, a location to facilitate communication via ghetto rigged cell phone modem-itude!

Days Inn kindly offered a military discount (but also took exhorbinant amounts of money, in my opinion), that continental breakfast better be damn good, that's all I'm saying. But at least I have a king sized bed to frolic in for the night. I'm pretty tired after driving 500 miles today. Hope everyone else is doing well, tomorrow I'm off for Charlottesville, Virginia - another college town for UVA. I know that town is at least pretty decent musically, afterall, the Dave Matthews Band started there. I'll keep you all posted.

yes we're reading your journal

[Mandabear]

I wanted to post the other day, but realized if I wanted to be cool I would have to create a username. Well, now that I have...
did you think there would actually be people out partying on a Monday night? come on, you're not in Athens. and secondly, I bet you actually went through the Raleigh ghetto. I somehow don't believe that you saw the whole city.
well, I hope your venture to Virginia is more exciting. I'll be looking for the next update.

Re:yes we're reading your journal

[after5]

Yeah, depressingly, Athens _is_ the quintessential college town. And for the record, Raleigh sucks! I drove through the NC State campus, and all around it's immediate area looking for something, ANYTHING, that was relatively un-ghetto looking.

Nada. Zip. Zilch.

I guess that's what I get for going to the FAMU of North Carolina.

But yeah, Charlottesville rocks. Friendly people willing to trade conversation for an umbrella in a downpour. Well, after an initial joke or two.

And yes, good username. :)

Re:yes we're reading your journal

[after5]

Yes, Raleigh really is a ghetto. I drove all around the NC State campus and it was all worthy of MLK status.

Sadly, Athens is the quintessential college town. Too bad it has to be wasted on those damn UGA folk.

Charlottesville, however, does have quite the potential. I would definitely welcome a longer stay there, but my timetable is getting rather tight as it is. I've asked my mother to try and get my immoble doctor's appointment adjusted.

on the road again?

[lisatb]

i'm glad you're havng fun brother. i hope you get to see some cooler stuff. i don't so much mind SC though, only i think it's myrtle beach i don't mind. please be careful where ever you decide to venture, and if you come across something disgusting or gross or you see anything interesting that might interest me, be sure to take a picture or a note-to-self, tell sibling... love the brother!