I know some of you are from, or have lived near, Raleigh, North Carolina,  I've never been, and I need advice on planning a day trip in the area during October!   I'm going to a wedding about a half hour outside of Raleigh.  The wedding is on a Friday, and the bride and groom are having a farewell breakfast/brunch on Saturday morning.  So, I have Saturday from noon to say 8 p.m to do something fun. 

Where should I go?  What should I see?  I hear the beaches are beautiful, but will I have enough time to get to the coast and back by "bedtime"?  The Biltmore estate also sounds cool, but again, do you think I'd have enough time for a day trip, considering the wedding festivities have crept into my saturday morning, too?   For this day trip, I will be travelling with a 1.5 year old, husband and probably my in-laws.  Pointers?  Advice?   If you have in-Raleigh sightseeing tips, I'll take those too, since I will also have about a half-day to spend on the day of the rehearsal dinner as well (from about 11 a.m. to 5 p.m).  

Biltmore is definitely out. It's in Ashevillle, a long way from Raleigh. It is spectacular though.  I'm not so sure about the beaches. It would be couple of hours each way, I think. But the weather could be terrific and the water will likely still be warm.

There's a nice state art museum in Raleigh and some other museums. The state fair might be around that time. Chapel Hill is a short drive (30 minutes) and there are probably things to do there. One website I found through google is www.visitraleigh.com. It lists museums, events, etc. You can narrow the events down by the dates you'll be there. NC State U is in Raleigh, UNC is in Chapel Hill and Duke is in Durham, so there might be college football on Sat.

Personally I think there will be plenty to do in Raleigh and Chapel Hill without driving further.

Is that an 18 month old or a 15 year old?

Hope this helps. It's been a long time since I lived there and it's grown tremendously.

Mellie

 Hi, I live in Raleigh. Raleigh is 3 hours from the coast and 3 hours from the mountains so you might not have enough time to go there. The State Fair may be running at the time you're here. We have Museums - science, nc history and Marbles (a kid's museum) Raleigh, check out the website for Progress Energy Center in downtown for shows.  There is an Art museum. 

Thanks for the advice!  Sounds like we will be able to keep busy without driving too far.  I will be travelling with an 18 month old.  The State Fair sounds neat!  Thanks again for the tips!

I too live in Raleigh.

Wilmington beach (not fancy) is only 2 hrs away -- the Army base is 1.5 hrs away and Marine bases are a little over 2 hrs away. (had to throw that in there   )  and in addition to what is listed above (I may have missed something) -- depending on when you come in October, we usually have Octoberfest activities.. depeneds on what you like to do.. or hey, maybe you could meet up with us fellow junkies and we'll go out on the town  LOL

Let us know what you are interested in and maybe we can help more.. there are plenty of large hiking trails/parkways around here too.

feel free to contact me if you want!

Lynn

Lynn, thanks for the recommendations!  I saw Wilmington on the map, and thought that might be fun.  Two hours is definitely do-able. I could be wrong, but I thought that is where they filmed Dawson's Creek (yes, I am a nerd :)  Also, some of us were thinking that it would be cool to check out Cape Fear.  Is there anything to see there?  I think we are thinking of the movie Cape Fear

Also, I bumped into one of my old professors who had been at Duke, and he recommended Magnolia Grill in Durham for dinner.  It sounds awesome.  If I do a two hour trip, I could make it back for a dinner in Durham. 

 Thanks again--I'll have to shoot you an email as the date approaches, since you're a local!

 Wilmington is actually a very large movie and tv town.  They even have a bunch of tourist tours of different show sites.  If you are interested in ships, the USS North Carolina is on the outskirts of town.  It is a HUGE battleship from WWII.  It costs $12 to see the museum and tour the ship.  My three little kids and I just walked around outside and drooled over it.  My 10 year old boys thought it was amazing.  They also have an airplane on board.  If you Google the ship you can get actual address and good info on it.

Since I live near Charlotte, NC, I really don't know much about the Raleigh-Durham area.  Just know that the hockey team I route for is based there.  Go, 'Canes! 

Yes Wilmington is definitely doable for a day trip.. a lot of people do it. They usually have festivals, etc even during the off season, and yes as written below, it has several things there.. the Battleship is pretty cool to tour.. lots to see.

One thing you won't have to worry about in the Raleigh-Durham area is where to eat.. there are tons of places. Magnolia Grill is indeed good, and there are lots of other places,, all depends on your appetite.

Indeed contact me I will do whatever I can to help you out

Lynn

Here are some websites that might help you plan:

Fairgrounds:  http://www.ncstatefair.org/events/10-08.htm. 

State Fair:  http://www.ncstatefair.org/2008/

NC Zoo:  http://www.nczoo.org/ (about an hour and a half from Raleigh)

http://www.raleighfree.com/index.html

Thanks again everyone for the ideas and advice!