Inspiration from the Capital City

The more time I spend in Raleigh, the more I'm inspired by the stuff going on in the Capital city.

The recent influx of young entrepreneurs, artistic expression, and community-focused development in the past few years is sprouting a seemingly endless supply of Raleigh spots worth exploring.

Last week, I was fortunate enough to take an entire day perusing the city (accompanied by an extremely patient girlfriend), and got to check off a few things that had been on my Raleigh to-do list for quite a while.

Here's how the day unfolded:

Tom Shields's Forest of Chairs brings

wooden furniture back to their natural habitat

First stop was the North Carolina Art Museum's sprawling outdoor art walk: Art in the Park. 

NCMA commissions artists to create pieces that are interlaced with the natural surroundings, stretching across 30 acres of land between Blue Ridge Road, Wade Ave and 440. 

Varying in size, scale and subject matter, the Art Park exhibits sparked some great ideas and conversation, while we tried to decipher the artist's message about society and our current role interacting with nature. There were also some cool old chairs hanging out in trees.

We wandered through the Art Park trails, back up towards the NCMA main buildings, and came across the Rodin Sculpture Garden. 

While only slightly familiar with Rodin's work before this visit, it was hard not to become fixated by the powerful detail and realism of each sculpture. The surrounding plants and central tidal pool only enhance an atmosphere that is just calling out for quiet reflection. These three dudes agree:

“Art is the most sublime mission of mankind,
since it is the expression of thought, which seeks to understand
the world and to make it understood.”—Auguste Rodin

Now with all that walking around and deep artistic ponderings, we were ready to grub.

Luckily for us, the next stops on the itinerary were two incredible Raleigh eateries that epitomize the city's newest trend: local entrepreneurs serving the community through some darn good eats.

Happy and Hale has been calling my name ever since they expanded from an order-only delivery system to their City Plaza location a few months back. Founded by two NC State grads who started the company with only a tricycle and a website made over night, the brick and mortar location has quickly become the go-to spot for Raleigh-ites needing a veggie fix.

Happy+Hale delivery bike can get some rest,
now that the City Plaza location is open

That's because Happy+Hale specializes in salads and juices made from fresh, wholesome ingredients. And these aren't the kind of salads that make you wish you weren't eating a salad. Smokey grilled meats, roasted veggies, tangy cheeses and homemade dressings make these salads taste as good as they are for your body. Check out the menu, and feel those lettuce cravings slowly creep over you.

And since we got our dose of greenery in at lunch, a treat for the sweet tooth was in order. Oh there's a chocolate factory right down the street? How convenient...

Videri Chocolate Factory on West Davie is a bean-to-bar chocolate operation started by three die-hard chocolate lovers, that turns fair-trade organic cocoa beans into deliciously crafted chocolate bars and treats. 

Visit the factory building, a former Raleigh train depot, and you can nibble a chocolate bar or sip on the hot variety from the full coffee bar. The self guided tour can't be missed either. Read about Videri's beginnings, their chocolate making process, and admire local and national praise for their great chocolate products.

Videri's full coffee bar maintains the old school
Train depot feel

Not only was this a fun day trekking around Raleigh, but it gave me a renewed appreciation for just how much growth the city is seeing: infrastructure, ideas, creativity and local businesses. When I take a look back and think about it, it's hard not to be inspired by all the examples of innovation and newness that Raleigh has to offer. 

And of course, there's beautiful chocolate with flowers.

Beautiful chocolate with flowers