Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, near Chapel Hill, NC

I always heard great things about the Research Triangle area, so it was on my list to see even though Dorian and I can’t really see ourselves retiring there.

The Jordan Lake recreation area is HUGE! We camped in the Poplar Point campground area, one of several campgrounds, boat launch areas, etc. in the recreation area. Our site was - again - a fabulous, uncrowded lakefront site where we could have walked just 15 feet to the shoreline and launched our kayak - except for the cold. We were still too early in the season to think about getting in that chilly water.

One thing we didn’t dwell on at Occoneechee State Park in Virginia was its fabulous bathhouses, but it turns out that is not to be taken for granted. Our Jordan Lake bathhouses were PRIMITIVE to say the least - not heated, with open air venting to the elements, no soap, and a push-button for the shower (no temperature selection - just take what you can get). The ladies’ room showers featured curtains that left little to the imagination, coming up only to about shoulder level on me. I did not use the bathhouse. Dorian described them as hostile, bringing prison latrines to mind. On the other hand - bathhouse renovations are in progress at some other campground loops, so maybe they’re being brought up to modern standards.

Chapel Hill was a great little college town, with lots of hip-looking bars and bistros and the cool vibe of young students having fun together on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

We started our afternoon at Crook's Corner restaurant, which had interesting artwork and a vegetarian-friendly, wide menu. I knew we couldn’t have the Hopping John or collards, which were of course (this being the South) cooked with pork; but we enjoyed our lunch from the other choices. Afterwards we strolled around the block and found Mama Dips restaurant with the soul food Ramona's sister Madelynn had hoped to sample on a trip here she'd had to postpone. We sent her a Mama Dips gift sampler with BBQ sauces and corn bread to hold her over until that future date. We finished the day at the Top of the Town brewery (see sample selections) and a visit to the Auckland museum.

I wanted to visit nearby Hillsborough for its RiverWalk, which wasn’t the shop-lined boulevard I expected - and that was totally okay. Hillsborough’s downtown is a couple of shop- and restaurant-lined streets, surrounded by some really charming, old (200 year) houses. We strolled in a park setting along the river with Pippi; pictured is a stick house installation by Patrick Dougherty along the river trail. We ended up in the garden of another beer establishment before heading back to Poplar Point campground.

Would We Come Back?

Certainly! There's apparently windsurfing on the lake--though we didn't personally check it out. http://triangleboardsailing.com/SailingSites.html And the kayaking looks awesome. The proximity to Chapel Hill, which is a really cool city, is a key advantage. We didn't really get a chance to check out the Raleigh or Durham areas, so that would be on our list if or when we come back.

Would We Live Here?

Maybe--it's got a lot going for it. A nice lake, proximity to a cool town and university. It's a bit early in our trip to think about things like this, but it certainly hasn't been struck from the list.

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