As you know from the previous trip report, I’m a huge hockey fan and the Tampa Bay Lightning are my favorite team. In March, they were scheduled to play a Sunday game in Raleigh, North Carolina– a roughly 4 hour drive from Charleston. As such, my family and I planned to go to that game and make a weekend out of it. While the game was an utter disaster, we still had a great time!

This is the introduction to the trip, stay posted for reports of the city, hotel, and activities. As with all Trip Introductions, I will include Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How Sections.

This introduction is the beginning of the Raleigh Weekend Trip. For more information on this trip, follow these links:

Intro (This Article)

Visiting Beautiful College Campuses

Tampa Bay Lightning Game

3 Days in Raleigh

Food and Drinks in Raleigh

Conclusion

Who:

I travelled with family to Raleigh. It reminds us of the old times, going to Lightning games in Tampa. While we didn’t “Bring the Thunder” this time, it was still a treat to see our team play as a family!

What:

While the primary goal was to see the Lightning play, we also have friends who live in Raleigh and enjoy visiting the food and drink scene! The focus of the trip became clear:

1. Watch the Lightning
2. Taste excellent food
3. Catch up with friends
4. Explore the Raleigh-Durham area– everything from downtown Raleigh to UNC

When:

We spent 3 days in Raleigh in early March. The timing of the trip was based around the Tampa Bay Lightning game on Sunday, March 5th.

Where:

As with our trip to Asheville over Christmas, this was a simple journey involving driving and no flights.

Why:

It’s great to travel as a family, especially with a shared interest in watching our favorite team play! Additionally, it’s great to see old friends and meet new ones in a city that we have visited several times before and enjoy.

How:

More details will be provided in the individual articles but here is what I spent:

Flights:

As mentioned above, we did not fly, instead opting for the easy 4 hour drive each way.

Hotel:

We stayed 2 nights at the Four Points by Sheraton Raleigh Arena. As the name suggests, it is right across the street from arena where the Carolina Hurricanes play. Once again, as with the Asheville hotel stay, I booked through Rocketmiles to earn 10,000 American Airlines miles.

We spent $654.08 for 2 nights at this hotel.

Highlights Include:

The delicious peking duck was part of our wonderful culinary adventure in Raleigh. Photo by: Evan Berman

• Watching the Tampa Bay Lightning… play 🙁
• Exploring the beautiful UNC campus
• Catching up with friends
• Enjoying excellent food and drinks

We had a wonderful time in Raleigh. The food and drinks were a high point but it’s always fun to head on the road and visit a new or even not-so-new place!

Evan