TriangleTransit - Taking The Bus To Work

Well, it was one week on Thursday that I began taking the bus to work at Duke University Medical Center,  Fabulous!  That is the best word to describe the experience thus far.  I walk 15-20minutes in the morning to the bus stop on Wilmington and Martin (near the Busy Bee restaurant).  Get on the bus with my GoPass.  Take a seat in a spacious, air-conditioned bus with free Wi-Fi that makes four additional stops before my stop at Duke South.  In the morning it takes me about 10 minutes longer to get to work, in the evening about 20  minutes.  BIG DEAL!

It was cost me $52 per month to park at Duke and take a shuttle bus to my office.  It was costing me about $45-$50 per week in gas.  The cost to get a monthly Pass for the bus is $85; however, my employer, like many, is picking up the tab to ease the severe parking issues at Duke.  It cost me nothing, only to walk and wait for a bus ride.  Do the math!

Besides, I need the 15-20 minute walk twice daily walk for exercise.  At work the walking is a washout, same with the bus as when I drove a car.   I don't even have to pay for my exercise opportunity like many people who belong to a gym!

The ride is comfortable.  The buses are 95% on time; give or take 5 minutes.  The drivers are helpful and nice!  The passengers welcomed me to they "club".  Some are even entertaining... like a sitcom!  You can get some work done on your laptop, read a book (or Kindle), or sleep like I did for about 30 minutes on the ride home.  Oh yeah, I forgot.... starting in July some of the bus routes will allow the buses to travel on the highway shoulders if the traffic is too congested and not moving.

THE TRIANGLE BUS SERVICE IS ONE OF THE BEST KEPT SECRETS!  From what I read the ridership has doubled over the past couple of years.... and I can see why.  With the price of gas you can save enough money on gas and wear and tear on your care to give you a nice little raise.

I'm not sure if all of our bus services in the city are the same as the TriangleTransit, like the CAT, but if they are, Raleigh and the surrounding areas on the road to success with public transportation.

Check out the TriangleTransit website for more information:  http://triangletransit.org/about/

Gary

"IRON CHEF" TYPE COMPETITION IN RALEIGH THIS SUMMER

Fire in the Triangle Competition

Sixteen local chefs will be competing in the first Fire in the Triangle dining competition this summer.   

Using a bracket system like that in sports, it pits chefs against one another in "Iron Chef-style" battles with a twist – the audience/diners get to eat and vote! Their votes make up 70 % of the total score, with the judges' panel only counting for 30 percent. 

Diners will not know which chefs made which dishes.  Emcee Jimmy Crippen said diners are urged not to try to figure out which chefs made each of the six dishes.  "Just vote your palate," Crippen suggested. 

Voting will also be easy. Diners can scan a QR code and vote on their smartphones. Paper and pencil voting will be available for those who don't have a smartphone.

The format is simple: Chefs arrive at the restaurant, 1705 Prime, which is located at 705 E. Millbrook Road in Raleigh at Noon the day of the competition.  This is the site for all battles. 

They find out the secret ingredient and must get to work with their two assistants to create three courses featuring that ingredient. They all have access to the same pantry and the same ingredients. They are also prohibited from making anything from their restaurants. 

Their menus are due by 3:30 p.m. and diners start arriving at 6:30 p.m. Dinner is served at 7 p.m. 

This sounds like a wonderful dining experience for anyone who enjoys food and showcases many of the excellent chefs we have in the Triangle.  There are many more great chefs that are not competing!

Tickets for all first round battles are $49 per person.  The price EXCLUDES BEVERAGE, TAX AND TIP.

Tickets can be purchased at http://www.competitiondining.com/events/fire-in-the-triangle

It a single-elimination contest with the winner being crowned on July 31. 

First round match-ups: 

June 11: Shane Ingram (Four Square) vs. Adam Jones (Twisted Fork)

June 12: Adam Rose (Il Palio) vs. Josh Decarolis (Jujube)

June 13: Ryan Payne (Weathervane) vs. Chris Harris (Fork and Barrel)

June 18: Scott James (Midtown Grille) vs. Matthew Hannon (Ashten's)

June 19: John Childers (Herons at Umstead) vs. Chad McIntyre (Market)

June 20: Reto Von Weissenfluh (Mia Francesca) vs. Serge Falcoz-Vigne (518 West)

June 25: Michael Lee (Sono) vs. Dean Wendel (Flights)

June 26: Christopher Hill (The Oxford) vs. Jimmy Reale (The Carolina Inn)

Fire in the Triangle is part of the Got to Be NC Competition dining series. The winner from the Triangle will go on to the "final four" to compete against the winners of the Fire on the Rock, Fire on the Dock and Fire in the Triad competitions.  These two competitions were held earlier this year and the winners from The Rock and Dock have been selected.  The Triad competition is coming up in August and September.  More information on that one as it becomes available.

The last chef standing wins $2,000 and the coveted red chef’s jacket. The runner-up will get $500.

Dock winner Andy Hopper of Chefs 105 in Morehead City said some of the secret ingredients he had to deal with during his battles were strawberry moonshine, grits, Johnston County hams, pasta and quail. 

That doesn't sound too unusual for me, but I'm not picky.  If you happen to be in the Raleigh area, the restaurant is only about 20 to 25 minutes from the Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast.  Rent a room, stay the night, and have a wonderful dining experience that is unique and different.  What a nice little gift for your spouse, friend, partner, or significant other.  


A NIGHT AWAY AND A NIGHT OUT!!  Check us out at www.oakwoodinnbb.com.

Gary 

Tea Rooms in North Carolina

Here is a website that has a fairly large list of Tea rooms in North Carolina.
At the Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast we offer a tea for a minimum of 10 people.  We generally do birthdays, showers, pre-wedding parties, etc.

Call Doris at the Oakwood Inn and discuss a custom menu with a variety of teas to choose from.  Great time for all who come.  Victoria Home as the setting.

Here is the tea website:  http://www.teaguide.net/tearoomsnorthcarolina.htm

NC Museum of Art presents Word Up: the Intersection of Text and Image

New Exhibit coming.  Stay at the Oakwood Inn B & B which is only 15 minutes away form museum.
Book a night or two with us:  www.oakwoodinnbb.com for lowest online rate, or call 919-832-9712

July 22, 2012–January 20, 2013

North Carolina Gallery

In an era increasingly dominated by mass media and characterized by a constant barrage of information, text has taken on significance as both a conveyor and inhibitor of meaning, particularly when combined with visual resources. Featuring nearly 30 paintings and drawings, including some that have never been exhibited, Word Up: the Intersection of Text and Image highlights the work of six contemporary North Carolina artists with a common denominator in their oeuvres: the use of text in two-dimensional art. Word Up will feature work from Mathew Curran, Lincoln Penn Hancock, Nathaniel Lancaster, Shaun Richards, Gabriel Shaffer, and Derek Toomes.

Music On The Porch 2012 - Raleigh downtown

Visiting Raleigh and staying with the Oakwood Inn B & B on a Friday night?  Well check this out!  The Second and Fourth Friday of each month at the Mordecai Historic Park in Downtown Raleigh.


It is about a 10-15 minute slow walk from the Inn.  You can enjoy live music... a FREE concert... YES FREE!

They do ask for a $5 donation to help fund the cost of the bands and liability insurance.  

This started several years ago at the Seaboard Station when there was a grocery store there.  Every Friday a band was brought in, they sold beer, wine, hamburgers, hot dogs, and had some fun things to do for the kids.

The five surrounding neighborhoods supported it by attending on a regular basis.  When the grocery store closed, it was moved down the Seaboard Station near the end of the parking lot and Peace China restaurant provided the food and beer and wine.  That was for a couple of years until there was possible construction of new apartments at the very end of the parking lot which would have closed a lot of the space off. 

The construction has not seemed to take off very well for some reason.  However, the Music On The Porch concept found a new home at the  Mordecai Historic Park/Downtown Raleigh.  


It is well attended with about 100-300 people showing up not only from the five neighborhoods, but with friends and families of those neighbors from surrounding areas.  It has turned out to be a great time for all.


The Oakwood Inn help support the efforts years ago, by provided a cash donation to help purchase the new speakers for the sound system.   Check out the website below for more information and if you are staying with us, you are welcome to attend this event. 



http://www.musicontheporch.com/Default.aspx

Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast Back To Providing Tea Times

Yes, Doris is doing Tea time again at the Oakwood Inn!  Just call our phone number and speak with Doris about having a tea time for your group.  She provides a Low Tea for groups of 10 or more.  Call for prices, menu, and times and dates available.  She definitely puts in the quality for a nice elegant event to celebrate.
www.oakwoodinnbb.com  or call 919-832-9712,  Ask for Doris.

Just a note.  I always thought before we were doing a High Tea.  I was wrong.   The elegant afternoon tea with think of in England is considered a Low Tea.  To read about the difference, I came upon this blog, so just click on is website and learn about a Low Tea vs a High Tea.

http://lifequeen888.wordpress.com/2010/06/27/english-tea-time-english-high-tea-english-teacts28/

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sceinces

The Grand Opening of the New section of the Museum is over.  Come and see this wonderful learning experience for you and your children.  As an adult visiting Raleigh, if you plan on staying with us, the Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast is only about a 7 minute walk from the Museum.  Check out it's website and plan an outing by staying with us and experiencing the New North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

VISITOR INFO

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast. Through our exhibits, programs and field experiences, we provide visitors with opportunities to get up close and personal with science and nature.

General Admission to all facilities is FREE!  Yes, IT IS FREE!

CHECK IT OUT AT THEIR WEBSITE:    http://naturalsciences.org/visitor-info