We were supposed to get up and get moving by 9:00 AM, but we stalled a little and didn’t get going until almost 10:00 AM. The weather was warm but a little overcast. The drive today was a tad over 200 miles to Raleigh, North Carolina. The roads were all main roads with very few slow downs or road construction.
Beautiful bridge en route.Good roads the whole way.Back into NC.Google always lets us know.
We got into Raleigh, North Carolina at around 1:30 PM.
Raleigh has a very nice feel to it.Nice homes.Interesting restaurants.Interesting businesses, mobile karaoke for kid parties. Beats a bounce house.
When we got to the Capitol, Michael and I toured the grounds and looked forward to the inside. Â Lots and lots and lots of construction going on (what’s new?).
We found the Capitol.Confederate memorial.“To our Confederate Dead”Windy day here.Pretty woman covering some ground.There are many statues here.World War II memorial.
Short barreled cannon.
Polk, Jackson and Johnson, in the same order as found in the Tennessee Capitol paintings.Interesting that two states claim all three.Nice grounds with many monuments and memorials.“The subjection of every passion and prejudice. To the cooler sway of judgement and reason, when the common welfare is concerned, is the first victory to be won.” Nice sentiment.I am not sure that mounting will work. I think when fired that cannon would bounce right off of there.Nice grounds with many monuments and memorials.To the women of the Confederacy.
The lady near security in the lobby said it’s a working Capitol but we felt it was more a museum. I guess the Governor is still in the building but that’s about it. It’s a nice Capitol with some good features, but mostly a museum.
Reception.Inside, ionic capital.Niches and busts. Samuel Johnson.
We are kind of stunned by this and are not sure why it is even here.This is an Italian sculptor’s idea of what George Washington looks like based on a drawing of him. Â At some point somebody should have called it a fail and sold it.Dome above fake George.First child born here of English parents.We are seeing these plaques in the original 13.Interesting giant doors inside.Wood door decoration up close.Reception room with fireplaces on both sides.Senate dome chandelier.Corinthian capital and shades of the pantheon on the ceiling.Senate meeting room, historical representation.
Assembly.Museum. Spittoon bottom left.As it might have appeared in the day.Dome and rotunda view.Curved and steep stairs.Gallery.Senate skylight.State Geologist office.
The Museum Library.“To be, rather than to seem” Latin motto. Photo of Governor Roy Cooper.Up until this amendment, only the Emancipation Proclamation had freed the slaves.Big one.Took a long time to get close to compliance with this one.Suffrage.
The area around the Capitol was quite lovely. Michael and I both liked the feel and vibe of Raleigh. Love hearing the church bells ringing and just the general old fashioned look of the area. It probably helped that the temperature was in the 70’s, the flowers were blooming, and it was just a nice day.
They got this statue right.Our Capitol selfie.Pretty church.We like the feel of Raleigh.
We left the Capitol and headed to the nearby Cheesecake Factory at the Crabtree Valley Mall. The drive was less than 15 minutes, about 5 miles. The Cheesecake Factory was lovely, clean and large. Michael ordered his BBQ chicken salad, and I got a pizza. We ended up splitting and then bringing home the leftovers for lunch (or a snack later).
On our way to a Cheesecake Factory.Our Cheesecake Factory selfie.My go to, Barbecue Chicken Ranch salad.Edie opted for a pizza. She got 3 meals out of it and I had two of the slices as well.
The drive back home was a little slower as we hit some traffic and road construction near Richmond, Virginia.
Headed back to Williamsburg.
Long day on the road. We are glad we got this Capitol done. That was our day. Hope yours is great!
