Perfect Weekend | April 2001 | 2900 words

Under Carolina Blue Skies

Checking in at Chapel Hill's beautiful Siena Hotel, I was led by the bellman to the top floor of this fine establishment. He opened the door of my room, extended a welcoming hand and invited me to proceed inside. I crossed the threshold only to be blown away. I had landed in the hotel's largest room, an elegantly appointed suite, used by the likes of Michael Jordan on his visits to Chapel Hill.

Before I could absorb my good fortune, a dining cart was pushed in. On it, aged Parmesan cheese, fruits, crackers and a bottle of Italian sparkling water. Apparently management knew that I was a travel writer. What they obviously did not know was that I am not a hotel critic.

General Manager Mark Sherburne had gone to great strides to assure that mine would be a perfect weekend. What he failed to realize was that I would have been happy sleeping in the storage closet, which I did once in India, and dining from the vending machines, which is about all Our State's dining and entertainment budget allows.

Nonetheless, if you should stay at The Siena on your visit to Chapel Hill, please don't tell Sherburne otherwise. Mention that you've read my articles and that I can be tough on hotels. Tell him he's lucky he treated me regally. Who knows? Maybe, he'll put me up in that suite on my next visit.

Truth is, you don't have to be someone special to receive the royal treatment at The Siena. And I'm not just paying lip service to the hotel because my room—ahem, make that "suite"—was provided to me free of charge. This fine hotel, which draws its inspiration from the art, architecture and ambience of Italy and is modeled after a Tuscan villa, was nominated "Best Romantic Hotel" by citysearch.com. The American Automobile Association awarded Four Diamonds to The Siena and its Il Palio Ristorante. The AAA award is a distinction that the hotel has held since 1989 and one that only 15 North Carolina establishments can boast of.

In the marbled hotel lobby, I talked with Jimmy and Mary Kit Dunn who came here from Greensboro to celebrate their 46th wedding anniversary. "We came just to play and have a good time," says Mary Kit. "And there's no better place to do so. It's convenient, the service is good, the food is excellent, and you can even have a masseuse come to your room if you like." [Note to self: Write Sherburne and say that a masseuse on the next visit would likely earn the magazine's highest accolades.]

Like the Dunns, Kirk and Leslie Kirkland ventured here for some time alone. They wanted a romantic weekend away from their three children. The Kirklands know you don't have to go far to find your perfect weekend. They live just down the road in Durham. You won't have to travel far either for your perfect weekend in Chapel Hill. Here's a primer to help you make the most of it.

Day One, Friday
Start by checking in at The Siena, where rates range from around $170 per night and up, and include a buffet breakfast. Be sure to check with the hotel for special packages.

Arrive early and have lunch five minutes from The Siena, at A Southern Season. Weather permitting, you'll want to dine on the patio. Plan on spending a few hours in the adjacent gourmet shop where you will find a bounty of tasteful Tar Heel treasures.

Afternoon, tour the oldest state university in the country. The UNC Visitors' Center is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. until 5. Go to the west end of the Morehead Planetarium, pick up a map and a Sony Walkman, free of charge, for a self-guided tour narrated by Wallace Kuralt.

Take dinner at the hotel's IL Palio Ristorante. Start with Prosciutto di Parma "Pio Tosini" con rucola fichi secchi e parmigiano. No need to say it; just point to it on the menu. Ingredients: 500-day aged "Pio Tosini" prosciutto from Parma with a fresh salad of arugula, sun-dried organic figs, and aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese: $10. Follow that with both pasta and an entrée, or make a meal from the pasta or entrée alone. Be sure to leave room for the tiramisu, an old family recipe passed down to talented Chef Gennaro Villella from his grandmother.

After dinner, head to Morehead Planetarium, where you'll gaze at some 8,900 fixed stars on the Star Theater's vast dome. It's heavenly.

Day Two, Saturday
The Kirklands told me how they met and fell in love on Franklin Street. That the street separating "town and gown" should hold a special place in their hearts is understandable. You'll love it too, but first a word about getting there.

If you can, bike. In my days as a journalism student here, I pedaled to and from campus. Even with the 20-minute ride from my apartment, I was in class before my roommates who drove. "If you're in a hurry, ride a bike," one longtime resident told me. "If you've got time to look for a parking place, drive." For the record, parking is easier on the weekends, but biking in Chapel Hill is fun and safe, thanks to the designated bike lanes.

Go west. To get to downtown Franklin Street from The Siena, you can (a) ask the staff to drive you—they won't mind doing so; (b) bicycle up the humongous hill on the bike path alongside Franklin Street; (c) bicycle on the paved, flat bicycle path along Bolin Creek then up the humongous hill; (d) mountain bike through the woods over roots and rocks on Battle Park Trail up the humongous hill; (e) take Chapel Hill transit; or (f) walk, not forgetting the humongous hill.

Go see Charles. I pedaled up Franklin Street, turning left onto campus, past the Paul Green Theatre to the old Chapel Hill Cemetery. I paid my respects to Charles Kuralt and his wife, both buried here, and strolled by Paul Green's grave. Spend a few minutes here. Not only does it remind you of how good it is to be alive but also of how proud we should be to live in a state that has produced so many talented people.

Visit the legends. I came in search of the town I had visited as a boy and as a student. In short, I wanted to visit the institutions: Sutton's Drug Store, Carolina Coffee Shop, The Rathskeller, the Carolina Inn, and, of course, the University itself.

I knew I would need someone familiar with not just the history of the town but also the heart and soul of this village. I enlisted the help of newspaperman Roland Giduz, an ardent Our State fan and a lifelong resident of Chapel Hill. In years past, Roland was known as Mr. Chapel Hill. Today, at age 75, he's the author of a new book called "Conversations on the Wall," an anthology of newspaper columns he wrote as a contributor to The Chapel Hill Herald. You can purchase Roland's historical treasure at www.bn.com.

Have lunch at Sutton's Drug Store. Roland and I met at the counter. Forget the diet. Order a cheeseburger with mustard, chili, slaw and onions. Pay 50 cents extra to substitute fries for chips, and have a Coke—or a cherry one. It's served over crushed ice, a rare treat.

After lunch, bike to Gimghoul Castle. Remember the map you picked up yesterday at the Visitors Center? Use it to find Paul Green Theatre Drive. Across from it, but not on the map, is Gimghoul Road. Bike to the end of the road. The castle is privately owned, but you can drive the circle that passes in front of the castle.

Roland told me of the Order of Gimghouls, founded by UNC students in 1889, was a fraternity based on the story of Peter Dromgoole. According to legend, the UNC student was killed in a duel and buried under a rock near the castle. His ghost is said to appear at midnight on the anniversary of his death.

As a boy, Roland says he was challenged to go inside the castle. You weren't truly "in" until you had done so. One Sunday afternoon, 13-year-old Roland scaled the rock wall to an open door. "Fear mixed with audacity as I crept down the darkened stairway," he writes in his book, "just far enough to look into the great hall, then bolt back upstairs and back down the turret wall . . . from then on, I knew I was one of the gang." I think the place still gives him the willies.

Along the edge of the rock wall skirting the castle's boundary is a footpath. Follow it to a bench where a plaque dedicates the spot to Kemp Plummer Butler, a former president of University who "loved these woods like no other." The bench overlooks the Triassic Basin below. From here, you could see Durham, and even Raleigh on a clear day. That was before the second growth of trees. Still, it is apparent that Chapel Hill sits much higher than the lay of land to the east. "Geologically, this used to be oceanfront property," Roland says. "It's also a great smooching spot," he adds with a wink. "I brought my final sweetheart here." Yes, Helen, in case you're reading, it was you.

Head down into the Triassic Basin. Just down the hill is the largest natural botanical garden in the Southeast. On nearly 600 acres, the North Carolina Botanical Gardens represents the entire state. You can walk from the beach to the mountains, botanically speaking, in just a few minutes. Be sure to visit playwright Paul Green's restored cabin, moved here from a site nearby.

Take a drive. Or a bike ride. Roland and I passed a couple of dozen cyclists on our way out to Maple View Dairy, one of the last dairy farms in the state that still produces bottled milk. You can now buy those bottles of milk and cones of ice cream at a new shop on the farm's property. The trip to Maple View Dairy makes for a nice afternoon drive.

Tip One Up At Top of the Hill, where you'll want to be as the sun says goodbye to the Carolina blue skies. The locals think of this spot as the Times Square of Chapel Hill. While it may not be New York, you'll enjoy watching the world pass down below.

Dine at the Rat (see sidebar).

Day Three, Sunday
Fifteen years ago I was in Bali, Indonesia. With four other travelers, I traveled by Jeep to a remote village, crossing mountains and valleys and beautifully terraced rice fields whose pools of water reflected exotic trees and brilliant blue skies. Ahead of us, just coming into view, was another Jeep. On its bumper was a sticker that read, "If God is not a Tar Heel, then why is the sky Carolina blue?"

The sticker underscores the fact that Chapel Hillians are travelers, and in traveling, they have bought the world back with them. You'll find more ethnic foods here than anywhere else in North Carolina, possibly the Southeast. "If you stay here long enough," says longtime resident Mary France, manager of Spa Health Club, "you'll hear 80 different languages."

I was appreciating the mix of cultures under Carolina blue skies during my visit to Chapel Hill and enjoying myself so much that I decided to stay an extra day. I checked out of The Siena and into the Carolina Inn, a special place that UNC President Emeritus Bill Friday refers to as, "the university's living room."

I was the guest of Margaret Skinner, director of marketing for the inn, which is operated by Doubletree Hotels Corporation. Margaret put me in Room 310, one of the more requested rooms. It's easy to see why. From my corner room, I could look out on the action on South Columbia Street and Columbia Avenue. I could see clear down to Franklin Street. I felt as if I were in the hub of the campus activity.

Book early, as the inn fills quickly. Rates typically run around $169 to stay in this AAA Four Diamond hotel on the National Register of Historic Places. Again, call to ask about rates and packages. Be sure to say hello to Margaret when you're there, and ask her to tell you a story or two about the inn.

Eat with Mama. I told the waitress at Mama Dip's that dining here was like coming home. "That's what it's supposed to be like," she replied, smiling. If you're lucky on your visit to Mama Dip's, the Sunday special may just be fried oysters, which I accompanied with fried okra, mashed potatoes and cornbread. Oh, the bread and butter pickles on your table; they're for you. Just be sure to use the fork put there for the purpose of digging out pickles, not your own.

Head over the Wilson Library. Here, you will want to visit (a) The Gallery, a museum containing the world's largest collection of resource materials related to Sir Walter Raleigh, including a document signed by Queen Elizabeth I in 1570; (b) the North Carolina Collection, a treasure of historical material relating to our state; and (c) the Southern Manuscripts Department, which includes the Charles Kuralt Collection (the latter is closed on Sunday, so visit this one Saturday if it's high on your list.)

Visit the shops along Franklin Street. You will find some here that you won't find back home, such as Sephora, the leading retail beauty chain in Europe, and Julian's, as in Alexander Julian—local boy designer who made good.

Sit on the wall. The quintessential Chapel Hill experience. "As a teenager, sitting on the wall and watching people pass was my idea of a perfect weekend," Roland tells me. Make sure you do this at least once in your lifetime on a spring or fall afternoon.

Sit down for dinner at Crook's Corner, another Chapel Hill institution—home to shrimp and grits.

Day Four, Monday
Have breakfast at the Carolina Crossroads Restaurant. Located in the Carolina Inn—go for the waffle. The waitress told me it was her favorite. It's now mine.

Take something home. The perfect weekend has ended, but the memory can be made to linger. Stop by the University Shops or by one of the T-shirt shops on Franklin Street. The kids or grandkids will be expecting something with Carolina blue emblazoned on it. And if they're Duke, Wake Forest or even State fans, take them something anyway. It never hurts to try to educate our children about the finer things in life.

Sidebar: A Cheesy Story
Dear Our State Reader: We asked our writer on assignment to perform a culinary experiment for the magazine. We wanted to know if it was possible to lift a "bowl of cheese" with a fork. Now stick with us if you will. See, the "bowl of cheese" is billed as "lasagna" at one of Franklin's Street's famous dining establishments, The Rathskeller.

If you've been there, you know this isn't your mother's lasagna. First of all, the serving arrives at your table in a bowl, not on a plate. At first glance, you could confuse it for, say, onion soup. Cheese, edges burnt to a dark crisp, clings to the bowl. Its grip would seem to make it possible, theoretically at least, to levitate the entree by sticking a fork into the top layer and lifting.

"Do you think it possible," our reporter asked one of the waiters, who gave the question due consideration and replied: "Not without doing serious damage to the fork."

We did some research. Our sources told us that each "bowl of cheese" weighs in at 21 ounces. That's without the bowl or the partially engaged fork. A full nine ounces is cheese. Nine ounces!

As a boy, our reporter remembers sticking his fork into "the bowl of cheese" and lifting the cheesy portion way over his head, strings still attached to the bowl two feet below. To the chagrin of his parents, he even stood up on the bench once, creating an umbilical-like attachment from fork to bowl spanning five feet.

The moment had arrived. Our reporter seated himself at a booth, whereupon a blue flash (the waiters wear blue shirts) sped by and dropped off a menu (the waiters never actually stop moving—they just dart about like pin balls being bandied from bumper to bumper.)

And here, dear Our State reader, is where our faithful reporter failed us. He ordered not the bowl of cheese as instructed but "The Gambler," a combination of steak, onions and fries, served on a sizzling skillet. Happy though he may have been with his choice, our reporter never discovered whether the bowl of cheese could indeed be lifted. We leave it to you then, dear reader, to try it for yourself during your perfect weekend in what we call the "Southern Part of Heaven."


If You're Going
The Siena
1505 East Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
800-223-7379
www.sienahotel.com

Carolina Inn
211 Pittsboro Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
800-962-8519
www.carolinainn.com

Chapel Hill, Orange County Visitors Bureau
501 West Franklin Street, Suite 104
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
888-968-2060
www.chocvb.org
Great site. Pick the places you want to visit, then print out your itinerary.