<p>Hi! We will be visiting UNC in a few weeks with our son. Other than the things arranged through the school, what else should we see or do on our visit to get a good feel for the area? Any recommendations on places to stay, eat, etc.? Also, our son is huge on outdoor activities (kayaking, rafting, fishing), so is there a nearby area with these activities we could check out? Thanks!</p>
<p>We take our sports serious here, it is really a part of the Tar Heel culture. I’d recommend a visit to the UNC basketball museum (next to the Dean Dome). There is a pretty broad spectrum of nearby hotels available. The high end (and right on campus), is the Carolina Inn, but, you also have the Siena, the Franklin and of course, most of the typical big chain hotels. My dad likes to eat at the Top of the Hill, when they visit. Food is good and it is a brew pub. They also like to go to The Pit in Raleigh for barbecue. It is a drive from UNC, but, worth it. Advanced reservations are a MUST for The Pit! A couple of Southern Food restuants right in Chapel Hill is Crooks and Mama Dips. If you want to visit a typical student hang out, stop into Suttons (old drugs store on Franklin St) for breakfast. It’s certainly nothing fancy, but, when school is in session, it gets lots of students. You will usually be dining with some of our athletes there as well. The only place I’ve hiked around here is the Eno River Trail system. It was pretty cool, but, I’m not exactly a big hiking enthusiast (the girls I was with really liked it though). We also have a pretty active outdoor program through the UNC Campus Rec. You might want to look into that.</p>
<p>I second New Yawk’s advice to visit the UNC Basketball Museum. We were there a few weeks ago for a tour, and also visited the Morehead Planetarium, which is on campus as well. Had an excellent lunch at Spanky’s, on Franklin Street, and delicious pizza for dinner at Mellow Mushroom. Have a great visit!</p>
<p>Make sure to sample the quirky, unique chapel hill life at waffle house, Starbucks and subway.</p>
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<p>I know, right?!?! hahaha</p>
<p>You’d want to go to Allen&Sons for the barbeque. Short of heading towards the outerbanks or far out of the way, it’s the most authentic in the area. 411 is a place where people eat dinner regularly if they live in town, date night for the kids, etc…</p>
<p>Meritts has world class BLTs. They seriously believe in bacon there.</p>
<p>The claim to fame at Crooks is the shrimp and grits. They are widely credited with making this haute.</p>
<p>You can head over to Durham and watch a Durham bulls game. That’s fun, but not really collegy… Still, if you find yourself at a loss. Cat’s Cradle has amazing music, if you’re looking for something at night.</p>
<p>Have fun and good luck to your kiddo.</p>
<p>You can check out Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. It’s about a 15 minute drive from Chapel Hill. [N.C</a>. Division of Parks and Recreation: - Welcome to Jordan Lake State Recreation Area](<a href=“http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/jord/main.php]N.C”>http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/jord/main.php) I believe there is one marina that rents kayaks, etc. and there might be a new place that rents as well.</p>