Coming back from winter break is always difficult. You had just barely enough time to become fully relaxed and now you’re back at Duke again waking up early, buying books, and staying in to study. What would you give to be back on vacation? And who says you can’t be? MLK day is this weekend! Though it may not be your parent’s house or the Caribbean, there are many places within driving distance of Duke worth a weekend trip. I came to this realization myself when I spent last June and July in the ghost town that is summer-Durham.
1) Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. is only about a four and a half hour drive from Duke. Definitely short enough for a weekend trip. There are also buses and trains to D.C. leaving from Durham. Even if you’re not into checking out the monuments, D.C. has great shopping in Georgetown and a much better nightlife than the Triangle area.
2) Charlotte, NC
Charlotte is only about three hours from Durham, and I’ve gone there a few times as just a day-trip. Charlotte has a much more extensive mall (South Park Mall) than Durham does, which was the appeal for me.
3) Asheville, NC
Asheville is my favorite place to go in North Carolina. It’s about a three and a half hour drive. The best reason to go to Asheville is for the Biltmore, the Vanderbilt’s country mansion—if you’re into sightseeing at all. The house is incredibly decadent and it houses many random pieces like Napoleon’s chess set. If not for sightseeing, there are also a few inns/spas in the area. When I was there, I stayed at the Grove Park Inn, which has one of the coolest indoor pool set-ups I’ve ever seen.
4) Outer Banks, NC
While it may be a good idea to wait until it warms back up, the Outer Banks is an obvious great place to go to the beach. It’s about a four hour drive away, but there are many good random seafood restaurants to stop at along the way. When I was there over the summer, I stayed in Corolla, which was nice, but I found Duck to be generally more attractive and exciting.
Though this may not be an extensive travel guide, and is more of my own experiences with some close destinations, I hope it’s able to spark some ideas for MLK-day weekend. Safe travels!