According to Travel + Leisure magazine, Durham NC is one of the 50 best places for travelers to visit in 2015.
"This once-quiet corner of North Carolina’s geeky research triangle is hitting its stride with a flurry of restaurant and hotel openings. Southern-inspired tapas at Mateo and locavore dishes like Sunburst trout with butternut squash at months-old Black House at Straw Valley are among the standouts, making Durham one of the South’s hottest food destinations. And there’s more on the menu for 2015: two restaurants from acclaimed chef Scott Howell; ramen, small plates, and sake pairings at Dashi; and craft cideries building on a hard-cider trend pioneered by Bull City Ciderworks (try its Sweet Carolina, infused with local honey). Take your pick among five debuting hotels, including The Durham, with an outdoor rooftop lounge, and the latest outpost of the 21c Museum Hotel concept in a renovated historic downtown building; it’s a hybrid gallery and hotel with contemporary art in the rooms. Continue your culture fix at the Museum of Durham History, which opened in fall 2013, and the Museum of Life and Science, which has begun unveiling new gardens; its marquee exhibit for 2015 features tree-house villages suspended 15 to 20 feet off the ground." —Melanie Lieberman
Others on the list include:
Canberra, Australia
Singapore
Manhattan, New York
Cartagena, Colombia
Bahamas
Haiti
Bali, Indonesia
Orlando, FL
Johannesburg, South Africa
Maui, Hawaii
Louisville, KY
Hong Kong
Puerto Rico
Las Vegas
Nicaragua
Tanzania
Chile
Milan, Italy
Istanbul, Turkey
Puerto Plata, DR
Fez, Morocco
"This once-quiet corner of North Carolina’s geeky research triangle is hitting its stride with a flurry of restaurant and hotel openings. Southern-inspired tapas at Mateo and locavore dishes like Sunburst trout with butternut squash at months-old Black House at Straw Valley are among the standouts, making Durham one of the South’s hottest food destinations. And there’s more on the menu for 2015: two restaurants from acclaimed chef Scott Howell; ramen, small plates, and sake pairings at Dashi; and craft cideries building on a hard-cider trend pioneered by Bull City Ciderworks (try its Sweet Carolina, infused with local honey). Take your pick among five debuting hotels, including The Durham, with an outdoor rooftop lounge, and the latest outpost of the 21c Museum Hotel concept in a renovated historic downtown building; it’s a hybrid gallery and hotel with contemporary art in the rooms. Continue your culture fix at the Museum of Durham History, which opened in fall 2013, and the Museum of Life and Science, which has begun unveiling new gardens; its marquee exhibit for 2015 features tree-house villages suspended 15 to 20 feet off the ground." —Melanie Lieberman
Others on the list include:
Canberra, Australia
Singapore
Manhattan, New York
Cartagena, Colombia
Bahamas
Haiti
Bali, Indonesia
Orlando, FL
Johannesburg, South Africa
Maui, Hawaii
Louisville, KY
Hong Kong
Puerto Rico
Las Vegas
Nicaragua
Tanzania
Chile
Milan, Italy
Istanbul, Turkey
Puerto Plata, DR
Fez, Morocco