Sammy's Tap & Grill

I love everything about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Every Sunday (and occasional Monday night) from September to January, I'm planted in front of the TV watching my team dominate (for the most part, haha). Over the past few weeks, TJ has become hooked as well, and now we've found a way to enjoy watching the games even more, by going to Sammy's Tap & Grill. This restaurant is not only fantastic, but it's also the meeting place of the official Triangle area Pittsburgh Steelers fan club. 

We're in good company: 

I can't think of one negative thing to say about this place. Even though it's always packed, the waiters are fast, accurate, and attentive, the food tastes great, and the prices are extremely reasonable. We love the fact that you get a discounted price on the wings when you eat in, as opposed to ordering them to go. 

There are tons of TVs, and even though the majority of people are there to watch the Steelers, all of the NFL games are televised. It gets crowded fast, so it's best to get there early to get a good seat. No matter where you're sitting though, you'll be able to see the game on at least one TV. 

TJ took this video yesterday after we scored our 2nd touchdown: 

TJ and I absolutely love going to Sammy's and it's become our new tradition to go there to watch every game. Check it out when you get a chance!

-Map

NC State Fair

After the Parade of Homes, TJ and I headed off to the North Carolina State Fair. I was beyond excited, because even though I used to go to the county fair back in my Florida days, I've never been to a state fair. We pre-ordered our tickets and ride vouchers online a few weeks ago, so we got a discount on everything, but you can buy everything at the gate and still spend less than $30, depending on how many ride vouchers you purchase.

I quickly found out that one of the major staples of the state fair is the crazy food! TJ and I enjoyed a funnel cake, and a corn dog, and then got really daring and tried a fried oreo. It was interesting to say the least, but I think I'll take a pass on the oreo in the future.

We had such a great time just walking around, riding everything, and playing carnival games.

I love everything about this picture:

Just as we were getting on the ferris wheel, the fireworks show started:

Being at the top of the ferris wheel while the fireworks were going off was the best part of the night, in my opinion. TJ took a great video while we were up there:

I loved everything about my first state fair experience, and I'm already looking forward to going back next year!

-Map

Parade of Homes

TJ and I have had a few slow weekends, so there hasn't been a post in a while, but we more than made up for it this past weekend with 3 different blog-worthy activities! 

The first thing we did this weekend was check out the Parade of Homes, which was awesome. There were a bunch of homes open for viewing throughout the area, so we came up with a list of the ones that we wanted to see, and we spent most of Saturday afternoon looking at them. We started out with the most expensive ones, and we had a great time looking around and making a list of the features we liked. 

This was one of our favorites:

The high ceilings were amazing, and we both agreed that they are a necessity:

This was the backyard of the most expensive house we looked at:

We had such a great time looking at all of the houses, and the best part was that it was completely free. Unfortunately, this past Sunday was the last day for the Parade of Homes, but I can say without a doubt that we will check it out whenever it happens again. 

Piper's Tavern

This weekend, TJ and I went to a great local pub called Piper's Tavern. We decided to go on the spur of the moment, and TJ didn't have his camera, but I was able to get this picture from their website.

This was my first time at the restaurant, and I could not have been more impressed. First of all, the atmosphere is great. There was live music on the front deck, and according to their website, that's a regular occurrence on the weekends. The lighting is dark and intimate, and the walls are covered with Irish coats of arms and "Erin Go Bragh" flags. I really felt like I was sitting in an Irish pub outside of Dublin.

Secondly, the food was delicious, and the prices were great. We each ordered a sandwich and french fries, which were $7.29 each, and the portions were sizable.

We will definitely be going back to Piper's Tavern, and when we do, we'll be sure to bring the camera so we can add some more pictures!

-Map

Picnic at Falls Lake

I remember back in February, on Super Bowl Sunday, TJ talked about taking me on a picnic once summertime hit, because he couldn't believe I'd never been on one. Well, this past weekend, he followed through on his promise, and took me to Falls Lake for my first official picnic. We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which was also a big deal, because for the life of me, I can't remember ever eating a "PB&J" (as the pros call them).

 A short walk into the woods led us to a perfect spot that was right on the lake, with a spectacular view. There were lots of tables to choose from, but there was no one else out there, and it felt like we had the whole park to ourselves.

After we left Falls Lake, we decided to go to Shelley Lake to keep enjoying the weather, and to feed some ducks. This is a great lake to walk around, and we look forward to going back soon. It will be a great place to spend time during the cooler fall days.

We had a great time, and I don't think my first picnic experience could have been any better!

-Falls Lake Map

-Shelley Lake Map

Kayaking at Bond Lake

Summer is coming to an end, so TJ and I decided to take advantage of the warm days that are left by going to Bond Park in Cary.

We chose to kayak, but you can also rent pedal boats, rowboats, canoes and sailboats. A two-person kayak is only $5 per hour, and most of the other rentals are similarly priced.

The lake was big enough so that we did not feel crowded, even though there was a good amount of people in the water. We also loved getting to see turtles and ducks swimming right alongside the boat.

The weather was perfect, the atmosphere was great, and as always, TJ got some amazing pictures.

This is my favorite:

We really look forward to going back to check out some of the other boating activities and the walking trails in the park before it gets too cold!

-Map

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Our latest Triangle excursion was to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Admission is free, and there was plenty to keep us entertained for hours. We did opt to pay $7 each to go to the special Glow: Living Lights exhibit. However, we agreed that this particular exhibit was not really worth the money, and we wouldn't recommend paying to see it.

The first floor of the museum focuses on animals and plants native to North Carolina. Without a doubt, the most impressive part of this floor is the gigantic whale skeletons.

There's also a really cool recreation of a North Carolina beach, and the types of birds that are found in the area.

Walking onto the second floor, you feel like you're being transported to a serene forest. There's a waterfall, and real fish and turtles swimming around. There's also a whole section on different minerals found in North Carolina.

The third floor was by far our favorite, because it had all of the dinosaur exhibits, and a section on the Earth's past. This is where we spent the majority of our time, and TJ got some really great pictures here.

The fourth floor has a section on Arthropods, an amazing, hands-on area called The Naturalist Center, and a Cafe. We skipped the bugs (I've never been a fan), and stopped by The Naturalist Center for a little while, but our favorite part of this floor was the Cafe, where we cooled off with a refreshing drink.

There are also two great gift shops that we enjoyed browsing through, and we picked up some fun stuff to remember our trip by. To sum it up, this museum is awesome, and we'd definitely recommend checking it out!

-Map