New Years Update: A Pandemic Safe Day in Raleigh
So this year’s been a real bitch and a half. Everyone’s been dealing with shit and it feels like the world around me is collapsing, but at least we get to see what fun new horrors 2021 will bring; so we can forget about 2020 as we look forward to the chaos.
I haven’t been posting for... more than a few months because I’ve been busy with life. North Carolina as a whole has a curfew from 10PM to 5AM, which I hate because I hate interacting with people, so those are my hours for photography.
It’s kind of a pointless curfew in two regards. Firstly, no one except myself and a few others are even awake between those times so banning travel during it is like saying you can’t chew glass. No one’s going to do it anyways.
Secondly, the curfew has exceptions for
>Travelling to and from work >Going to get groceries >Going to get food
So the curfew just stops people from loitering and going to nightclubs. I guess that’s something, but considering the significant amount of anti-maskers and general idiots we need something a bit more functional.
Regardless, there’s still a nice amount of people staying indoors or wearing a mask when they go outside. Leading to more open space for me to explore and catalog.
Recently I took a trip out to Jordan Lake park in Pittsboro. It’s a 10 to 50 minute drive depending on your launch point; but it’s a gorgeous park worth the trip if you have the time.
Its a bit tricky though, the park has 4 or so different entrances split across the 64E highway with different sights and trails depending on where you park. If you want some nice long hikes with tons of foliage, wildlife, birds to watch, and occasional glimpses at the titular lake; you’d wanna park by the Recreation center.
If you want non-stop views of the lake, fishing, and a muddy trail that’ll soak your boots through to your immortal soul; then you’d launch from the Seaforth entrance like we did.
It’s a nice experience regardless where you start though. It’s out of the way, at least compared to other parks like Umstead or Falls Lake park, so there’s usually fewer explorers year round. The highway cuts through, and there’s continual traffic from Pittsboro and Raleigh, but it’s pure quiet in the forested parts of the hiking trails regardless of where you stand.
It’s rare to find places here where the only things you can hear are your thoughts and the surrounding wildlife; so having a place like this is a nice treat every once in awhile.
It does have the downside of having terrible walking trails if the weathers been rainy. The trails, especially the Kits Pond trail at Seaforth, runs through estuaries and the soil retains a bunch of water; so if its rained in the last three days you’re gonna lose your foot to the ground at least once.
Of course, the parks aren’t the only places that are eerily quiet during a pandemic. Jordan Lake Park being quiet is normal, but unexpectedly shopping centers have been pretty quiet as well.
Most (thankfully) are enforcing mask restrictions, but not everyone’s of the same mind. Notably Big Al’s BBQ over on Louisburg Rd has anti-masker signs posted all over its front (Unfortunately I forgot to photograph, may update later).
Centers like Lafayette Village though have significantly fewer WASP-y people though, so if you’ve been eyeing a particular store or Boutique, now’s the time to visit.
I personally recommend checking out the “Savory Spice Shop” here. A wide selection of ground spice, whole spice, spice blends for various dishes, and rubs. A junior chef’s dream come true, even selling health hazards like whole Bhut Jolokia and similarly spicy treats.
The staff here are also incredibly friendly and helpful. Not only will they help you find the right seasoning for a dish you might be prepping, but they’ll tell you all the differences and strengths of each offering. Everyone I’ve met here is extremely knowledgeable about the product they’re selling.
But even without the Spice shop, Lafayette Village is a point of interest for any Triangle citizen for its unique architecture. A small block of stores with French aesthetics right down to a miniature Eiffel Tower being visible from the road.
You can find upscale shopping and restaurants here, boutiques, and a small chocolate shop that sells chocolate wine. Just be sure to visit on any day that’s not a Sunday.
There’s a few upscale churches nearby and a few restaurants that make excellent brunch/lunch stops for hungry parishioners; so even with the Pandemic you’ll probably run into a bunch of upper crust folk and their screaming offspring playing in the courtyard should you stop by on a Sunday.
Another plus, Lafayette is right by Honeycutt park on Honeycutt Rd. A walking trail that’s more of a greenway compared to the hiking trails I’ve been on recently. A paved/bridged trail that stretches underneath the Highway and between two upper-middle class neighborhoods.
It’s a straight line, so you need to turn back around once you reach an end to the trail, but otherwise it’s a scenic path that has a nice blend of nature and suburbia at different parts.
Notably, the bridge is like that to another world. Transitioning from trees and powerlines to breaks in the treeline revealing houses and backyards; manmade ponds and water systems replacing the previously marshy landscapes.
Times are wild, I’ll try to write more in the coming weeks to at least assuage my boredom. Hopefully the pictures are at least enjoyable
