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Here at the end of summer is a great time to visit the State Farmers’ Market. The stalls are still overflowing withÂ summer vegetables. The vegetables are so plentiful and colorful they provide a feast for the eyes, too.Â And it’s always an interesting place to visit.Â After all, a venue that hosts events such as Colossal Collard Day and Watermelon Day can’t be dull, even if it is owned and operated by the State of North Carolina.

On their official website, the Farmers’ Market boasts of selling over 300 different items.Â That’s easy to believe.Â Between all the varieties of produce, bushes and plants, salsa, crafts, specialty meats (hmm..), Christmas trees, and even restaurants, they have something or a lot of things for everyone.Â Plus they have an ATM onsite so you can buy even more than you planned on buying.

If you like crowds, hit the Farmers’ Market on a Saturday or on a Sunday afternoon.Â It is jam-packed on the weekends.Â On weekdays, the crowds are not as big, but there are still plenty of people and often even a field trip or two!

The people are one of the best parts of the Farmers’ Market, especially the vendors.Â They’re always friendly, knowledgeable, and eagerly offering you samples of their wares.Â It’s easy to leave there with a full belly fromÂ sampling fresh, delicious produce from one end to the other.Â You have to keep moving, though.Â Too many samples in one spot, and they’ll run you off!

Take a crowd with you when you go.Â Not only will everyone enjoy the trip, but you’ll need all those extra hands to carry all your goodies to the car.

That’s Life in Raleigh.

One of the great things about living in Raleigh is how close we are to the Atlantic Ocean. Â North Carolina has beautiful, sandy beaches from top to bottom, but the route from Raleigh to Wrightsville Beach has to be the fastest and easiest.Â Hop on I-40 and two hours later you’re bodysurfing.Â Seriously.Â That close.Â In fact, we tested it out again this weekend.Â A mere thirteen minutes after piling into the car, we saw a sign for the North Carolina Ferry System “1-800-By Ferry.”Â When your house is within thirteen minutes of a ferry sign, I consider that a pretty good place to live.

The 2-hour trip down I-40 is with a 70-mph speed limit, two rest stops, decent radio station reception, and frequent-enough exits for gas and/or fast food.Â It’s well-maintained and essentially litter-free, with the exception of a staggering amount of tire pieces.Â The east and west lanes of the interstate are separated by aesthetically-pleasing cables and the exit and entrance ramps are nicely landscaped.Â It’s a busy road, but not overloaded with tractor-trailers.

Sights to see along the way?Â I-40 between Raleigh and Wilmington is lined with lush, dense, green foliage…….and not much else.Â Of course, sometimes there are cattails growing in the ditch beside the highway, and there’s also an occasional pond or farm field and a few billboards.Â I’m not sure why there are so few billboards, but it’s nice not to drive down a “South of the Border” corridor.

To be fair, there are a few exits we’ve been meaning to try and hope to try some day soon.Â I’d like to tour the Duplin wineries and partake of the free tastings they advertise on those billboards.Â There are also a few Civil War sites along the way that I’d like to visit, such as Moore’s Creek National Battlefield and Bentonville Battleground.Â Our problem is we’re always in a hurry to stick our toes in the sand when we’re headed east.Â And when we’re headed back west, we’ve usually hit the road later than we should have and can’t afford to stop along the way.Â Maybe some day soon we’ll actually plan ahead and veer out of our well-traveled lane.

So after two hours down a boring road, you arrive at a beautiful beach on the Atlantic Ocean.Â That’s a day trip!Â I’m in.

That’s Life in Raleigh.

Overdose at the Farmers’ Market

Beach Trip!