Good morning everyone! I’m pleased to announce that my first North Carolina Placebook E-Book, Get Around North Carolina, is ready for pre-order, for $10. It’s all digital, but a PDF you can read on any device and use for your traveling convenience. Look for it to come to your inboxes by July 22nd.
In the meantime, I’ll be previewing portions of the book right here in the regular Placebook email, along with the news clips you come every weekday for. So before we get to the news, here’s a preview of the section on Raleigh-Durham International Airport:
First off, you’re better off to call it RDU. Raleigh and Durham are not the same city. In fact, if this trip to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport is your first trip to the Research Triangle Region, you might be in for a shock. More on the region later, let’s talk a bit about the airport itself and what you’ll find on the ground.
If you arrive on a Southwest flight, you’ll arrive at Terminal 1. You’ll find there’s a Char-Grill, the local diner on your concourse, possibly adjacent to your gate. You’ll also see some cool art (look up at the baggage claim and say hello to the people suspended in the air). You can also refill at the Starbucks directly next to baggage claim, use the restroom(duh!) and then hail a cab (only the ones operated by RDU Airport Services are legal), take a shuttle to get your own rental car (all the major companies are there) or attempt to hire an Uber or Lyft. I say attempt because these services are mostly illegal, save for a handful of approved drivers and honestly, because of the new regulations, Lyft is almost non-existent in the Triangle region.
Anyway, if you need to connect to a flight that’s not Southwest, follow the yellow brick road underground escalator to the moving staircases between the floors of the daily parking deck, which will then put you out at Terminal 2. Unfortunately, you’ll have to go through security again.
Of course, you’re probably travel hacking anyway, because you’re flying two carriers in one trip. I’ve done it, Southwest cancelled one of my legs out of RDU to Nashville, I went to my Delta app and booked the other leg, but still had my flying home leg on file and paid for with Southwest.
Terminal 2 has everything you’d expect for a major airport, a Starbucks inside and outside security. Moving sidewalks, shoe shine, chapel, airline lounges, power outlets and gates with nice big windows that let you see that your plane is in fact there. You can fly anywhere else you need to go, save going through Delta, American or United‘s hubs or directly to Toronto via Air Canada. You can also go directly to London via American/US-Airways.
Or if you are coming from those places, there’s a place for you to do customs, then you can get your bags, and go out to those same black taxis or try taking the Go Triangle bus to Raleigh directly or back in the other direction towards the Triangle Transit transfer point. At that point, you can get the bus to Durham and Chapel Hill. If you time it right, the bus trips are no slower than the taxi.
To find out more about RDU, click here. To pre-order the book, which will have more detail about RDU’s history, as well as North Carolina’s other sizable passenger airports, train stations, bike paths, and highways, pre-order Get Around North Carolina here.
And now your news:
Local people to RDU: Participate in a town hall session to shape the vision of the airport for the next few years. There are things you want there. There are things I want there. This is the time to tell them.
The Charlotte Streetcar’s first leg opens soon, but debate continues over future expansions.
The $300 million in civic projects happening throughout Greensboro.
A former UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor has died at the age of 99. A former NC State University chancellor has passed away as well. Also passed on, this owner of several small town eastern North Carolina grocery stores.
This House bill hopes to lower health and other expenses for senior citizens.
A Citizen-Times feature on the Melungeons of the Appalachian region, a somewhat forgotten group of mixed-race people.
Charlotte’s plans for municipal ID continue on, despite two bills at the General Assembly that could render them unsuitable or even illegal.
There’s now a bidding war between Uptown Charlotte development properties.
A woman has donated $12,000 to a Charlotte organization that helped her when she was living in her car.
And finally, the Raleigh News and Observer‘s travel section wants Raleigh residents to consider Greensboro for the weekend, “if things are too fast-paced for you in Raleigh.”
*No affiliate links are above. Only the ones that directly go to my e-book pre-order are asking you to buy anything from me. And even those links won’t charge you until the book comes out next month.*
{ 0 comments… add one }