It is now tomorrow, though strangely enough it has also become today.
I left home in a rush yesterday morning, so rushed in fact that I forgot to take an umbrella and to put the garbage out at the curb. My rush worked out however. I caught the 8 am express to Raleigh, and I arrived in front of State's library at 8:50. Not bad for a 30 mile bus ride. I am still having trouble telling my directions, much of the way to Raleigh I was sure we were heading west. I began to anticipate seeing signs saying Greensboro one mile. The campus is very large, there is construction going on everywhere, and it was impossible for me to go in a straight line anywhere. I felt like I was back at the U of A. The first two pictures below were taken much later in the afternoon after I had tramped over most of South Raleigh within a mile of campus. It is a peaceful (all the students are at home or going home I saw a few people loading trucks and uhauls from residences) little square called the Mary Yarbrough square. She was the first woman to graduate from State with a Masters degree in Chemistry in 1927. For more information about her and her fellow women graduates that year go here:http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/exhibits/women/1920.htm
The image below was taken from an old wooden bench that looks towards Hillsborough street, or North. Hillsborough Street is the main street that passes the university heading down town. It has a bit of the feel of Whyte Ave without all the pubs and trendy stuff. I saw a real cool looking used book store just west of campus but did not stop in. I would not have left with my money.
I had three reasons for going to Raleigh. The first was to drop off some medical forms with student health. The second was to get familiar with the area, and the third was to examine the state of apartments in the area. I dropped off my forms in the afternoon, when I found the Student Health building stuck way down on the far south end of campus. I hope I don't have to go there very often, it is a long ways from where I will be hanging out. I did gain some familiarity with the area, mostly by getting lost. I would head south trying to get down to Gorman Street, and find myself coming out to the east where Hillsborough curves. It was not a total waste of time and energy, for I did walk through a nice park that offers theater in the park, though I don't know when or where. I suppose I could look it up on line... While wandering around totally lost I came across this real cool house. I think it is condemned though you cannot tell from this view. The balcony on the second floor is collapsing, and the stairs that lead up to it from the outside are twisted and about to collapse. I still think it is a cool looking house and if it were fixed up, if it could be fixed up and restored, it would be a nice place to live.
Half an hour into my lost wanderings, about the time I saw the cool house above, it started to rain. I walked west on H street, and stopped in at a coffee shop. While there I considered returning to Chapel Hill and trying again another day. While pondering, sipping coffee, and writing, the rain stopped and looked almost inviting. I decided I would make the attempt too look at some of the places I had on my pad after all. This was at 10:30. The next time I sat down was at the little square that I mentioned at the start. It was almost one when I did that, and my feet where not too happy with me. I was satisfied though, I managed to find the places I was looking for with only a few false turns and twists.
From my wanderings through the city I found that it is much more city-like than Chapel Hill though it too has some big trees and heavy bush. Raleigh is not as hilly, but it does have enough hills that there is some aches and pains from climbing the big hills.
My trip home was a little longer as I had to take two different buses, and they wandered around more of the country than the morning bus. Still, it was fun and interesting to get to see more of the state. I was home shortly after four, and my sense of direction is getting a little better, though I am still easily confused.
Here are the rest of the photos I took yesterday
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| Raleigh houses |
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