Are you feeling exhausted from the monotony of working from home, doing virtual schooling from home and overall just being home all the time? As a community, we are all carrying so many obligations, stresses and struggles, especially right now. I know first-hand how easy it can be to push self-care and spontaneity aside. I’ve been needing a change of scenery and something just different to look forward to.
With the perks of my Offline membership, I booked an awesome deal for Unscripted Hotel, located in the heart of Downtown Durham. Durham is a short 20- 30 minute drive from Raleigh and I knew it would be the perfect destination for a kid-free staycation. Plus, I’d been wanting to stay at this hotel for-e-ver! Their gorgeous rooftop patio, swanky 60’s mod vibe, and access to city-life has called to me since they first opened in 2017. However, I’d only ever made it to the patio for a quick drink before a show at Carolina Theater.
Unscripted frequently offers special deals and packages on their website, especially for locals. Currently, they are running an awesome “Parents Night Out” deal. The offer includes a one night stay, parking pass and a $50 voucher toward food and drinks on the Patio! CLICK HERE to book your own Parents Night Out!
After an easy check-in at the hotel, we walked a few blocks to Bull City Ciderworks to sample their variety of hard ciders. Bull City Ciderworks has a nice outdoor seating area and there’s usually a food truck on site. I’m a huge cider fan and love that they offer cider flights! This weekend in particular featured a flight paired with Girl Scout Cookies. What?! It was the best kick off to a great weekend.
From Bull City Ciderworks, we walked a few more blocks to explore American Tobacco Campus. American Tobacco Campus was once a Lucky Strike cigarette factory. It’s one of my favorite spots in Durham with a river walk, brick warehouses and twinkling lights strung overhead. However, we didn’t actually make it inside the campus as I’d planned. As we walked past Durham Bull’s Athletic Park, we noticed the gate was open and heard some activity on the field. Turns out, Duke University was having an open practice so we decided to join a few other observers (6ft. apart, of course) to watch the team practice. It was an unexpected treat, especially for my baseball-loving guy.
For dinner, we had reservations at NanaSteak located at the Aloft Hotel, right next to DPAC. I had heard nothing but rave reviews about this restaurant and it did not disappoint! The food was incredible. I’m still drooling over whatever the sweet potato side was that came with my chicken dish. As the day turned to dusk, the view from their patio was absolutely stunning!
After dinner we looped back to Unscripted where we spent the night enjoying drinks and dessert on the patio. You may have seen pictures of the gorgeous private igloos at Unscripted floating around Instagram and they are still set up on the patio through the end of March. Advanced reservations and a food + drink minimum are required to book. Instead, we opted for a standard table on the patio.
The ambience created by the igloos was still incredibly magical, as was the “snow” that flowed from the rooftop every hour. Sitting outside with the backdrop of Downtown Durham, drinking drinks and eating s’mores gave me a sense of pure normalcy that I haven’t felt in a very, very long time. It was a really special evening.
The following morning led us to breakfast at Jack Tar & the Colonel’s Daughter, located just below Unscripted Hotel. Oh. My. Goodness. The menu offers something for everyone, from biscuits & gravy to breakfast tamales. I want to go back and try everything on the menu.
We walked off our delicious breakfast with a self-guided tour around Downtown looking for murals. Our walk led us to Durham’s Central Park and then circled back to the hotel for a final farewell.
It’s amazing what one simple night away from home can do for the soul. I’m so glad that we decided to push pause on our typical routine for a chance to reset and reconnect in the vibrant city of Durham!
