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Raleigh-Durham, NC: Totally Triangular Triple Play
Along with Chapel Hill, the cities of Raleigh and Durham comprise The Triangle, and you'd be a square not to avail yourself of the region's Southern cooking, sports teams, and watering holes.

The real deal: For an unlawful amount of lip-smacking Southern calories, Crook's Corner has a lock-down on the best shrimp and grits, country ham, buttermilk biscuits, hush puppies, and frozen mint juleps--need we say more? Later, be sure to cue up at the Q Shack for epic amounts of barbecue, such as chili-rubbed beef brisket and hickory-smoked pork butt with slaw.

Give it the old college try: Duck into Duke and discover that ivy isn't only for the Northeast. Or, walk the U.N.C. Chapel Hill Campus to see the old well, bell tower, and eponymous chapel. Follow it up with a visit to Sutton's Drug Store for the perfect hit-the-books recipe: old-fashioned milkshakes and diner food.

Where to blow a paycheck: Like Kasparov and Deep Blue, Bugs and Elmer, Ishmael and Moby Dick, the U.N.C. Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils represent one of the most storied rivalries in sportsdom. If you've got about $200 to score tickets to one of these heated games, you're in for a slam-dunk night of passion, cheerleading antics, and copious face/body paint.

Editor's favorite watering hole: Located above the famous, 40-year-old Angus Barn, the Wild Turkey Lounge welcomes you with wing-back chairs, fireplaces, and a collection of turkey-shaped whiskey decanters (as every good watering hole should). Go with the whisky flow and ask for a stiff pour of Wild Turkey to enjoy with the homemade cheese, crackers, and pickles.

History lesson: Although cigarettes are no longer manufactured here, Durham's tobacco district is no smoke screen--it's filled with buildings historic to the trade. The American Tobacco Factory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and dates back to 1874, and the smokestack and water tower now host summer concerts.

Where the locals go: Don't worry--it's all legal fun at White Collar Crime, set in the warehouse district. Summer nights make the patio seats popular, but there's always indoor couches and bar stools upon which you can plant yourself to drink your favorite brew. If you're there on the weekend, give a shout out to DJ Mooney.

Chill-out spots: After a night out on the town, spend the next day in the Great Outdoors. Go picnicking, hiking, fishing, or horseback riding among the pine trees and streams of Umstead Park. Or, take your trip afloat during a rafting, canoeing, or kayaking sojourn along the scenic Eno River, which drops 250-feet over its 40-mile course.