10. Wake County -- Raleigh -- 4/8/06

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake_County

On the way back from Smithfield, the sun was starting to go down, but we decided to get our sixth courthouse of the day...Wake. The county seat of Raleigh is also the state capital, which you probably already knew. RUFF RALEIGH! Wake's courthouse is definitely a building put up just to keep up with the growth of the area, and it definitely has a taste of the 60s in it. We parked in a parking lot to the right and to the front of my bright white head. The parking lot says we're not allowed to park there, and we're facing the sheriff's department. At this current time, there is a deputy walking in the general direction of Laura's car. So we took the picture pretty quickly and starting walking at a brisk pace back toward her phat ride. But I think the deputy was going home or something, and couldn't have cared less that her car was parked where it was. (Note: I originally wrote the previous thought having to do with "my" car. Laura kindly reminded me that she "drove over 200 miles that day" and she requested the pronoun change. Though normally I would veto such a request since autobiographies are full of inconsistencies to make life stories sound better, I guess I'll let her win this one. Speaking of which, I also owe Laura a meal since she paid for gas...but I think it sounds better if I wrote in my blog that she owes ME dinner. So Laura, you owe me dinner--especially now that I fixed that error for you, which makes my post sound less cool. I think some Eastern NC BBQ sounds good!)

You know, Fayetteville, where I'm originially from, is the place where NC got its start. The US Constitution (not the boat...the document) was ratified there, UNC was chartered there, and Raleigh became the state capital there...by one vote over Fayetteville. What would the state be like today had Fayetteville been the state capital? Hmm...I need a dream sequence here. Well first of all, Fayetteville would have more than 1 interstate. And Fayetteville would probably have the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team (GO CANES!) instead of the FireAntz (I was there during the Force days, but GO FIREANTZ!), and there'd be boats on the Cape Fear River, and cool water parties, the Triangle would be between Fayetteville-Lillington-Raeford (or Clinton or Spring Lake...haha) and Yankees...oh. Yankees. Well, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Raleigh was made the capital because it was more centrally located and it was donated farm land in the middle of nowhere. According to Wikipedia, "The site was chosen as being within ten miles of Isaac Hunter's Tavern, a tavern popular with the legislators of the time." Also, "Raleigh is one of the only cities in the US planned and built specifically to serve as a state capital." Just like our dear friend Brasilia, Brazil. Charles, did you really just relate Raleigh to a city in Brazil? Yes, I sure did.

But Wake County is a fun place, lots to do. Raleigh-Durham was voted 4th best place in the country for singles by Forbes.