Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with nc

Help me relive a happy childhood memory!

srrh — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:59:16 -0800

Sometime around '93-95, when I was living in Plymouth, NC, my elementary school class took a field trip to a bird farm. I would love to track down the place where I went. As a child, I lived in Plymouth, NC, and attended Pines Elementary School. In 2nd or 3rd grade, my class took a field trip to a bird farm. I know that I had a teacher named Mrs. Byrd in 2nd or 3rd grade, but I'm not sure which, and I don't know who the other teacher might have been. That's mostly beside the point, however, as the school website is very sparse, and there isn't even a teacher directory there for me to try to hunt down my old teacher with.

I give you the location of the school because, since it was a field trip, the bird farm could not have been too very far away from it. Maybe an hour or two at the most? I have done some googling and found a few bird farms, but most of them seem to be in central/Western NC, and so too far away. I haven't lived in NC since I was 7 years old, so I don't remember the geography at all.

As for the bird farm itself, I use that phrase because I remember specifically that my teacher and the people there referred to it as a bird farm, rather than an aviary or some other term. It was a small farm, and I'm not even sure if the animals were used for eggs or slaughter, or if it was more of a petting-zoo type thing. They had other birds besides your typical chickens and turkeys -- I specifically remember peacocks, and I believe they had swans and geese as well.

Hopefully someone here lives or has lived in NC and has some idea what I'm talking about, or maybe someone has an idea for a way I can search to point me in the right direction. Thanks for the help!

Why did tar and nc not play nice?

flabdablet — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:54:13 -0800

Can anybody immediately see why nc and tar didn't work together the way I expected they would? I wanted to copy an Ubuntu installation from a laptop with one filesystem to a desktop box with two. So I booted an Ubuntu live CD on each and opened terminals; then on the laptop did



sudo su -

mount /dev/sda2 /mnt

cd /mnt

tar c . | nc -l -p 10000

and on the desktop box did



sudo su -

mkfs -t ext3 -L root /dev/sda3

mkfs -t ext3 -L home /dev/sda4

mount /dev/sda3 /mnt

mkdir /mnt/home

mount /dev/sda4 /mnt/home

cd /mnt

nc 192.168.1.3 10000 -q5 | tar xv --numeric-owner

As expected, a huge list of filenames scrolled by on the desktop box as tar extracted the files. When that all stopped, I hit ctrl-D on the desktop end to close nc's standard input; five seconds later the shell prompt returned on the laptop as well. So everything seemed to be working as expected.

After making the necessary corrections to /mnt/boot/grub/menu.lst, /mnt/etc/fstab, /mnt/etc/hosts and /mnt/etc/hostname on the desktop box, I umounted everything and rebooted it, but assorted things were badly amiss. Turns out that a random assortment of vital files had been created with zero length and zero permissions instead of being properly copied.

I have since got the machine-to-machine copy done by mounting the laptop's hard drive in a USB enclosure, plugging it into the desktop box and using cp -av so I'm not looking for ways to get the primary job done any more.

What I would like to know: before I spend more time trying to work out why the tar | nc <--> nc | tar method failed, can anybody see some documented reason why it was doomed to do so?

Up where the air is clear and less humid.

1f2frfbf — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:51:09 -0800

A thinner atmosphere is needed, help a South Carolinian have a fun weekend in the mountains. Want to take a short (Saturday & Sunday) jaunt to higher elevations from Columbia, SC. Looking for something not more than three hours from Columbia, that is in the hills or mountains but is not Asheville, NC (I love the place but I want something different this trip).

Suggestions for places to go and stay (two relatively active adults, no pets or kids) and things do for a fun afternoon and morning.

what to do on roadtrip from dc to greensboro nc

saraindc — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:46:33 -0800

what to do on a drive to greensboro north carolina from washington dc? Me and my friend are going to a wedding in Greensboro, NC, and driving there from Washington DC. What should we see along the way, in the area, and in Greensboro itself? We're leaving Friday evening, have to be in Greensboro Saturday evening and also Sunday evening, and then are driving back Monday (and have enough time to stop by places on the way back too). We're interested in doing all sorts of stuff, we had some thoughts about staying in one of those farm-inns. All ideas and suggestions welcome including where to stay.

Policy monitoring for families with kids with special needs

greta simone — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:22:49 -0800

In search of website, blogs, etc that keep up with federal and state (specifically NC) policies that affect families with children with developmental and physical disabilities? I'm interning for an agency that provides support to families with children with special needs (developmental/intellectual/physical/behavioral/etc disabilities), and I am looking for a way to keep the staff up-to-date on current policies affecting the population we serve. I'm hoping to simply find a few comprehensive sites and blogs to whose RSS feeds we can subscribe and review when necessary. This agency serves all of North Carolina, so NC-specific sites would also be helpful. Thanks in advance!

Help me to mix up some shochu/oolong cocktails

greta simone — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:32:41 -0800

Help me make my favorite shochu/oolong beverage that I always drink when getting yakitori on St. Marks. So I live in NC, not New York, but during my frequent trips to the city I enjoy eating at one of the various yakitori and udon places on St. Marks. My favorite part of the dining experience, though, is ordering a few of those shochu and oolong iced beverages.

I was first introduced to shochu when a friend came back from Japan with a few bottles, but I have since discovered that Korea has a similar drink called soju. I have also read that sometimes Japanese shochu is imported under the name soju because, for whatever reason, it is less legal than soju.

Now, I have a friend who has found a place to purchase soju (which apparently is not exactly legal here, but let's ignore that fact). My first question is this: How can I tell if it is soju or shochu-masked-as-soju? If I can't, does it really matter? Do they essentially taste the same?

My second question is a bit simpler:
I hope to mix the shochu/soju with some oolong like I like it in the restaurants, but I have no idea how to prepare it. What's the liquor-to-tea ratio? How much tea do I need or how strong should I make it? Do I pour the beverage directly over ice or chill it first? What's the best kind of oolong to get?

Assume I will be making this beverage in large quantities and serving it at a party this coming Saturday (this means I would ideally like bulk mix recipes and no recommendations of where to purchase the liquor online, as there is little time to ship it).

Thanks for the help!

ISO data

greta simone — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:03:17 -0800

Google-fu masters: I need some stats, STAT. I have been looking for two days for this set of specific data. I've been to all the usual government and research foundation sites, but I can't seem to find what I need. Self-admittedly, I have terrible google-fu. If anyone feels like going on a treasure hunt for me, I'd give you a virtual high five.

I'm looking for a North Carolina county-by-county breakdown of the following information (data from 2005 or later only please):
--Domestic violence (insubstantiated and substantiated)
--Substance abuse
--Single parent households
--Court ordered child support
--High school graduation rate of males
--Incarceration rate of males
--Fertility rates of unmarried women
--Martial, separation, and divorce rates

I have been able to find loads of other data that I need, but it seems that data on issues related to these subjects just slightly misses the mark. I also understand that data might not be available for a lot of this stuff as well.

Thanks for any help you can give.

hiring a non-perfumey but really great carpet cleaner in NC

amtho — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 07:16:26 -0800

I want to hire a professional carpet cleaner in Chapel Hill / Durham, NC. Requirements: getting hard-to-clean, oddly-stained, cheap berber carpet looking good; strongly prefer no scent left behind; would love to get this done soon. Any suggestions? I have an appointment with "Stanley Steemer" on Tuesday; the lady on the phone seemed to have no clue about whether there would be a perfumey smell left behind, or what kinds of stains they could remove.

My stains include grayish areas where I tried to remove smaller stains. Ugh. Not sure what's going on there. Original stains are generally from cat puke...

I know berber is hard to clean. Probably nothing special to be done there. I'm not fond of this carpet, but I do want to live somewhere that looks and is clean and doesn't smell perfumey.

My limited experience with the world of professional large item cleaning (car, previous attempt on the carpet) has generally smelled awful afterward. Are there any companies, or ways to research, that will lead to less scented results?

Can anyone recommend some specific service?

Thanks.

Quest for Car Legality

lazaruslong — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:34:23 -0800

Please guide me through several steps for registering a car and related inspections / et cetera, in North Carolina. Bonus points if you can phrase the instructions in the form of a World of Warcraft quest. I need to take care of the following matters, and I am totally ignorant on the workings of the DMV system. I imagine that fulfilling some objectives have pre-requisites involving other objectives, perhaps fulfilled at other locations, so I need both logistical and chronological help. I am notoriously bad at these sorts of things, so phrasing it in the fashion of a quest from World of Warcraft would be plus a million points.

The objectives:

Get a NC driver's license. Current license is valid and clean, from South Carolina.

Register my recently purchased vehicle and get new tags. Current tags and registration are 4 months expired.

Insure the vehicle, and find out whether said insurance is legally mandated like it is in SC or not.

Have my vehicle inspected.

Do I need to switch my license over before registering a vehicle? Is proof of insurance required for registering? When does the inspection need to be done, or is it a totally separate thing?

Thanks very much to any help, in WoW form or not.

Post & Beam in Asheville, NC

Glendale — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:01:16 -0800

Looking for a Post & Beam construction job in Asheville, NC. Any suggestions? I have an excellent resume, great references, and pretty darn good cover letter. Unfortunately, I'll only be in Asheville from January-September 2009. I'm looking to work an entry-level position to gain experience. I've been working carpentry and remodeling for a few years now, and before that was doing high-end residential house painting.

Lying/stretching the truth about the amount of time I'll be with the company isn't an option for me. I'm looking to work with/for happy, down to earth folks that appreciate good hard work and an appreciation for detail and quality labor. Do you know any businesses (big or small) that fit this mold?

Weeklong roadtrip from DC: Should we go to Asheville, NC?

onlyconnect — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:00:52 -0800

Fall road trip before the baby comes: DC to . . . Asheville NC or somewhere else? Our baby girl is due in early March and we'd like to take a week long vacation before she arrives or it gets too hard for me to move around. Planes are out, so we were thinking about a road trip to view the fall colors.

About us: My husband is a vegetarian. We like to bike, though I haven't been doing as much since the pregnancy. We like relaxed, casual vacations where we can mix being active with exploring at our own pace. We like seeing local art, symphonies or other local music, good food is a must, and we like to try different activities. When we went to Maui, we biked down the volcano, did alot of snorkeling, whalewatched and boozecruised, ziplined, and really enjoyed the atmosphere and food in hippie town Paia. (I'm expecting this vacation to involve less athletic pursuits and no alcohol for me, but exciting is still good.)

I've been googling and it seems like Asheville NC might be a good mix for us in terms of food, atmosphere, and local activites. It looks like it's about an 8 hour drive (one way) from our house in the Northern Virginia suburbs. I've checked out the previous AskMes involving Asheville and I have a few questions.

1. Do you think we would like Asheville, or would you suggest someplace else assuming we have about 9 days and a budget of about $1500 to get there, explore, and come back?

2. Do you think we'll find enough veggie-friendly food in Asheville to keep us happy for this long of a stay, or would you recommend somewhere else, or any restaurants in particular? There are a few suggestions here, but I trust AskMe more.

3. Any recommendations for activities in Asheville? I've checked out the local event calendar but am also looking for activities that might not be on that calendar, such as vising the Biltmore, etc. For that matter, does anyone have any particular recommendations about what to do at the Biltmore?

4. Any recommendations about where to stay? I was wondering if a local bed and breakfast might be a better option than one of the bigger hotels; however many of the appealing ones look fairly expensive (though they include really nice breakfasts!). Has anyone stayed at a really great and not too pricey B&B in Asheville? Do you think they would accommodate vegetarian requests? And when you stay at a B&B do you need to socialize alot with the other guests? I saw some advice from another thread about a Priceline deal at the Renaissance for $70/night in 2007 -- should we try that, and anyone know if that's still offered sometimes or of any other good lodging deals?

5. Should we take our bikes or rent bikes once we get there? I don't think we'd bike every day, but maybe a couple of times. Anything we should not miss by bike?

6. If we were going to stop along the way in our drive, would Raleigh or Greensboro NC be a better overnight stay for us? Or maybe Roanoke?

7. Anything else you think we should know or do?

Thanks so much in advance for any advice!

Am I going to jail?

lazaruslong — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 10:06:45 -0800

Help me out with what to expect in court tomorrow, especially financially. So I am going to court tomorrow, Buncombe County in Asheville, NC. I was pulled over for not wearing a seat belt, having an out of date inspection sticker, and then voluntarily surrendered an eighth of pot I had when asked. In Asheville, minor possession is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of something like $250.00.

The seatbelt and inspection, including the listed court cost, are around $145.00.

I'd like to know the following information, if anyone has experience here, especially in this jurisdiction:

1. Assuming all the tickets are kept, none thrown out, and including all court cost fees for all of them, what is my expected bill?

2. Will they offer some sort of PTI type class to prevent the minor possession from staying on my clean ( so far ) record? If so, how much will that cost?

3. This is the most important one for me at this moment. What happens when I cannot afford to pay the total bill tomorrow at court? Do they expect immediate payment after walking out of the courtroom? If I can't pay immediately, are they going to send me to jail?

Asheville NC - I'm looking for a unique place to live...

Glendale — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:11:04 -0800

Asheville NC - I'm looking for a unique place to live... When I say "unique" I mean cheap ;) I'm moving to the Asheville area with my fiance in mid January, and we'd like to live somewhere fun, but cheap. We'll only be in town for 8-10 months, so signing a year long lease isn't feasible. Are there any little "yurt-towns" near Asheville? Is there a town in the area with an abundance of cabins for rent? Running water would be nice to have, but we can do without electricity if we need to...

Basically, we're trying to live around Asheville temporarily (until we get hitched) because it sounds like such a great place to be, and we'd like to save a bit of money while we're down there. We also both really like the idea of cabins and yurts ;)

Car camping recommendations in NW North Carolina?

jethrographic — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:33:01 -0800

I’m looking for some help picking out a spot for a group camping trip in late September. Focused on NW NC because we haven’t camped there much. We’ve done lots around Mt Rogers in VA but looking for someplace new. Normally happy to explore on our own, but since I’m leading others along I would like pick a cool spot and have some prior sense of what we are getting into. It’s a mix of couples and folks with small kids, all with some camping experience. Bonus if we could find a spot with some short local backpacking options. We are not interested in a group site, rather a grouping of individual sites.

So, any comments of the following spots, proximate enough for us to consider? Mainly interesting in your experiences and recommendations. Thanks!

Roan Mountain SP, TN

The rest are on the Parkway. I’ve only car camped along the Parkway once so I don’t have a good feel for what these might be like. Right area geographically though.
Julian Price Park
Linville Falls (too crowded in late September?)
Crabtree Meadows
Mt Pisgah

Any others we should consider? We’ve done Stone Mountain SP, which is also a possibility. Thanks folks...

Tips for the NC bar exam.

greta simone — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:50:01 -0800

Tips for the NC Bar exam? Asking for a friend:
I am an attorney currently admitted to the NY bar, and taking the NC bar in three days. I took BarBri for the NY bar, but studied on my own for the NC bar. One of the most helpful things about BarBri was the "tips and techniques" for the bar exam - such as areas of law frequently tested, or stylistic techniques for answering the essay questions. Can anyone tell me what the frequently tested areas are (such as Miranda violations or Rule Against Perpetuities, etc.)? I have been looking over essays from prior exams, and I have been shocked by the minutiae of some of the areas tested.
Also, I am curious as to how the essays are scored and how points are awarded. For example, in NY, the essays are scored on a 1-10 scale, with 1/3 points awarded for each issue spotted or statement of law that is included in the answer. A "5" is considered a "passing score" and a 7, 8, or 9 are considered above average answers and are infrequently awarded.
I have been told that the NC exam is easier than the NY exam. Has anyone found this to be true? Why or why not?
If you are a recent NC bar-taker, I would appreciate you sharing the tips and/or strategies you used that you found to be helpful. Thanks!

Get me to Chapel Hill from NYC!

greta simone — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:33:52 -0800

How to get to Chapel Hill from NYC? Hey y'all. So I'm riding up to NYC from Chapel Hill, NC around the first of August, with a friend who is moving there. I was hoping to hang around for a few days and see friends, but I'm struggling with the best way to get back. I have always flown round-trip when visiting NY, when airline prices were more reasonable. Presently, I have very little money, so I'm trying to come up with the most economical way to take a one-way trip back to CH from NYC. I have looked at one way flights and Amtrak. While those options aren't super-expensive, I am looking for alternative ideas that I might not have considered.
A few things:
Please do not suggest taking a bus. I have my reasons for not wanting to take a bus.
As long as I can get to the general Chapel Hill area (Greensboro to Raleigh), I could have someone pick me up at the end.

Mostly, I'm just looking for secrets that others may have discovered when making this trek. Is there a website to find a good rideshare? I have looked at craigslist already, but haven't found much, and I'm not sure I would trust anyone from craigslist. Is there a place to find discounted Amtrak deals? Do you or any of your friends want to drive me?

I'm just trying to save a couple of bucks.
Thanks!

Moving to Wilmington, NC

sara is disenchanted — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:28:56 -0800

We're moving to the beach! But, I would like a few specifics about life in Wilmington, NC. Hope me Wilmington Mefites! I was offered a career position with the City of Wilmington last week, and now my husband and I have three to four weeks to relocate from Winston-Salem, NC to Wilmington, NC.

I grew up on the Delmarva shore and my husband spent most of his summers and free time visiting the coast from Wilmington down to Myrtle, so we have a decent understanding of coastal living. We're even familiar with where we like to fish and eat and drink and visit when we're in the greater Wilmington area.

What we would love to have is information regarding "lifestyle and living" questions.
-What neighborhoods are best for a married couple (who does not plan on expanding the family any time soon) that earns combined $60K? We're going to live in an apartment from 6 months to a year just to become oriented and save some money, but we would like to purchase a single-family house in the future.
-Any recommendations as far as apartment/condo complexes that are safe, comfortable, and dog-friendly? Any to avoid?
-Does anyone have a suggestion for veterinarians and/or doggie daycare? My schedule is so that we would only need to take the Rocky dog to daycare up to 3x per week. He's 5 years old, healthy, and blind (he gets around just fine, but sometimes we think we should buy him a little helmet!).
-What is traffic like on a regular basis? Is this a bicycle-friendly area (i.e., will I have trouble riding my road bike to work?)?
-What tasty vegetables and fruits can I grow in my garden?
-Best tackle/fishing shops in the area?
-Safe running trails and areas? Good mountain bike trails? Or will I be riding my road bike more with the terrain?
-We're both interested in hopefully joining an adult sport league (he's looking for flag or contact football, I'm more interested in ultimate, soccer, or tennis), and I've found some interesting leads, but do you have any clubs/teams you'd specifically endorse?
-Is there anything that you wish you would have known before you made the move to Wilmington?

Thank you in advance...this totally might be an excuse for a meetup.

Camping suggestions for NC/VA in July

ZackTM — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:33:39 -0800

Where in northern NC or VA should we go camping from July 10-12th? My girlfriend and I (mid-twenties, outdoorsy, and outgoing/adventurous) want to take a camping trip together from the night of Thursday July 10th to the afternoon of the 12th. She needs to be in DC by about 4-5pm Saturday. We're currently in Raleigh.

Where do you recommend we go?

Things we're really interested in:
- We'd really really like to find a place we can camp next to water, then take out kayaks or canoes to explore with.
- We'd prefer to be relatively far from obnoxious parking lots/roads (but obviously close enough we could walk without much trouble)
- It'd be cool if we could have a contained fire in a fire-pit without getting arrested.
- As close to free as possible
- We'd like to be pretty secluded if possible. Although wandering into a drum circle with lots of friendly folks wouldn't be too bad.
- We'd like a place where there are some pretty hiking trails / mountain bike trails

It'd be great if we could rent the boat near the lake but if we need to rent somewhere along the way thats fine.

Suggestions?

I've never had a ticket before, and now I'm Evel Knevel!

aristan — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:15:33 -0800

Last night I was stopped for "Reckless Driving" in Charlotte, NC. The officer stated that I was going 55 in a 35, that I was weaving, and that I hit the curb when she pulled me over. She had me take a breathalyzer test, which I passed. I know you're not my lawyer, but I've never even had a speeding ticket before! What do I need to do? I don't believe I was going 55 in a 35, as the traffic around me was moving faster than I was on a very narrow street. The officer had extremely bright headlights and a spotlight on her car, and they were shining directly in my mirror. I had a hard time seeing the road, and eventually flipped my rearview mirror up so that the lights weren't shining in my eyes. This is when she stopped me. I hit the curb because the area has absolutely no street lights and I simply couldn't see the curb.

She wrote the ticket for 'reckless driving: Driving without due caution in a manner so as to endanger other people or property' but did not include information about the speed, weaving, or anything of that nature. I have to appear in court in June. The officer said that I could talk to the DA and he would discuss getting it dismissed and/or going to traffic school.

Now, I will note that the officer, after giving me the ticket, said that she was -sure- that I had drove while drunk before, and even though she didn't catch me this time, she was going to give me the reckless driving charge to 'teach' me a lesson.

I'd rather not have 4 points on my license! I could have gone over 55MPH in a school zone and only gotten 3 points! Any advice?

TurboTax not giving credit for taxes already paid

doomtop — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:17:11 -0800

TurboTaxFilter: Trying to figure out where to enter "Nonresident's share of net tax paid by the manager of the partnership" for a North Carolina return using TurboxTax 2007 Home & Business My wife and I live in Vermont, but need to file a non-resident return for North Carolina this year due to W-2 income she was receiving as a consultant to a business in NC.

Additionally, she is a partner of an LLC based in North Carolina.

Her share of the taxes incurred by the LLC were paid by the manager of the partnership. This payment should appear on the NC return on Line 20c.

However, I cannot for the life of me find where in TurboTax to enter this payment! This makes the difference on the return between having to pay or getting money refunded.

If there are any masters of TurboTax on MeFi - please help!!!

Any reason to visit Raleigh, NC?

seinfeld — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:28:01 -0800

Is there anything to do for two days in Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Durham areas? Coming from DC, my wife and I want to take a little two-day trip south.. But we don't know, nor can we tell, if there's much to do. We enjoy walking around cities, seeing local shops and attractions.. We'd love to rollerblade, but I'm afraid it may be a bit cold for that.. Thanks

This is actually a pretty cool town, I think...

kidsleepy — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:11:31 -0800

I'm a recent grad who has been living in Greensboro, NC, for three months. I haven't gotten to know the town as much as I'd like. Where should I go and what should I do? I'm 22, female, and trying to avoid the post-grad-omg-time-to-be-a-grown-up blues. I moved from Columbia, SC, a town I love. I'd like to find activities to meet other people my age, and also recommendations on restaurants, bars, gyms, shopping, events, activities- the works! Make me love Greensboro!

Hotel in Asheville NC?

eileen — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 07:35:15 -0800

Good hotel recommendations in Asheville NC? A friend and I will be in Asheville for one night, and would like to stay within walking distance of stuff.... "Stuff" being defined as: a place to walk for dinner, maybe drinks afterwards, an independent coffeeshop in the morning, and other potentially cool things we could find just walking around. Basically we want to be in the ideal location to experience Asheville in only about 24 hours.

I've read a couple past threads about what to do once there, but nothing about where to stay. We probably don't want to do a hostel, but might if it has nice (clean!) private rooms and a good location. I'm thinking a realistic budget is under $150? We'll be there the night of July 4, if that matters. Thanks for any suggestions!

Be my guide to Charlotte, NC

Terminal Verbosity — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:37:52 -0800

What's a family of four to do in Charlotte, NC? My wife and two kids (five and seven) will be in Charlotte from June 9-14. We're staying at the Westin on College and Stonewall and are logistically limited to places we can walk or take public transportation. So what is there to do in downtown Charlotte for kids and what is there to do for adults that accommodates children? Restaurants, museums, planetariums...all recommendations welcome. Is there anything going on that week specifically we should check out?

Also, I'm missing a large book festival in Chicago for this trip; are there any good used book stores in that area I can hit?

Where to get an old ring?

greta simone — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 15:57:02 -0800

Where can I find estate/antique jewelry in the Triangle area? My friend is coming into town (Chapel Hill) to seek my help in picking out an engagement ring for his girlfriend. I have been put in charge of finding places to take him. He wants to look at vintage/estate/antique rings and my google-fu isn't too stong on this one, nor is my yellow-pages-fu, or my craigslist-fu. I would prefer actual stores and not online stores or online listings.
Also, seeing as how I hate driving, I would like for these places to at least try and be limited to Chapel Hill/Carrboro, Pittsboro (which we are definitely going to hit up--I'm thinking with all the antique stores down there this would be a good idea, right?), Hillsborough, and the lower end of Durham (I get lost in north Durham).
Also I hate driving to Raleigh. But if there is somewhere in Raleigh that we absolutley have to go to because there is a huge selection with reasonable pricing, then by all means, let me know.
Also keep in mind that this is going to be about a $4,000 kind of buy not a $100,000 kind of buy, so don't send me to an auction house or something.
Thanks in advance for the help-