Duke University Gardens

After reading about the gardens at the Duke University campus, we decided to drive over one day to check it out. If you are a nature lover like we are, you will really enjoy the beautiful Sarah P. Duke Gardens http://www.hr.duke.edu/dukegardens/ on the Duke University campus in Durham, North Carolina. Occupying 55 acres, the gardens, like a New York City Central Park in how it relates to the Duke campus, was filled w/ Japanese garden- like features with bridges and lanterns. It is truly a nature lovers dream and is considered to be, by many, "the crown jewel of the Duke University campus". Go and enjoy the solitude and be inspired. I think that you will also enjoy the price, which is free!!!!!

The Duke campus itself, is filled with beautiful gothic architecture buildings and made me feel like a kid in a candy store as I walked around with my camera. I really enjoy seeing the excitement around college campuses from the young men and women just enrolling and learning their way around to those that are preparing themselves for graduation and the next step in their lives.

This central region of North Carolina is unique in that it has 4 major universities within 80 miles of each other. Duke and North Carolina, at Durham and Chapel Hill respectively, are just a short drive down "tobacco road" (hwy. 15/501) from each other. I love college basketball, so just being on this "famed" road was really neat. North Carolina State at Raleigh and Wake Forest at Winston-Salem are also just down the road.

As in all of our road trips, eating is always high on our agenda and I can assure you that you won't be disappointed in the choices that you will find in this area.

The Sarah P. Duke Gardens was definitely the highlight of this trip, so make sure your camera is in good working order and ready to go. You'll want to capture a lot of those garden shots to get you through those winter months.