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hotographer John Michael Simpson and I had already been at Belltree Cocktail Club for a few hours on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, adjusting garnishes and lighting so he could get the perfect shot for our cover. We were having a great time at the Carrboro bar, voted one of our readers’ favorite spots for cocktails – the friendly bartenders blasted music for us as we worked, and they crafted drink after delightful drink. As we packed up the lights and equipment, co-owner Nick Stroud encouraged us to stay a second longer and enjoy one of the lovely libations. I’d had my eye on The Violet. It was my kind of beverage, made with vodka and muddled blueberries and then topped with cava – an idyllic start to summer, my favorite season, with its long hours of daylight, warm weather and endless possibilities. A couple of Fridays later, I left work at 3:30 p.m. (our company does early-release Fridays till Labor Day), scooped up my best girl and loyal pup Olive, and headed out for downtown Hillsborough. We grabbed a patio table at The Wooden Nickel, a readers’ favorite for wings and a place I frequent for the monthly rotating guest beer series. Sitting in the shade with a pint of Tripping Animals’ Limonada Rosada, a pink lemonade sour, was just the mini pick-meup I needed after a week of editing stories for this issue. (Another thing that did the trick – a slice of Key lime pie from Kim’s Bake Shop next door.) It’s been widely reported that Americans are terrible at taking their vacation time. (One 2018 report showed that U.S. workers failed to use 768 million days of paid time off that year.) So, consider this a friendly nudge to take that vacation, a long weekend away, a much-needed mental health day or every single Friday you can leave early. And when you are in town, patronize your favorite local establishments this season – trust me, after all the past two years have taken from us, just being out and about at your trusty haunts can feel amazing. So, turn to page 86 for the entire list of results from our Best of Chapel Hill poll, and get going on your summer! CHM
jessica.stringer@chapelhillmagazine.com TH E COV E R P h o to by J o h n Mi c h a e l S i m p s o n 6
chapelhillmagazine.com
July/August 2022