Friday night in Chapel Hill (NC) is, well, just fun. Twenty plus years ago when my Fridays were spent there as a student, I don't know I appreciated the depth the city offers. I guess that's one benefit of being "older."

My friend Julie called to see if I was interested in going to A Southern Season for their wine tasting tour along the Bordeaux. We both had spent time in France this summer and like small children promised a lollipop, were giddy with anticipation. As usual their staff were very educated and friendly about each tasting. And of course the bottles were available at a special price, should you be interested in heading home with one or two. They feature various wine tasting events almost weekly in their Fridays Uncorked Series. If you don't live near Chapel Hill, more and more wine stores and small eateries are doing informational wine tastings. To find what's happening in your neck of the woods, just Google your city + wine tasting and explore.

It also happened that UNC Alumni Association was hosting a special exhibition and reception at the The Ackland Art Museum that same night. So we immediately added the museum to our evening plans. The exhibition runs through December 4, so if you can catch it, it is worthy of a trip. It is a beautiful collection of modern and contemporary art including this amazing mobile by Alexander Calder.

As usual with hanging out with friends, it was the two unplanned stops that captured the evening. First a stop at the Krispy Kreme on Franklin Street: The Hot Doughnuts Now neon sign beckoned us like moths to a flame. We couldn't believe that this small store was making hot glazed doughnuts. After some investigation we discovered they glaze them at the Chapel Hill store, but the doughnuts are made and shipped dry from the Raleigh (NC) store. Would it make a difference? Not to this Krispy Kreme lover!

Then across the street Sugarland Bakery drew us in. It was not their cakes, cupcakes or frozen martinis, but their case of gelato. How do you decide which delicious flavor to try? From Mexican Chocolate (flavored with peppers) to Passion Fruit (perfectly balanced without all the sickening sweet overtones of most passion fruit anything) they seem to have it all.

Of course our four stops in Chapel Hill hardly do the place justice, but it's all we could fit in and still drive back to Raleigh. Check out downtown Chapel Hill and everything is has to offer next time you are in the area.

All the way back to Raleigh we talked about wine, and art and gelato and doughnuts. Memories of a 20 year friendship and the people that have come in gone in that time. What an evening to remember. When's the last time you shared an evening like this? Tell me in the comments section below!