RALEIGH , North Carolina's capital, stands on I-40 at the very heart of the state, focusing around the central, pedestrianized Capitol Square . The Capitol itself is worth a look if only to see the copy of Canova's bizarre statue of George Washington in Roman garb (MonFri 8am5pm, Sat 9am5pm, Sun 15pm; free). Just steps away the North Carolina Museum of History , 5 E Edenton St (TuesSat 9am5pm, Sun noon5pm; free; tel 919/715-0200), is impressively far-reaching, a chronological trot through the state's history from the viewpoint of its people, with particularly strong sections on women. Opposite is the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences , 11 W Jones St (MonSat 9am5pm, Sun 15pm; free; tel 919/733-7450), which looks at local geology, as well as animal and plant life, going all the way back to the dinosaur age.

The four-block City Market , south of the capitol, arranged around Martin Street and Moore Square, holds a number of good shops and restaurants; check out the local artists and sculptors at work in Artspace , 201 E Davie St (MonSat 9am5pm). US President Andrew Johnson was born in a tiny hut just north of where the capitol now stands; his birthplace has since been moved to Mordecai Historic Park , north of town at 1 Mimosa St (Mon & WedSat 10am4pm, Sun 14pm; $36). Here you can also see the Mordecai House , built by a wealthy plantation-owner and continuously inhabited by the same family for two centuries. A little way out to the northwest via I-40, the impressive North Carolina Museum of Art , 2110 Blue Ridge Blvd (TuesThurs & Sat 9am5pm, Fri 9am9pm, Sun 11am6pm; tours daily 1.30pm; free; tel 919/839-6262), has an eclectic display of works from Africa, Europe and the US. It also boasts the particularly good Blue Ridge Restaurant which is open for lunch Tuesday to Friday, for brunch at the weekend and dinner on Friday (tel 919/833-3548).