Apple Hill Farm is very close to Grandfather Mountain and other areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.
Grandfather Mountain State Park, along with many other NC State Parks are closed. That said, many of the surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your Fall vacation dollars to help rebuild! So please check with Apple Hill Farm directly.
Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest area Park, Trail and road repairs.
Smoky Mountains get their name from the mist that settles in the valleys.
I found Apple Hill Farm – a working Alpaca textile farm – when I was hiking out in the Grandfather Mountain area few weeks ago.
I was looking for an activity to take a break from hiking (uphill!) in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, but was still outdoors.
Apple Hill Farm was the perfect find! It’s a working textile farm on the site of an old apple orchard that offers farm tours, and even has a fiber gift shop on site.
Alpaca graze at Apple Hill Farm.
The farm was started in 2002 by a single Mom (and cancer survivor) with just 2 pregnant female alpacas and one young male.
Today Apple Hill Farm is home to 9 kinds of animals: alpacas, llamas, angora goats, zebu cattle, horses, pigs, donkeys, chickens, and livestock guardian dogs.
The farm site includes 15 fields, 4 barns, and a farm store on 43 acres of land.
They’re still a working textile farm, and lucky for us, they now also give visitors educational tours of the farm all year round.
Read on to learn about my tour, and how you can visit too.
I’ve been exploring and hiking on trails in North Carolina for more than 20 years, but one thing I’ve neglected – partly because they don’t have many long hiking trails – are the State Natural Areas.
Though not great for hiking North Carolina State Natural Areasare good for exploring nature and different habitats in a fairly small space.
This kind of place can be an exciting outdoor adventure for small children, like your kids or grandkids.
Mitchell Mill State Natural Area in Northern Wake County is one such very unique spot to explore.
The 93-acre site is a Registered Heritage Area, and sits atop one of the largest granite domes on the east coast, called the Rolesville Batholith.
Plant life from lichens to full grown trees sit atop the Rolesville Batholith.
Mitchell Mill State Natural area protects this Paleozoic-era granite, and also houses a fragile and rare ecosystem, including native plant communities that can only grow in such a “granitic flatrock” environment.
Read more to learn how you can visit and explore this unique State Natural Area!
Home school kids need to get outdoors in the sunshine and play – for their physical and mental health and for ours, too.
If you’ve recently become a remote worker AND a home-schooler all at once, courtesy of COVID-19, you’re probably already running short on patience.
Getting outdoors, either in your own yard or in a local park or forest, can help boost the entire family’s mood and immune system.
Footpath in Lake Crabtree County Park
Sitting still for long periods of time is hard for everyone, but it’s especially difficult for energetic young ones who may have shorter attention spans.
When children have the space and freedom to move around, they can work off their excess energy and be more focused on learning when playtime is over.
Through physical outdoor learning activities children can improve their speed, strength, stamina and motor skills, too.
Here are some ideas for incorporating outdoor time into your new at-home daily schedule, and some tips on places to go for outdoor fun where you can still avoid crowds, for social distancing purposes.
Signpost on the Green trail at the edge of the NCMA park.
The North Carolina Museum of Art Park has been a tremendous gift to the whole Raleigh community.
The park’s trails and open lawns, ponds and pools, larger than life outdoor art, plus the amphitheater and outdoor movie screen provide a beautiful open air gathering place for everyone.
NOTE: We were just named a local NCMA expert on ApartmentGuide.
I’ve gotten a lot of good use from the safe – and inexpensive – outdoor activities for kids the Museum Park has made available over the years.
From the time my daughter was in kindergarten through her college years – and even now as a young adult in the community – the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) and the Museum Park events and grounds have been a big part of both of our lives.
Over the years, I’ve found a few favorite tools for planning and booking travel in the US and around the world.
Most of my travel adventures have been in or close to National Parks or other incredible outdoor destinations.
View at Hanging Rock State Park
I focus on time spent in Nature, but there are also plenty of cultural and historical sights to see!
For your convenience, I’ve included links to my favorite travel companies, and some blog posts about trips I’ve taken with them.
Some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, I will receive a small payment at no additional cost to you. I do not get paid for recommendations, all opinions on this site are my own. See full Disclosure page here.
Travel Destinations USA
The average American spends 87% of their time indoors, 6% of it in a car, and just 7% of their life outdoors.
Taking the ferry away from Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile
Adventure Travel
There are a couple of companies that I rely on when I want to go on hiking/adventure trips outside of the US.
Though I’ve arranged all of the details for many trips on my own, it’s much more convenient – and usually less expensive – to have the help of an experienced team in my destination country.
They take care of getting transfers, hiking permits, lodging, renting any necessary equipment and engaging trail guides – which can be tricky, especially when traveling in a remote area.
Hiking Old Rag in Shenandoah National Park
Adventure Travel Companies
If you have multiple flights and other transfers to reach your destination, it can be really confusing – especially if you don’t know the language!
It’s good to have someone on the ground to help you navigate the potential pitfalls that come with the mechanics of getting where you want to go.
There are two companies I’ve traveled the most with for guided trips. They’re both great companies, which is why I keep going back to them!
View of the crater on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand
G Adventures
I’ve got special regard for G Adventures because I’ve taken so many wonderful trips with them. They’re very eco-friendly and always have great discounts available.
Me at Machu Picchu – can’t believe this was 15 years ago!
My first trip with G Adventures was back in 2004, to hike and see ancient sites on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, and my most recent was in 2020 (right before the pandemic) to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand.
G Adventures offers vacations for solo travelers, couples, and the whole family, too.
NOTE: After March 31, 2023, GAP no longer requires all travelers to show proof of COVID vaccines & boosters or provide a Medical exemption to travel with them on any tour, but you can find an “all vaccinated” tour if you want one.
Intrepid Travel provides expert group leaders and take care of all of the necessary permits and transfers for all of their trips, including entrance to any National parks abroad.
I’ve hiked the Isle of Skye in Scotland and cycled in Tuscany with this company, and much more. They were great!
They also offer some really good discounts on Last Minute travel.
NOTE: After March 31, 2023, Intrepid no longer requires all travelers to show proof of COVID vaccines & boosters or provide a Medical exemption to travel with them on any tour.
Hiking in Northern Spain.
Travel Resources
For me, the most stressful part of a trip is getting to my destination and getting back home.
With flight cancellations, close connections, and carry-on rules changing for each flight, just navigating the airlines is enough to make you stay at home!
Returning to Puerto Natales from Torres del Paine.
Getting in the TSA Pre-Checkline for flights in the US can help smooth the process.
Just go to their site, fill out the form, pay the fee and bring your ID to a quick in-person meeting and you’ll get your TSA Pre-check account number.
With TSA Pre-Checkyou won’t have to remove your shoes or unpack your laptop while going through airport Security – this is very important if time is tight and you’re wearing hiking boots!
A Guide To Enjoying National Parks
I write a lot about the individual hikes I’ve taken in the wonderful National Parks across America, but pretty much leave the descriptions of the parks themselves to the Park websites.
Wayside previews of the park on the way into Bryce Canyon National Park
A friend from the National Parks shared this Guide with me recently, and I thought I would pass it on to you!
The US is home to 62 national parks, and I’ve visited a bunch of them. But if you want to read about them ALL go here:
Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872, and the rest followed, up to New River Gorge National Park, which was dedicated less than a decade ago.
Dark Hollow Falls in Shenandoah National Park
Other Helpful Travel Sites
The Ledge trail at Pilot Mountain
The resources below help me keep everything organized with detailed itineraries, and usually provide some good discounts, too:
Travelocity– I use them mainly for researching and booking flights. This is great because you can see flight options from many different airlines and from different airports. If you book rental car and lodging along with your flights, you can get some really good deals.
Crystal Travel – Some great discount flights and other travel deals.
Booking.com– Great for booking hotel rooms and comparison shopping. The more you book with them, the better deals you get. Also, most bookings are cancellable and don’t require a deposit.
Cozycozy.com– Look for a room with Cozycozy for your next hiking trip – they’re sure to have a place near the trail that suits you!
City Pass – Discount Activity Passes for specific destination cities, you get great discounts on multiple local attractions!
Sightseeing Pass – Sightseeing Passes give you access to activities and services for a discount. Passes are available for: New York City, New Orleans, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Nashville, Orlando, Miami, Key West, and more!
Trail marker on the Pacific Crest Trail near Big Bear CA
From the moment I heard the phrase “llama trekking”, I was hooked. I love to hike – and who doesn’t love a llama??
Even better, when you go llama trekking at Divine Llama Vineyards, there could be wine involved 🙂
Divine Llama Vineyards is equally famous for its wine and for the Llama Treks they host together with their neighbor, the Four Ladies & Me Farm.
I stopped by for a visit one afternoon after a day of hiking at nearby Pilot Mountain State Park. It’s so close, you can see the mountain from the vineyard, and they’ve put Pilot Mountain on their label.
Years ago, when my daughter was about 3 years old and I was looking for outdoor activities for smaller kids, a friend introduced me to the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh.
For my daughter – and for me, too – it was a magical place.
This was partly because we were living in a rented townhome with not even a minimal yard, and partly because the arboretum really is magical! 🙂
But seriously, it does seem to be getting more difficult to find simple inexpensive fun outdoor activities for toddlers, especially if you don’t have a home with your own yard.
This is a real shame, because toddlers love getting outdoors to run around in the sunshine, play with bugs, and eat dirt.
Part of a border garden at the JC Raulston Arboretum
Fortunately for me, the JC Raulston Arboretum was only a short drive away, and was a great place to get outdoors and explore without any admission or parking fees – or even funnel cakes or anything-on-a-stick that I had to say “no” to.
Fortunately for everyone, although it has grown a lot in the past 20 years, the JC Raulston Arboretum is still a magical and inexpensive place to take young children to play outdoors.
They can feel the sunshine, eat dirt, and maybe learn a few things about trees and plants, too.
My friends came back with all sorts of great recommendations – most having something to do with goats, llamas, and alpacas – but also a lot of breweries, wineries and meaderies. Hmmm. Anyway…
So, I trimmed out all of the adult beverages (that will be a different set of posts!) and made a list of places to go see.
For my first visit, I narrowed it down to alpaca farms near me, specifically looking for an alpaca farm tour.
And that’s how I found M&M Alpaca Farm. Although M&M offers free self-guided tours of the farm, I opted for a scheduled guided tour for just a few dollars. I’m very glad I did!
When I first began hiking as a hobby, I was working at a fulltime tech job, was a single mom of a toddler with few babysitters available, and my closest family was 1500 miles away.
Of necessity, most of my activities (outside of work) included the company of my Mini-Me, and hiking was no exception.
Hiking at Hanging Rock State Park with Peanut!
My daughter loved the adventure, seeing new things, and being an intrepid explorer with her Mama!
We explored local parks and greenways, both on foot and on bikes and rollerblades.
Then, when she was old enough, we were able to visit a lot of State Parks, and go on longer unpaved trails with more varied terrain.
