hiking with kids Archives - Page 5 of 6

Explore Lake Crabtree County Park – Sail, Fish, Bike, or Hike

Most recently updated September 21st, 2022

Lake Crabtree County Park is arguably the best in-town alternative to a trip to the beach for a quick fix of sand and time on the water.

View of the Observation Tower from the marina

In my opinion, any park where you can take your kids to paddle or even just watch the sun on the water is a big bonus – especially when you don’t have to drive more than 15-20 minutes to get there.

While Bond Lake and Symphony Lake are also centrally located, they don’t have nearly the size or water access afforded by Lake Crabtree.

Ice-sailing on White Bear Lake in Minnesota

I grew up on a large natural lake in Minnesota, with sailboats in the summer and snowmobiles, skis and ice-fishing in the winter.

So lakes make me feel good – and I logged a lot of hours on the Open Play field on the shore of Lake Crabtree when my daughter was little.

These days I spend more time hiking the 6 mile Lake Trail loop than flying kites. But you could do both!

Located in a forested area between Cary, Morrisville, and Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Lake Crabtree County Park offers visitors a 520-acre flood-control lake adjacent to a 215-acre wooded site, with 16-plus miles of trails, picnic areas that are perfect for outdoor games, boating, geocaching and catch-and-release fishing.

Continue reading Explore Lake Crabtree County Park – Sail, Fish, Bike, or Hike

Grow Your Vacation Saving Account – 4 Simple Steps

Most recently updated January 16th, 2022

If you’re ever going to take that big trip you’ve been dreaming about, you’ll need to stash more money – or at least some money! – in your vacation or holiday savings account.

Whether you’re looking at a 1-2 week getaway for the holidays or several months on the trail, these saving strategies add up.

SAVE MONEY FOR TRAVEL

The first thing to do is to figure out how much money you’re going to need – so you know when you’re done saving :-).

Check out my post on planning your multi-day hiking trip for some good ideas on how to plan your trip so you can figure the cost. I’ve also got some info on different lodging options that might help with your estimate.

The closer you are to your vacation date and the less money you have saved already, the more intense your saving activities will need to be.

DO THE MATH

It’s easy to figure total cost if you go on trip with a travel company . They usually have a planned itinerary that includes food, lodging, activities and a guide all in one price.

That can save you time – and sometimes money, too, so it’s worth looking into.

You could also use a trip cost calculator, like the one I’ve linked to here, to help figure your savings goal.

Once you have a ballpark idea how much money you’ll need and when you want to go, you’ll know how much time you have to pull your travel stash together – that is, the time between right now and your vacation date.

For more of my favorite travel deals and resources, see my Travel Tips & Deals page, and take a look at the G Adventures page, too for some great discounts.

FYI, the photos I’ve included in this post are from some fantastic trips I’ve taken – using money from my own vacation saving fund!

Continue reading Grow Your Vacation Saving Account – 4 Simple Steps

10 Best Gifts For Hikers Under $50 – Last Minute Gift Ideas

Most recently updated January 16th, 2025

Are you looking for gifts for hikers or other outdoors types, but don’t have the cash to spring for pricey gear and gadgets?

And maybe you waited a little too long to brainstorm something creative and epic?

Don’t worry – sometimes the gifts they’ll really appreciate are the simpler, less expensive things. Practical gifts are easy to find when you’re short on time, too.

I’ve made a short list of ten practical hiking gifts or inexpensive cool gadgets for hiking that would be welcome gifts for the outdoorsy people on your list.

Give one, or select a few to make a hiking gift basket! Continue reading 10 Best Gifts For Hikers Under $50 – Last Minute Gift Ideas

Prairie Ridge EcoStation – Easy Family Hikes, Fossils and Fun!

Most recently updated January 16th, 2022

A couple of weeks ago, when I was searching for outdoor activities for kids, I saw an event posting for a Fossil Dig at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation.

My initial thought was, “Fossils? Digging? I must go!” 🙂

But first I had to find out more about the Prairie Ridge park.

Bees take advantage of the flowering plants in the Prairie habitat

I learned that the Prairie Ridge Ecostation is the west Raleigh branch of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. The main branch of the Museum was created in 1879, when the State’s agricultural and geological collections were merged.

It’s the largest institution of its kind in the South East and the most visited museum in North Carolina.

The main branch is located in downtown Raleigh and there is a third branch in Whiteville (Columbus County, NC).

The Prairie Ridge Ecostation , located off of Reedy Creek Road in Raleigh, offers outdoor experiences and learning for kids and adults year-round, and charges no admission. Continue reading Prairie Ridge EcoStation – Easy Family Hikes, Fossils and Fun!

Top 5 Gifts for Hikers – Basic Day Hike Gear

Most recently updated January 16th, 2025

There are plenty of gifts any hiker or outdoor enthusiast on your list would be happy to get – whether they’re just beginners or experts.

Gifts for hikers come in all price ranges, too, so you can be sure to find something in your budget.

Basic day hike gear is a gift that any hiker would be thrilled to get, and I’ve included links to some of my top picks.

FYI, every image in this post – not just the specific recommended items – is also a link to merchandise.

You’ll also see “Related Products” sections that allow you to browse more if you want to go beyond the items I’ve called out.

So, if you see something you like, click it!

If you want any of these things for yourself, you could also send this article to your family. Just sayin’ 🙂

Continue reading Top 5 Gifts for Hikers – Basic Day Hike Gear

Walk or Run on Stroller-Friendly Routes in Bond Park

Most recently updated June 21st, 2023

Bond Park and Umstead State Park in Cary, NC are a couple of local places that I go to hike, walk and run that are easy to get to and always deliver a really good experience.

Minimum driving, maximum time on the trail is what I’m usually looking for.

I’ve been using the trails and other park amenities both on my own and with my kids since I first moved to the area in 1996.

Like all of us, the park has changed over time and also – I hope like all of us – has improved with age as well.

Actually, I recently took an afternoon break to walk Bond Park’s Lake Trail, and found significant improvements to all of the the walkways and bridges along the way!

Updated bridge on the Lake Trail in Bond Park.

Read on to learn about the Lake Trail and other trails and combined routes inside Bond Park.

Continue reading Walk or Run on Stroller-Friendly Routes in Bond Park

Trail Signs and Tokens – Practical and Sentimental Journeys

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Whether you’re exploring in the wilderness or taking a fitness jog in a county park, it’s not unusual to find evidence of other people who’ve visited before you.

Trail sign in Palo Duro Canyon NP in Texas

Most often it’s in the form of trail signs giving practical information.

Sometimes personal tokens are left in an attempt to send a wish or a prayer to a loved one, or even to make contact with some greater universal entity.

You might also see official tributes to people who have contributed in some way to that green space.

Sculpture in the Jean Miro park in Barcelona, Spain

Or more simply, art.

Whatever it is and whoever it’s for, signs and tokens left along the trail are an attempt to communicate with others.

Continue reading Trail Signs and Tokens – Practical and Sentimental Journeys

Tips for Your Visit to Arches National Park

Most recently updated July 31st, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes

When I was planning my Utah hiking trip, I asked for advice from hiker friends who had visited the area before:

Which National Parks should I visit? How much time should I allow for each park? Which trails are a must-do?

I was grateful for their insights, and found the advice to be mostly accurate – except for when it came to hiking Arches National Park.

Some feedback I got was that I didn’t need to plan for more than an afternoon at Arches National Park hikes, but we spent a day and a half there and still didn’t get to everything.

Entry to Fiery Furnace are at Arches National Park

While it could be said that Arches isn’t very challenging for expert hikers, there’s no doubt that it is breathtakingly beautiful for everyone!

Continue reading Tips for Your Visit to Arches National Park

How to Plan Your Multi-Day Hiking Trip

Most recently updated June 9th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 6.8 minutes

So you want to plan a hiking trip.

Great! Like any other event outside of your normal daily routine – hosting a party, having a night out, or even creating a special meal – it starts with planning and research.

Don’t know where to start? I’ll help.

Let’s begin by figuring out what your perfect trip would look like….

Continue reading How to Plan Your Multi-Day Hiking Trip

Wild Things – A Short Hike at the Carolina Tiger Rescue

Most recently updated July 30th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 5.6 minutes

You can go visit the tigers again! — You can go visit the tigers!

Last summer I went back to visit the Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro, NC. I first visited the rescue about three years ago.

I originally heard about the organization many years ago, but life (work, childraising, etc) was more than busy enough already, so I let it go.

And then COVID limited all of our activities…

But lately, I’ve been taking another look at local volunteer opportunities – especially those dealing with animals and wildlife.

Saber Tiger and his friend greet the visitors.

The Carolina Tiger Rescue was high on my list of possibilities, and I visited their website to see what I could find.

The facility offers public tours by appointment Fri-Sun, so I reserved a ticket for one of their Friday morning tours. Continue reading Wild Things – A Short Hike at the Carolina Tiger Rescue