outdoor activity ideas Archives - Page 2 of 5

Hike Stone Mountain State Park

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 19 minutes

I’ve been visiting Stone Mountain State Park in North Carolina for almost 20 years, either with kid in tow, with That Man, or on my own.

My most recent visit was just a few weeks ago – and the mountain was still just as beautiful as I remembered 🙂

Located on more than 14,100 acres in Wilkes and Alleghany counties in North Carolina, Stone Mountain State Park offers cascading waterfalls, cool mountain streams, and quiet forests to explore.

And of course, the massive 600-foot granite dome of Stone Mountain itself.

There are more than 18 miles of hiking and riding trails, and 20 miles of designated trout waters available in the park.

Can you imagine living in the shadow of the dome on Stone Mountain ?

You can also go rock climbing (with a permit) on the towering granite face of the landmark mountain.

Climbers on the dome look down over the Hutchinson Homestead, a restored mid-19^th century mountain farm that rests in it’s shadow.

Read on to learn about the park and area history, hiking trails, and great views just waiting for you to visit!

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Hike Rose River and Cedar Run in Shenandoah National Park

Most recently updated June 5th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes

I went back to Shenandoah again this Spring, to hike the Rose River Loop, the Cedar Run Circuit and maybe add some more to my list.

It wouldn’t be hard to do, since Shenandoah National Park offers some of the best hiking in Virginia!

I took a break from hiking to explore the Barboursvillle ruins.

I had spent a great week there a couple of years ago, but the trip was over before I had a chance to complete my list of “must do” hikes – including the Rose River Loop.

And of course the iconic Old Rag hike.

So I had to go back and try again!

Where is Shenandoah National Park?

Shenandoah National Park is only 115 miles from Washington, D.C., 95 miles from Richmond VA, and 250 miles from Raleigh NC.

That’s close enough for a great long weekend or longer family vacation, without the expense of air travel!

My previous Shenandoah visit was for a whole week. This trip was a quick visit of only 3 nights – which was still enough time to get in a couple of great hikes and see some local sights 🙂

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What’s the Best Medicine for Your Asthma?

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 17 minutes

If you or your children are asthmatic, you’ve probably spent a lot of time looking for the best medicine for your asthma.

Or maybe looking for better asthma treatments, if you’ve already been prescribed something.

If you’ve read some of my other posts, you know that I’ve had asthma and have been fighting it my whole life, with both medical and non-medical tools.

In the U.S., asthma affects more than 25 million people.

There is no cure, but some people do “grow out” of it (meaning you don’t have obvious symptoms), and medical drugs are available that treat the symptoms for those that have them.

I didn’t grow out of it, and from childhood through young adulthood, my parents tried all available medical options to make my illness better.

But in spite of allergy shots and prescribed inhalers and pills, my asthma got worse every year.

Pine pollen is a huge problem in the South

Finally, as a young adult, I had an epic attack that led to complete respiratory failure and several days unconscious on a ventilator.

When I woke up, the doctors just told me to take more medicine and stay in a controlled environment.

That’s when I became very pro-active in my search for better treatments and lifestyle choices to reduce my asthma symptoms and prevent future severe attacks.

Author happily viewing the Canyon for the first time! — Author happily viewing Bryce Canyon for the first time!

I’ve had some success 🙂

In this post I tell you about the prescribed medical options available now, and the ones I’ve used – and mostly still use – that appear to help my chronic asthma.

For inspiration I’m also sharing photos of beautiful places I’ve been able to hike, without any trouble breathing!

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Hike Cannon’s Point Preserve on St Simon’s Island

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 25 minutes

Earlier this year, after months of COVID lockdowns and weeks of gloomy rainy local weather, I couldn’t stand it anymore!!

All of my local trails had become rivers of mud, and greenways just don’t feed the soul like sunshine and a soft forest path.

Besides, walking greenways too much can also hurt your joints….

So I abandoned my spot on the Ark, and took off on a solo roadtrip down the East coast.

Starting from the Raleigh area, I drove all the way to St Augustine, FL (which is a story for another time) and then worked my way back up the Coast towards home.

Peacocks on the grounds of the Fountain of Youth archaeological park in St Augustine.

My first stop on the way back up was St Simon’s Island, Georgia 🙂

It's about a 6 hour drive from Raleigh to St Simon's Island. — St Simon’s is about 6 hours from Raleigh.

St. Simons, the largest barrier island in the Golden Isles, lies just off the Georgia coast.

It’s a favorite family beach destination for visitor’s in the summertime.

Off the beach, St. Simons Island is dotted with remnants of historic sites you can visit, like the St Simon’s Lighthouse, Fort Frederica National Monument, and Christ Church.

The beach near St Simon's. — The beach near St Simon’s.

You can also follow the ancient footsteps of the very first tourists to the island, who travelled either by walking the forest paths or paddling down the waterways.

I did some research and found a historic hiking spot at Cannons Point Preserve on the north end of the Island.

Among other reasons to visit, the trail at Cannon’s Point Preserve leads you to some extraordinary abandoned historic ruins along the coast.

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Forest Bathing – Walk to Improve Your Wellness

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese form of healing therapy that started to gain popularity back in the 80’s.

In case you’ve never heard of forest bathing, rest assured you’re not going to need a towel or your rubber duckie.

You also won’t be required to wander the forest in your birthday suit 😉

At it’s simplest level, forest bathing could be described as taking a leisurely walk through the forest for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits.

Shinrin-yoku in Japanese means “taking in the forest atmosphere”.

Forest bathing is best done where there are a lot of trees.

Research has long shown “green exercise” to have a positive impact on our overall health, and the practice of forest bathing grew out of that recognition.

Promoted by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the practice has become a mainstay of preventive health care in Japanese culture.

Today, many spas, resorts, and retreat centers across the world offer guided forest bathing experiences as part of their services.

That said, you don’t necessarily need a guide to take a forest bath yourself or with a friend.

All you need is a park or forest, a pair of good outdoor walking shoes, and some simple instructions.

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Baby Goats, Emus and Peacocks – Visit Winterpast Farm and Petting Zoo!

Most recently updated November 6th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Winterpast Farm in Wake Forest is not your regular alfalpha and soybeans kind of farm.

And though this 10-acre family farm near Falls Lake has previously been a tobacco farm, a Christmas tree farm, and a horse farm, in it’s current incarnation Winterpast is a working animal sanctuary.

“Bedhead” the guinea pig enjoys some attention.

Winterpast provides a home for goats, sheep, emu, two mini donkeys, several types of ducklings, peacocks, a goose, pigs, lots of bunnies, hedgehogs, guinea pigs and many varieties of chickens.

And – luckily for us – Winterpast is now a place where families, students, scouts, and pretty much anyone can go to pet and play with all of the animals.

If you get really attached, you can rent a pet to take home for a week… or maybe keep fur-ever 🙂

Except maybe for the hedgehogs, because they’re hardly ever home. The hedgehogs are really popular…

These days, masks are required to visit – and never fear! There is a hand-washing facility with soap and bleach wipes available for your safety.

Anyway, if you want to visit the rest of the critters, all you have to do is look up the open hours for the week and text Farmer Mary to schedule a visit!

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park – 5 Great Hikes in 4 Great Days

Most recently updated October 5th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 35 minutes

For years, I’ve been driving from my home near Raleigh, NC past the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) in Tennessee for work, but never had a chance to stop and explore.

It was very frustrating… 🙁

The Pulpit rock cairn marks the end of the Bullhead Trail.

But finally, this past summer, I was able to spend a few days hiking in the GSMNP.

It was everything I hoped it would be!

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) was the most visited national park in 2019, with over 12.5 million visitors.

That’s nearly twice as many tourists as the Grand Canyon had that same year!

The Park covers 522,419 acres in North Carolina and Tennessee, making it one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States.

It also straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain.

And as if that’s not enough to warrant a visit, the Appalachian Trail also passes through the center of the park on its route from Georgia to Maine.

Read on to learn about the park layout, history and the amazing trails that I hiked during my visit… and how you could hike them, too!

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Historic Yates Mill County Park – Hike and Learn

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes

Historic Yates Mill County Park is not on my usual round of go-to parks.

This is mainly because it’s a longer drive for me than either Umstead State Park or Bond Park, both of those parks have longer trails – and these days I’m usually looking more for a place to have a serious hike than to entertain kids.

Raven Rock State Park is another great place to take younger kids, but it’s an hours drive away….

But a couple of weeks ago, I had an hour to spend and didn’t want to get too sweaty.

So I dropped by Historic Yates Mill County Park to take an active break.

I’d visited Yates Mill once before, in the winter, but this visit I got to see what it was like in the summertime.

I wasn’t disappointed.

There’s a pond, a few shorter – mostly shady – flat hiking trails, and fishing (with a permit).

Plus, it’s got a historic working water-driven grist mill. So there’s that 🙂

Based on what I found, if you’ve got grade school or younger kids, or even Middle-schoolers who (unlike mine) DON’T refer to hikes as “forced marches”, Historic Yates Mill County Park could be a wonderful hang-out for your family!

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Fort Macon State Park – Hikes and History at the Beach

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes

Fort Macon State Park is located on Bogue Banks near Atlantic Beach on the North Carolina coast.

Opened in 1936, at only 424 acres in size, the park is one of the smallest state parks in North Carolina.

But with 1.3 million visitors annually, despite it’s small size, Fort Macon State Park is the second most visited state park in North Carolina.

I’ve always been too busy on my Coastal visits to be one of those visitors.

But I made up for my previous neglect a couple of weeks ago on a spontaneous overnight trip to the Coast.

A visit to Fort Macon was the main thing on my “must-do” list. I was delighted with what I found!

The park surrounds the US Coast Guard Station

The park completely surrounds the United States Coast Guard Station Fort Macon, and park visitors can catch a glimpse of one of the Coast Guard Cutters that are moored there.

The infamous pirate Blackbeard’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, has been discovered in shallow water right off the Park in the Atlantic Ocean and is being recovered.

The park is also the site of the Battle of Fort Macon, which was fought there March-April 1862, during the American Civil War.

In addition to tours of the fully restored fort, the park offers both sound-side and surf fishing, hiking trails, ranger guided tours, a protected swim area, a refreshment stand, and a bathhouse.

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First Landing State Park – Hike the Cape Henry Trail

Most recently updated January 16th, 2022

Spring can be the best time to try out some coastal trails, before it gets too hot or or crowded with Summer visitors. One great place to visit is First Landing State Park.

Situated at the juncture of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, First Landing is the most visited State Park in Virginia and includes one of the most endangered habitat types in the world – the maritime forest.

I first visited First Landing State Park several years ago, on a long Spring weekend with That Man and the puppy.

We hiked several of the park’s trails on that visit, including the Cape Henry Trail – which is the longest trail in the park.

Spanish moss hangs from the trees on the Cape Henry Trail — Spanish moss on the Cape Henry Trail

The 6.1-mile (one way) Cape Henry Trail winds through many diverse habitats, including the rarely-found maritime forest.

This past October, I had some free time and took a day trip to the park from where I was staying in nearby historic Williamsburg, specifically to hike the Cape Henry Trail again.

I wasn’t disappointed – both the park and the trail were just as beautiful as I remembered!

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