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.
Pilot Mountain State Park views from the top are especially spectacular when the Fall colors come out! It’s a great place to take a family trip any time of year, with miles of trails, camping, climbing, canoeing, and lots of Ranger programs.
I’ve been visiting this park for many years, first with my daughter when she was young, and later with hiking friends or on my own.
View from the Ledges trail
Like the rocky escarpments in nearby Hanging Rock State Park, Pilot Mountain is a remnant of the ancient Sauratown Mountains.
In fact, the Sauratown Trail, a 22-mile (30 miles with spurs) trail for both hikers and equestrians, crosses the range and interconnects the two state parks.
This is a hike I’ve been dreaming of tackling for a while now – you’ll hear all about it when I do!
Perfect for Day Trips
Map of NC State Parks within an easy drive of Winston-Salem
Several NC State Parks are just far enough away to be special trips but still close enough to make good day or weekend trips from the Raleigh area.
Pilot Mountain SP is an easy 2.5 hour drive from Raleigh, so you can easily get there, hike all day and still make it home before bedtime – especially on longer summer days. Of course, if you live in Winston-Salem it’s an even shorter trip 🙂
Every time I visit, there’s something new to see, and the view from the summit never loses it’s charm.
If you want to spend more time to thoroughly explore the park and visit local attractions like Horne Creek Farm or Divine Llama Vineyards, you’ll need to find a place to stay.
There are camping sites and canoe-in camp sites available in the park. You can reserve a campsite on the ReserveAmerica site.
The Flume Gorge natural area in New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch State Park is spectacular and pictures just don’t do it justice.
Avalanche Falls in the Flume Gorge
Eight hundred feet long and about 20 feet from side to side at its widest, with granite walls 90 feet high, the Flume feels like you’ve entered a different world or stepped back in time.
It’s something you really have to see for yourself to appreciate.
I returned last week from my second visit (in the past year!) to the area – the first was early last November, and a freak storm had covered the place deep in snow, so I wasn’t able to hike very far.
But my most recent visit, in early May, was perfect weather for visiting the gorge, and well worth the return trip!
I went on my own, but walking the self-guided 2-mile Flume Trail through the Flume Gorge is a great way to spend some time outdoors with the whole family.
Bear Cave near the Flume Trail boardwalk
Though there are many more difficult hikes in the Franconia Notch area for seasoned hikers, the Flume Trail is an easy manicured walk for hikers of all ages and abilities.
But don’t think you’ll be bored because it’s an easier hike.
In addition to the prehistoric beauty of the gorge, you’ll be splashed by waterfalls and cooled by mist, see huge Ice Age boulders, walk through historic covered bridges, and take in some beautiful mountain views. Continue reading Explore the Flume Gorge in Franconia Notch State Park
The Lake Pine Trail is a paved loop that circles the lake in Apex Community Park, located near the dividing line between the towns of Cary and Apex, close to Raleigh, North Carolina.
Lake Pine is a great trail for running or walking, is smooth and wide enough to use your stroller or baby jogger, too – and is good for all skill levels.
Apex Community Park entry sign at Laura Duncan Road
The trail runs between the lake and other natural areas, so there’s a good chance to see wildlife.
I’ve seen deer, otters, loons, cranes, turtles – and fish 🙂
Dogs are also allowed on this trail but must be kept on leash.
This week’s article is a guest post from Hannah Murley, who is a blogger over at OwntheYard.com, a blog that focuses on backyard games and gear.
Fun Outdoor Games For Kids
Hannah approached me with an idea for a post about trail games for kids, because we both seem to have some focus on getting kids outside.
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.
So, I thought, that’s great – let’s get some ideas from a different point of view!
The games below are all fun, but some are more suited for play at a rest stop or in a park than for actual trail hiking.
Baby Backpack Carrier for Hiking with Kids
This could be due to the props you’d have to carry (in addition to any tired kids), or that the game might slow progress down the trail, or that the trail might be too rough for that particular game.
Hannah has made notes to that effect, but I urge everyone to use their common sense and knowledge of the trails and children involved to decide whether a game would be good for the outing you’re hosting.
I first heard about Palo Duro Canyon State Park a couple of years ago. It was February, and I wanted a good place to hike for a few days that was out of the cold, but not out of the USA.
Park headquarters at the entry
A couple of hiker friends recommended Palo Duro Canyon, known as the “Grand Canyon of Texas”.
After doing a some follow-up research, I decided that the park sounded perfect for my short solo hiking trip.
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.
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.
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).
If you’ve read any of my other posts, you know that given the choice I most always prefer to be outdoors – hiking, walking, gardening, dining, listening to music and whatever else I can do outside.
This could be due to the props you’d have to carry (in addition to any tired kids), or that the game might slow progress down the trail, or that the trail might be too rough for that particular game.
