This past Wednesday there was a tree lighting ceremony that featured our governor, Santa, and Raleigh’s community band right at the Capitol. If you’ve got kids and live near downtown this gathering is a neat way to get into the Christmas spirit. After the ceremony the Capitol building is open so visitors can stroll through and enjoy their decorations.
After a week of fluorescent lights and cubicles I find that it’s crucial to get outdoors on the weekend. While a hike in the woods or the neighborhood playground both work pretty well, it’s hard to beat the unobstructed sunning available at Lake Wheeler. Our brief walk along the lake’s beach restored some much needed color to my cubicle tan.
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As you can see in the background of the above pictures, Lake Wheeler is a decent-sized lake. If you start at the far pier in the background and walk towards the pier my parents are standing on it takes only about 5 minutes, but it’s a pleasant stroll along the lake’s beach. We started out at the playground near the first pier, walked down the beach to this pier, and then back to the car when we were done. For many younger kids this may be all the time you have between naps but, if you have extra time, consider checking out the paddle boats. They’re cheap to rent and toddler-sized life jackets are available.
Pros: Small beach is great for a stroll with young kids Dave’s Tip: If you live near or in downtown Raleigh Lake Wheeler is a quick 10 minute drive, but it feels like it’s in the country since N.C. State’s Agriculture Department owns plenty of farmland along the way. |
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| The other area where we spent a lot of time was the playground. It’s a nice playground, right by the first pier and parking lot, and is a great first stop after the ride to the park. However, it’s just a playground (meaning boring pictures), and thus got replaced by the beach in the above photo. The playground was surrounded by great spots for picnicking including pavilions that were hosting family BBQs that day. While this part of the park (i.e., playground, piers, beach) was only a small part of the overall park it was a nice compact space for a family outing.
Pros: Solid playground with great options for a picnicking Dave’s Tip: Check out Yelp for a few more picks of Lake Wheeler, including this one. |
Interested in hearing more, contributing your own ideas, or giving suggestions? You can reach me via the contact page or on Twitter @davidcshepherd.
The fall is a great time of year in NC. My coworker (i.e., a guy without kids!) drove out to Blueridge Parkway to take in the colors. However, since having a 1.5 year old puts the parkway well out of my weekend driving radius I decided to look for a fall experience that was closer to home. Luckily I ran across Historic Yates Mill Park. This smallish park had great fall colors and even a working mill which make for great fall-themed pictures.
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| The centerpiece of this park is the working gristmill. For those with young kids the daily tour of this working mill may not be the best option, although there were a few brave parents that attempted it on the day we visited. As for us (i.e., the grandparents, dad, and son) we spent some great time walking around the mill and exploring. The mill was a few steps down the walking trail that circled the lake and my son was entertained for about twenty minutes before we headed on.
Pros: The mill makes for great pictures Dave’s Tip: If your kids are too young do not force going on the tour… it’s not worth it! Besides, judging by the demographics of the crowd there will be plenty of time to visit the tour once you are retired. |
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| A few steps further along the circulator trail we found a pier that was great for taking pictures of the mill. It included a mounted pair of binoculars so that kids could take a closer look at the mill while you snap a few pictures. There’s also a bench around the pier, which my son enjoyed climbing on.
Pros: Great photo op Dave’s Tip: Make sure you let your kids climb/run around on the pier… there’s no actual playground at Yates Mill and you need to wear them out somehow! |
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| The highlight of this park for my son was playing in the amphitheater. Apparently, if dads jump from level to level on the amphitheater kids (and possibly passing by adults) may giggle hysterically. This spot offers another non-traditional space for kids to get some energy out.
Pros: Fun place for kids to play and pretend Dave’s Tip: If you’re thinking about going to Historic Yates Mill Park be sure to check out its Facebook page. It has up-to-date pictures and information about this weeks park events. |
Interested in hearing more, contributing your own ideas, or giving suggestions? You can reach me via the contact page or on Twitter @davidcshepherd.
When hanging with the family I usually stick pretty close to downtown Raleigh… why endure the inevitable crying that comes with a long car-ride? However, recently my family visited Hubb’s Corn Maze in Clinton, a little less than an hour from Raleigh. While the ride was not trivial it was well worth it. My wife and I giggled like children as we enjoyed the huge jumping pillow and lightening fast burlap-sack slide, making this outing officially the most fun I’ve had being a parent.*
* Note: My son also had fun.
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| One of the greatest things about Hubb’s Corn Maze is that their only criteria for adding a new activity or ride is that it must be super-fun and borderline dangerous. The barrel train is a manifestation of this policy. Kids climb into barrels with wheels on them and are whipped around in circles by a surprisingly fast lawnmower. Our son G and my wife road together for his first ride (see above) but soon he was riding all by himself. This was our 16-month-old’s favorite activity.
Pros: Young kids love it! Dave’s Tip: If you have a young kid that needs a parent to ride with them make sure that the shorter parent volunteers. I almost got stuck! |
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| Another of our favorite activities was the dueling burlap-sack slides. We warmed up by taking our son down the smaller slide on our lap and then let loose on the larger one (see above). Our son even went down the smaller slide on his own. While you may be thinking “it’s just a slide” let me assure you that the combination of speed with the lack of control caused by the burlap sack is exhilarating.
Pros: Fast, Short lines, Outta control Dave’s Tip: Make sure you get every inch of your butt and feet on that burlap sack and you’ll really fly! |
While Hubb’s Corn Maze is a great outing it’s not a free one. We paid $15 per adult for the activities + maze pass but, truth be told, we didn’t even make it to the corn maze! If you have young kids consider just getting the activities pass, as you’ll never have time to do both the activities and the maze before nap time. If your kids are a bit older spring for the full pass and you can really make a full day of fun.
Interested in hearing more, contributing your own ideas, or giving suggestions? You can reach me via the contact page or on Twitter @davidcshepherd.
While my bedtime is pretty early these days courtesy of my son’s 6am wake up call I still find time each night to rock out. Usually it’s during my son’s bathtime, with the radio cranked just loud enough that I can hear my wife shout “You’re too old to listen to that!” as she walks by. However, now that Music in the Market has arrived me and G are taking it to the streets and rocking in City Market every Thursday night.
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| This Thursday G and I just happened to be walking by City Market when we noticed it was a whole lot more happening than usual. As we wandered into the roped off section, where alcohol is served to those of age, the security guard gave us the rundown on this event. Apparently Music in the Market goes from now until November 17th, every Thursday, from about 5-9pm, with a different live band each week. We walked by at about 6:45pm and the band was just completing sound check. However, in spite of the main event not having started, there was a healthy crowd of hipsters as well as quite a few families. G quickly found a rocker chick who was about the same age and those two toddled in front of the stage during sound check. Unfortunately, because our stop was unplanned G and I had to leave just as the band was starting but they sounded great as we walked away. Next Thursday G’s taking an extra-nap and we’re headed back for a late night!
Pros: Family friendly, Thursday night fun, Convenient for city-dwellers Dave’s Tip: If you want to grab a bite to eat ahead of time try Vic’s Italian Restaurant for pizza or El Rodeo for mexican. Both are very family friendly and relatively cheap. |
Interested in hearing more, contributing your own ideas, or giving suggestions? You can reach me via the contact page or on Twitter @davidcshepherd.
Recently I joined a Meetup where dads get together to do fun activities with their kids and each other. In his profile, one member said he joined because:
I’m looking forward to doing more activities with my son. Going to the park can get a bit boring after 1000 times. The Pullen Park train doesn’t go any faster after 100 rides.
So true. As a dad it’s easy to find one or two go-to activities and repeat them ad nauseum. However, this bores the heck out of you and probably isn’t much better for your kid. To fix this situation in my own life I’ve hunted down a few resources that will help expand my horizons. Next time you’re about to head out to that same old park remember this list!
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The most comprehensive resource I’ve found for kid-friendly activities in the area is the active Notes from a Mom in Chapel Hill blog. Not only are these authors prolific, averaging six posts per week, they are organized. The activities that they have already reviewed can be browsed by city, by map, or even by day. Keep an eye on this blog and you may even see some intriguing guest bloggers…. |
| Parks are great places to go with kids. Unfortunately, not all parks are created equal and it’s hard to tell the good from the not-so-good when browsing online. I’ve started using Get to Know a Park to keep my park trips on track. Each post on this blog includes about ten photos of the park, which really gives you an idea of what you’re getting into. |  |
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When I became a father a few years back I was surprised to find my friendships changed drastically. I realized all of the things I used to do were now after bedtime (i.e., 7:30pm) and my childless friends hadn’t seemed to adjust their schedules accordingly. To expand my friendship circle to include those with young kids I recently joined the Meetup Adventures with Dad. I’ve only been on two outings so far but I’ve already met some great fathers and my son thoroughly enjoyed the activities. If you’re ever looking for some points with your wife join us for our next Saturday outing and give her the afternoon off… she deserves it! |
Interested in hearing more, contributing your own ideas, or giving suggestions? You can reach me via the contact page or on Twitter @davidcshepherd.
Marbles Kid’s Museum should be at the front of every Triangle father’s playbook. Is it raining outside? Go to Marbles. Are you being left alone with kids all day Saturday? Go to Marbles. Have you heard the same electronic toy shout “You made a match…” too many times? Get out of the house and go to Marbles! This kids museum in the heart of downtown offers two floors of fun play areas (even for dad… think brick-size legos) as well as an IMAX.
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| Marbles is divided into about eight large play areas. One of the first areas that you’ll encounter is filled with miniature versions of everyday activities. While this area may pale in comparison to the fun waiting to be had on the pirate ship and submarine waiting around the corner, it makes for amusing pictures. As my son was cutting the putt-putt grass (above) I was happily day dreaming about when he will start cutting our actual lawn.
Pros: Great for pictures Dave’s Tip: Membership is a great way to enjoy Marbles. Instead of fitting the whole museum into one long day visit it anytime you’re nearby for as little as 30 minutes. This can turn shopping trips and other chores from disasters into happy compromises. |
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| After snapping some fun pictures in the first area I almost always head around the corner to visit the submarine and, most importantly, the pirate ship. While the first area is great for pictures these two large ships encourage direct dad participation. In fact, the pirate ship requires younger “mates” to be accompanied by adult on the upper decks, which I took as an invitation to climb the ship and teach my son to behave like a pirate. While there’s definitely appropriate and inappropriate behavior for dads at this museum I’ve noticed that most dads are too restrained. The few that engage with their kids, looking silly as they climb the pirate ship, simply have more fun.
Pros: Large ship that encourages dad’s participation Dave’s Tip: When looking for parking to visit Marbles don’t pay for it! On the weekends there’s a glut of free parking if you are willing to walk 1 to 1.5 blocks. Head East from Moore Square (i.e., the park in front of Marbles) and you’ll see plenty of street-side parking. |
Interested in hearing more, contributing your own ideas, or giving suggestions? You can reach me via the contact page or on Twitter @davidcshepherd.
There’s so much sprawl to the Triangle it is easy to forget that there are two downtown districts hidden within it (i.e., Raleigh and Durham). To get to know Raleigh’s downtown without having to ride one of those silly Segways I whole-heartedly recommend Raleigh’s Historic Trolley Tours. Every Saturday March – December the tour departs from Mordecai Historic Park and makes stops at many downtown hotspots. Tour participants can jump on and off at any stop and catch the next bus (an hour later). The tour is full of History-Channel-quality stories and is often given by the rarest of all things, a Raleigh native!
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| Historic Mordecai Park is an attraction within itself. It contains several older houses from downtown Raleigh that were moved in order to preserve them, including the birth house of Andrew Johnson. Andrew Johnson’s birth house gets high billing in this park and around town. See if you can count the plaques pointing out his birthplace as you ride around town (see Andrew Johnson and Me for the full count).
Pros: Nice park with picnic tables, a visitor center, and Andrew Johnson’s birth house Dave’s Tip: If you want to save money bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the tables placed under giant oak trees. |
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| At the beginning of every hour (from ~11am to 2pm) the trolley will arrive, ready for new passengers. The trolley driver slowly cruises downtown as your host drops a serious amount of knowledge on downtown Raleigh. Even passengers that are fairly familiar with Raleigh will learn something.
Pros: Air-conditioned, well-maintained trolleys with knowledgeable tour guides Dave’s Tip: If you’re going to get off at one of the stops for lunch, make sure it’s at the Natty Greene Brewpub. It’s got a great outdoor patio. |
Interested in hearing more, contributing your own ideas, or giving suggestions? You can reach me via the contact page or on Twitter @davidcshepherd.
After surviving another work week I’m ready to live it up on the weekend. However, as an adult sometimes living it up turns into shopping for furniture. Fortunately, as I cruise down north Glenwood Avenue I know that the day is not totally lost thanks to William Umstead State Park. After hitting a few furniture stores on my way northward I U-turn at the Bicycle Chain and pull the family car into Umstead Park for a quick hike.
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| While Umstead Park is by no means the wilderness it feels miles away from Glenwood Ave. Upon entering the park we headed straight to the visitor’s center where the helpful staff told us which hiking path would suit us best. Since we wanted a short hike (less than an hour) where we could take a jogging stroller he pointed us to the horse trails.
Pros: Mainly shaded trails, reasonable for a jogging stroller Dave’s Tip: Get a trail map from the visitor’s center so you won’t get lost. |
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| After hiking for about 40 minutes we arrived back at the car. Unfortunately, in the meantime, my son had fallen asleep so I continued walking past the car. When hiking in this direction I found two old abandoned campsites, complete with mess halls, and small lake. Somewhere on the hike between the parking lot and the lake below (see above) I was satisfied that I’d gotten my fill of the outdoors.
Pros: Cool abandoned campsites, a lake Dave’s Tip: Make sure you bring water from home so you don’t have to buy it at a convenience store… what a ripoff! |
Interested in hearing more, contributing your own ideas, or giving suggestions? You can reach me via the contact page or on Twitter @davidcshepherd.
Many family outings are a big deal. They involve finding an activity, planning the outing, and executing the plan. Ugh. On a day when this all seemed like too much my family and I grabbed a picnic lunch (i.e., yesterday’s pizza) and headed off to the nearest park, Lake Lynn Park. Without any planning outside of grabbing a picnic blanket we enjoyed a low key family afternoon together. Not mind blowing stuff, but much better than loosing a sunny summer afternoon to cable TV.
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| Lake Lynn has two main parking areas. We happened to stop at the one off of Lynn Road, which turned out to be a great spot for a picnic overlooking the lake. Even though the lake is only about 150 yards from the Lynn Road it was surprisingly tranquil and we enjoyed a quiet picnic together.
Pros: Nice view, some shade Dave’s Tip: Take a picture on your cell phone of the trail map in the parking lot. It’s a helpful quick reference as you wander along the trail. |
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| After picnicking near the entrance we headed out on the lake loop trail. It was a hot day but thankfully most of the ~2.5 mile trail was shaded. Unfortunately the boardwalk sections were not shaded and by the end of the loop I may have had pits stains. Don’t plan to head out for a fancy dinner after this trip.
Pros: Mainly shaded, paved, scenic Dave’s Tip: If you want to extend your outing stop by the Ray Road entrance to the park during your loop. |
This outing was short but sweet. If you find yourself reading this between 10am and 12pm on a Saturday grab your leftover pizza or sandwiches and head out! If you have a bit more time to plan your Saturday check out some of the other outings I’ve posted on this blog. Enjoy!
Interested in hearing more, contributing your own ideas, or giving suggestions? You can reach me via the contact page or on Twitter @davidcshepherd.