Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve - The Swift Creek Trail

The Swift Creek Trail

Difficulty: Easy

Distance: .8 miles

Location: Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve 

                2616 Kildaire Farm Rd. Cary, NC
Take I-40 to exit 293A onto 64W/1S Take exit 98A onto Tryon Road. Take a right onto Kildaire Farm road and the preserve will be on the right about a mile and a half down.

After visiting the nature center, we got on to the good stuff. A short hike. The preserve has about 3 miles of very well maintained trails. We hiked the Swift Creek Trail. Not sure how this creek got it's name, perhaps another section moves swiftly. What we saw was barely moving at all.

The trail is awesome. So well maintained! There are boardwalks over low-lying areas, stairs up and down steep parts of the trail and everything else is covered in gravel or mulch, so the surface stays really nice. No roots to worry about, no erosion troughs, just smooth, well-kept trail. Perfect for even the smallest and newest of hikers. Another feature of this trail was a series of several wooden platforms built out over the bluffs and overlooking the creek. The trail map shows where all of these features are on each trail, so you can choose accordingly.

The trail was really neat; it supports a unique blend of wildlife that you don't often find this far east in NC. It was like walking through a portal back to the mountains (except for the slow creek, mountain stream move much more swiftly.) The only caution I have is that just about every sign had a warning about copperhead activity. Copperheads are the only venomous snake in the preserve and according to the signs have been very active lately. Copperheads are also fairly aggressive snakes. As in, if you see one, back away, don't try to step over it, or go around it. Turn around and leave, if you get close enough to bite, they will feel threatened and try to defend themselves. That said, with all of the signage, I was kind of disappointed we didn't see any. Not that I want one blocking my path, but I would've liked to see one from afar. Although then I have to worry about Tot trying to pick it up, so maybe it's a good thing we didn't see any. We did, however see a young deer run across the trail and into the woods, which was a huge hit.

Great hike for kids, just keep your eyes open this time of year and be smart.  We'll go back.

Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve - Stevens Nature Center

This morning I read a post by Mom in Chapel Hill about Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve. Now being the recent mountain transplants that we are, this was irresistible. We love to hike. Tot begs to go hiking on a regular basis. Since the weather has turned cooler (NOT cool, just cooler, i.e. 86 today rather than 106) it was a perfect day to explore this fantastic hiking spot. Once we arrived, Mom's homesickness began to dissipate. The nature preserve is home to a unique ecosystem within the piedmont. The flora is reminiscent of the mountains. Within the forest are Eastern Hemlocks which are usually not found outside of the Appalachian Mountains, as well as galax and salamanders that are common to the west, but not anywhere in this part of the state. It's kind of neat knowing that only half an hour away we can visit a forest that feels like home.
The theory is that during the last ice age temperatures were (obviously) much cooler than they are today and that these types of forests were common throughout the region. As the area warmed up, different types of trees took over and the hemlock forests died off in the heat. The area that is now hemlock bluffs is cooler because of the north facing bluffs which provide a rare, cool, moist environment.
When you enter the preserve, you see a building which the Stevens Nature Center. Inside the Nature Center are exhibits that talk about the plant and animal life within the preserve. Tot enjoyed making animal footprints in the sand while looking cool in her movie star glasses.
The Nature center hosts a variety of nature programs for all ages. Cost varies depending on the program and whether you are Cary resident or not. We may try to attend one of the workshops; Tot would really enjoy it. However, unregistered siblings are not allowed. So for me to take her to the Nature Nuts program (for ages 3-5) Brother would have to stay home with Dad or Dad and Brother could come enjoy the preserve while Tot and I enjoy the class. For information about available programs click here.

Museum of Life + Science: Outside Part 2

We went back to the Museum of Life + Science yesterday. (To read about our first trip, click here.)
The plan was to hit up the outdoor exhibits that we never make it to. So we decided to start in the back and work our way towards the front. Those of you who are loyal readers may remember I've said that this is not a place to attempt in one day. There is just too much to see. And I will stand by that!

Explore the Wild
We started with the Explore the Wild exhibit. This is the place to learn about wildlife biology. Kids can see bears, wolves and lemurs. There are exhibits showing how ducks webbed feet work to pull them through the water and how tadpoles glide gracefully through the water. There is also an exhibit where kids can build a stream pathway with small rocks and change the pathway of the water. We built a narrow stream to channel the water forcefully, we let the water flow gently down the wide streambed, and we created graceful curves to channel the water down. We saw how the water cleans the rocks and washes sediment downstream and learned thereby learned the importance of keeping our rivers for our neighbors downstream.
This exhibit encircles a large pond/wetland ecosystem. The highlight of our visit was as we walked around the pond. We saw a snake swimming across the pond. When we got around to the lower side of the walkway he was partially buried in the mud with his head sticking up. Tot was intrigued. We stood there and just watched him for a bit. He slithered through the mud toward us and we watched until he disappeared under some brush.

Catch the Wind

The other big exhibit in the back of the museum is Catch the Wind. By the time we got here, Tot was getting tired and kept asking to go home. But as we came to each she came alive and wanted to explore. There are sailboats that you can drive across a pond and smaller sailboats where you can interchange various styles of sails to see how the wind blows them with different sails. Tot played with the sailboats for probably an hour before I could convince her to see something else. She loved the sailboats!

There are air cannons that you can blow puffs of air at a sequined wall and see how the metallic flecks move in the wind. There is a giant magnetic arm that carries pretend seeds up and drops them as they'd fall from trees. There are giant insect wings to flap and a mist garden in which to cool off on hot days.


Best of all, the museum is running a buy one get one admission deal. You can download your coupon here.

Mom's Wisdom: Roadtrippin' It

We've learned a few things about roadtrippin' with tots over the past few years. This weekend we went on a roadtrip with the tots and it made me think about writing a Mom's Wisdom post full of pointers for newbies at roadtrippin' with kiddos. With the right planning and a little luck, a roadtrip with kids can be just as much fun as a roadtrip without kids.

Plan, Plan, and Plan Some More!
First, and most importantly, plan, plan, plan, and then when you think you have everything all planned out, plan some more. If something can go wrong, it probably will, and especially when you've got little ones, you need a plan B, C, D, and on and on. It will be much more fun if no one has to stress about the small stuff. Something will get forgotten, you will hit traffic somewhere, something is almost guaranteed to happen that doesn't exactly go according to plan. Your job is to just not stress it. Be determined to have fun, no matter what, and you will. Worst case scenario, you get a story to laugh at years from now.


Allot Extra Time
No matter the ages of your kids, it will take longer than you expected. I remember being young and single and taking roadtrips with my friends or siblings and we'd drive straight through and make ridiculously good time. Once you have kids, this will not happen. Babies need frequent food stops, toddlers and preschoolers need frequent bathroom stops and everyone needs to stop and stretch. Plan for it! When we travel, we add in about half again as much time to get where we're going. We may not need all of that, but we've got it built in just in case. We also to look at what there is to do along our route, especially if we have a little bit longer drive. We've stopped at museums, zoos, and other attractions along the way just to break up our trip. That way it feels like two shorter trips to the kids rather a marathon imprisonment.

Travel When They're Sleepy
Leaving at nap time can buy you a few precious  hours of silence. Leaving at bedtime can buy you even more. take my advice, leave when your kids are sleepy. There is nothing more miserable than wound up kids who are ready to play, but are strapped in tight.

Bring a Touch of Home
When kids get off their schedules and are in completely different surroundings, even the most flexible tots can totally melt down. Bring along some items that remind them of home. Favorite toys, books, a blanket, whatever it may be a few well chosen items can make a trip. You may not be able to keep to their normal schedule, but observing a semblance is also important. If your kids are used to a bath, bedtime stories and lights out, then do it on the road too, even if it's past bedtime when you get in. A few extra minutes to keep to the routine can save you many more minutes of struggling with little ones.

And Last...
Make the trip (at least partially) about them too. If your kids are old enough to help pick out activities, let them help plan the itinerary. Happy kids = happy parents and we all want happy parents. Kids are much more obliging when mom and dad want to go look at yet another museum, antique store, whatever "boring" thing it is you want to do when they know that their turn is coming up soon. 


So go have fun on the open road!


What's your favorite piece of car-ride advice? Please share!

Forest Hills Sprayground

Today was a scorcher. 101 by 11 am; 111 at 1:30.  Ick, ick, ick.
So we decided we needed to find water and keep cool. On recommendation from Mom in Chapel Hill we headed to the Forest Hills Sprayground.
The only drawback I saw was the lack of shade over the playground/sprayground area. There are shady areas nearby-ish though. Not close enough to let Tots go play on their own, while Moms enjoy the shade, but close enough for elementary schoolers to play solo. We had a picnic under a large tree and then splashed for an hour or so. It's not huge, and there were a ton of kids there, but everyone had a blast!

Museum of Life + Science: Outside Part 1

Yesterday we went to the Museum of Life + Science (MLS) in Durham. The museum is one of our favorite places and affectionately known as "The Museum with Drums." This is not a place that you want to try to see all in one day. It is huge. And so, this will be the first of several posts about the MLS because we haven't even seen all of it yet.
Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10am  - 5pm
Sunday: noon - 5pm

September 13-December 13 the museum is closed on Mondays.

Admission:
Adults 13 and up: $12.95
Seniors 65 and older and active military: $10.95
Children 3-12: $9.95
The MLS participates in the ASTC passport program, so members of the Museum or of another ASTC member institution get in free. Durham County Residents are also free Wednesdays after 1pm.

Train tickets are $2.75
Take off! bungee ride $5.00

Listen, Listen, Everyone!

Probably the first thing you notice when get out of your car at the museum is the sound of drums in the air. This is why Tot refers to this place as the "Museum with the Drums." When you exit the main building, in front of you is "Loblolly Park." Nestled amongst the namesake pines are all kinds of structures on which children play. There are two percussion areas set up with everything from steel drums, to fire extinguishers, to xylophone keys, to dustpans to play. There is a real caboose to climb inside, a sandbox to play archaeologist, a playground, and a water play area. One of the coolest things that we discovered this visit is in this area. It is a tall structure with various sized pipes. You put your ear up to the pipe and sound resonates at different frequencies for you to hear. If there is a gentle breeze, the music is amplified as the wind blows across the tops of the pipes.

Down on the Farm

Past Loblolly Park is the MLS farmyard. In the farmyard are potbellied pigs, bunnies, a muscovy duck, a steer, goats, sheep, a donkey, and a barred owl. At 4:30 each afternoon, keepers come to straighten up the farmyard and visitors have the opportunity to ask questions, learn about the animals, and even help out! Yesterday as we were leaving, a trainer was playing catch with Lightning, the donkey. Tot found Lightning's "target" -- a stick with a rubber ball on the end that he's trained to follow. The trainer showed us how Lightning follows his target.

Insectarium

One of the next things that you see as you follow the trail is the Insectarium. Inside the Insectarium are all kinds of insects and bugs. To the right, when you enter the building is the Magic Wings tropical butterfly house and open for the summer is the Summer Wings Carolina Butterfly Conservatory which houses butterflies and plants indigenous to the area. This exhibit highlights plants that you can use in your own backyard to attract butterflies to your home.
To the left is an exhibit that showcases the wonder of insects. Glass cases hold the biggest and smallest insects and insects that are masters of camouflage. There are frogs that eat insects. Spiders, millipedes, and other non-insect bugs highlight what makes and insect an insect. In addition, there are insect books and puzzles, and a microscope to get an up-close look at several different insect species. Tot did not want to leave this room. In fact, it took Mommy a lot of bargaining to get out of here.

Dinosaur Trail

The last part of the museum that we saw yesterday was the Dinosaur Trail. The Dinosaur Trail gives visitors a look at the dinosaurs of the cretaceous period. When Mommy was a kid dinosaurs were T-Rex, Brontosaurus, Triceratops, and the Jurassic Park came out and we were introduced to Velociraptors. The Dinosaur Trail features dinosaurs that I was only introduced to on PBS's Dinosaur Train; I guess dino knowledge has come a long way in the last 20 years because kids today are learning about Stygimoloch, Troadon, and other terrible lizards whose names are mouths full!

Keep an eye out for more about the Museum of Life + Science. There are two floors of indoor exhibits in the main building as well as Carolina Wildlife, and Catch the Wind outside.

Long day for a little dude!

North Carolina Museum of the Natural Sciences

Admission is free, though donations are encouraged. Parking is plentiful in paid lots across the street. We paid $2/hour. There is free on street parking, if you get there early enough to find a spot. I wouldn't count on it. 

Tuesday was Brother's first birthday so we decided to take the day off from unpacking and do something fun as a family that didn't involve thinking about how many boxes we had unpacked, how many boxes we need to unpack, or otherwise involved thinking about boxes. New town means lots of new places to visit and blog about, lucky you! So after some deliberation, we decided on the North Carolina Museum of the Natural Sciences.


Hours

Monday-Saturday: 9am - 5pm

Sunday: noon - 5 pm
First Fridays: On the first Friday of every month (except as noted) the Museum stays open until 9 pm.
Note: The Discovery Room, Naturalist Center and Living Conservatory are closed on Mondays and close at 3 during the week.

We arrived on the later side so we started at the top and worked our way down the museum's four floors. On the top floor is a butterfly exhibit that closes at three and we didn't want to miss that. The exhibit is a model of a tropical dry forest. A tropical dry forest is similar to a tropical rain forest, they both receive similar amounts of annual rainfall but dry forests experience dry and rainy seasons whereas rain forests are rainy year-round. In the exhibit are a number of different varieties of butterflies from Costa Rica as well as a sloth, a tarantula, and a milk snake (in separate enclosures within the exhibit). Also on the fourth floor are a number of other insects in the Arthropod Zoo and the Naturalist Center. The Naturalist Center is for children 8 and up, so we didn't get to go in, but it looked pretty cool. There were microscopes, and different animals and other natural items to look at and explore. Younger children can play in the Discovery Room on the second floor, but we were too late by the time we got there as they are only open 11 am to 3 pm on weekdays. I can't wait to go back and discover!

Mommy, don't take my picture!

The third floor was definitely a favorite! This is home to the dinosaurs. Mommy thought she was never going to get Tot and Brother out of the "Terror of the South" room. We had so much fun playing in the giant dino footprint we almost didn't want to leave to see the rest of the dinosaurs.

Also on the third floor is a snake exhibit (another one of Tot's favorites) and an exhibit depicting a mountain cove habitat. We had fun seeing how many animals we could pick out in the exhibit. The last exhibit on the third floor is the Tropical Connection exhibit which illustrates how we depend on tropical habitats every day even though we may never step foot in the tropics at all. Products as varied as coffee and aspirin have roots in the rainforest.

The second floor is home to the Mountains to the Sea exhibit. It illustrates the habitats across our state from the mountains to the piedmont to the coastal plain. The second floor also houses traveling exhibits and the Discovery Room which we can't wait to come back and visit. 

By the time we got to the first floor, we were exhausted and ready for a snack. So we didn't really have much of a chance to explore before the meltdowns began. The first floor has a Coastal NC exhibit and NC's Natural Treasures. Definitely a place we want to get back to when we have more time and energy to explore. Keep watching for another post with more info about the museum!

Tot's Big Move

We haven't had any adventures in a few days because we've been moving, which is an adventure of it's own. Thursday morning we got up and Tot was sick as a dog. I ended up spending a lot of the morning cleaning up various bodily fluids. But then she laid down on a pile of blankets in the nearly empty living room and fell asleep. And that's where she stayed for most of the day. I felt bad for her, but it did make it easier on everyone else to have her just lay there and sleep. She wasn't getting antsy because she was bored, she wasn't trying to help and undoing hours of work all in one fell swoop, etc. We finally left at around 8:30 that evening. Brother was instantly asleep in his car seat, but Tot, who'd slept all day, was wide awake. She finally slept for about 3 hours from 9:30 until 12:30 but other than that, she stayed up and kept Mommy company until we got to our new place at 2:30 am. We went inside, slept a bit, and then the movers came to unload our truck at about 8. Tot did better than I had expected. We had to stay and open the door every time someone needed to come in. If we tried to prop it open, the alarm went off. (Sigh...) So we sat there for 4 hours and opened the door over and over again.
Saturday morning we got up early and drove back to Asheville. Since Daddy drove the moving truck to Chapel Hill, we needed to get his car and bring it back and we had a little birthday party for Brother with our friends. It was a great day. Then we got in the car and drove back to our new home. It really wasn't until the next day that it started to sink in. We have a new home, in a new city, where we know no one. It's kind of intimidating, but it'll be an adventure for all of us to enjoy together!

Mount Mitchell State Park

Mount Mitchell Summit Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Length: 280 yards each way



Tot and Brother were both having a cranky afternoon and Mommy could tell they needed naps. Tot is a sleep fighter if there ever was a sleep fighter! If she can get up and move she will to keep from falling asleep. The only sure way to get her to nap is to buckle her in the car and drive. She can't move and usually falls asleep quickly, stays asleep for a couple of hours, and wakes up ready for adventure. So, this was what we did today. Around 3 pm, we all got in the car, Mom got on the Blue Ridge Parkway and headed north. We got a little way north of Asheville and it started raining, and there's nothing quite like the Parkway in the rain. You're high up, the clouds surround you and at times you even end up above the clouds and can watch it storm in a valley  below. It is truly awesome and an experience I recommend highly though not what this post is about.
As we drove we came to a sign that pointed toward Mt. Mitchell State Park. Mt. Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi River and somewhere Mommy had not been in many years so she turned and thus began our accidental adventure. We woke up as Mommy pulled into a space near the summit trail. This is such an easy trail; Tot ran the entire way to the summit. It is a little steep, but very short, and paved the entire way. At the top is a new observation deck that opened in 2008 and I imagine on a clear day the view is amazing!

The Mountain is named for Dr. Elisha Mitchell a professor at UNC-Chapel Hill from 1818-1857 (GO HEELS!!!) who climbed the mountain a number of times to measure its altitude. He was killed when he fell over a waterfall climbing down the mountain and is now buried at its summit.

Check out Tot's mad photography skills. Not bad for a 2 year old. Mommy's mostly just impressed that no heads got chopped off, and the composition is even actually pretty good.

WNC Nature Center

Since it was an unseasonably cool day yesterday, we spent the afternoon at one of our favorite places, the WNC Nature Center. When the weather is nice, we visit the Nature Center at least once a a week. It's just a great place to walk around, burn off some energy, and learn about the wildlife indigenous to the Southern Appalachian region. The last two summers, we've attended camp at the Nature Center and had the privilege of meeting some of the animals up close and learning about a lot more about them.
Tot's favorite animals are the bears. There are two black bears at the Nature Center. Each day at 11:00 and 3:00 there is a special animal presentation. Today's presentation was about they keep the bears from getting bored. Bears are opportunistic feeders. They eat whatever is easily accessible and have some amazing senses to help them search out food. In captivity, food is supplied for them and they don't have to work for it so they can easily get bored. Today we got to see one way they keep the bears entertained. The keeper had two large cardboard boxes that he threw into the bears' pen. Inside each box was a frozen rainbow trout wrapped in brown paper. The bears had to sniff out the food and break open the box to get the trout. Ursa, the female, found the first trout and ran to her night house to eat in peace. This allows them to practice skills that are important in the wild but that they don't get to use in captivity. It also gave us a chance to see why it is so important to keep anything that wild bears might think is edible inside where they can't get to it.
The main areas at the nature center are Appalachian Station where they have reptiles, amphibians, insects, and spiders from the area as well as a touch table and two giant microscopes that kids can put various objects under to display on screens on the wall. Tot's favorite thing to look at is her hand. Brother has a ball touching the objects from the touch table; smooth and rough stones, wood, bone, snake skin, etc. We can easily spend an hour here looking at the snakes and longer if someone has one of them out to touch.

The otters are always a hit. Olive and Obi-Wan love to show off for visitors and Brother could sit and watch them swim all day. Tot's favorite is the otter slide.

The farm area and petting zoo. Usually you get to pet and even brush the goats, but today they had the sheep in the petting area instead so we got to experience something new. The petting area is open from10:00 - 12:30 and 1:30 - 4:00.

Then there is the predator walk with bobcats, cougars, wolves, foxes and coyotes. We don't often make it this far before Tot's tired and ready to go, though we do try to start here every once in a while.

Prices (discounts available for City of Asheville residents):
Adults: $8
Seniors (65+): $7
Children (3-15): $4
Under 3: Free
The WNC Nature Center participates in both the AZA and ASTC member reciprocal programs, so if you're a member of another AZA or ASTC facility you also get in free here!

Mountain Play Lodge

It's a cold, gloomy day in the mountains, so today's adventure: Asheville's Mountain Play Lodge. 
Location: 3389 Sweeten Creek Rd.
                Arden, NC
Prices: Over 12: Free
            3-12: $11.99
            2 and under: $6.99
            Infants: Free (If you hold them the whole time.)
This was not our first visit to the Play Lodge. On past visits MPL has been pretty quiet with just enough kids to not get bored, but not so many that you can't have any fun. Today they were slammed, and I mean SLAMMED! Kids were running around everywhere and it was hard for parents to find a spot to sit and to keep track of their tots. When we've come in the past, Mommy could sit and read and keep an eye on the kids easily no matter where they played. Today that was nearly impossible. Another disappointment today was that for the first time, we had to pay for brother who is less than a year old and not yet walking.
My personal bottom line is that the place is too expensive for what you get. Although they are running a weekday summer special. Ages 3-12 are $8.75 and 2 and under are $5.50 Monday through Friday through the summer. This helps out quite a bit and we do think it's a good place to go on a rainy day to get out of the house.
Socks are required at all times for adults and children; shoes are not allowed inside the play area. There is a snack bar with cupcakes, muffins, cookies, coffee, juice, and water. Outside food and beverages are not permitted inside, however there is a table outside where you can eat your own food. (Which we did for lunch.) The picnic table is right next to the parking lot so keep an eye on your tot outside!
When MPL first opened there was concern about the entrance. You come in through an automatic door and at the front desk are asked to read and sign a safety waiver before paying admission. Then you go through a swinging half-door to the play area. Some moms were raising concerns over how easy it was for a child to get out and into the parking lot. I'm happy to report that they've remedied the problem with the swinging door. It now has a piece holding it shut so kids can't escape as easily.
On to the play space; here's what's inside:

 Four bounce houses, slides, and obstacle courses.

A variety of soft play structures including animals, bridges, a canoe, a wagon, and tree with a small slide. The carpet in the play area is well padded and has a scene on it that these structures fit into.

A train table.

A variety of imaginative play and dress up areas including a fire house and burning building, a beauty salon, a stable, a grocery store, a huge castle, a doctor's office, and a house.

And wireless internet access for parents to enjoy while tots enjoy the play space.  It's a fun rainy day place for little ones.