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.

Cade's Cove Camping Trip

June 22-24 2011

Location: Cade's Cove is at the end of Little River Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can also reach Cade's Cove by taking US 321 to TN 73 in Townsend, TN. Then following the signs into the park. Cade's Cove is about 9 miles from Townsend.

Our site: B71

Cade's Cove Campground is just like most of the campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is pretty big and pretty busy. The store in the campground is much bigger than at the other campgrounds. There is also a snack bar and souvenir shop next to the camp store. Abrams Creek runs along side the campground and while there aren't riverside sites our campsite was very close to the water and we were able to walk down to the Creek and play in the water for a bit. The campground is very nice, it's just not anything really special.

The real draw here is Cade's Cove itself. The eleven mile loop is open daily from sunup to sundown. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, the loop is only open to bicycles until 10 am; other times bicycles, vehicles and pedestrians are welcome. Plan to take 2-3 hours to drive the loop as traffic moves slowly and there's lots to stop and see. We drove the loop several times during our stay and saw hundreds of deer and lots of bears as well. I believe on one trip around the loop we saw 16 bears in about an hour and a half.

There are several hikes in the area. We were going to try one, but by the time we got there exhaustion and whininess had set in (plus

Mommy had a ditzy moment with the baby pack - thought we forgot it, searched everywhere only to find it in the front seat when we got back to the car, sigh...) So we walked a short way down the trail toward Abrams Falls, but didn't make it far before Tot sat down in the middle of the trail, completely done. Bawled her eyes out and refused to get up. Daddy was fishing down below the trail and Mommy walked a little ahead to try to encourage Tot to get up and walk just a little further to the creek. Tot was having nothing to do with this plan and continued to sit and cry hysterically until Mommy came back and took her by the hand to lead her to the water. As Tot got up she saw, out of the corner of her eye a mother bear with two cubs and in between sobs managed to cry out, "Look Mommy, it's a bear!" Sure enough here came momma bear followed by her cubs down to the trail, back up into the woods, down to the trail, back up into the woods, down to the trail and off into the woods for good. We figured she was trying to get the creek but wanted to avoid people even more. And of course, the ever fearless Tot was trying with all of her might to pull away from Mommy and chase after the bear. "I want to take a picture, Mommy!! I want to take a picture!"

For more information or reservations, click here.

Cataloochee Valley

Beginning in 2001, the National Parks Service began a program to reintroduce the elk that once roamed wild in this part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Today the elk are once again plentiful and can be seen in the valley early in the morning and late in the evening. There are also wild turkeys that live in the valley and can usually be spotted in the fields as you drive through and you might see the occasional bear come out of the woods. The Cataloochee Valley is in the part of the Park closest to our home so we visit more frequently than other parts of the Park. We can easily do an afternoon for a picnic, a splash in the creek, and then drive through and see the elk as they come down from the mountains in the evening before driving home. The kids get in bed a little later than usual, but it's not ridiculous, and not even enough to throw them off the next day.

Camping June 4-5 2011

Our site: 21

There is a small campground in Cataloochee and this the location of our first family camping trip of the summer. Since it was our first trip, and we weren't sure how it would go, we decided only to stay for one night.

In the evening we drove through the valley and looked for elk. We saw a few elk and some turkeys and then headed back to our campfire where we made hotdogs for dinner and s'mores for dessert (not a hit, by the way, who'd have thunk it?) We loved the campground; it's small and quiet. In the morning when we woke up, we heard an owl; Daddy walked to the stream with me while Mommy started a fire and we saw the owl swoop down and catch a fish out of the water.

The next day after packed up and had lunch we drove to the other end of the valley and I splashed in the creek for a few hours while Daddy relaxed streamside and Mommy and Brother went hiking. When Mommy got back she said she saw a rattlesnake stretched out across the trail and a bear in the woods next to the road. We had planned to stay until dusk, but it started raining not too long after Mommy got back so we packed it up early and headed home. We still saw some elk even though we headed home early. 

Definitely one of our favorite places!

For more information and reservations, click here.

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

Mommy was less than excited about visiting the aquarium. It's expensive, and she saw "Ripley's" and thought "cheesy tourist trap." However, Daddy has been talking about this aquarium and wanting to visit for a long, looooong time. So we went. I will say, we are all aquarium junkies and therefore have been to tons of them and are hard to impress, but we won Mommy over pretty quickly. This is a great aquarium! It's got an awesome tot setup. There's a big room with small aquariums that kids can crawl under and come up in a hole underneath so the fish swim around them. Brother thought this was amazing. Every time Mommy or Daddy would lift him up in the middle of the aquarium, he'd start jabbering up a storm and waving his arms all excited. There are also interactive displays around the room for the kids to play with and learn from, I was super intrigued by the one that explains fish anatomy. It had a giant fish and you'd push a button on each organ and it would light up and tell you about it's function. There are also two different touch tanks where kids can climb up and touch rays and horseshoe crabs. The only difficult part was the shark tank. There's a huge tunnel where you can go under the big tank with sharks and other ocean fish. It's really neat, but they have a slow moving electric walkway that goes under the tank. It's a good idea in theory; it keeps everyone single file so even the littlest ones can see and keeps people moving. However, it was just a little too long and slow Tot and Brother both got pretty restless and Mommy got a little dizzy. The space under the tunnel is big enough that you can step off of the walkway if you need to, which we did. We walked a little more quickly though the second half of the tunnel and enjoyed it quite a bit more that way. Overall, one of the best aquariums we've seen (and we've been to a lot!)

Tickets for just the aquarium (if you buy tickets to more than one Ripley's attraction, you get discounts)
Adults: $22.99
Ages 6-11: $11.99
Ages 2-5: $5.99
Under 2: Free

Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail

The Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail is a 6 mile, one way loop just outside of Gatlinburg, TN. The road is a beautiful drive and the location of several trailheads including Rainbow Falls, and Grotto Falls. To get there, turn at traffic light #8 in Gatlinburg, TN onto Cherokee Orchard Road. This road turns into the Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail.

The "Place of a Thousand Drips" is at the very end of the road just before you start heading back into town. It is supposed to be amazingly beautiful when the weather has been especially wet.

Camping at Elkmont

Wednesday 7.6.2011 - Saturday 7.9.2011

Location: Little River Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  From US 441, turn at the Sugarlands Visitor Center (we missed this turn, it looks like you are turning into the visitor center, but it is actually Little River Road!)

Our site: G20.
We made our reservation the week before we went, and as this is one of the more popular campgrounds in the park there were not many sites available. If we'd had our pick, we probably would have stayed at the other end of the campground closer to the hiking trails and the river. This was not one of our favorite campgrounds. Its prime location and popularity make it a very busy campground. We still had a lot of fun (hard not to have fun in the woods!) but the campsites are all very close together and small. The Little River runs through the middle of the campground and a good number of campsites are on the water. These fill up fast though, so if you want a riverside campsite plan to make your reservation towards the end of the 6 month reservation window, especially during the summer and fall and even moreso if you're hoping for a holiday weekend stay.

For information and reservations click here.

On this camping trip we did two hikes, Grotto Falls and Laurel Falls. Daddy also took me fishing in the Little River and we went to the aquarium in Gatlinburg. You can also go tubing or swimming in the Little River and you aren't too far from Cade's Cove which we skipped this trip, since we'd just been there two weeks ago and there were plenty of other things we wanted to see and do.
Like anywhere in the Smokies, you can expect rain at some point nearly every day. It may just be a light sprinkle, it may a storm that passes through quickly, or it may pour and pour. You never know what kind of precipitation you'll get, you just know that it will rain. We are always determined to have fun despite the weather, however. I splashed in puddles in my new rain boots, we have a rain shelter to keep our chairs and table dry and we bring cards to play when we're tired of getting wet (pretty sure Mommy is sick of playing War for hours on end). Usually the rain doesn't come until the late afternoon or evening and if you're really lucky it may just rain while you sleep.

I want to go camping and sleep in a tent every day!

Laurel Falls

About the Hike


Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1.3 miles each way
Elevation Change: 450 feet
Location: Located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Little River Road between Elkmont Campground and the Sugarlands Visitor Center. You can't miss it; there are cars parked along the road for miles on either side of the parking area. Laurel Falls is a VERY popular hike!

7.8.2011

We hiked to Laurel Falls this morning. It's a very good hike for my fellow tots. The trail is paved the entire way to the falls so there aren't roots and rocks to trip on. Lots of people try to bring strollers on this trail, though I wouldn't recommend that. The pavement is rough in places. Tell your moms and dads to hold you hand at the top though. The water is nice to play in, though cold, and there is a great bridge over the stream to get to the falls, however behind the bridge is a drop off over the lower part of the falls. There are warning signs everywhere telling people to stay back from the edges and parents to hold onto their kids. As long as you stay near the waterfall itself, and don't try to climb up the rocks, you can have a lot of good, safe fun at this waterfall.

On the way back down, several people hiking to the falls told us they saw a mother bear with her cub having a snack just off of the trail. By the time we got there, they'd moved on but you may get luckier and see some wildlife; this is, after all, the Smokies.

Grotto Falls

About the Hike

Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1.3 miles each way
Elevation Change: 585 feet
Location: Just outside of Gatlinburg, TN on the Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail. From Gatlinburg, turn at traffic light #8 onto Airport Rd. This becomes the Motor Nature Trail. Grotto Falls trailhead is about 2 miles into the one way loop.




7.7.2011



Crossing the river with Daddy.



Hiked to Grotto Falls this evening. The trail climbs very slowly and gradually until the very end and then slopes down toward the falls. A few things for fellow tots to beware of. The trail crosses the Roaring Fork several times (4 or 5, I believe) without a a bridge. The water is not deep, it didn't even completely cover Mommy's foot and there are rocks that bigger kids and grownups can hop across. I was wearing waterproof sandals, but still had Daddy help me over or through the water. The trail is wide and well worn most of the way, with a few rocky patches that made for great climbing and jumping (while Mommy and Daddy held their breaths) . Since the ground is packed down so well however, it gets a little slippery when wet. Also the end of the trail as go down to the falls has a lot of slate and is very wet and slippery, so you'll probably need a helping hand. The waterfall is cool and beautiful however and felt great on a hot, muggy, July evening. It is several degrees cooler at the falls than at the trailhead.

Since we hiked in the evening we saw a couple of bunnies along the trail having dinner. We also saw a tiny golden salamander, no more than half an inch long, in the middle of the trail that scurried away as we approached him.

This is another waterfall that you can go behind, it plummets 25 feet over a rock cliff and is very loud behind the falls. Brother thought it was hilarious! He giggled the whole time we were behind it. It was a tough hike, but worth it!

Almost there!

Behind the waterfall.