Denny's

What it is: I feel like S. Durham has a need for a few more great breakfast spots.  We love Rise and Brigs, but they get very crowded on the weekends.  Well, now we have one more great breakfast spot to add to the S. Durham collection.

The new Denny's opened up on Mother's Day near the Hope Valley Commons shopping center just down from Graffiti (at the intersection of Hwy. 751, Hwy. 54, and Garrett Rd). It offers breakfast all day (and night) and also lunch and dinner options.  We headed over on a weekday and were seated immediately, but I bet once the word gets out and on the weekends it will get pretty crowded.  The menu is huge and has a little for everyone.  The kids menu has lots of options, but we landed on the pancakes with eggs and bacon for under $4.  It did not come with a drink so we added that on for $1 and I also added a side of grapes.  When the food came, there was more than I thought there would be, so some kids might be able to split that plate just fine.

What we liked:  We loved the big menu and great prices on the kids' menu.  You can also head on over to Denny's at any time because it's open 24/7.  The waitress also said that kids eat free on Tuesdays from 4-10pm!  She also mentioned that you can bring more than one kid to eat free with one adults, so I'd love to hear if that's true.

What we would change: It would be nice if the drinks were included in the kids' meal, but it evens out because the meal is so inexpensive to begin with.

Website and other important information:

Website: http://locations.dennys.com/NC/DURHAM/248848/

Address: 7021 Hwy. 751, Durham

Hours: Open 24/7!

Photos: 

(the view inside the store)

(My son's meal...LOTS of food!)

Giveaway Winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway with the Museum of Life and Science.  The winners of the family four pass (one pass for four people per winner) are:

Corrie who commented, "Love this museum but haven't been in a while.  The exhibit looks like a fun reason to go soon!"

and H. Wegerzyn who commented, "My family needs a membership!  We love the Museum of Life and Science!"

If you are one of our winners please send me at e-mail at  scmomsgroup@gmail.com and I will give you the information on claiming your passes!  Thanks again to the Museum of Life and Science for such a great giveaway!

The Little Dipper-Fondue on Main

So, I hope everyone had a great Mothers Day.  I know it doesn't surprise any of my readers, but I wanted to go out for a nice lunch with my boys for my birthday.  So, we headed out to a brand new restaurant in Brightleaf Square to celebrate the big day.

What it is: The Little Dipper opened up just a few weeks ago.  It is a fondue restaurant with a few new twists.  I always love fondue, and the boys have enjoyed it in the past, so we headed on over.  While this place would also be fabulous for a date night where you really could enjoy every course, we couldn't quite enjoy it in that style with the kiddos.  Since they don't eat much meat beyond nuggets, bacon, and hot dogs, we just stuck with the cheese and chocolate courses.  This was perfect, and Little Dipper offers a chicken and shrimp add-on to your cheese fondue so you can make it into a little more of a meal.  What a great idea!

One of the great parts of Little Dipper was that they offered some local options.  The cheese we selected was smoked farmers cheese from Chapel Hill Creamery and the bread was from Ninth Street Bakery.  Boy, was it good.  Plus, since there are so many little items to dip in the cheese, the boys found plenty of things that they liked and had a great time.  Of course, the chocolate was everyone's favorite.  We polished off all of the dippers quickly and the boys loved dipping the fruit and marshmallows in the chocolate.  Everything was delicious!

What we liked:  We loved their use of local ingredients.  Plus, we liked how you could add the chicken and shrimp to the cheese course if you weren't interested in the meat course.  Fondue is a fun type of meal for the kiddos and we all really enjoyed it.

**Oh, and a little hidden treasure.  The art along one of the walls on your way to the exit is actually filled with sand art you can flip around and watch the sand move.  Our waitress clued us in to this and the kids were entranced.

What we would change:  Our biggest negatives were the menu and the price.  As with other fondue places, it was pricey, but I think there were things we could have done to minimize the cost.  In addition, the menu was very confusing, so we wanted to make sure to give you a few tips for navigating the menu and cost with kids.

First, ask for the a la carte menu.  This way, you can pick to just get a few courses instead of the whole meal.  As I said, we picked the cheese and chocolate courses.  Also, make sure you see the local ingredients insert if you want to try one of their local options.  We got the four person size on both the cheese and chocolate, but we took leftover chocolate home, so we might have been able to get away with the two person size.  So, it's a confusing menu, but it is definitely worth figuring out.

Website and other important information:  

Website: http://www.littledipperfondue.com/durham

Address: 905 West Main St, Durham (In Brightleaf Square tucked away inside a building)

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: Open at 5, closed Monday

Photos: 

(our cheese course)

(Mmmmm...chocolate)

West Point on the Eno-Natural Play Area

What it is:  As everyone knows, we love the Eno.  We love to head up and hike, wade in the water, or just explore.  Festival for the Eno is one of our favorite Durham events, period.  So, when we heard about this new feature at West Point on the Eno, we had to head up and check it out.  West Point on the Eno is a fabulous park located in N. Durham off of the Eno River and the location of the Festival for the Eno.  It has several historic houses including the mill, over 5 miles of hiking trails, the river itself with plenty of wading opportunities, a great clearing with teepee for exploring, picnic shelters, and more.

This time, we headed back to check out the Natural Play Area.  Of course, we started off by exploring some of the other great features that the park has to offer.  We headed up by the mill to watch the water coming under the bridge.  Then, we walked over to the overlook over the dam.  In that general area there are several great areas for dipping your toes in the water, so the boys might have dipped a little bit more than that in, having a great time!  Then, we hiked up into the park and stopped at the teepee for a snack break.

Then, it was back toward the parking lot to check out the new Natural Play Area.  It's located just behind the small picnic shelter which is adjacent to the big parking lot at the entrance.  It's just what it looks like in its picture, a clearing filled with stumps and other pieces of logs.  At first, one of the boys said, "Where is the playground?"  He was expecting slides and other sorts of brightly colored play structures.  However, we encouraged the boys to go play and after a while they got into making log towers and digging under the logs for critters.  They found one of the coolest caterpillars I've ever seen, and while it might not have looked that exciting, we had to pull the boys away before they were ready to go.  It's a nice change to let the kids just creatively explore nature and see what happens, and this spot was just the spot to do that.

What we liked:  We loved how this area gave the kids an area to explore in an open-ended way.  It was also great to combine with other attractions in the park such as the hiking trails, river itself, and teepee.

What we would change:  If this area was standing alone, I might say that there wouldn't be enough to warrant a trip specifically for it, but since it's in the middle of a great park, it just serves to make the park that much better and give people yet another reason to head up to the Eno!

Website and other important information:

Website: http://www.enoriver.org/what-we-protect/parks/west-point-on-the-eno/

Address: 5101 Roxboro Rd, Durham, NC 27704

Hours: 8am-Sunset

Photos: 

(the natural area)

(the sign)

Giveaway! Wheels at the Museum of Life and Science

As Durham residents with small children, we spend a lot of time at the Museum of Life and Science.  This weekend was no different.  As I mentioned on facebook, we took my youngest son there for his third birthday, and we spent all Saturday there.  We did all the favorites.  We said hello to the snakes and turtles in the NC wildlife exhibit. We played the drums.  The water pumps are always fun.  We dug in the sandbox.  We spent a large percentage of our time running in the clouds in Into the Mist.  We enjoyed a tasty lunch at Sprout Cafe.  While we didn't find the golden shark tooth, we still loved digging in the dinosaur fossil pit.  Then finally,we said goodbye to the alpacas and the museum.  It was another great day at our favorite museum!

So, enough about our day at the museum.  What could make a day like that at the museum even better? Well, how about a fantastic new exhibit all about Wheels?  Even better than that?  How about going with your whole family for free?!  That's what we're offering with the Museum of Life and Science for this giveaway.  We're offering two family four packs of admission to the museum so you can go, enjoy all that the museum has to offer, and check out their special exhibit-WHEELS-at the museum from May 21-May 26.  

To enter this fabulous Durham giveaway simply comment on this post by this Friday at midnight and we'll randomly select two winners to receive free admission for a family of four to the museum.  Passes will be good through August 30, 2013.  So, have a great week, thanks to the NC Museum of Life and Science, and happy entering!

Three Bears Acres

Now, here's another post that I'm REALLY excited to bring you.  We headed up to this little spot near Creedmoor and had an awesome time. Like "Go Play Outside Now",  it's a big outdoor play park that just makes kids and adults alike want to play outside.

What it is:  We drove up on Saturday morning to see what Three Bears Acres was all about.  Honestly, my first impression when we drove up was that there wasn't much to see except a big field, but boy was I wrong.  There was so much fun to be had, and we were all happily exhausted by the end of the day.  The part of Three Bear Acres where we started was a big field filled with different activities.  There were archery and slingshot stations, a mud pie kitchen complete with a big tub filled with mud, a wall that could be periodically wiped off where the kids could paint, a sandbox, a water wall for pouring water down tubes, large plastic tubes to hide and roll in, a farm, and a huge bounce pillow which was a very unique twist on bouncing.

After spending several hours running around this part, we got a bit hungry and needed a bit of a break.  So, we stopped by their restrooms, grabbed our picnic from the car, and headed over to their picnic area by the lake.  They do have a place where they sell light concessions and drinks right now, and apparently, they will add more food later.  Fortunately, though, they don't mind you bringing in your own food.

Once we were refreshed we were ready to keep adventuring.  We headed around the lake to the paddleboats.  They fit four, so our whole family could go paddling around the lake.  Next, we wandered around to the other side lake via a bridge to the fire pit.  At 1:30, they were serving smores, so of course, we couldn't miss out.  These were the only things that were not included in our admission price, but they were only $3 for 2 smores, so we were happy to pay it.

Our last stop of the day was the woods.  In the woods they have this huge play structure/tree house with slides and cargo netting.  Under the play structure there were countless swings of different forms as well as punching bags, monkey bars, etc.  Our last stop was the huge slide runs in the woods.  They have about four different lanes of the slide running down the hill coated in turf wet down with water and dish detergent.  The slides were long, but not that steep, so the adults went fairly quickly, but the kids didn't go that fast.  My older son had a blast once he mustered up the courage to head down the slide.  He wore himself out running back up from the bottom of the slide time and time again, and we had to drag him away when it was time to go.

What we liked:  We love that there's one admission price that gets you in to all the fun.  You don't have to worry about buying tickets for each little activity.  Plus, the activities are just tons of fun for everyone.  It was nice that we could bring in our own food to eat.  There was lots of staff around at all the activities making sure things ran smoothly.

What we would change: The admission is a little steep at $13 for adults and $7 for kiddos, but keep your eyes open for a groupon because that's what we used.  Also, keep in mind that it is not fenced and in a really large area, so keep an eye on your little ones.

*While it's a little pricey, they are starting up "Toddler Thursdays" where children 2-5 years old can get in at only $10 per child with one adults getting in free from 10am-1pm.  That's a little better.

Website and other important information:

Website: http://www.threebearsacres.com/

Address: 711 Beaver Dam Rd, Creedmoor NC, 27522

Hours:

January - March Hours

Thursday-Saturday 10am - 5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm

April - May, September - December Hours

Wednesday - Saturday 10am - 5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm

Summer Hours: June 15 Opening Day

June 20th - August 17th
Thursday - Friday 9am - 1pm, Saturday 9am-8pm

Admission: $13 for adults, $7 for kids

Photos:

(a view at the entrance)

(the slingshot station)

(the mud pie kitchen)

(the moon pillow)

(the slides)

(the play structure)

(the paddleboats)

(the fire pit for smores-yum!)

State Farmers Market and Farmers Market Restaurant

I love taking the kids to farmers markets.  There are so many great ones to check out in the area including Durham, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, S. Durham, and lots more we haven't even checked out yet. They get a chance to see, taste, and buy all sorts of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other foods, and they get to learn more about where their food comes from.  This time we headed to the biggest farmers market in town, the State Farmers Market in Raleigh.

What it is:  This market is located in Raleigh, and it's a bit of a drive, but fortunately it's right off of I-40 at exit 297.  The greatest part is that it's open 7 days a week, so you can head over to check it out on a weekday or weekend, whenever it works best for you.  Once we got there, we just wandered around and took in all the sights.  There was so much that we didn't get a chance to see it all, but that just gives us another reason to head back later.  Lots of the booths had little samples of strawberries, tomatoes, rutabagas, and other goodies.  We even found one booth with all sorts of delicious salsas and dips to try (and we did!)  We bought a few unique fresh veggies to take home and try-purple asparagus and a sweet potato called batus, we'll see if the kiddos like it.

When the kiddos started getting a little hungry, we headed just across the street to the Farmers Market Restaurant.  This is a great little stop with all kinds of great "got to be NC" based foods.  The inside had lots of great decor that entertained the kiddos, but we chose to sit outside on their fenced patio.  This gave the adults a chance to sit and talk while the kiddos could get out of their seats a little and hang nearby the table.  The food was delicious, some of the best chicken salad I've ever had and fresh biscuits and hush puppies on the table.  The kids food was also quickly devoured-one of my sons enjoyed the Micky Mouse shaped pancakes with eggs and bacon and the other one gobbled a hot dog and fries.  It was a relaxing and delicious meal.  After our meal, we hopped back across the street and grabbed a cookie from one of the vendors for dessert.  What a great morning!

What we liked:  We loved how big the market was with so much to see.  It was also so convenient that it was open all day, everyday.  The restaurant was delicious and kid-friendly and right next to the market.  There was so much to see that we will definitely be back to check out more.

What we would change:  The State Farmers Market is a bit of a drive, but it is definitely worth the drive.  Plus, when you're there, there are parking lots in very close proximity to the market, so make sure to keep little, energetic munchkins away from the traffic.

Website and other important information:

Website:
*Market: http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/facilities/markets/raleigh/
*Restaurant: http://www.realbiscuits.com/

Address: 1201 Agriculture Street, Raleigh, NC

Market Hours: Monday-Saturday: 5am-6pm, Sunday: 8am-6pm
Restaurant Hours: Mon-Sat 6am-3pm Sun 8am-3pm

Photos:

(A view of the market)

(more vendors)

(beautiful flowers)

(My lunch)

(My son's lunch)

(A view inside the restaurant)