Triangle Boat Tours

What it is: Triangle Boat Tours is a new business to the area. They offer boat tours on Jordan Lake for birthdays, special occasions, kids' parties, or anytime. It is owned by a fellow Durham mom, and it a great, unique opportunity for kids and adults to get out on the water. We checked out Triangle Boat Tours at their inaugural "Pirate and Princess Play date" at which they offered pirate-themed crafts, face painting, a treasure hunt, and music in addition to the boat ride. The boat ride itself was a 20-minute tour of the lake with the "pirate" boat captain and visits to the "king's boat" and other sights around the lake. The boat launched at the Ebenezer Church Recreation Area which also has a playground, picnic shelter, and beach.

What we liked: We loved the boat ride itself! My toddler absolutely loved being out on the water, and the length of the tour and "pirate" captain were a perfect fit for a kids' boat tour. Everyone was very nice and friendly and good with the kids. They made us feel welcome and made sure that we were all having a good time. My child was very nervous and scared to get on the boat, but everyone was so supportive with him so he was smiling and enjoying the experience in no time. In addition, there were lots of other things for us to do besides the boat ride like the crafts, other activities, beach, and playground.

What we would change: The only factor that would limit us from taking more boat tours is the price. Since it is a new business, the exact prices for some things are still being set, but there are some prices listed on the website. Taking a tour as a family, having a birthday party, or other type of boat tour, while they sound fabulous, also seem a bit out of our price range. However, when compared with other boat tours and similar adventures in the area, they are very reasonable and you really are getting quite a bit for the money! They are contemplating having play dates such as the one that we attended again in the future, including one in June. If they do, this option would be more reasonable and we would definitely head back again. (We only paid $10 for two of us at this inaugural event, but this might change in the future.) If you have any specific questions about price, please contact them for more information.

Website and other important information: The boat launched from Ebenezer Church Recreation Area at Jordan Lake for the pirate and princess playdate. This area is located off of 64 at Beaver Creek Rd. I don't know if this is their only launch site or not.

Website: www.TriangleBoatTours.com

Phone Number: (919) 699-4429

Contact: Heidi Watkins

Photos:

1. a view of the lake

2. The playground

3. The pirate festivities under the picnic shelter

4. The boat

4. One of the sights we saw on our lake tour-"the King's boat" with the princess aboard

Carpe Durham

What it is: Carpe Durham is THE foodie blog for Durham. New restaurants, food events, street food, taco trucks, this blog stays right on top of the buzz and creates its own too.

What we like: Anything new or different, it'll be on here, and fast. They're not snobbish either: if there's a great new hole-in-the-wall, it will get reviewed, and not with hyper-cynical pickiness.

What we would change: Of course, as a mom, my eye is on kid-friendly aspects that don't always get looked at--high chairs? changing tables? noise?

Website: It's all at http://carpedurham.com/

(Image from www.carpedurham.com)

Nasher Museum of Art

What it is: Nasher Museum of Art is run by Duke University, and is a world-class art museum on campus. It is quite new, and has standing collections as well as top-notch temporary exhibitions as well. One Sunday every two months, the Museum holds a free Family Day, on which they offer one or two shows (dance, magic, demonstrations) as well as three or four hands-on activities for kids to participate in. As young as two years old, kids can already try some stuff out: coloring pages with neon pen to mimic Andy Warhol art, painting with China ink and Chinese brushes to paint images of bamboo, arranging seashells into patterns for photography, molding sculpey clay into abstract shapes.

What we like: The demonstrations are well-geared toward a range of ages and can last from 2 minutes to 30 minutes. The shows are generally high-energy, to keep kids' attentions. The space is gorgeous, and it's easy to take them outside if they need to blow off some steam.

What we would change: Though the museum has ample parking, it fills up quickly, and it can be a hassle finding overflow parking. The cafe also fills up quickly, so consider packing a lunch and eating outside before attending family days. The events are usually noon to four, so clearly, if you still have little ones who nap, come at the beginning.

In addition, on a regular day, I have heard that the exhibits are not as kid-friendly as they are on free Family Day. So, it may not be as good of a place to take kids on a typical day.

Website and other important information: The Nasher Museum is located on the edge of Duke's West Campus.

Website: http://www.nasher.duke.edu/
(The website has a calendar that indicates the next dates for family day)

Address: 2001 Campus Drive, Durham, NC 27705-1003

Phone Number: (919) 684-5135

Piazza Italia's Fresh Pasta and Gelato Counters

What it is: Piazza Italia is a fancy sit-down Italian restaurant, but very few people know that inside the restaurant, there are a couple of counters from which to buy fresh pastas and sauces as well as gelatos!

What we like: The pasta is made fresh in the kitchen behind the counter every day, and we've tried all of them, though we love the fettucini and squid-ink linguine the best. (Honest, the kids LOVE the black noodles!) The sauces are made fresh while you wait, and the prices are unbeatable. If you have your kids with you, go ahead, ask for a free sample of some gelato flavor as a reward for them behaving so well, and take advantage of the lovely bathrooms too. The staff is very gracious too.

What we would change: Easier access without having to walk through the restaurant would be nice, especially when you have to wait a little and your kids get noisy. Also, the sauces are made fresh, but I often buy at lunchtime for my dinner, so it would be nice to have ready-made sauces ready to go.

Website and other important information: Piazza Italia is located in downtown Durham in Brightleaf Square.

Website: http://www.piazzaitalia.us/

Address: 905 West Main Street, Suite 18A, Brightleaf Square, Durham, NC 27701

Phone Number: 919.956.7360

Hours: Lunch-Monday to Saturday 11am-2:30pm, Dinner-Monday to Saturday 5:30pm-9:30pm

Photos:

1. The view of the restaurant from the front


2. The fresh pastas


3. The price list


4. The gelato counter

Mixed-Up Libraries

This post is actually not a review of something new, but new information we thought would be helpful for everyone. I don't know if I'm the only one, but I have been pretty confused by the library situation in South Durham right now. There are old libraries shutting down, new ones opening up, and this can make it hard for someone who just wants to take their toddler to storytime.

So, here's the update. Parkwood Library is closing its doors as of June 28th. It will be closed for one month and then will be reopening in a new location on July 27th. The new location will be at the corner of Alston Ave. and Hwy. 54 in South Durham, and the new library will no longer be called Parkwood, it will be called the South Regional Branch. In addition to this mix up, the Southwest Library which has been closed for renovation for the recent past has reopened today. This location is off of Shannon Rd. near the post office in Central Durham.

I had one major concern with the closing of Parkwood Library, and that was the fact that we would no longer be able to go to Rhymetime. My son had become a big fan of the teacher that leads it. Fortunately, Rhymetime fans need not fear because it will be happening at the same time at Southwest library led by, Lauren, the teacher moving from the Parkwood library. YAY!

I hope this helps everyone be able to find a library near to them for their toddler to enjoy for storytime, Rhymetime, or just checking out or exploring books! I can't wait to go check out the new and renovated libraries in town!

University Mall

**Update: The Children's Store at University Mall is closed.  It has moved to 243 S. Elliot Rd. in Chapel Hill.  However, La Vita Dolce with coffee, gelato, pastries, and more has opened in the mall.

What it is: University Mall in Chapel Hill is a completely different type of mall than Southpoint in Durham, but it's also a great way to spend a rainy day. The mall is fairly small and full of mostly unique non-chain boutiques and stores. While there's not a huge variety of stores, there's still enough to keep a toddler and mommy occupied.

I like to start at Southern Season for a little shopping for me. Southern Season is a paradise for foodies with exotic foods of all sorts as well as wine, candy, kitchen gadgets, and countless other interesting goods to peruse. There's also a room for cooking classes upstairs that hosts wine tastings and cooking classes with in-house and guest chefs. This store took over and added on to an old department store location, so it's food shopping on a huge scale. While it is really a store for parents, my child doesn't mind sitting in his stroller, watching, and smelling all of the fancy foods as we stroll through the store. He also enjoys the occasional food sample and promise of chocolate treat at the end of our visit.

After Southern Season you can head out into the mall itself. As stated earlier, the mall is very small and always uncrowded. Therefore, it seems like a great place for toddlers to stretch their legs. They can walk and run up and down the mall where they are in full view of their parents without many other people in their path.

Near Southern Season is a fabulous toy store, A Children's Store. This store has half of it's location devoted to younger toddlers and babies and half devoted to older kids. This store seems to have quite a variety of unique and educational toys. There are ones at many price points as well as bins at the front of the store with little toys for only a few dollars. One of the nicest things about this store is the train table on one side. My son loves to go play with the table while I look at toys nearby in relative peace. The store also offers free gift wrap on your purchases!

Recently opened across the mall from the toy store is a new store called My Fairy Godmother which is completely devoted to all things girly and pink. For all the little girls out there, this store looks great for princess and fairy attire. I would love to have a girl and be able to check this one out!

In the middle of the mall is the Chick-fil-A for a great kid-friendly lunch stop.

Further down is a little bit of a mystery right now. There should be a great hobby store called Hungates with, what I've heard, is a great train table in the back. There should also be a Waldenbooks. However, I have heard recently that they are no longer there. Please let us know if you know whether they're still open or not.

What we like: We like how the mall is uncrowded to there's lots of room for the little ones to roam. We also like exploring the variety of stores that we can't normally find at your typical mall.

What we would change: Unlike Southpoint there is no play area in this mall, so there's no place specifically designated for kids to play. In addition, there are quite a few stores that are not kid friendly so you do have to make sure your child doesn't go explore one of those.

Website and other important information: University Mall is located off Estes Blvd. in Chapel Hill off of 15-501 just north of its intersection with Hwy. 54.

Website: www.universitymallnc.com

Address: 201 South Estes Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-7001

Phone Number: (919) 967-6934

Hours: 10am-9pm Monday-Saturday, 1pm-6pm Sunday

Photos:

1. View of A Southern Season from the parking lot

Festival for the Eno

What it is: Although the weather is cool right now, summer is coming in Durham. Summer in Durham makes me think of the Festival for the Eno which happens over July 4th weekend each year. It is a fabulous festival on the banks of the Eno River. There's music with several stages playing all types of music, countless craft booths with local artisans selling their wares, some great Durham food with booths from such local eateries as Chubby's Tacos (Blog post coming soon about this place!), the Grist Mill, the river itself, and much more. To me, it represented all that it good about living in Durham, and we had a great time last year with my son.

What we liked: We liked everything about the festival, especially the variety of things to see and do. Some of our favorites were the homemade ice cream (If anyone knows who provided it please let me know.), the location of the festival on the edge of the river, the variety of music to listen to, and the sandcastle carving demonstration. We wished we could have joined in with some of the river activities, but we didn't have enough time that day. The parking situation was also convenient. We parked at a the Durham County Stadium on Duke St. and were shuttled to the festival, so there was no waiting in traffic or messy parking situations at the actual river.

What we would change: We had such a good time, I don't know that there's anything we would change. I do remember having a difficult time finding somewhere to sit to eat our lunch, but this would have been remedied had we brought chairs in order to listen to the music. Perhaps bringing a blanket to sit on would have been the perfect solution.

Website and other important information: The Festival for the Eno is located at West Point on the Eno in Northern Durham.

Website: http://www.enoriver.org/Festival/

Dates and Times: July 3, 4, and 5 2010 (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday), 10am-6pm daily.

Cost: Children 12 and under are free. All others are $10 a day for advance online tickets in May or $15 at the gate.

Photos:

1. Dancers perform on one of the stages.


2. Adults and kids play in the river participating in a variety of river activities.


3. A band performs on another one of the stages.


4. Some of the many craft vendors at the festival

Elmo's Diner

What it is: Elmo's is a restaurant near Duke in Durham with a diner feel and a kid-friendly menu. There are plenty of choices both for breakfast and lunch which keep this place packed with the Duke crowd as well as countless locals. It's a nice low-key place to have a sit-down meal with the family.

What we like: First of all, we like the food. They do great food for both breakfast and lunch and have lots of choices for each. They also have a kids menu with lots of good options for you to choose from. In addition, while you wait for your food they do provide crayons and a picture of a duck to color. If you do a fantastic job on your duck art perhaps they could join countless other ducks hung on the walls of the entryways. Finally, even though has been crowded every time we have come in, the wait seems to pass pretty quickly and they get people in and out pretty quickly.

What we would change: There are two things that we would change if we could. First, there usually is a wait of some sort, so you don't go in and get seated directly. Secondly, parking can be a bit tricky. Their lot is small and crowded, so both navigating around the lot and actually finding a spot can be tricky.

Website and other important information: Elmo's Diner is located near Duke's East Campus off of Ninth St. (There is also a location in Carborro, but we haven't been there yet.)

Address: 9th St. Shopping District, 776 Ninth St., Durham, NC 27705

Website: http://elmosdiner.com/

Hours: Monday-Sunday 6:30am-10pm

Photos:

1. A view of Elmo's from across Ninth St.
(Image from www.elmosdiner.com)

Meadowmont YMCA

Summer is almost here, and with the warm weather comes swimming! Everyone's always interested in finding a new, fun pool for the summer. We're going to try to find out as much as we can. Please let us know your favorite place to take your kids for some summer swimming fun!

What it is: This time, we're headed to the Meadowmont YMCA in Chapel Hill. This is a great pool that offers both free swim time and lessons. You have the option to become a member, buy a ten-swim pass, or pay individually. There are two pools at the Meadowmont YCMA-the lap pool, and a family pool just for playing complete with slide and mushroom fountain.

What we like: We definitely like the flexibility in options for paying and enjoying the pool. It's nice that non-members can come and enjoy the pool whenever they want if they're willing to pay. We also love the design of the family pool. It's zero entry which is perfect for young ones just getting used to the water. We also liked their swimming lesson program and had a good experience in their program for babies and toddlers last summer.

What we would change: While we like the various payment options, it is a bit expensive. The cost definitely limits the amount of times we can come to the pool. (One nice way to minimize the cost is to come for swim lessons and then stay and play. It gives everyone a nice long time at the pool.) Another difficulty we encountered was their cancellation policy for baby swim lessons. They only cancelled if there was lightning, so we were out there with our little ones on some pretty cold and rainy days last June. It would have been nice if they would have rescheduled some of the colder days so our babies could have gotten more enjoyment out of the lessons.

Website and other Important Information: The Meadowmont YMCA is located off of Hwy. 54 in Chapel Hill in the Meadowmont neighborhood.

Website: http://www.chcymca.org/meadowmont_ymca.php

Hours: The complete summer schedule varies according to month, but here is their schedule for May.

Opens May 21st, weekends only at this point
Lap Pool Open Fri, Sat, and Sun 3:30pm-7pm
Family Pool Open Fri, Sat, and Sun 10am-7pm

Prices:

2010 Ten-Visit Pass: Youth and Seniors: $40, Adults $75, Kids under 2 Free
Individual Visits: Youth and Seniors: $5, Adults $10, Kids under 2 free

Photos:


1. Image of the lap pool courtesy of the YMCA website

The Waller Family Farm

It's strawberry picking season, and anyone who has been on the Waller Family Farm has been waiting for the berry patch to finally open so we could say hi to everyone and the dog, and start picking again!

What it is: The Waller farm is located at the intersections of Mt Moriah Road and Kerley Road, about a five minute drive from downtown Durham. Their new website is excellent, and gives all the details: wallerfamilyfarm.com.

What we like: The berries are delicious, and we've never been chided for the kids' faces and shirts being stained bright red, although we keep joking they really ought to be weighed before and after too. I recommend hats and water, and the little ones have easier times carrying a little bucket with a handle instead of trying to juggle a cardboard or plastic tray. If you do bring your own container, make sure you stop at the weigh station and get them pre-weighed before you pick.

By the way, for hats: Michael's and AC Moore have excellent straw hats for little heads for $2-3 (look in the flower crafting aisles), and if you're crafty, you can go to town personalizing them for your little tikes!

Website and other important information: The Waller farm is located at the intersections of Mt Moriah Road and Kerley Road, about a five minute drive from downtown Durham.

*wallerfamilyfarm.com

*Address: 5005 Kerley Rd, Durham, NC 27705

*Hours: Monday-Saturday 8 am -7 pm (When berries are available)

(Logo courtesy of Waller Farm website)

The Scrap Exchange

What it is: This is a store unlike any that I have ever been to. We took my toddler to check it out yesterday, and he had a ball. The Scrap Exchange is an assortment of countless items that many may consider junk, but creative people and kids can reuse them to create all sorts of works of art and other projects. I would imagine that older kids would have a ball wandering through the rows and rows of odds and ends such as bottle caps, fabric, old wallpaper scraps, electronic parts, bead strings, puzzle pieces, and so much more. We went in and let my toddler wander and find a few objects that he couldn't live without to take home and play with. Soon, we'll bring him in to find materials for craft projects.

What we like: We love that The Scrap Exchange is a place where kids and adults can inexpensively express their creativity. We found a random purple tube for a quarter there that my son hasn't been able to put down since. In addition, there is a room in the back where kids can "make and take" crafts, and I know groups can schedule times meet there to do projects. Another nice thing about The Scrap Exchange is the location. While I don't think I could get over there during the week, it's right across the street from the Durham Farmers Market so it's a quick stop after we visit the market.

(Wow, I also just read on their website that they have an in-house art gallery and during gallery openings on the third Friday of the month from 6-9pm they have complimentary snacks and free arts and craft activities. I would love to know more about this if anyone has checked this out!)

What we would change: Since it is not specifically geared toward kids, parents do have to keep their eyes on their toddlers to make sure that they don't get ahold of a small object and swallow it or a sharp object, etc. But with parent supervision, this is a fun place to explore.

Website and other important information: The Scrap Exchange is located off Foster St. in downtown Durham across the street from the Durham Farmer's Market.

Website: www.scrapexchange.org

Address: 528 Foster St., Durham, NC, 27701

Hours:

Mon., 11 – 5
Tue., 11 – 5
Wed., 11 – 7 New! Summer Hours
Thu., 11 – 6
Fri., 11 – 5
Sat., 10 – 5
Sun., 12 – 5

Photos:



















*Image courtesy of www.amothersjournal.com

Restaurants.com

What it is: This is a website that allows people to buy gift certificates for restaurants in the area at a discounted price. If you're a member (which is free), you receive e-mails which offer huge discounts so you can purchase $25 gift certificates for as little as $2! We know that it is not a particularly local website, but the moms in our group have found discounts for a ton of local restaurants, so we thought everyone would find it useful.

What we like: We love that you can get the huge discounts with no membership fee. We also like what a variety of restaurants you have to choose from. They have gift certificates for places you can take the kids such as Cold Stone Creamery and a Rita's branch in Cary. They also have gift certificates for nicer restaurants such as Piedmont, The Melting Pot, and Restaurant Eden so that when you finally get a date night out you can afford to enjoy yourself.

What we would change: Of course, we would include more restaurants in their list so we had even more options to choose from. In addition, you have to make sure you check the restrictions for each restaurant before you buy the certificate because some restaurants have some pretty significant restrictions.

Website: www.restaurants.com

The Durham Strawberry Festival

What it is: The Durham Strawberry Festival is a yearly festival put on by the Central Park School for Children. This year it happened on May 1st so it has already happened, but I wanted to include it in the blog so that everyone can have the information on it for next year. While its name is the "strawberry festival" there are quite a few non-strawberry related activities for kids plus some delicious strawberry treats.

What we like: We really liked the variety of activities for the little ones to participate in. Our toddlers migrated from the playground to the tent with bubbles to the exhibit full of fire trucks and police cars for the kids to explore. There was also a bouncy castle, music, booths where you could plant your own plant, face painting, and more. When it came time for food there were strawberry treats galore as well as some trucks with outside vendors such as OnlyBurger. We enjoyed the burgers, a PB&J for my son, strawberry lemonade, strawberry shortcake for our friends, and some chocolate covered strawberries for us! Delicious!

The good thing about all of these activities is they are paid for with tickets so you don't have to pay an overall admission price. You just have to pay for the activities you want to do and food you want to eat. While many of the activities do require tickets there are still some things you can enjoy for free.

What we would change: The one thing that I would mention about the festival is that some people might go expecting more. It is put on by a school so there are not a ton of booths and stands, but there were plenty to keep us occupied. In addition, it is out in the middle of a field, so shade is hard to come by. If you go on a sunny day, definitely bring your hat and sunblock. We also had some problems with lines for some of the main courses of food, such as the burgers, so be prepared for that. However, we really didn't encounter any bad lines for the activities at the early time that we attended.

Website and important information: The Strawberry Festival is located in downtown Durham behind the Central Park School for Children at the Old North Park several blocks north of the Durham Farmers Market.

Website: http://www.centralparkschoolforchildren.org/strawberry/SFmain.html

Address: 724 Foster St. Durham, NC

Dates and Times: in 2010 it was on May 1st, we will keep you posted on the dates for next year as they approach.

Photos:

The Durham Farmer's Market

What it is: This is one of the best places to get fresh local food and ingredients in the area. Over 50 local vendors come out on Saturday morning and Wednesday afternoon in downtown Durham to sell their wares. Typically there are fruits and vegetables, plants such as herbs, local meats and cheese, some craft vendors, and other local treats. There are definitely quite a few vendors to take a look at and enjoy.

What we like: We love the fact that there's a farmer's market in Durham, and we love getting out there and supporting our local businesses. It's just a great atmosphere with crowds of people on a Saturday morning shopping and having a good time. We like the fact that it's bringing Durham together as a community. From the viewpoint of the parents of a toddler, it's a great place to bring them just so they can see the sights and smell the smells. Plus, there's a park across the street if they need a bit of room to stretch their legs. It's also a free activity which also makes it better in my book!

What we would change: This is a tough one. It's hard to think of things, but I guess if we had to change anything, we would make it larger so there was even more to see.

Website and other important information: The Durham Farmer's Market is located off of Foster St. in Downtown Durham.

Website: www.durhamfarmersmarket.com

Address: 501 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701

Phone Number: (919) 667-3099

Hours: Saturdays 8am to Noon (April to November), Wednesdays 3:30pm-6:30pm (May to September, Saturdays 10am to Noon (December to March)

Photos:

Indian Trail Park

What is is:
Indian Trail Park is a wooded park with a playground, picnic tables, a trail that run alongside a creek (West Ellebree Creek Trail) and access to a green way.

What we like:
The playground has rocking animals, a great see saw, and a separate play area for toddlers. The play equipment is European crafted equipment designed to look Olde World style with castles, roofs and spires. It is in a beautiful wooded area with mature forest and lots of shade.

What we would change:
There were several patches of poison ivy in various parts off of the trails so you need to be careful with active toddlers.


Additional information:
1701 Albany Street
Durham, NC 27705

http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/gis_apps/parkapp/park.cfm?selVal=park&ParkNam=Indian+Trail+Park

Toddler playground












A view of the Ellebree Creek trail

Southern Community Park

What it is:
Southern Community Park is a park with a large playground, trails, picnic facilities, basketball courts, inline hockey court, art components and soccer fields. These are located at the northern entrance of the park. At the southern entrance of the park there is a dog park, meadow area and disk golf course. The park is located right near Southern Village.

What we like:
The playground has excellent play equipment with several climbing walls, swings and slides. There is a toddler play area and a children's play area.

To access the children's play area there is a difficult bridge/step structure to cross over or a large climbing wall to climb. This is good for keeping smaller toddlers from using this larger play equipment. There are also several trails and wide open spaces to explore at the park.

Finally, since it is right next to Southern Village you can head over to one of their restaurants for an early lunch. We tried Pazzo! Tratorria and Pizzeria. They have delicious pizza by the slice and a nice outdoor area for seating.

What we would change:
The play area is in a wide open space with no shade making it very sunny and hot after an extended time period. It is better to get there early if the weather is hot.

Additional Information:
http://www.ci.chapel-hill.nc.us/index.aspx?page=1116
1300 US Highway 15-501 South (northern entrance)
Chapel Hill, NC

Directions From Hwy 40:
Take exit 273 (NC Highway 54)
Turn left onto Hwy 54 West
Take the ramp onto Hwy 15-501 South going towards Pittsboro
Exit right onto Hwy 15-501South
After Market Street entrance to Southern Village (traffic light)

For the Northern Entrance: Take the first right after the Market Street traffic light

For the Southern Entrance (Dogwood Acres Drive): Continue south to the next traffic light; turn right onto Dogwood Acres Drive

Gymboree Play & Learn classes

What it is: Gymboree Play and Learn classes are classes for infants and toddlers. The classes are offered at various times for different age groups usually with an age range of 4 to 8 months. The classes are designed to enhance motor skills, language development and social interaction. The classes are typically 45 minutes in length.

What we like: Gymboree classes are a cross between music classes (i.e. KinderMusik) and Little Gym. They involve activities to enhance motor skills (i.e. climbing, jumping) and music activities at the end of the class. They also allow the toddler the opportunity to explore the equipment at his/her pace. It is a nice balance between structured play and free time.

The equipment and theme change every two weeks. This promotes repetition so the toddlers receive a similar class for two weeks. But it also a nice change after two weeks to keep their interest.

Finally, you can sign up from month to month and can stop the class at any time. So unlike other classes where you may have to sign up for 12 to 20 weeks you can stop this class after one or two months.

What we would change: The classes tend to be a bit expensive much like some of the other classes in the area. Also most of the activities in the classes I've attended (Play and Learn 4 & 5) tend to focus more on motor skills and less on social interaction and language development. These are areas that could really benefit my toddler son.

Additional information:

You can sign up for a free class on their website or e-mailing the address below:

http://www.gymboreeclasses.com/calendar.do?fCode=293&sCode=748&mode=calendar

Gymboree of Durham
3515 Witherspoon Blvd., Durham, NC 27707 US
Phone: (919) 419-3150
Email: durhamnc@gymboreeclasses.com





(Image courtesy of Gymboree website)

Map

Map is a work in progress... Check back to see the finished product.

North Carolina Zoo

What it is: This is the biggest and best place that we've found in the area to see animals. They have a North America section and an Africa section and countless animals in both. There's miles of paths to walk on, several stops at which to buy refreshments, a playground and carousel at which to take a break from the animals, a 4-D theatre, and most importantly, the animals.

What we like: First of all, we liked the variety of animals. There was definitely more than we could take in leisurely in an afternoon: from bears to lions to alligators and birds. Secondly, we liked the fact that there were trolleys to take to get you from one side of the zoo to the other. Frequently, toddlers wear out after that much walking and just need a lift. The playground looked great: complete with a water feature to play in, but there were so many animals to see and so little time that we just passed on by this time.

What we would change: The only thing that was difficult about this zoo was the sheer amount of walking necessary to see all the animals. Some people would have to take a trolley in order to see both the North American and African sections, and if you walked through the whole zoo with kids, you would probably not be able to walk all the back. We also wish it was closer. We could have spent more time there if it wasn't 1.5 hours away, but with toddler nap times we were only able to spend a half-day there.

Website and other information: The North Carolina Zoo is located in Asheboro, NC about 50 miles from Durham.

Website: http://www.nczoo.org/

Address: 4401 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27205

Prices: Adults: $10, Seniors: $8, Children (2-12): $6, Children (2 and under): Free

Hours
January 1 - March 28	9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
March 29 - October	9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
November - March 2011	9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Photos:

Some of the animals of the North Carolina Zoo...