The Stir Crazy Moms' Guide to Durham: outdoor fun

Showing posts with label outdoor fun. Show all posts

Monday, March 20, 2017

Creek Week in Durham!

Close Encounters with Nature during Creek Week

by Laura Webb Smith

This post is about one of the events during Durham’s Annual Creek Week. Visit www.durhamcreekweek.org to see all of the great nature, art, volunteer, and educational events that happen in late March each year.

I fervently hoped I wouldn’t get pulled over on the way home. I really didn’t want to have to explain to the officer, or anyone really, why my children were naked in the back seat--that the heap of brown, soaked clothes on the rubber mat represented a couple of hours of pure nature bliss.

Frog Watch has become a Creek Week favorite. Experts from Duke lead groups of explorers decked out in headlamps, mud-worthy clothes, and the tallest boots you can find. We wade into the Sandy Creek Park pond shallows to search for the frogs we hear calling out for mates. We celebrate when one is netted, secretly keeping score on who found the most. Sometimes we find more than frogs: insect larvae, tadpoles, tiny fish. It’s all catch, observe, and release. No critters are harmed in the name of Creek Week (at least not on purpose).

My kids and I absolutely loved it. By the end of the night, we could identify the more common spring callers by sound and sight. We enjoyed soaking in the expert knowledge, spending time in nature with each other, and yes – getting wet and dirty.

Once upon a time, finding frogs at Sandy Creek Park would not have been such a pleasant experience. Nicknamed “Old Stinky,” the site served as a sewage treatment plant from the 1930’s to 1984. The State and City worked to restore wetlands and develop park trails in the late 1990’s, but it took the interest and volunteer commitment of many individuals to make the park what it is today. A haven for birds, butterflies, amphibians, and mammals, the park features native trees and wildflowers that support the diverse habitat. Trails and viewing platforms make the park easy to navigate, and fun programming geared to both kids and adults make a trip to Sandy Creek Park worthwhile.

Frog Watch is one of more than two dozen events during Creek Week. The week features indoor and outdoor activities for folks of all ages and abilities. You can join a cleanup, attend a free parks program, visit water-related art installations, go on a canoe trip, and so much more. Visit www.durhamcreekweek.org for all the details. Over 20 organizations work together to plan and lead events that help us all discover and take better care of our local waterways. So dig out your boots, and be sure to grab a change of clothes for the way home!

Monday, May 9, 2016

Tinkergarten

SoDu Parents Posse member Trish Christie recently took a trial class with the brand new Tinkergarten and wrote a review just for Stir Crazy.

What is Tinkergarten? The website says it best: "Tinkergarten provides highly engaging early childhood education in the healthiest classroom of all—the outdoors. We match families with leaders, like Durham mom Kate Macartney, in their local community who offer activity-based kids classes that help them develop the skills that matter most—all while having fun! These classes are expert-designed to help kids play the way we used to and to develop, grow and learn important skills. Parents and/or caregivers participate in these classes with the kids and get to (re)discover the wonder of being outdoors right along with their kids."

My 2 year old and I attended a free trial of a kindergarten class last week. The grass was wet from a storm the night before, so we wore appropriate shoes (well, I did, my toddler refused his sandals so he wore old shoes and his feet got wet). We arrived and met Kate, the cheerful instructor who immediately made us feel welcome and included. We put on name tags and my 2 year old was given a bucket and instructions to find "treasures". We found lots of buttercups, leaves, small sticks, and blades of grass that were apparently special to my son. After the initial gathering time, everyone gathered on a tarp and began the story time. We were told the story of "stone soup". Even though my son didn't seem to listen or understand the story, he followed the subsequent directions. The toddlers poured their treasures in a pot of water, stirred the "soup", and then gifted the soup to the flower fairies at the end. Amazingly enough, all the toddlers followed along as no major tantrums occurred. I'd say that's a success! Then snack time (which, thankfully Kate had extras because I left our snack in the car) and goodbye songs. We left with a special stone for my son to keep.

This class was so much fun. Just the perfect amount of time, perfect location, and awesome instructor. I realize the free trial classes are a bit different than the sessions of classes, but I think we got a good feel for the experience.

What we loved: email correspondence before and after class, location, time of day, Kate's cheerfulness, everyone felt included.

What we'd change: nothing!

Next 6-week class session for 18-month-olds to 3-year-olds (also in Forest Hills Park) starts May 12th and goes through June 16th. It's Thursday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Find out more and register at: https://www.tinkergarten.com/leaders/kate.macartney

(FTC disclosure: The blogger attended a free trial of the class so that she could review the park. The free trial was open to the public. No positive review was asked for or promised, and the opinions are the blogger's own.)

Friday, September 25, 2015

Hideaway Woods at Museum of Life and Science!

Today was the members only preview for the brand new, years in the making Hideaway Woods at Museum of Life and Science. MLS is a Durham institution and the addition of this magical playspace makes it even more wonderful. Here's what MLS has to say about their newest addition: "Hideaway Woods is a two-acre, forested learning environment featuring treehouses, a flowing stream bed, and fanciful nature sculptures. Connected by rope bridges, our treehouse village encourages you to flex your body and imagination all while viewing the world around you from a new perspective (up to 20 feet off the ground)." How can anyone resist that?

Hideaway Woods's entrance is next to where the water spout area used to be (that space is now the sandbox with diggers). There is a giant tunnel that goes underneath the train tracks, and although the train wasn't running today, I know it will make the train ride and walking underneath more fun than ever! A fence surrounds the entire play area, which makes it secure and safe.

Here's the big map at the entrance (sorry for the quality, it was raining so the map was covered by water). The map on their website has not been updated as of today.

The disclaimer on the sign notes "Dirt, bumps, and scratches are part of natural play and may happen here. Be aware of your children as they play." :)

As you leave the tunnel, you are greeted by cross sections of giant trees, hundreds and hundreds of years old, perfect to climb on.

To your right is Sweetgum Thicket, designed by local artist Patrick Doughterty, which lends itself immediately to imaginative play and hide and seek. It's created with bended branches and twigs, uniquely built just for MLS's space.

If you continue down that path, you'll reach the bathrooms which also have changing areas (as they wisely anticipated children getting wet - more on that soon!)

Adjacent to the bathrooms at the far back of the exhibit is an area still under construction that is fenced off. The rear of it meets with the train station, but it will only be a passageway for MLS staff. Eventually there will be a permanent gate only they can use. This was a smart idea because it prevents kids from running off to another area without their parents knowing (this is also how Into The Mist works).

As you continue around the path to the left, you'll see the area specifically built for children ages 6 and under, called "Young Explorers". There are logs to crawl in, a table with small wood pieces that can serve as a tea set, and a small "groundhouse" like the treehouses for the big kids except anchored to the earth. It's a lovely little area and surrounded by a fence so it's safety roped off from the busier spaces around it.

Next is the nature trail, complete with wooden and stone pathways, and a lot of hammocks. They call this the "Sensory Path" and "Sensory Ramble", behind "Lookout Landing". It's nice to be able to explore, as many wooded parts of MLS are understandably off limits. They do have signs warning that visitors should be aware of the possibility of snakes and bugs. This area is definitely accessible to people of all ages,

although not wheelchairs.

Inside the circular path you'll find a wonderful addition of water play with an accessible recirculating freshwater stream! It's a welcome compliment to Into the Mist because this is an even more refreshing way to beat the heat in the summer. Even in the rain and fall weather, there were kids in bathing suits and my own son filled his boots with creek water and joyfully got soaking wet immediately. Around 2 dozen children played in it at a time and all ages were having a blast although younger tots did need to hold hands. The creek is shallow in most spots and slightly deeper in others, never getting above 8 inches by my estimation. Complete with a miniature waterfall at top and rocks to hop on,

it truly was magnetic to everyone!

And finally, the pièce de résistance - the giant, interconnected treehouses reaching high up into the trees, just like in every child's dream (and probably a lot of us when we were that age)! 8 treehouses of varying designs are connected by rope bridges, wooden bridges, ladders, nets, and a spiral staircase. The treehouses are definitely big enough for adults but on busy days will surely be packed. I saw children from around 3 up climbing and it is easy enough for younger children to traverse, while still being fun for older kids. About halfway up there is a section with a bridge that is the only way to reach the highest houses, so people must take turns between those going up and those going down. It certainly created a bottleneck, but like everything at MLS was built with intention. I assume that they did this to slow the flow of traffic to the taller treehouses because there could be children who are not as confident going up and down in those areas, so if the population is somewhat reduced it gives them space to overcome their fears. At the top of most of these treehouses are little rooftops with peepholes to look down on Hideaway Woods. Although some of us had a little trouble traversing the rope bridges in larger rainboots (and flipflops could be problematic), it was relatively easy if you are in normal sneakers. Even in the rain, the wood was not slick and didn't feel unsafe. Bonus - there is an enclosed slide to bypass all the treehouses and get down to the creek quicker (and it is quick)!

There is just so much fun packed into one spot, and it's hard to believe that MLS got even bigger and better, but they did it once again!

The details:
Museum of Life and Science - Hideaway Woods Exhibit
433 W. Murray Avenue
Durham, NC 27704
Phone: (919) 220-5429
Tuesday–Saturday: 10am-5pm (fall and winter hours)
Members-only access at 9am Tues.–Sat.
Sunday: 12-5pm

FYI: It is a member only preview now and will open to all on September 29th.

What we liked: Hard to decide! I love how it's for kids of all ages, and how it's only got one entrance so you can corral your kids when it's time to go. Big changing rooms for wet kids are so welcome. Basically, it's a feast for the eyes and the senses and will be great in all seasons (but especially summer)!

What we would change: Can't think of anything at all!

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Grayson Highlands State Park

High Country Escape with Wild Ponies

discovered for Stir Crazy by Jocelyn Neal

Grayson Highlands State Park, located just over the border in Virginia, is my favorite camping spot and weekend getaway from the Triangle, almost too good a secret to share! I took my three kids, ages 8, 5, and 3, for a three-day, two-night car camping trip this summer, and the kids had a blast.

The park is known for its wild ponies, which graze in the high open meadows. Close to Mount Rogers, it features peaks over 5,000 feet, with spectacular views, and one of the most scenic stretches of the Appalachian Trail, which runs through the park and is easily accessible via short spur trails. The park is also horse-friendly, with camping areas and trails specifically designated for horses. As a destination for kids, the park has lots of amenities (including a playground), but my favorite feature is relatively short hiking trails (1.5-3 miles) that lead to really spectacular views, so the kids can get a full hiking experience and its rewards before their legs give out.

We camped at the park’s Hickory Ridge Campground, which has tent sites as well as full hook-ups for RVs. Reservations are taken through the on-line parks reservations system, and I chose a standard tent site (to be selected upon arrival). The campground is heavily wooded and quite nice, with standard picnic tables, a hanging post, campfire circle, and gravel tent pad. The tent pads are a tad small, and the campsites rather close together (don’t expect too much campsite privacy). Also, water spigots are not close to all the sites, which is a bit of a bother. The bath houses, with hot showers, are also small, but quite clean, and have a separate room with dish-washing sinks. We picked a site that backed into an open meadow of wildflowers – just about the prettiest “back yard” one could ask for, and my girls spent hours exploring the meadow and making a bouquet for our table. The campground also has a large-group camping area and an amphitheater.

The campground has a large open lawn with swings for the kids. The campground’s store is delightful! It stocks all the expected supplies one might have forgotten, plus some cute souvenirs, and a frozen slushy machine and ice cream bar freezer. The slushies were the perfect incentive for hiking: promises of getting to make their own slushies got the kids up those last few stretches of the hikes! The store also has a pile of toys – Frisbees, jump ropes, etc.—that can be checked out for free to keep the kids entertained in the campground. And of course ice and firewood are available for purchase (Virginia asks that campers not bring their own wood).

The park hosts a big music festival and several other events throughout the year, and so one section of the park is developed for day use, with swings, a big jungle-gym playground, huge open lawns, and historic buildings.

The park office, located near the entrance gate, has park maps and information available. The visitor’s center, located near the highest point in the park, has some lovely crafts for sale, a small museum with a great diorama showing the park’s animals including a black bear, and artifacts such as old weaving looms from the settlers who lived in the area. It’s well worth a visit, and the park rangers also have great suggestions for where to hike.

We hiked a loop consisting of the Rhododendron Trail, across the Appalachian Trail along Wilburn Ridge, and down the Appalachian Spur Trail. Even the three-year-old managed quite well. Park rangers in the Massie Gap parking area told us where the ponies had last been sighted, and we enjoyed watching two herds that we found on the hike. I could have spent all day just watching the ponies! We also did some bouldering while on the Appalachian Trail, which was my oldest’s favorite part of the trip.

We hiked the Cabin Creek trail to the waterfall, which was beautiful. And we hiked the Wilson Creek Trail that starts in the campground to see a couple of waterfalls. There were places where one could certainly wade and play in the creek.

We also hiked the Twin Pinnacles Trail, which is an easy loop departing from the Visitor’s Center. The half of the trail that leads to Little Pinnacle and then Big Pinnacle is spectacular. Views along the way are gorgeous, and there are a number of finds such as a tree perched on top of a four-foot boulder, with its roots wrapping all the way around the boulder. There were lots of rocky outcroppings along the trail that my oldest two scrambled up, delighted to be climbing all along the hike. The final stretch of the trail to Big Pinnacle winds around a somewhat steep set of stone steps laid in the trail (steep in terms of a hiking trail for a 3-year-old – adult hikers wouldn’t find this even remotely steep). But the kids persevered to the top, my littlest declaring that we were “hiking into the sky!” The rocky peak of Big Pinnacle, with views of Massie Gap and Mount Rogers, etc., was my youngests’ favorite part of the trip. I wish we had re-traced our steps on the way back, because the other half of the loop trail was just a walk through the woods – nowhere near as interesting as the first half of the trail.

The park is relatively high in elevation – Little Pinnacle is 5,084 ft.—and visitors are warned to be prepared for sudden changes in the weather, as major storms do roll through pretty regularly. All the trails we hiked had storm shelters and benches built along them, in most cases by boy scouts and girl scouts. The elevation also means that the park is a heavenly escape from summer heat! Remember to pack warm clothes, especially for the kids, as mine were happy to have long pants and hooded sweatshirts in the morning and evenings, even in July. And it’s in a fairly remote location, so pack and plan accordingly for self-sufficient camping. There is also no cell phone coverage at all throughout the park. Old-fashioned maps may be needed to get to and from the park, if you are used to navigating with your cell phone.

All in all, it was a fantastic camping trip with the kids, and I can’t wait to get back again.

What we liked: great camping with kid-friendly amenities and excellent kid-accessible hikes, wild ponies, spectacular views, and just over three hours from Durham.

What we’d change: the campground needs better access to water for campers, and the sites are a tad too close together for my preference. And two nights wasn’t long enough! But those are the tiniest of details in an otherwise amazing vacation.