Dowdy Park in Nags Head, NC

DSC_0057In May, we travelled to Nags Head for our annual trip with friends (and family this year, too) to run the Nags Head Preserve Yuengling 5k race. This year the race weekend coincided with the grand opening of Dowdy Park, located at the intersection of S Croatan Hwy & E Bonnett St. Near MP 12, the park sits on land that was once the home of Dowdy Amusement Park. Over the years, I remember driving by the abandoned theme park wishing someone would do something to clean up that area. It’s wonderful to see how land once used for fun and recreation has come full circle.

As a Raleigh resident, we are spoiled with parks and playgrounds around every corner. Though Nags Head has beautiful natural recreational areas (the beach, the dunes, the nature preserve), to say it needs more playgrounds is an understatement. Dowdy Park’s grand opening celebration and Artrageous Kids Festival was bustling with families, echoing the excitement for more outdoor parks.

DSC_0056Dowdy Park features several play areas where kids can jump, run, swing, climb and slide until their hearts are content! The older kid playground has wide wheelchair-accessible ramps to musical and periscope play items. The ramp connects to stairs for climbing higher along a net bridge or to the ground via a rock wall. The other side of the net bridge features challenging ladders, a climbing tree stump and a fast, twisty slide. A colorful climbing hill with curved bars, musical instruments, balance beams, surfboards, bench swing, and merry-go-round are also located nearby. With the large festival and park attendance, it was overwhelming to keep track of multiple kids bouncing between so many activities.

DSC_0074The smaller kid playground features short steps up to ramps connected to a double slide. All the kids thoroughly enjoyed the nearby rolling slide. They loved making rattling noises as they slid down the bumpy slide. Across from the small kid playground is a wheelchair-accessible ride. It allows folks in wheelchairs to reverse their chair onto a ramp and swing. And, a playground near the beach wouldn’t be complete without a little sand – just follow the sea turtle flipper prints! Short pier pilings line the sandbox area, which has a large climbing sea turtle in the middle.

DSC_0079Also near this area are hopscotch and twister games, checkers tables, another climbing hill, picnic tables and benches. On this particular day vendors lined the perimeter of the open green space area. Park-goers filled the open green space area watching the performances under the covered pavilion. Throughout the park you’ll find pieces of art, such as the nautilus stamps shells, temporary art pole exhibit, and wooden paintings. Even though Dare County is mostly known for its beaches, I’ve always been impressed with the local art scene. We’ve enjoyed local art galleries, shopping and art walks when they’ve overlapped with our vacation times.

Currently, small dunes, a split-rail fence and 20 yards of undeveloped park land separate busy the US-158 and sandbox area. According to the Town of Nags Head, phase 2 of development starts this fall for a garden, multi-use courts, restrooms and bocce ball court. It’ll be interesting to see how this area evolves over the years. And, I look forward to returning on a day that isn’t quite so busy.

Thumbs up: unique play areas, incorporating beach details into the park, accommodations for all ages and abilities, fun climbing hills and slides

Thumbs down: lack of shade

Sweetgum Swamp Trail in Nags Head, NC

IMG_5624Believe it or not, Nags Head has hills and I’m not talking about the sand dunes near the beach or at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.  During our annual end-of-summer Nags Head beach trip we decided to break up our beach days with a hike in the Nags Head Woods Preserve.  We also make an annual trip to the Nags Head Woods Preserve every May for the Yuengling 5k race, but we’ve never had time to explore the woods other than the gravel race trail we run.  I should’ve remembered how hilly that race can be and then better prepared myself (and family), but what fun would planning be?!

Nags Head Woods Preserve is located at 701 West Ocean Acres Dr on the sound side of US-158.  We like to use the local dive bar, Mama Kwans, as a reference point for where to turn from the main road when heading to the woods area.  And, turning by Mama Kwans makes us reflect on crazy silly late-night bar stories that involve Bill ordering a bottle of Veuve Clicquot because, “I’m getting a raise next week!”  But, I digress!

Follow West Ocean Acres Dr through a small residential area until you arrive on a gravel path, which you’ll continue on for 1/4 mile.  You’ll then see a sign for the Nature Conservancy and a small parking lot for the woods.  The Nature Conservancy owns and operates the Nags Head Woods Preserve, which is over 1100 acres of wetlands, dunes, ponds and marshes.  According to their website, “Working with the towns and other partners, The Nature Conservancy has succeeded in protecting this fragile ecosystem, overseeing both terrestrial and marine research and monitoring programs and providing trails for visitors to enjoy.”

After unloading in the parking lot, we walked up the boardwalk and the little ones scoped out the murky ponds while we decided on a trail to hike.  Being overly optimistic we decided on Trail #2 – the 2.25 mile Sweetgum Swamp Trail; with three little people (and only one carrier) and five big people we figured we could handle the trail.

IMG_5631So, we set off on the trail and before you knew it we were in a dense forest just minutes from the beach.  The unpaved trail is covered in pine needles, but well marked; Ashley was even able to follow the trail markings to stay on the path.  After heading straight for awhile, we climbed steps up a steep hill to what felt like the ridge of a mountain – the trees were shorter and all of a sudden we were walking down a sandy hill.  I quickly learned that kids love sand unless they have to hike through it.  After several moments of juggling kids on shoulders and in carriers and distractions of the colorful flowers, berries, and butterflies, the sandy trail base was replaced with the preferred compact pine needle trail.  We took a right to stay onto the looped portion of the trail.  Along the way we passed by several swamps (complete with croaking frogs), more steep hills with steps, spooky Charleston-like trees, and several different plant communities.  Halfway around the trail loop is access to Trail #3 (Blueberry Ridge), but we decided to save that trail for another time.

The second half of our hike consisted of more kid juggling on shoulders and in the carrier just so we could make it back to the parking lot in one piece.  There was a lot of kiddo melting down, but in their defense it was a hot morning and we had walked almost 2 miles by this point.  When we got back to the sandy portion of the trail (that was downhill on the way in), all I could do was laugh because I knew the kiddo melting down was headed to a new level as they had to climb the steep sandy hill.

But, we all survived and cheered enthusiastically when we saw the Visitor Center signs.  It really only took us about 1 1/4 hrs to complete this hike.  After getting very hot and sweaty from our hike we rushed over to the Bonzer Shack for a hearty lunch and much-deserved beers and milks!  Despite this hike being too strenuous for our girls, I look forward to coming back to explore other trails in the future – bring on the beach hikes!

Additional Resources:

Thumbs up: adventurous hike with lots of plant and pond life to see, contrasting landscape at beach, signage, well-maintained trail

Thumbs down: better suited for older children, hilly hike for toddlers

Jockey’s Ridge State Park

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For the first time in our 10 years of vacationing in Nags Head, we finally paid a visit to Jockey’s Ridge State Park.  Jockey’s Ridge is the tallest natural sand dune system in the eastern US.  It is located at 300 W. Carolista Dr in Nags Head (MP 12) on the sound side of HWY 158.  Having never been to a desert or sand dune park before, I was blown away by the massiveness of the dunes; if a herd of camels had passed by, I would’ve forgotten we were in NC!

Jockey’s Ridge sand dunes vary in height of 80 to 100 ft and is believed to have been formed when hurricanes or strong northeasters transported sand inland from offshore islands.  The rich history of this area started with the Algonquian Indians and was further explored by European settlers.  Jockey’s Ridge became an official NC state park in 1975 only after the strong efforts of Carolista Baum (read more about the history of Jockey’s Ridge).  Today, the non-profit group Friends of Jockey’s Ridge also provides support and brings awareness to the dunes.

IMG_8054Unfortunately, our visit to Jockey’s Ridge did not go as swimmingly as I would have liked.  As with most things I plan with two small children, my expectations exceed reality and this was one of those examples.  Knowing the sand is at least 10 degrees hotter than the outside temperature we got an early start to our trip and were in the parking lot area by 9:30am.  After a short stop inside the visitor’s center, Bill and I set off with both girls to find the top of the dunes.  We made our way to the end of the wooden walkway near the large group of visitors that were catching their breath from just coming off the dunes.  We followed some of the other visitors along the loosely marked Tracks in the Sand trail.  We made it up a few small hills and discovered several animal tracks, but on our way up the large dune our sweet 3yr old retreated down the hill exclaiming, “My legs are too tired!”  Rather than continue climbing with Claire in the carrier while Bill was 100 yards away on a work conference call (great reception, fyi) I scooped Ashley up and proceeded downhill.  Looking back, maybe this trip was a bit premature for this young group, but a little character building never hurt anyone; and, Ashley loooved recounting the story about how tired her legs were throughout dinner later that night!

I hope to make it back to Jockey’s Ridge for some solo hang gliding during our annual trip in May; the kiddos will have to enjoy my stories and pics instead of another first-hand experience!  I look forward to some family kite flying when everyone is at least 5 years old!

Thumbs up: gorgeous views (I bet they’re even better from the top)

Thumbs down: learning the hard way that my young children do not tolerate sand dunes

Bodie Island Light Station

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A month ago while we were in Nags Head on our family vacation, Claire and I headed south to Bodie (pronounced body) Island Light Station.  Bodie Island Light Station consists of a 200-step, 10-story lighthouse and keepers’ quarters turned visitor’s center.  It is run by the National Park Service and is located at 8210 Bodie Island Lighthouse Rd in southern Nags Head.  The NPS runs daily tours of the lighthouse, which are getting ready to end (although see the final full moon tour info on Wed., Oct 8).

Bodie Island was a quick 20 minute drive from our beach rental house so Claire and I arrived early in the morning, hoping to beat the crowds and score some climbing tour tickets.  After a quick stop in the visitors’ center, which houses historical information about the lighthouse, we learned they weren’t doing climbing tours due to the high heat index. It turns out according to their safety rules, I wouldn’t have been allowed to climb with Claire in the carrier anyways.  So we explored the grounds on our own starting with a walk along the boardwalk that stretches above the wetlands area.  It was a quick 5 minute walk between high grasses to the perch that overlooks the wetlands, giving breathtaking views.  I’d definitely recommend bringing babies and early walkers in a carrier; the park can accommodate strollers, but with the steady crowds a carrier would be easier.

IMG_0293After walking back we headed over to the lighthouse to talk to the NPS rangers.  We had a great conversation with the young rangers who shared some of their favorite facts about the lighthouse: 1) how the Confederate troops blew up the lighthouse to prevent Union troops from occupying it, 2) that the lighthouse still uses its original Fresnel lens from Paris and 3) how the lighthouse still aids in navigation today given its checkered history.  Despite the high heat index they still allowed visitors to climb a few steps to the first landing.  We explored the old oil storage rooms in the front and then took pictures of the amazing view up the heavy duty spiral staircase before heading out.

Since we visit Nags Head a few times each year, I’m anxious to get back to the lighthouse (without kiddos) to take the climbing tour and capture more amazing photos from inside.

Thumbs up: friendly and knowledgeable staff, beautiful views

Thumbs down: nothing to report, but keep in mind to call ahead of time about the status of climbing tours during the hot summer months

Whalebone Park in Nags Head, NC

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We love the beach, even for short three-day weekend trips!  About 9 years ago we started visiting Nags Head, NC with dear college friends for the Yuengling 5k race and it has turned into an annual trip that we look forward to each spring.  The race is always in early May, so it’s the perfect time to visit when rental prices are low and it’s not too busy.  This year as another fantastic weekend was coming to an end, we decided to stop at Whalebone Park on the way out of town.  It’s a park we’ve passed by several times when in town and finally made time for a visit, which was a quick and fun final stop before heading back to Raleigh.

Whalebone Park is located across from Jennette’s Pier and next to Sam & Omie’s restaurant at 7300 S. Virginia Dare Trail.  It has a large ship-themed playground for ages 5-12 with several ladders, hanging bars, monkey bars, and slides.  The playground ship is called the Theodosia Burr, named after the daughter of Vice President Aaron Burr who was supposedly murdered on board the Patriot pilot boat at Nags Head around 1812. More information is included in a small informational board at the playground.

There is also a smaller playground for ages 2-5 with monkey bars, teeter totters, climbing ropes, and a small climbing wall.  It also has some musical toys that are a great height for early walkers, one tot swing, which was broken, and one handicapped-accessible swing.

IMG_6447All of the play areas at this park are situated on the rubberized surface, but unfortunately there isn’t any natural shade, so on warm days like this one the heat was beating down on us and we couldn’t even put Claire down to play.  Ashley seemed pretty worn out from the weekend so she spent most of her time swinging.

Next to the playgrounds are some additional features: picnic tables with removable shade tarps (not up on this hot day), sand volleyball court, bocce ball, horseshoes, trash can covers with interesting art and funnel ball game.  So, while it was fun to explore a new park at the beach, it seems like this park would be better appreciated by year-round residents than tourists busy with all the other myriad beach activities.

Resources: previous posts on Nags Head featuring Manteo, Roanoke Island, Jennette’s Pier, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and NC Aquarium

Thumbs up: having a playground option at the beach, interesting trash can lid art, nautical-themed playgrounds, walkable from Jennette’s Pier or Sam & Omie’s or Dune Burger restaurants

Thumbs down: lack of shade, poor landscaping

NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island

img_1973Another part of our Nags Head vacation involved a rainy day trip to the NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island.  The aquarium is about 10-15 minutes from south Nags Head and is located near Dare Co airport on the northern side of Roanoke Island at 374 Airport Rd. Manteo, NC 27954.  Everyone joined us on this fun adventure, which proved to be a great time, even for the over 1-year old crew.  Being that it was a Sunday and after Labor Day, the crowds were small and we were able to walk briskly through the museum in about an hour.  The NC aquariums are a division of the  North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources and with admission fees of $8 for adults and free for kids under 2, it was a great deal for a rainy day event.

We started off checking out the inhabitants of the freshwater creeks and rivers, which included various fish, otters, alligators, and turtles.  Ashley was completely in awe of all these animals.  We then headed into the saltwater exhibits where the variety of animals exploded!  We saw dozens of fish, horseshoe crabs, stingrays (which you can touch), sea turtles (complete with an entire rescue exhibit), an octopus, sea urchins and so much more! One of the coolest exhibits was the stingray tank where you can lean over and feel the ray’s backs as they scoot around.

img_1992After the saltwater exhibits, we visited the 285,000 gallon, 81 degree Deep Ocean tank!  This fish tank is home to several different species of fish and sharks, including sand tiger sharks, sandbar sharks, nurse sharks and more!  We happened to arrive at the perfect time when a diver was swimming with the sharks and answering questions from the audience.  In addition to this program, there are several other interesting programs the aquarium offers.

After the Deep Ocean exhibit, we hit up the museum store to buy some fun souvenirs and then headed outside to explore the fossil hunt exhibit and take some fun pics on the sea turtle statues.  The aquarium overlooks the Croatan Sound, which would make a great picnic spot on a nice day.  There is also a small vendor on-site with food and drink options.  However, we headed back into Manteo to admire the docked boats and then to enjoy delicious beers and lunch at Full Moon Cafe & Brewery.  The food and atmosphere were the perfect combination for this first vacation day!

For photos of downtown Manteo near the water, check out my old post on Roanoke Island.

Thumbs up: variety of fish and animals at aquarium, diving with the sharks program, beautiful views of sound, lunch/beers at Full Moon Cafe & Brewery

Thumbs down: nothing to report

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

img_2050So, last September (yes, I’m super slack) we headed on our annual trip to Nags Head with family and friends.  This trip was super special because my aunt, who used to live in Charlottesville and now lives in CA, made a trip back east to spend the week with us.  Being that she used to be the one taking us on adventures to the beach when we were young it was nice to experience it with her again.

Since an 18 month old has a “beach” attention span of two entire hours, we realized we needed some other daytime activities to keep her occupied.  And, being that the last time I visited Hatteras was in 1989 when my family vacationed there before being evacuated due to Hurricane Hugo, it seemed a good time to explore the area again.

Driving south on NC 12 with the telephone poles and beach immediately to the east and marsh to the west brought back old memories of taking that trip with my family in our Dodge Caravan.  Luckily, Hatteras is only about 45 minutes from Nags Head, not the grueling six hours I remember when coming from VA.

After passing through all the small towns and coming into Hatteras we headed to the Cape Hatteras National Light Station and then the seashore nearby.  With this area once being nicknamed the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” it’s easy to imagine the importance of lighthouses for ships in the 1800s and 1900s.  The first Cape Hatteras lighthouse was constructed in 1803, but due to poor design and ineffectiveness a new lighthouse with the current black and white paint pattern was built in 1870.  The history of the lighthouse is vast, but since then it’s been a victim of sand erosion (compare being 1500ft from the shoreline in 1893 to just 70ft from the shoreline in 1980) and despite best efforts to “control” the erosion, the lighthouse was moved inland about 1500ft from the ocean in 1999.

img_2065The lighthouse is operated by the National Park Service and open to the public for walking tours during the summer months so for only $7 I climbed the 240+ spiral staircase steps while Bill and Ashley scoped out the grounds and toured the light keeper’s quarters.  As you can imagine, the stairway in the lighthouse is very narrow and rather steep, making two-way traffic crowded.  At each “floor” there is a landing pad to rest with windows providing great views.  But, the real views are when you get to the top of the lighthouse and skirt along the balcony.  The railing is about 4ft high, allowing for great picture taking and breath-taking views for miles, which reminded me of views from the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.  The park ranger at the top was helpful in answering questions and pointing out the old location of the lighthouse.

After leaving the lighthouse, we headed over to the beach access nearby to let Ashley out to play in the water.  The beach around Hatteras is much quieter and seemed to have much softer sand than at Nags Head.  In general, the area is fit for folks looking for a quieter beach trip.  On this particular day we thoroughly enjoyed the calmness of the beach and watching the shore fishing (especially the friendly guy who brought over his latest catch for Ashley to touch)!  In all, the Cape Hatteras trip was a perfect half-day trip and provided fun memories for our little growing family!

Thumbs up: Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, beautiful views, beach, quietness, peaceful drive through small towns

Thumbs down: Burger Burger in Hatteras was less than desirable for lunch

Visit to Nags Head & Roanoke Island

img_2019A few weeks ago we headed to Nags Head for our annual trip with friends for the Yuengling 5k Race. It’s my favorite trip we take every year and I love how we recounted old trips that weekend and were able to trace our first visit back to 2005. We’ve gone every year since except for a hiatus in 2009. Over the years the group has grown making it a lot of fun, but a few things remain the same: 8am race on Saturday followed by Yuengling beer truck, a trip through Brew Thru for CLs, orange crushes at Mulligans, time on the beach with the dogs, great local seafood, and hot tub time machine!

Here are a few pics of us on the beach on Saturday and just after the race:

Before we headed home on Mother’s Day Sunday, Bill and I explored Roanoke Island, home to over 400 years of amazing history.  We first drove through the small town of Wanchese and visited a local park, Ernest A “Pigum” Walker.  Then, we visited the other side of the island at Fort Raleigh and walked around the town of Manteo.  Roanoke Island is best known for being the place of the first English settlement and where the first child of English parents were born.  In addition, this was also the home to where escaped slaves lived during the Civil War.  The town of Manteo is a wonderful small town to visit with lots of great, local food, local breweries, and beautiful views of the sailboats on the water. I can’t wait to visit again and try the Full Moon Brewery, more local restaurants, a festival, and sailboat ride in Manteo and the Elizabethan Gardens near Fort Raleigh.

Thumbs up: large playground area, small shady spot under playground, history of Roanoke Island, shops and stores in Manteo, photo ops, views of the sailboats

Thumbs down: fire ants/mosquitoes at Walker Park, very slow service at Poor Richard’s sandwich shop in downtown Manteo

Jennette’s Pier

Last week I spent a wonderfully relaxing week with great friends and family in Nags Head.  Everyday was at least 85 degrees and sunny except for the last day, so my mom, sister, bro-in-law, Ashley and I decided to check out the newly renovated Jennette’s Pier at MP 16.5 in Nags Head.  For someone who isn’t interested in fishing, I fell in love with this pier!  From the magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean, to the history and science lessons scattered throughout the pier, to the spirit of the fishermen… you, too, will fall in love.

The pier, on property originally owned by the Jennette family, was first built in 1939 for $6,000 and extended 740 feet.  It collapsed in 1943 and was rebuilt after WWII in 1947.  Since then, there have been several repairs due to storms and hurricanes, most notably in 2003 when Hurricane Isabel came through and destroyed a large portion of the pier.  Before then, the Jennette family had sold the pier and then the NC Aquarium Society (a division of the NC Dept of Environmental and Natural Resources) purchased it in 2003.  Construction of the new pier began in 2009 and was finally completed earlier this year.

Before going onto the pier, you’ll pass through the main building, which contains the future aquarium, educational programs, and gift/convenience shop.  The shop is filled with children’s books, stuffed animals, and prepared food and drinks.  A digital tower highlights educational programs, daily temperature and tidal current info, fishing reports, and history about the pier.  There is no fee to walk onto the pier, but there is a suggested $2 donation.  The daily fishing rates are as follows: $12 adults, $6 children under 12.  Additional fishing fees can be found here.

The new pier cost $25 million and has 257 concrete piles installed between 35-45 ft deep.  The pier extends 1000 feet, where the water is about 25 ft deep.  It is a grand structure, to say the least.  As you walk along the pier, it’s easy to get lost in the conversation among the fisherman, the sounds of the crashing waves, and in the educational information about tidal currents, pier etiquette, wind power, marine mammals and birds, and surfing, to name a few.  You’ll also see fish plaques throughout the pier showcasing the various sponsors.  The sounds from the three wind-powered turbines support the pier’s “green” statement.

On the second story of the pier is a large reception room available to rent for private events.  It has a plasma TV, floor-to-ceiling fireplace, and gorgeous globe-like chandeliers.  The wrap-around porch with rocking chairs provides 270 degree views of the pier and ocean.  Chair sponsorships are also available.

So, next time you’re at the Outer Banks be sure to check out Jennette’s Pier with your family.  Whether you’re there to do some fishing or just exploring the pier, there is great fun for everyone!

Thumbs up:  beautiful views, educational programs, gift/convenience shop, informational boards throughout pier

Thumbs down:  nothing to report