biking

Exploring Forest Ridge Park in Raleigh, NC

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We’ve explored Forest Ridge Park a few times over the three years it’s been open and it never disappoints. Forest Ridge Park is such a great addition to our city’s mix of parks. It fills all the buckets: biking, playgrounds, open space, hiking, nature programs, fishing, and it has clean bathrooms.

Exploring the climbing spots at Forest Ridge Park in Raleigh, NC

Forest Ridge Park is located at 2100 Old NC 98 Hwy in north Raleigh along a finger of Falls Lake. The park features nearly 600 acres of parkland with multi-use trails, a community center, playgrounds, a sand pit area for fossil digging, nature programs, mountain biking trails, and fishing.

Playgrounds

Just off the main parking lot are the large playgrounds, picnic shelters, open green space, bathrooms and wildlife garden. These areas are surrounded by a paved loop trail, which can be perfect for incorporating some biking into your outing. The playground for older kids features challenging climbing walls and ropes, zip-lining, tall slides, spinning chairs, swings, and balancing pieces. Most of the older-age playground’s features are connected, making it a super fun place to play “the floor is lava.”

The smaller-age playground features fun climbing walls, steps and ladders, single and double slides, and riding dinosaurs. Extra picnic tables with umbrellas are also conveniently located close to the playgrounds.

Trails

The paved loop trail surrounding the playgrounds is 1/4 mile long, contains a bike repair station, and has a fossil hunting sandpit in one corner. There’s also a large open green space in the middle perfect for pick-up sports and frisbee. When my youngest daughter started riding her pedal bike, this easy, flat loop helped build her biking confidence. The mountain biking trails are accessible along this paved loop trail as well. The few times we visited the park the mountain biking trails were closed because of wetness, so just check the status before coming.

The park’s hiking trails are located near the intersection of Old NC 98 Hwy. According to the interactive park map, the trails vary from 1/3 mile to 1.5 miles long, and are either natural or gravel. Visitors can fish from the Falls Lake shoreline by following the multi-use trail. We haven’t yet explored the hiking trails, but with so many and the close proximity to Falls Lake shoreline, I bet they’re easy, fun and packed with views.

Nature Programs and More

The Forest Ridge Park welcome center also provides explorer and art backpack loaner equipment for children and adults, along with nature programs. A quick search of upcoming winter programs showed several with spaces still available:

  • Animal Survival (program barcode 263391 and 263392)
  • Bike Maintenance course (program barcode 263395)
  • Jakes & Jennies Young Explorers (program barcode 263414)
  • Make & Take Blue Bird Boxes for Adults (program barcode 263418)

Thumbs up: challenging climbing areas, biking options, easily accessible bathrooms, plentiful picnic spots, variety of hiking trails, fun zip lining feature

Thumbs down: nothing to report

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Tybee Island, GA

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Back in April our family camped in Tybee Island, GA for Spring Break and it was awesome. It was our first real Spring Break trip as a family and it couldn’t have gone better. When planning our trip we wanted to go somewhere new to us, warm, inexpensive, and within 6 hours away. After researching some options, we landed on Tybee Island, GA. Having never visited nearby Savannah, we longed to visit Charleston’s cousin and get to a beach. After an extremely cold and long Raleigh winter filled with colds and flu, we were super excited to get out of Raleigh.

Tybee Island, GA

Rivers End Campground & RV Park

We stayed four nights (our longest stretch) at Rivers End Campground & RV Park located in the northern area of Tybee Island. As I’ve commented to other people this was the first vacation where I had little parenting to do. The campground was super family-friendly, so we felt very comfortable letting the girls ride their bikes around the campground. They buddied up with kids of similar ages next to us and biked miles of circles around our campsites. Even after dark they’d swoosh by us giving a “Hi” so we could catch a glimpse of their glowstick contrails.

The campground (located in a residential area) featured spacious parking areas, mature palmetto trees, a cute camp store, and easy beach access. The nearby beach was very deep and not busy, making it fun and private. Though the water was freezing, the warm weather didn’t stop the girls from swimming on sunny days.

Being located in a residential area, we enjoyed family bike rides through the quiet streets. We even biked up to the busy sidewalks along US-80 to explore the local shops, coffee bars, and restaurants. One evening we biked to Huc-a-Poo’s dive bar, which had a great laidback atmosphere, a fine selection of craft beers, and super friendly waiters.

Exploring Savannah, GA

The first morning in town we packed up and drove the short 25 minutes to Savannah. First, we visited the Owens-Thomas House, which was built in 1816 as an urban plantation home. In 1830, George Owens, the mayor of Savannah, purchased the home for his family. The home stayed in the Owens family for over 100 years until it opened to the public in 1954.

We toured the home which lasted about 45 minutes. The tour focused on the 1830-1840 time period when George Owens’ family first lived in the home. We learned about life on an urban plantation, including a glimpse into a working cellar, the interaction with the slaves who were mostly female, and entertaining during that time. 

After the tour we walked a few blocks to Broughton St for lunch and beers at Savannah Seafood Shack. On the way, we enjoyed walking through the squares and taking pictures with the oaks draped in spanish moss. At the restaurant, the girls devoured crab legs and french fries while Bill and I crushed the low country boil lunch portions. Then we headed down the street for some famous Leopold’s Ice Cream. We’re not usually the touristy crew who waits in line for 45 minutes, but it was hard to pass up an ice cream shop that has been around for nearly a century. We all got a kick out of the old diner decor and thought the ice cream was scrumptious. I enjoyed the lavender flavor, while Bill chose caramel and the girls devoured mint chocolate chip.

For our last stop of the day, we walked over to Webb Military Museum. Though Gary Webb started the museum only about two years ago, he’s collected military artifacts for decades. He passionately greeted us at the front desk and spoke openly about his love of history. He shared about his mother’s childhood living in London during World War II and how that opened the door for his military passions.

The self-guided museum took us about 30 minutes to walk around. We saw interesting artifacts from the Civil War to Desert Storm across all branches of the military. Ashley was very intrigued by the old photos and clothing, while Claire mostly slept on my shoulder. Though the museum is small, it was neat to see a private collection of artifacts in such a personal setting.

Tybee Island Dolphin Watching

Wanting to get out on the water, we booked a dolphin cruise through Captain Derek’s Dolphin Tours. Based on Yelp reviews, the chances of seeing dolphins seemed pretty good. Not only did we see dolphins up close, but we also saw mothers swimming with their newborn calves. The calves were so tiny, but the experience was so amazing!

 

While out on the water, the first mate shared some history of the area including the Cockspur Island Lighthouse and adjacent Fort Pulaski. The lighthouse miraculously stands in the middle of the South Channel of the Savannah River. Originally built in 1839 as a daymarker to note the entrance of the South Channel, the lighthouse has seen its fair share of destruction – man and nature imposed. The lighthouse is currently closed to visitors, but a trail provides access from nearby Fort Pulaski, or kayak in to get a closer look.

Fort Pulaski

After seeing Fort Pulaski by boat we wanted to explore the fort closer by land. Fort Pulaski is located between the North and South Channels of the Savannah River at US Highway 80.  Similar to Fort Macon in NC, Fort Pulaski is part of the third-system forts built to protect against international harm. Robert E. Lee helped construct Fort Pulaski named after Casimir Pulaski, a Polish war hero remembered for aiding America during the Revolutionary War, especially during the Battle of Savannah. The fort was made of over 25 million bricks, mostly constructed in Savannah, but also shipped in from Maryland and Virginia. The brick walls reach over 20 feet high and up to 11 feet thick in some places. After construction completed in 1847, the fort saw no action until the Civil War.

After Georgia seceded in February 1861, Confederate troops moved into the fort in anticipation of a possible attack. Union forces occupied nearby Tybee Island in November 1861, with only the Savannah River separating the two opposing sides. In April 1862, firing started between the fort and Tybee Island. The Union’s rifled cannons proved too much for the fort and the Confederate troops surrendered after 30 hours. The fort served as a prison for the rest of the war.

After the war, the Army Corps of Engineers modernized the fort with tunnels and passageways. The fort also became a destination on the Underground Railroad for slaves seeking freedom. In 1933 the National Parks Service began restoration of the fort, and it opened to the public in 1964.

When visiting the park, don’t forget to stop in the Visitor Center. It features several exhibits about the fort including a short film documentary. The girls enjoyed running up and down the large fort passageways and seeing various rooms restored to reflect specific periods of time. No visit is complete without climbing to the top-level to realize the massiveness of the fort. It’s hard to imagine anyone or thing successfully penetrated it.

After exploring the fort, we drove to the picnic area for a quick lunch before heading out on our bikes through the trails around the park. We biked along the flat paths to see the North Pier, the John Wesley Memorial and armament. We also found an unmarked path near the North Pier that led to a remote shoreline along the North Channel of the Savannah River. In true explorer fashion, the girls roamed around the shore picking up interesting shells and noting tracks in the sand.

Downtown Tybee Island

Having spent most of our time in and around Savannah, we wanted to explore more of Tybee Island after Fort Pulaski. After not finding any parking at the Tybee Island Light Station, we continued south into Downtown Tybee Island. We parked near the pier and headed into the Tybee Island Marine Science Center before closing time. Though it’s a small science center, it features lots of interesting fish and creatures. The girls loved interacting with the touch tank, seeing the turtles, and watching the jellyfish. The center regularly holds beach walks where you meet a scientist on the beach for more hands-on fun. If we hadn’t just spent all morning at the fort, we definitely would’ve done the beach walk.

After the marine science center we walked along the main pier, which was super touristy. We were amazed at all the people swimming and sunbathing on such a windy day. Following our very short pier walk, we walked into downtown for a quick ice cream cone before heading to our more-preferred North Tybee Island location.

As we packed up on the Monty Winnie on the last day we wished we had one more night – a great sign of a fun-filled trip. Though the drive was a long slog down I-95, being on the beach after a drawn-out winter was just what we needed! Now that it’s time to start planning for next Spring Break, I wonder what we’ll do 😉

Thumbs down: touristy nature of downtown Tybee Island area and along Savannah waterfront

Thumbs up: walkability and history of Savannah, quiet/residential area of North Tybee Island, everything about Rivers End Campground, beautiful water views of the Savannah River, remote areas of Fort Pulaski, Tybee Island Marine Science Center’s easy and affordable access

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Emerald Isle, NC

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After last summer’s sudden Bonner Bridge electric cable mishap cancelled our family vacation to Cape Hatteras we quickly jumped on a back-up plan and landed in beautiful Emerald Isle, NC. Having never visited Emerald Isle before we weren’t sure what to expect, but we were all blown away by the tranquility of the beach, beauty of the area, and convenient day excursions. Whether your family wants slow-down time at the beach or adventure at local parks, aquariums, or museums Emerald Isle has it all!

Fort Macon State Park

North Carolina has a long history of trying to protect its coastal harbors. Successive wars with Great Britain, France, Spain and pirates in the 18th and 19th centuries prompted the United States government to beef up its national defenses. After the War of 1812 the United States further improved its defenses with a string of Third System forts. Fort Macon was part of this system.

Fort Macon State Park is located at 2303 East Fort Macon Rd in Atlantic Beach, NC at the eastern end of Bogue Banks. Brig. Gen. Simon Bernard designed the fort and the US Army Corp of Engineers built it. Construction on Fort Macon began in 1826 and finished in 1834. They named the fort after statesman, Nathaniel Macon.

The Confederacy took over the fort at the start of the Civil War. In 1862, a year later, Brig. Gen. John G. Parke’s Union forces bombarded the fort using new rifled cannons. Col. Moses J. White and his Confederate troops surrendered and were held as prisoners of war. The Union army held control of Fort Macon for the remainder of the war and used it for coaling and naval repair.

After the Civil War, the fort served as a prison and then used again briefly in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. The fort became abandoned in the early 1900s until the state of NC purchased it in the 1920s. The State restored the fort and area and opened it as a state park in 1936. During World War II it was used as a lookout station for German U-boats.

Fort Macon State Park is surrounded on three sides by water. Though we didn’t explore much beyond the fort, the park features hiking trails and recreational beach areas. We spent some time inside the visitor center exploring the kid-friendly ecology exhibits before heading to the fort.

The actual fort itself is a pentagonal-shaped structure made of bricks and stone. It has an outer ring of defense, the covertway, and an inner citadel ring. A large grassy ditch separates the two areas. The inner citadel features 26 casements, many of which have been renovated to showcase different periods from the fort. The girls loved going into the different rooms and running in the tunnels. We visited nearly all the exhibits on our own, while Bill attended the guided tour, which they provide daily.

We climbed the stairs in the corners of the fort to access the top, where we saw beautiful views of the water and more closely saw the cannons. The ground is rather uneven and there aren’t guardrails at the top, so we closely monitored the littles’ movements. Overall, it was breathtaking to explore such a historic place.

NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort

After visiting Fort Macon State Park we took a short drive into Beaufort. Years ago an impending hurricane thwarted our long weekend trip to Beaufort. Thrilled to try again, we first stopped for ice cream in downtown Beaufort. After filling the girls with ice cream, we walked a few blocks to the NC Maritime Museum.

The NC Maritime Museum was much more kid-friendly than I anticipated. The girls loved finding hidden items in the scavenger hunt. The museum features exhibits on lighthouses, seafood industry, motorboats, marine life, history of boating, artifacts from Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge, and more. I look forward to visiting one of the two other NC Maritime Museums when we visit those areas.

NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores

Inevitably you’ll have at least one rainy beach day. For our rainy beach day we headed to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores located at 1 Roosevelt Blvd on the Bogue Banks. This aquarium is similar to the NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island in that it features indoor and outdoor exhibits. The girls especially loved seeing the owls, sea horses, sea turtles, and jellyfish. The aquarium features a large touch tank, scuba diving tank, imaginary sea turtle rescue and toddler play area.

After being inside, we walked along the nature trail to see the snake exhibit and watch the egrets over the water. Then, the girls spent a lot of time exploring the outdoor play area. They loved climbing the rope ladder, swinging on the tire swing and flying down the slide. Overall, I thought this aquarium had more interesting animals and exhibits than the aquarium on Roanoke Island.

Hiking & Biking in Emerald Isle

We brought our bikes to the beach and I’m so glad we did! We were able to hop onto our bikes from our house and get onto a divided bike path and bike for miles in either direction. The bike path runs 11 miles from Indian Beach to the Point at Bogue Inlet. One morning I biked about 4 miles down to the Point and felt as if I entered a natural beach preserve. The beach extended for at least 50 yards with beautiful crystal water everywhere, justifying the nickname, “Crystal Coast”.

Along my bike ride I passed a beer shop, the Holiday Trav-L-Park RV Resort and Emerald Isle Woods Park. Bill and I biked back to the beer shop for a mini day-date and added the RV Resort to our short list of campgrounds. Another day we returned with the family to Emerald Isle Woods Park. Emerald Isle Woods Park is located on the sound-side at 9404 Coast Guard Rd, just past where Route 58 turns to the mainland. This park features disc golf, hiking and birding trails, picnic pavilions and boating for beautiful sound access.

We hiked a short 1.0 mile loop trail that started at the main trailhead and followed blue trail markers along a twisty, loopy unpaved trail. We passed over bridges and saw green swampy areas full of croaking and bird calls. Eventually we came to a boardwalk that extended into the sound and it was a beautiful sight! The girls spotted oysters and crabs in the brackish water – a great ecological find! Though the trail signage was not great, we eventually made it back to the car with a beautiful appreciation of the hidden sights we saw.

Thumbs up: beauty of the beach, friendliness of Morehead City ER (true story for another time), hiking/biking opportunities, day excursions, great museums and parks, tranquility at the Point, photo ops

Thumbs down: nothing to report

Fort Macon State Park Gallery

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NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores

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Hiking at Emerald Isle Woods Park

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Neuse River Trail MP 26.25 to 27.5 & Town of Clayton Greenways

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claytongreenway - 49Over Memorial Day weekend, my sweet in-laws watched the girls while Bill and I enjoyed a biking and beers day date. Wanting to explore a new (to us) portion of the greenway, we headed to the southern portion of the Neuse River Trail near the Wake/Johnston County border. In all, we biked 15-miles (out and back total), crossed two counties, followed a river, detoured around an unpassable bridge, passed a historic bridge, and saw some art before grabbing beers at Deep River Brewing – a pretty awesome afternoon!

We parked in the greenway access parking lot at 6008 Mial Plantation Rd and turned left heading south toward Johnston County. We immediately crossed under Mial Plantation Rd bridge and passed the MP 26.25 sign. The trail is mostly flat with beautiful views of the rural fields separated by white split-rail fence. Shortly after, we biked past the Wake/Johnston Co line at MP 27.5, creating a fun selfie spot. The Town of Clayton maintains the greenway past the Wake County line with a portion of it affiliated with the East Coast Greenway.

Clayton River Walk on the Neuse

claytongreenway - 19Continuing on Clayton’s greenway (technically called Clayton River Walk on the Neuse), we arrived at the Riverwood neighborhood where we found the bridge damaged and unpassable. At the time we didn’t see signage showing a detour route so I jumped onto the Town of Clayton website. I learned that last fall’s Hurricane Matthew caused near record flood levels for the Neuse River and took out the bridge. The town’s website shows a detour route through the Riverwood neighborhood that adds an extra five minutes via biking. The Town of Clayton is currently working with FEMA to replace the bridge, and there is no estimated completion timeframe.

claytongreenway - 33After biking the hilly detour through the neighborhood we met up with the trail and continued south. The trail remains mostly flat and sunny with clear views of the river. We passed a large sandy access spot for the river, complete with benches. Then, we biked under Covered Bridge Rd with a history that dates back to 1863 when it was first commissioned as a ferry replacement. Historians believe the bridge was covered around 1883 and most recently replaced in its current concrete form in 1980.

Shortly after passing Covered Bridge Rd, we passed MP 31 and crossed a large pedestrian bridge over the Neuse River. We enjoyed seeing so many benches and picnic tables donated by the Rotary Club of Clayton. About 1/2 mile later, we made a sharp right turn through a construction zone to stay on Clayton’s greenway, officially called Sam’s Branch Greenway at this point. 

Sam’s Branch Greenway

claytongreenway - 39After safely maneuvering through the sand and dirt construction zone, the 1.25-mile paved trail leads away from the river towards North O’Neil St. Along the way we passed beautiful community art displays of hand-painted wooden fish. Then we biked by a public art garden featuring butterfly-shaped bike racks, benches, totem pole and a little free library. The trail also showcases information signs about forest animals in the area before passing a developing neighborhood and ending at a large greenway access parking lot at 1358 N O’Neil St.

Even though N O’Neil St is one of the main arteries leading to downtown Clayton (and Deep River Brewing) we aren’t adventurous enough to bike on main roads yet. So, we turned around and biked the 7.5 mile return trip to Mial Plantation Rd. We noticed better detour signage around the damaged bridge on our way home.

Despite the detour and construction we passed, it’s pretty amazing you can bike nearly 33 miles one-way from Falls Lake Dam to Sam’s Branch Greenway trailhead. With greenway connections to the Town of Knightdale (via Mingo Creek Trail) and future connections to the Town of Wake Forest greenways, people all over the area have so much access to outdoor adventures.

Helpful References

Milepost Points of Reference

  • Falls Lake Dam – MP 0.0
  • Mial Plantation Rd greenway parking – MP 26.25
  • Wake/Johnston County line – MP 27.5
  • Covered Bridge Rd & Clayton River Walk on the Neuse trailhead – MP 31
  • Sam’s Branch Greenway trailhead – MP 32.5

Thumbs up: donated benches and picnic tables sprinkled along the way, public art displays, scenic views along river, greenway access points, jurisdictional connections

Thumbs down: detour signage coming from the north, construction zone near intersection of Clayton River Walk on the Neuse and Sam’s Branch Greenway

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Mingo Creek Trail MP 0 to 2.25

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IMG_8407Looking for a fun family bike ride over the holiday weekend? Discover the Mingo Creek Trail of Knightdale where it features flat rides, long causeways and interesting creek life!

We love finding new (to us) greenway sections to explore, so we headed to Anderson Point Park to access the Mingo Creek Trail. Mingo Creek Trail is part of the Town of Knightdale’s greenway system that connects from the Neuse River Trail. We parked in the large parking lot (just outside the main entrance to Anderson Point Park) and biked north on the Neuse River Trail.

We shortly passed MP 17 for the Neuse River Trail and then turned right, following signs for Mingo Creek Trail. Then, we winded up a paved path before biking across the Neuse River. The trail eventually led to a clearing with residential homes on one side and railroad tracks on the opposite side. Around MP 1, the trail’s gradual hill leveled out to the Princeton Manor neighborhood at the Hodge Rd intersection.

IMG_8426We maneuvered through the neighborhood sidewalks and carefully crossed Hodge Rd to continue on Mingo Creek Trail. Shortly after, we biked along the half-mile causeway, which was sandwiched between marshy areas and residential homes. We stopped on the causeway to watch the turtle and duck families sunning in the water. A great heron (or egret) also caught our eye.

Eventually we biked under the I-540 bridge and turned around at the Lynnwood Rd Connector at MP 2.25. Knowing we’d have a 2.25-mile return trip, we enjoyed a picnic on the side of the trail before calling it a successful ride. I hope to bring the girls back to finish biking this trail over the summer where it ends at Mingo Creek Park.

Thumbs up: easy to read Town of Knightdale greenway map with incremental markings and mileage table, connection to the larger Neuse River Trail for longer rides, interesting wildlife viewing in marsh, great family bike ride, sunny bridges and causeways make for great photo ops

Thumbs down: lack of signs made maneuvering through neighborhood near Hodge Rd confusing

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Forest Hill Park (Richmond, Va)

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forest hill parkLast fall we headed to Richmond for a little man’s 1st birthday party. Before the big party we headed with friends and all our littles to Forest Hill Park in Richmond, Va. Forest Hill Park is located south of the James River at 4021 Forest Hill Ave. It features an amazing farmers market open during the summer and fall months, paved walking trails, playgrounds, a pond, unpaved bike trails through the woods, wide open fields, picnic shelters and tennis courts. If you’re looking for a fun morning outing for the family, this is the place!

Once an estate owned by different families and then an amusement park, the City of Richmond bought the land in 1933 and turned it into the present-day urban park. They preserved some of the old stone buildings including the circa 1840s Stone House and old stone gazebo with fire pits by the pond that once served as a warming hut for ice skaters.

DSC_0163Farmers Market, Trail Walking & Pond

During our visit we parked at the northern entrance along New Kent Ave and first walked through the farmers market. We visited with the woolly sheep, watched a short acrobatic demo, bought coffee and donuts, and admired the local artisan’s goods. We enjoyed our breakfast goodies at the old brick shelter near the entrance and then walked down the adjacent paved loop trail.

The loop trail starts off wide and downhill, and surrounded by dense forest. The beautiful morning sun casted warm glows and soft textures – perfect for documenting our walk with the little babes and friends. The kids enjoyed watching mountain bikers hit the trails in the woods. We walked to the hexagonal stone shelter (formerly a warming hut for ice skaters) near the pond so the kids could feed the ducks. After exhausting our bread supply, we continued walking along the flat trail that soon shifted uphill. Near the top of the hill the trail narrowed as it opened to large rolling fields. We meandered along the trail passing picnickers and large, sparse oak trees until we arrived at the playground.

Playground

DSC_0222The playground features two play structures divided by age group and swings for all ages. The younger child playground contains slides, a spiral ladder, and nearby teeter totters. The older child playground contains steeper slides, arched ladders, double “racing” slides, monkey bars and zipline. The kids loved racing each other down the slides and swinging across the monkey bars. The playground’s hardwood mulch surface lessened the monkey bar falls. The original 1840s Stone House, picnic tables and tennis courts are also just a short walk away. 

After a long time on the playground, we continued on the trail back to the parking lot. Though we walked about 1.5 miles, the full loop trail is about 3.2 miles. The northern section of the trail connects to the Reedy Creek Trail and feeds into the much larger James River Park System. The James River Park System contains acres of shoreline for fishing, biking, running, walking, rafting, and canoeing. I’m excited to explore the river during my next trip to Richmond and see first-hand its importance to the large biking and running community of Richmond.

Thumbs Up

beautiful scenery, open fields, playground features, variety of vendors at farmer’s market, wide trails, preserved stone buildings

Thumbs Down

lack of restrooms near playground

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Biking To & Around North Wake Landfill District Park

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IMG_6714If you can’t tell by the themes of some of my latest blog posts, biking has been our family’s new passion.  Having a bike hitch, bike trailer and at least one child biking on her own really opens up the family bike outings to beyond the driveway or cul-de-sac.  Even though Bill is usually the one to strap the bikes onto the hitch and gather all the gear, I’ve made it a point to learn how to do it on my own in hopes that I could take the girls out by myself.  Feeling rather confident about strapping all the bikes onto the hitch, remembering all the gear and snacks, I took the girls for a bike ride on Abbotts Creek Trail one summer morning in August.

For this trip, we parked at our tried and true parking lot at 10888 Bedfordtown Dr in the Bedford neighborhood.  After biking down the access path we turned right on the Neuse River Trail.  We then turned right onto the beginning of Abbotts Creek Trail.  We biked past the blue heron habitat and over a large wooden walkway before coming to Falls River Ave.  There wasn’t any obvious directional signs for how to stay on the greenway, but remember my past time on this trail, we turned left on the sidewalk of Falls River Ave.  After mostly walking our bikes up the hill, we then made another left to stay on Abbotts Creek Trail, which continues to be more hilly than the first portion of the trail.  Ashley walked her bike up several of the hills, but made up for it on the downhill portions of the trail. After about 1/2 mile of riding we turned left into the entrance of the North Wake Landfill District Park and biked/walked up the steep trails to the playground area where the girls ran around and climbed like monkeys for over an hour.

IMG_6703The bike ride back to the car was successful and even a bit adorable as my stop-and-smell-the-flowers daughter took advantage of light greenway traffic with her simultaneous bike ride swaying and singing.  Despite the hot weather, the girls made the trip so much fun and were so patient with me as I carefully installed the bike equipment back onto the car.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when we headed back to the landfill park (9300 Deponie Dr, just off Durant Rd) with our bikes, but this time we drove in and parked at the playground and rode our bikes around the road surrounding the big hill.  The road around the hill has been updated from a two-lane car road to a two-lane road with one dedicated bike/pedestrian lane and a one-way car lane.  The road is about 1 1/2 miles long and a short median separates the bike/pedestrian lane from the car lane and has several pedestrian crossing areas.

DSC_0220We biked to the bottom of the trail that leads to the top of the landfill, parked our bikes and walked to the top.  I’m the only one in our family who has ever been to the top of the landfill, so I was excited to share the views with everyone.  The little ones took turns exclaiming their discomfort for walking up the hill, but it’s such a short walk (less than 1/4 mile) that they pushed through it.

Even though it was a cloudy morning, we could still see some downtown Raleigh buildings.  The beautiful blue sky poked through, which gave great contrast to the super lush grass on top of the mountain.  The girls loved being up so high and enjoyed playing photographer with my new big camera. We had the top of the hill to ourselves that morning, making it a really fun family outing!

With the girls being a bit older now, we really were able to utilize this park for all its assets – greenway access, advanced climbing features on playground, and large open spaces.  I look forward to bringing them back when they’re much older to explore the mountain bike skills course. It’s hard to imagine this place was once a fully functioning landfill.

Thumbs up: park located along the greenway, great playground areas with variety of features, separated two-lane road around landfill hill, clean and fully functioning restrooms

Thumbs down: poor signage along Abbotts Creek Trail at Falls River Ave

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Neuse River Trail Beach – MP 4.5

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IMG_6510Last summer Bill and I biked by this “beachy” section of the Neuse River Trail and vowed we’d make it back with the kids on a bike ride someday.  That someday was this summer, with Ashley leading the pack on her big girl bike and Claire chomping on snacks in the bike trailer.    The Neuse River Trail is our favorite spot for family bike rides with young kids because the trail is relatively flat and wide with several parking spots along the way making it easy to break your ride into small chunks.

For this bike ride we parked at the trail parking lot in the Bedford neighborhood at 10888 Bedfordtown Dr, biked down the access path and turned right onto the Neuse River Trail heading south.  We followed the greenway for about 2 miles before coming to milepost 4.5 where there’s an oxbow in the river that has created a wider sandy spot along the river bank.  Note: if you don’t want to bike/run the 2 miles, you can park closer to the oxbow at 6100 Thornton Rd and bike/run 1/2 mile. We parked and locked our bikes in a grassy spot off the greenway and walked down to the beachy area with our picnic supplies and towels (everyone already had
bathing suits on).
splashing in the neuse river beachIt hadn’t rained recently so the beachy area was actually wider and longer than I’ve seen it at other times and the river flowed slowly.  The water was pretty warm except in the middle of the river, which was over our heads in several spots.  We didn’t bring life jackets with us and the water wasn’t very clear so the girls mostly played near the shore line looking for tadpoles, playing in the sand/mud, or splashing in the water with the other young family that was there.  While we were there a few paddle boarders passed by including a father and young daughter out for a ride (next summer’s bucket list goal).

After playing in the water for awhile we enjoyed our picnic lunch on the beach before heading back to the car.  The bike ride north was a bit more uphill than the ride out, but the girls kept their cool and did great.  I look forward to returning to this secret spot again next summer!

Helpful Hints:

  • Wear shoes good for getting wet in the river
  • Bring life jackets for little ones
  • Be conscious of recent rains before coming out; river levels may be too high to safely play
  • Bring towels and small sand buckets
  • Parking options: 10888 Bedfordtown Dr (2 miles away) or 6100 Thornton Rd (1/2 mile away)

Thumbs up: fun bike ride/swimming activity, exploring the shore line for tadpoles and fish, lots of shady spots, very private area where you can’t see the beach from the greenway

Thumbs down: water was murky so be careful when swimming

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Celebrating a 5-year Old & the Top 5 Bike Riding Parks for Preschoolers

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IMG_4304And, just like that, I have a 5-year old daughter!  Lately, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the past 5 years and this birthday is hard to accept.  This birthday means the kindergarten milestone is just around the corner in August and it’ll be her first birthday I can’t share with my mom.  My baby is really growing up and it’s hard to put into words what this birthday means other than I’m just so proud of the smart, independent, fun, and crazy lego-building-tutu-wearing-acrobatic girl she has become.

Speaking of acrobatics, Ashley has fallen in love with bike riding.  We went the balance bike to two-wheel bike route and it really worked for her.  She was highly motivated to keep up with the bigger girls on our street and loves to ride in the nearby culdesac.  With intentions of taking her on the greenway soon, we’ve been exploring different parks in the area to get her more comfortable with riding (and most importantly, braking)!  Here are our top 5 favorite local parks for bike riding:

  1. IMG_3813Isabella Cannon Park (central Raleigh, ITB) – has a great 1/4 mile loop with nearby playground for younger ones to enjoy; I feel safe letting her ride by herself on the loop because I’m close enough to run to her on foot if she falls while also keeping an eye on Claire at the playground
  2. Anderson Point Park (east Raleigh) – has a mix of flat and gentle hills in a 2/3 mile paved loop; great biking spot to teach them about being alert and staying on the right side of the trail because there is steady bike/foot traffic; provides a great family bike ride option where you can pull younger children in the bike trailer and/or connect to the nearby Neuse River and Crabtree Creek greenways
  3. E. Carroll Joyner Park (Wake Forest) – fun advanced spot for little bike riders!  This park has lots of gentle rolling hills and open trails offering clear views of the traffic ahead.  With nearly three miles of paved trails, there are different loops of varying distances and scenery to practice riding and enjoy.  The trail that follows the perimeter of the park crosses the main entrance road into the park, allowing for good practice at stop signs.  Pack a picnic lunch and kite and enjoy the park all day.
  4. Brier Creek Park (northwest Raleigh) – has two connected flat paved loops (1/3 mile total) surrounding open fields and toddler playground area; kids have easy views of the traffic in front of them, but paths are narrow; bathrooms are nearby for pit stops
  5. Walnut Street Park (Cary) – has a twisty 0.4 mile paved trail that loops through wetlands, sparse forest, open fields, and two playground areas; with the high popularity of this park, this could be a good place to practice bike safety skills

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East Fork Mine Creek Trail: MP 1 to 2.5

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IMG_3485When the weather hovered in the high-70s on Christmas Eve, my family headed to a newly opened section of greenway for some exercise before filling up on holiday libations and rich foods.  East Fork Mine Creek is a 2.5 mile north-south paved trail that runs along Mine Creek near Lynn Rd to the north side of Strickland Rd.  We drove to one of the entrances of the trail near the intersection of Newton Rd and Sandy Creek Rd and parked in the shopping center across the street (note: take note of “no parking” signs; we arrived before the shops opened so we thought we’d be fine with parking in the center).

After crossing Newton Rd and heading north on the trail we quickly passed mile marker 1.  With the recent rains the paved trail was pretty wet with debris and the nearby Mine Creek flowed quickly.  This section of the trail runs behind a residential area of houses and apartments.  We also passed by a large section of tall bamboo on the side of the trail opposite the creek.

IMG_3489We continued north on the trail until we came to Old Deer Trail, a neighborhood street in the Summerfield subdivision.  We crossed over Old Deer Trail and followed the Capital Area Greenway signs as we winded our way through this cute, low-traffic neighborhood.  We passed a few other bikers and walkers along the way before coming to Strickland Rd.  We crossed Running Cedar Trail, heading east on Strickland Rd where we also passed West Millbrook Middle School and mile marker 2.5, the end of East Fork Mine Creek Rd.  At this point of the trail there is a well marked pedestrian crossing area designated for crossing over busy Strickland Rd.  My aunt and I opted to head back to the car while the rest of the group crossed Strickland Rd to extend their run on the connecting Honeycutt Creek Trail (more on this hilly trail in a future post).

A morning run on this section of East Fork Mine Creek was the perfect pre-Christmas exercise to involve all ages.  This section of the trail is pretty flat and offers lots of creek views, houses and people for little ones to view.

Thumbs up: flat trail, creek/residential views, safety, well-marked pedestrian crossing at Strickland Rd

Thumbs down: designated trail parking near Newton Rd

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