“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir
Moms tend to always be the ones behind the camera, and now is the best time to adjust the focus and snap a quick pic with her. This week I drove to some of my favorite Raleigh Parks to scope out the best spots to take pictures for Mother’s Day. Though I concentrated mostly on places with flowers and trees in bloom, I also noted places with unique backgrounds, hardscapes and water features.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there and cheers to snapping some fun pics in nature with your mom!
1. Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve
It’s been at least a year since I last visited Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve and I’m so glad I started my park visits there. Between the beautiful morning sun and large meadows of grasses and wildflowers, I wanted to daydream on a picnic blanket all day. Snap a pic among the wildflowers and grasses at the front of the park or in the large back meadow. If your mom likes rustic backgrounds, walk towards the left corner of the park for a pic in front of the old gray barn. Don’t forget to admire the flitting butterflies and chatty birds along the way, not that they’ll let you forget!
Park address – 2900 Horse Shoe Farm Rd, Wake Forest, 27587
2. Historic Oak View County Park
Where else can you stroll on brick paths and stop for pictures with animals, plants, or historic buildings? The herb garden’s contrast of brick walkways, lush plants and white picket fence make for great photos. Relax in the gazebo outside the main house, rock in the chairs outside the plank kitchen, or stroll through the pecan grove. And, don’t forget to say hi to the goats and chickens!
Park Address – 4028 Carya Dr, 27610
3. Fred Fletcher Park
Meander around the meticulously manicured lawn and flower beds and snap a pic with mom in front of flowering trees, alliums (aka enormous dandelions) or peonies. Stop by the circular stone wall for a beautiful backdrop or walk through a shaded trail on the way for a pic in front of the Borden House. Follow the path past the tennis courts for a picture in front of the art sculpture or on the deck overlooking the wetlands. With so much lush green grass everywhere, even a simple selfie on the lawn would be special!
Park Address – 820 Clay St, 27605
4. JC Raulston Arboretum
With so many color and texture options at the Arboretum, it’s hard to go wrong with photo taking at the Arboretum. Even though the irises in my yard are on the decline, the irises at the Arboretum are still in full bloom in purples, corals, and yellows. For a shady spot, admire the bright white blooms in the White Garden while relaxing on a bench with mom. Or, hold hands with mom as you walk by the tree line in the Plantsmen’s Woods. If you’re looking for a quirky surprise in the garden, look no further than the dead elm tree (near the restrooms). Even though it is currently stricken with Dutch Elm disease the tree is all dressed up in red and white polka dots – perfect for any mom with a good sense of humor!
Park Address – 4415 Beryl Rd, 27606
5. Lassiter Mill Historical Park
Lassiter Mill Historical Park still remains a hidden gem of a park to me. Tucked inside the beltline where Crabtree Creek flows through, it’s a great spot for fishing, picnicking or just listening to the water. Currently the water levels are low enough for exploring the sandy “beach” or capturing NC mountain-esque photos with the waterfalls in the background. Several large fallen trees lay on the beach, giving a driftwood look, which would be fun for any water-lovin’ mama!
Park Address – intersection of Lassiter Mill Rd and Lassiter Mill Circle
6. Raleigh Rose Garden
When I brought my girls back to the Rose Garden this week, they literally stopped to smell all 60 varieties of roses. Even though we’ve been to the Rose Garden many times in the past, the girls didn’t have memories and were blown away by the colors and quantity of roses. Nestled in the University Park neighborhood, the garden has a unique history that has evolved nearly 150 years. By early this week the roses really started to show their colors. Many varieties boasted lots of big blooms mixed with smaller blooms, with more blooms yet to come forth. You can’t go wrong with taking pics in front of mom’s favorite colors, or escaping to the ends of the park for a pic under the pergola, shelter, or benches.
Park Address – 301 Pogue St, 27607
7. Dorothea Dix Park
Dorothea Dix Park’s landscape boasts lush green fields and full trees and shrubs right now. The landscape will change a bit starting this weekend for the Light the Woods with Sound performances, offering some unique evening photos. But, if visiting in the daytime, my favorite spots include:
- intersection of Cramer Dr & Black Dr with downtown Raleigh skyline in background
- Umstead Dr with beautiful magnolia tree and gazebo
- outside the Spring Hill House on Barbour Dr
- walking under the canopy of trees along Barbour Dr or Blair Dr
- wide open green fields and rolling hills of the Big Field (embrace your inner Julie Andrews from Sound of Music)
8. NC Museum of Art Museum Park
In years past, I’ve taken pictures of water lilies in full bloom on Mother’s Day at the NCMA Museum Park. Sadly, I only saw a few in bloom this week, but maybe they’ll be ready to open by this weekend. Even if the lilies aren’t in bloom, the Museum Park is bursting with photo op spots. Take a stroll with mom through the Rodin Garden near the soft roses – a great contrast to the hardscape. For a picture near water, walk to the Pond Platform for a place of relaxation that overlooks the pond. For the adventurous mom, walk the unpaved trail for a picture outside the Cloud Chamber exhibit. Don’t forget to bring out mom’s inner child with a fun slide down the Sculpt C exhibit (aka piggie slide). Finally, a trip to the Museum Park is not complete without a pic under the distinctive Gyre rings.
Park Address – 2110 Blue Ridge Rd, 27607
9. Annie Louise Wilkerson Park
Spring is a time for rebirth and renewal and Annie Louise Wilkerson Park is no stranger to welcoming new inhabitants and new flora. As we visited the park last night, we watched 7-week-old Great Horned Owlets perch on a branch near their nest. Then, the super friendly park ranger showed us where the Phoebe baby birds nested and wait for mama to return. While those might not present great mom photo spots, it’s fascinating to watch new moms nurture their young in the wild.
After exploring the animals (don’t forget to visit charismatic turtle Holden), settle in for some remarkable photo ops with mom. The mowed grassy trails provide a nice contrast to the tall surrounding grasses. For a water pic, relax on a bench near the pond. Finally, don’t forget to explore the Nature Play Area, which features lush groundcover in a wooded area. The sunlight sneaks through the trees making the groundcover pop in color!
10. Historic Yates Mill County Park
Though I didn’t make the drive to Historic Yates Mill County Park this week, I vividly imagine great photo ops based on previous trips. For an unmistakable photo, gently climb the rocks in front of the dam for a memorable waterfall pic. Then, head back towards the main building and across the bridge over the pond for great photos overlooking the water. Finally, head to the back of the main building to enjoy the rocking chairs or sneak a quiet spot together on the small landing overlooking the water.
Park Address – 4620 Lake Wheeler Rd, 27603
Mother’s Day Ideas of the Past
A few weeks ago, Bill planned a fun Sunday outing to explore the outdoor Cloud Chamber for the Trees & Sky exhibit (aka Hobbit House) at the 
and should’ve brought a carrier for Claire and let Ashley walk. Having two adults made it easier to maneuver the stroller over the bridges, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
So, after a short walk through the wooded section we found the Cloud Chamber house, which looks like a replica of Bilbo Baggins’ house. It’s a short, circular house built into the side of the hill with large stones, some criss-crossed logs, and a green plant-based roof. It has a concrete floor and a heavy wooden door and the house’s neat feature is that it acts as a camera obscura. After entering the house, close the door and wait for your eyes to adjust to the darkness and you’ll see faint views of the sky as light is projected through an opening in the roof onto the floor of the house. Bill took Ashley into the house by themselves but didn’t stay long and then I went in by myself and witnessed puffs of sky inverted on the floor…it was neat to be able to look “down” onto the sky! And, I don’t think we’ll ever forget our trip to the Hobbit House with Ashley asking where are the “wobbits” every minute; poor girl was expecting to see some real life hobbits.
We then continued our walk along the loop trail where we also saw the Untitled exhibit by Ledelle Moe, which looked like a small concrete person concrete curled into a ball. After completing the loop trail we headed back to the gravel path and turned right. We headed downhill and came across the Whisper Bench exhibit, which was a fun interactive piece of art for Ashley. It’s two steel benches on opposite sides of the trail that are connected by an underground sound pipe. Ashley and Bill enjoyed talking back and forth to each other and I loved hearing the toddler giggles! After the Whisper Bench we continued on the very sunny gravel path that led us uphill and back to the paved trail near Lowe’s Pavilion. Finally, we stopped for a quick picnic lunch inside the pavilion before heading home for naps.
After lots of options we decided to spend our morning in Durham and our afternoon/evening in Raleigh exploring places and doing things we had never done before. After dropping Ash off with friends we headed out to the 
After the gardens, we headed to 
After Glenwood Grill we headed south about a mile to 
About a month ago we attended the 
