My father-in-law is always making great meals with his NC State Farmers Market finds, and heading there to see the birth of genius for myself has always been on my to-do list. Then it turned out that Sarah C. hadn't been since her NC State days (which I won't tell you how long ago that was), so we decided to make an outing of it! It was even better that we had the flexibility to do this during a weekday before the Market gets too busy with the weekend shoppers and cooks.

We started by dining at the NC State Farmers Market restaurant. This place is huge inside. The menu has a bunch of fried-tastic things in the way of good southern cookin' but, as this is also next to the Farmers Market, they offer changing side dishes of fresh veggies daily. They use whatever is in season (I had fried okra, though, so still stuck with my fried theme). The food was quite good.

One of the things we loved about the restaurant was the "petting zoo" outside. Even though the animals weren't real our boys still loved it. The area is outside yet off the restaurant, gated in, and filled with a bunch of ceramic statues. These statues include a pig, an alligator, a cow, a horse, and even a cowboy riding a horse. If those don't interest your child, there is a Spiderman car that costs a quarter to ride and a small carousel ride that you also have to feed quarters. The statues look like they have seen better days, but that didn't stop us from enjoying them!

Also outside the restaurant is a bunch of old farm equipment that looks great for climbing.

(The Market actually has 2 restaurants, the second being a seafood restaurant on the other end. We didn't scope that out....yet....)

After eating and playing with the "animals" we went up to Market Imports for some shopping. And wowza, can you shop here. So much stuff. Alas, not a good stop for a toddler or child who is inclined to bang on expensive home decor. We hightailed it out of there before it became a very expensive trip.

There are two pavilions at the State Farmers Market. One houses baked goods, candies, gift and craft items, and even ice cream. We had fun meandering through that, but our best time was in the pavilion that held the produce stands. We went on a weekday and there was still so much here it was unbelievable. I can't imagine what a weekend holds.

There were vegetables of every color and size. Peaches and watermelons were the flavors of the day we went, but there was far more than that here. There were also a slew of free samples. Fun for kids! There was even wine for sale and wine samples around. Fun for adults!

In the back of the produce pavilion was a garden market with trees, plants, shrubs, and more to buy. The costs were quite reasonable.

Also available for sale outside the produce shelter were baked goods, jams, and jellies.

There is a drive-thru pavilion. But this is for truckers and wholesale buyers. Which means you have to buy in some serious bulk (I think it would put your Sam's membership to shame).

But it's OK, because getting out and walking around this Farmers Market is half the fun. It is shaded, a nice breeze blows through, and fans run. The vendors are nice and the stands are like artwork with their offerings. And even on a hot summer day we felt cool and refreshed with the pavilion protection and the fresh peaches on the tongue.

The Farmers Market runs festivals and fairs based on in-season produce. Be sure to check out their website (see below) and calendar to stay on top of these.

NC State Farmers Market
http://www.ncagr.gov/  
Farmers Market Drive
Raleigh
Monday thru Saturday 5:00am - 6:00pm
Sundays 8:00am - 6:00pm

State Farmers Market Restaurant
http://www.ncsfmr.com/  
1240 Farmer's Drive
Raleigh
919-755-1550
Monday thru Saturday 6:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

NC Seafood Restaurant at the Farmers' Market in Raleigh
http://www.ncseafood.com/  
Farmers Market Drive
Raleigh
919-833-4661
Monday thru Saturday 11 am - 8:00 pm
Sundays 11 am - 5:00 pm

Market Imports
http://www.market-imports.com/  
1208 Farmers Market Drive
Raleigh
919-833-0466
Monday thru Sunday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

— Allison is a new mom learning the ropes of parenting in the Triangle. Active by nature and nurture, she loves to get out and go. Luckily, so does her 1-year-old son! Get new ideas as well as all the details and information you need for a new adventure at mominchapelhill.blogspot.com. Check out the photos to this blog on her site!

The Chapel Hill Public Library is one of my favorite libraries and is currently conveniently located off of Estes Road. However, by the end of 2010 it is moving to University Mall for a few years while the library is renovated. So get to the old Library while you have a chance! Below, blog reader A.G. provides us with her thoughts on the Time for Toddlers. MinCHill has been told that all storytimes and programs will continue even after the move and throughout the Library's temporary stay at U Mall.

The kids area of the library is great. There are shelves and shelves of books and a couple of kid-sized tables. There is also a huge activity block, which looks new, that C enjoyed. But, even better than the oversized center were the kids' chairs. These sat on the floor (see the picture) and apparently were just a joy. C spent significant time moving back and forth with his books to the various chairs. But I can see how, after having gone to Durham's Main Library, this is a smaller area. And since there is so much here, it is getting a little cramped feeling. It makes me look forward to renovations.

The selection of books is good, but we also appreciated the great collection of kids music, audiobooks, and DVDs.

An additional note: if you haven't been to the Library's website yet, you should check it out. There are links that are great resources for parents; links about books and stories for kids as well as Internet safety precautions to take.

And now, from A.G. on storytime:
I took my 16-month-old son N to Time for Toddlers at the Chapel Hill Public Library (targeted at 18-36-month-olds). Technically his age would suggest we should go to Baby Time (for 6-18-month-olds), but I had been told by a friend that that time was geared towards non-mobile babies, and that her daughter had been bored.

We haven't had a ton of success with story times due to N's appropriately short attention span, so I was a bit nervous. Storytime is 10:15 am Thursdays - the website suggests getting there early. I, being a little confused and totally out of character, got there at 9:45 since I thought it started it at 10. Unfortunately, the library doesn't even open until 10, so we had to spend a bit of time waiting in the heat, but there were several other kids that kept N very entertained.

After the doors opened, we signed up for Time for Toddlers at the desk in the children's section of the library and spent a few minutes reading and playing with toys before we headed into the story room. This carpeted room is very basic and has very little that my son could destroy (though he did manage to find the one cabinet that wasn't locked and kept going back to it!). The librarian put some fun music on a few minutes before 10:15, and N and a few of the other kids had a bit of a dance party before things got started.

There were about 15 kids there. Because there were a lot of sibling pairs, we weren't the youngest, and there were kids older than 3 present as well.

It's a themed storytime, and the focus was birds that day. We read about 5 books and sang corresponding bird songs. The librarian did a great job keeping the kids engaged and followed the book with a counting game using birds and another song.

Overall, it was super fun - I think the confined space makes it great for toddlers (as opposed to storytimes at bookstores, where there are so many other fun things to do). The librarian was wonderful and did a great job of gently chastising a child who was um, harassing, another child, eventually asking the mother to take him out because he was being disruptive (in the nicest possible way). I really appreciated that they provided a handout with the lyrics to the songs that they incorporated into storytime. I would definitely go back!

MinCHill:
The library offers many storytimes for various ages and has an active teen program. They are also doing a summer time family movie matinee series that looks like fun but almost over. It runs through the summers, every Friday, at 2 pm. The last one is Aug 13th, though.

Chapel Hill Public Library
http://chapelhillpubliclibrary.org/
100 Library Drive
Chapel Hill
968-2780

— Allison is a new mom learning the ropes of parenting in the Triangle. Active by nature and nurture, she loves to get out and go. Luckily, so does her 1-year-old son! Get new ideas as well as all the details and information you need for a new adventure at mominchapelhill.blogspot.com. Check out the photos to this blog on her site!

Another reader tip that was great! On a hot day, our mommies group was looking for something to do. Our Forest Hills Sprayground trip was successful, so when we were told that Lake Johnson Sprayground was even bigger and better, we headed out there. And that reader was right. This was a great trip for us! There are many places to play, and this pool caters to kids of all ages.

Lake Johnson has a large main pool with lanes for laps and a free swim area (with lifeguards). Even though there were a good number of people in there, it didn't seem crowded.

There is also a baby pool with a spray shower. This baby pool is mostly 10 inches deep, but does get to 18 inches in some areas. This was a very large baby pool. And the shower was a fun addition for play and interest. It is fenced in, and there is a separate lifeguard on duty for the baby pool. Also, don't forget to bring toys with you for the pool. The water toys that some smart parent had brought with them were insanely popular.

The real reason to drive out to Lake Johnson park? The sprayground. This thing was huge and so much fun for kids of all ages! It was fenced in as well, which is great for toddlers who, well, toddle. There are sprays of all sizes, hoses to move around, and a shower. Warning: there is also a feature in the middle with huge buckets way up in the air. When these buckets fill up they dump significant water on the kiddos below. Some kids love this, some kids hate it. But the good news is that as an adult, you can anticipate it. The sprayground is also guarded by a lifeguard. He also helps you keep the water running as it is turned on by a movement sensor.

As a nice addition the entire pool has easy-up tents all around. There are a few in the baby pool area as well, which it is great if you can commandeer one of these. You can picnic here at the pool and are allowed to bring in coolers, provided that you don't bring in any glass. No snack bar but they do have limited vending.

The locker rooms are great here with changing tables, pay lockers, showers, and clean stalls.

Life preservers are available on premises.

There is an admission fee to get in. Click here for a full list of rates. It depends on whether you are a Raleigh resident or not, but for us Chapel Hill-ians who went, it was $6 per adult and kids were $2 (ages 1 - 12).

Just a warning that this was difficult for us to find. The signage wasn't that great. Just go to the back. Keep driving down the road that turns off of Athens, and you will eventually get there.

Lake Johnson Pool
All Raleigh Pools, click here.
1416 Athens Drive
Raleigh
919-233-2111

Hours:
Public Open Swim
M-F 12 p.m-8 p.m.
Sat 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sun 1p-6p

Adult Lap Swim
M-F 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sat 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Wading Pools
M-F 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sat 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sun 1 p.m.- 6 p.m.
 
Sprayground
M-F 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sat 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sun 1 p.m.-6 p.m.

— Allison is a new mom learning the ropes of parenting in the Triangle. Active by nature and nurture, she loves to get out and go. Luckily, so does her 1-year-old son! Get new ideas as well as all the details and information you need for a new adventure at mominchapelhill.blogspot.com.  Check out the photos to this blog on her site!

I had a great response to the post and idea of simply enjoying UNC's campus with a tot in tow. So when DH and I had an aborted trip to Festival for the Eno (the shuttle was such a turnoff for us given our nap-related and driving time constraints), we decided to walk around Duke's campus with C instead. This was fun, even if your blood does run Carolina Blue.

Of course, the Gardens are a lovely place to walk and to enjoy. But Duke's campus also has more to offer. And this is a really great place to explore in the summer months or at other times when the students are gone and things are quieter.

With the hospitals and the research buildings, Duke's campus is huge. But we stuck to the main campus, near the Chapel.

From Duke Gardens (you can find pay parking here and at the Bryan University Center, but for other options visit Duke's website here), you can easily push a stroller up Chapel Drive. Outside of the Chapel, which is gorgeous in and of itself and worth a trip to see in its gothic glory, there are plenty of spots to sit, play, relax, picnic, and run around.

You can also visit the Chapel inside, which is breathtaking. It is free and open to the public. During the summer hours are weekdays 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. They, of course, have worship services on Sundays and Saturdays are popular for weddings so don't plan to stop in then. You can't climb to the top, unfortunately, but you can otherwise look around. You can schedule a guided tour in advance if you like, but that seems more for us adults. For toddlers, it might be fun to look around, and people are generally good-natured about noise in the Chapel provided it isn't all-out screaming.

The Bryan University Center houses a large parking deck for visitors, an information center, an ATM, some dining options, and a gift store for your little blue devil (sorry DH and various Tarheels). Next to it is a 40,000-square-foot plaza, and that runs you towards the Chapel as well. This area can also be a nice place to run around and play. The Bryan University Center also hosts events but, as to be expected, these are not geared towards kids for the most part.

Uncle Harry's General Store is also a good resource while campus trekking. I haven't personally been, but it is located at 1925 Yearby Avenue between Alexander and Anderson Streets. This is an upscale convenience store that sells ice cream, natural snacks, and cold beverages. This is open 10 a.m. -6 p.m. in the summers.

Okay, so I will also mention, since Stacey "S'Rich" told us this and my mommies group tried it out, the all new Devil's Bistro. Located near Uncle Harry's General Store also between Alexander and Anderson Streets, this is campus dining so no high chairs, but they do a have a full service bar (although after 4 p.m. only), an espresso bar, and a good menu with brick oven pizzas. They also have a grab and go section. It is a good option, but the rub is that they pretty much close down for the summers. They boarded up July 6 and are reopening August 22. So if you want to brave it while students are in, or know of another holiday or slow time on Duke's campus to head there, that would work best.

If you are looking for something on Duke's campus that is a "for mommy" outing, my friends and I highly recommend the Washington Duke Inn's High Tea. Some of my mommies group took the babies when they were very little and in their Snugrides, and that went fine, but I would not take toddlers here. It is a very elegant and beautiful affair, though, if you want lovely girl time. Click here for information on high tea but it is generally held from 2:30 to 4:30 and there are various options for fare and menu. It might also be a fun idea for a little girl's birthday party. (Note that you can also golf at the Washington Duke Inn, if that is your activity of choice. I don't have any details on that since my temperament is not compatible with that sport!)

If you like to really walk and get going, Duke Forest is also a good option to explore Duke's campus in a different way, and the Cross Country Trail goes right by the Washington Duke Inn (for reference, I wouldn't recommend a hike and High Tea combo, personally).

By the way, nice little tip, but you can get all of eateries on and around Duke's campus summer hours for 2010 here: http://dining.duke.edu/documents/WWTE/wwte.summerhours.2010.pdf.

So there's a lot of information for you! All that aside, let me just say that honestly, the best part of this exploration for us were all those little hidden areas on Duke's campus that we would just stumble on, and really appreciate the beauty and magic of. So get out there and find your own places!

For a full map of campus:
map.duke.edu    

Duke Chapel
http://www.chapel.duke.edu/  
1 Chapel Drive
681-9414

Bryan University Center
125 Science Drive

Uncle Harry's General Store
http://dukestores.duke.edu/food/uncle_harrys.php  
1925 Yearby Avenue
919-684-3808

Devil's Bistro
http://dining.duke.edu/where/oncampus/devils_bistro.php  
1917 Yearby- Central Campus
919-660-3753

Washington Duke Inn
http://www.washingtondukeinn.com/  
3001 Cameron Boulevard
919-490-0999

— Allison is a new mom learning the ropes of parenting in the Triangle. Active by nature and nurture, she loves to get out and go. Luckily, so does her 1-year-old son! Get new ideas as well as all the details and information you need for a new adventure at mominchapelhill.blogspot.com. Check out the photos to this blog on her site!

Well, it isn't quite peak blueberry season yet. Mid-July is when the berries peak, and August is when pickin' gets really good. But if you are anything like us you are craving some fresh berries and your kid can't stay away from them. And it is good to encourage your child to eat fruit, right?

So my family and I were ready to give it a go, even if it meant more work as we had to pick around the young berries to find the ripe ones.

I know that Herndon Hills Farms is one of the most popular places to go, and I am sure I'll make it over there soon. But it is in Durham. And I am a Mom in Chapel Hill. And even though, as you can tell, I make it out to Durham a lot, I thought we would try to find something closer to home this time.

After a search on www.pickyourown.org (which is a great site if you don't have it bookmarked already), we contacted Faircloth Farms, found out they had some berries ready for picking, and went out there.

This was quite a funny experience. As former NoVA residents, we're used to packaged experiences. For example, Jean's Berry Patch was a packaged experience: there were tons of signs, lots of information, people telling you what to do, and a process. Faircloth Farms is really just someone's farm out in the country where they let you come pick their blueberries because they have more than they can eat.

For starters, we had no idea if we were even at the right spot. After asking a man working in the field, we found out we were and parked. We walked up to someone's front door, rang the bell, waited, and eventually found some people who told us where the berries were and to help ourselves.

We had fun. Like I said, it isn't quite peak season yet, but there are a ton of berries out there. In about a week, you are going to be able to run your hand down one bough and get enough for a cake. No kidding. But when we were there, there were still a lot of unripe berries. So we had fun teaching C which ones were ripe and which ones were not. He may have learned a little from trial and error too.

When we went to leave, we showed our goods to the farmers. They have to be the nicest people ever. They told us that the amount we picked (about a pint and a half, or 3 cups) wasn't worth paying them for, and told us to have a nice day and enjoy them. I am not sure they will be that generous in a few week's time, but that also means I can't tell you what they charge.

The grounds were very pretty. It is definitely an old farm, well established and practical, but also well-tended.

It was such an interesting experience for us, and we enjoyed it. We also enjoyed how close it is to Cole Park Plaza and Chapel Hill in general. And it is nice to feel like somewhere people are holding on to the friendly, farming life, and allowing us, complete strangers, to enter it every now and again. It is a beautiful lifestyle and so important.

Call before you go. Not just so that you can ensure they still have berries, but also to make sure the family knows you are coming! Take bags or boxes to put your berries in. Nothing provided.

And now off to make my cobbler....

Faircloth Farms
577 Gilmore Road
Chapel Hill
919-967-2131

— Allison is a new mom learning the ropes of parenting in the Triangle. Active by nature and nurture, she loves to get out and go. Luckily, so does her 1-year-old son! Get new ideas as well as all the details and information you need for a new adventure at mominchapelhill.blogspot.com. Check out the photos to this blog on her site!

Looking to get outside on Saturday and have fun while not breaking the bank or driving too far, C and I went to Meadowmont Village, off of Rt. 54 in Chapel Hill, to play and otherwise linger.

As all good adventures start, we had some food! I have mentioned that we like to eat at Brixx. So that was my choice for the day, and once again we were not disappointed. But I do want to say that Carolina Cafe is a great place to eat as a family as well. A walk-up counter with sandwiches and salads, it is also kid-friendly. You can dine al fresco, and menu items are very tasty.

Yet there is a lot more to Meadowmont than just dining. So after lunch, C and I went exploring.

We started by walking along the trails through Meadowmont's community. These are paved paths, so they are easy for the stroller and very gentle. Part of the vision of Meadowmont was to provide green space and recreational areas without clear cutting an entire part of NC. I personally think they did a nice job. Picnic tables and benches dot the path, so you can take a break whenever you want and just enjoy the sun.

But while the walking was very easy, I don't think C and I found the most picturesque part of the path. We started at the Village. The paths are accessible at the back of the parking lot near Prudential realty and also on the other end of the retail section by the art gallery. Part of the path walked up and through the village houses (which are cute, but don't leave much room for nature) and then the other part we walked went down towards 54. So while we saw a pond, it looked more like a drainage pond. And while the walk was easy, you could definitely hear and see the cars racing by on 54.

My scenery-standards aside, it really was an easy walk, so worth the stroll. Especially if, like me, you ate too much pizza. And we never ran out of path, so you could walk a ways. When we were done walking, it was a very easy trek back to our car and some Lickity Split ice cream.

Meadowmont also has a few playgrounds, but C and I didn't explore those this trip. I know we'll go back, though. And I will be sure to let you know what he thinks.

C and I did a little shopping while in the Village, too. There are some cute, unique gift boutiques in Meadowmont. I really enjoyed Jester's. This little store was packed with upscale gift items. Lily Pulitzer, Vietri, Simon Pearce, and more designer and specialty brands are in this shop. They do have children's and baby products, too. I love the little blabla dolls and Jester's sells them (although note that despite their website information, they no longer sell Petunia Picklebottom bags).

There are plenty of other fun shops in Meadowmont, too: clothing stores, shoe shops, art galleries, a very cute stationary store called Salutations, and a Bean Traders for your coffee fix.

Overall, we had a great time walking around, enjoying Meadowmont's center, and will definitely plan on going back some time soon.

— Allison is a new mom learning the ropes of parenting in the Triangle. Active by nature and nurture, she loves to get out and go. Luckily, so does her 1-year-old son! Get new ideas as well as all the details and information you need for a new adventure at mominchapelhill.blogspot.com. Check out the photos to this blog on her site!

Getting the taste of summer weather we had in early May I had been craving some pool time. But, of course, Mother Nature isn't ready to open the outdoor pools yet. So I decided to take C to the Triangle SportsPlex in Hillsborough. I know there are other indoor pools in the area (we've blogged about some of them), but I was particularly drawn to this one because they have an indoor baby pool.

First thing, the SportsPlex was very easy to find. Directions are listed on their website but there are also signs along your drive that say "Sports Center" that help you find it. And it's not that hard. Two turns off of NC-86.

Second thing, this place is huge! They even have an ice skating rink! I had no idea this was here, but it is fabulous. Available year-round, they have open skate hours and also host birthday parties. C is definitely not ready to hit the ice yet and I didn't see any stroller skate on their schedules. Too bad.

Third thing, the pool here was great. Correction: pools. There are three. There is a lap pool for people who really came to swim, there is a recreation pool for classes and open swim, and there is a baby pool. The recreation pool has steps for entry on one side, but also a ramp to gradually ease in on another. I thought the water was a little chilly, but I think that was just me being a whimp. Obviously, these facilities are not as new and shiny as the Homestead Aquatic Center, but I still enjoyed this place.

Mostly because the baby pool was great. Fenced in, very shallow, and very warm. They have chairs available for parents to sit and monitor activity, too. C had a great time in this little pool.

There wasn't a lifeguard on duty when we went, but it was off-season on a weekday morning. There were staff available on-site, though, and an emergency phone.

Also, note that there is a Family Changing Room off of the pool. The SporstPlex requires that children over 3 not use the locker room of the opposite gender, but offer the Family Changing Room if they can not be attended by an adult. However, that Family Changing Room really is just a changing room. There is a Koala Bear changing station, a sink, and some benches. No toilet and no shower. I found the locker room worked better for us, and hopefully your 3+ year old of the opposite gender can use the toilet successfully unattended.

The SportsPlex also has group fitness classes, a nursery, after-school activities (called KidsPlex), and summer camps for kids. This is a place to get it all -- including shakes and food at the indoor concessions stand.

Admission prices depend on the activity you are going for. For swimming, adults are $4.25, kids 12 & under are $3.25, and children under 3 are free. Ice skating is slightly more at $6 for adults and $5 for children 12 & under. Monthly and annual passes are available, see the website. Also, check out the online schedules before you go since they do offer both skate and swim classes, and host ice hockey teams and swim meets (in fact, it looks like the Sportsplex has been home to some award-winning teams). So times open to the public are dependent on activities, but listed on the website.

And it's only in Hillsborough, it's not that far!

Triangle Sportsplex
http://www.trianglesportsplex.com/
101 Meadowlands Drive
Hillsborough, NC
919-644-0339

— Allison is a new mom learning the ropes of parenting in the Triangle. Active by nature and nurture, she loves to get out and go. Luckily, so does her 1-year-old son! Get new ideas as well as all the details and information you need for a new adventure at mominchapelhill.blogspot.com. Check out the photos to this blog on her site!

C is in love with our cat here at home-- follows her, chases her, and otherwise laughs hysterically when he sees her. So when I saw there was an opportunity to see cats a quadtrillion times our house cat's size, we went.

The Carolina Tiger Rescue is an amazing place. There are over 70 animals on 55 acres of land. The place originally started as a species breeding ground, set up by a UNC professor, but has since changed into a government-certified sanctuary. It turns out that tigers and ocelots don't make good pets. Yet people buy them, and when the cute little tiger cub gets to be 300 pounds, they want to give it away. Enter Carolina Tiger Rescue. So while some of these animals' stories can be a little sad, there is also a sense of goodness as you realize the blind tiger now has a home it can be happy in.

Not to mention that the animals are just flat out cool. We saw tigers, ocelots, servals, caracals, and other things I am still not sure how to pronounce. My personal favorite was the white tiger, Jellybean. And yes, you can get right up there and see them. This is not a zoo. This is a wildlife sanctuary. So viewing grounds to the animals are closer than a zoo. And you are guided around by a trainer. Ours happened to be carrying chicken, which made the animals come out and say hi. Our little group really got to see the animals. C seemed really into it, if not so into sitting the stroller for 2 hours.

The tours do last anywhere from 1.5 - 2 hours, and can cover up to 1 mile. But it is easy walking. Jogging strollers worked fine, and carriers would also work. I would be very cautious about a toddler walking through here, though. The staff is very clear that if you get inside the rope barrier, some of the animals can reach through the cage and swipe. And some of the animals like to "spray" people to mark their territory. So if you see tail, step aside quickly.

All tours are by appointment only, so you have to call to get in. We had a difficult time at first getting the right person on the phone, but once we did it was very easy. With a tour, pricing is done as a minimum of $120 for the group OR $12 per adult, whichever is greater. Ages 4-12 are $7. Children under 3 are free.

Also, Carolina Tiger Rescue has very strict rules on photographs of the animals, how they can be used, and by whom they can be taken. You have to pay a separate fee ($3) to take pictures. [Trying to honor their requests, this blog is posting limited animal pictures. But I can assure you I got some great photos! Just want to be a mindful blogger.]

Tours happen rain or shine. So be prepared to risk the weather when you set your date. And note that you are outside with a bunch of large game animals. So it might smell like a big kitty litter box, and I can imagine that mosquitoes come out in droves in the summer.

This place is tucked back there in the country in Pittsboro (which makes sense that when you house 70 very large hunting mammals you would want to get them as far away as possible), but it was an easy, beautiful drive from Chapel Hill. And it also makes for a nice outing with a meal or picnic at Chatham Marketplace or Fearrington Village.

It is worth noting that the Carolina Tiger Rescue is a non-profit. As such, they always need donations. Nothing is too small. They even take bananas. So if you go, bring some bananas to share with the animals.

When we to play with the big cats the weather was good, the staff quite lovely, and the animals amazing and impressive. It was a great day.

Carolina Tiger Rescue (formerly Carolina Preservation Trust)
www.carolinatigerrescue.org
1940 Hanks Chapel Road
Pittsboro, NC
(919) 542-4684

— Allison is a new mom learning the ropes of parenting in the Triangle. Active by nature and nurture, she loves to get out and go. Luckily, so does her 1-year-old son! Get new ideas as well as all the details and information you need for a new adventure at mominchapelhill.blogspot.com. Check out the photos to this blog on her site!

Yes, yes, I am the crazy person who went to walk around UNC's campus during graduation weekend. Oops. But, really, it was perfectly fine and, to be honest, a heck of a lot of fun. Graduation or not, spending a day enjoying UNC's grounds is something you and your family should plan to do.

C and I started by getting easy parking on Cameron Avenue at the intersection of West Street, past Carolina Inn and towards Carrboro. And yes, this was graduation weekend. It should be even easier for you once the students head home for the summer. Parking is always the burden with going near campus, but there are options including pay lots off of Franklin Street.

So, if you haven't guessed by now, I love my ice cream. Accordingly we hopped over to Franklin Street first to get some ice cream from Cold Stone on a hot afternoon (it's a good thing I work out a lot). But Franklin Street has all kinds of refreshments if ice cream isn't your thing. There is coffee, sweets, local brews, and even Bubble Tea (which is the newest fad and hard to describe). Plenty of dining, too. Which is another reason why this outing offers everything for a family.

We then strolled down Franklin Street and entered campus at McCorkle Place. McCorkle Place is the huge lawn that butts up against Franklin Street. Buildings line each side, and huge shade trees are all around. At the end of McCorkle Place is the famous Old Well. McCorkle Place would be a great place to picnic or otherwise spend some time lounging outside. In fact, while we were there we saw a few students snoozing in the shade, clothes flapping in the light breeze. Very southern, don't you think?

After watching the graduates pose in their blue robes by the Well, we walked down to the Coker Arboretum. This is one of my favorite places on campus. Managed by the NC Botanical Gardens, this a picturesque little garden tucked into UNC's main campus. Over 580 species of trees and shrubs, gentle walking trails, a big wisteria trellised lane, and grassy areas in the shade to sit and enjoy, I love being in the Arboretum. It is not huge, but C and I still played there for over half an hour. The Arboretum is on the corner of Cameron Ave and Raleigh St.

Just down the street from the Arboretum, also maintained by the NC Botanical Gardens, is the Forest Theatre. The Forest Theatre is a big stone amphitheater built into the hillside. It feels like Shakespeare could appear at any moment to perform his Midsummer's Night Dream. It is that magical. It is also a great place for kids to run around, play, and sing, especially any budding starlets. Forest Theatre can be accessed by either Country Club Road or Boundary street.

Bathrooms are available at Carolina Inn. Everything is stroller friendly.

This little walk and day pairs nicely with a Fridays on the Front Porch event at Carolina Inn. You really could spend a lot of time here. And it's going to get even more fun for families as the students are leaving. You will feel like you have the campus to yourself. Enjoy!

— Allison is a new mom learning the ropes of parenting in the Triangle. Active by nature and nurture, she loves to get out and go. Luckily, so does her 1-year-old son! Get new ideas as well as all the details and information you need for a new adventure at mominchapelhill.blogspot.com. Check out the photos to this blog on her site!