by Mary F. Cassidy
The lazy days of summer will soon be upon us, and there’s no better way to spend them, than by making lasting memories with friends and family. Fortunately, for residents of Holly Springs, both young and not so young, there are countless, fun and interesting things to do within an hour’s drive from home; so you won’t find yourself spending hours in the car listening to a steady chorus of “I’m bored,” and “Are we there yet?” Most of these activities necessitate little to no advanced planning and are exceptionally budget friendly.
PARKS
There’s no shortage of parks in the Triangle area, with the City of Raleigh alone boasting more than two hundred! Those we are highlighted here offer a host of amenities from carousels to canoeing. Additionally, each of these towns’ official websites include user-friendly, interactive tools to help you find a park by category, such as location, amenity, special events, etc.
Raleigh
Pullen Park – 520 Ashe Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27606, 919-996-6472
Pullen Park, founded in 1887 and named for Richard Stanhope Pullen who donated its sixty-six acres to the city, was the first public park in the state of North Carolina and has been a longtime family favorite for generations. The park’s most recent renovations, culminating in 2011, have resulted in updates and improvements to play structures and various other attractions, as well as the addition of accessible parking.
Attractions include a beautiful, climate-controlled carousel house, kiddie boats for small children, pedal boats, and a miniature train providing rides around the park. Visitors are also free to explore a stationary, authentic Norfolk Southern Railway caboose and of course, the playground. There is also a concession house and picnic area.
Laurel Hills Park – 3808 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh, NC 27612, 919-996-2154
Laurel Hills Park is the home of Sassafras All Children’s Playground, created to be an inclusive space for children of all abilities. The playground, with its thoughtful design inspired by nature, is the largest in the area measuring an expansive 3½ acres of land. The equipment includes two 50-foot zip lines, adjustable basketball hoops, swings, accessible wide decking for wheelchair access, climbing structures and so much more, all built to accommodate children with mobility and strength issues, vision impairment and various other challenges.
Apex
Apex Community Park – 1808 Lake Pine Drive, Cary, NC 27511, 919-249-3402
Apex Community Park is a local favorite and a place where there is truly something for everyone. Sports enthusiasts will enjoy its three ball fields, two batting cages, three soccer fields, six tennis courts, four basketball courts, and three sand volleyball courts. Within the park you will find Lake Pine, a fifty-acre body of water that offers fishing (non-town residents must purchase a permit through the Town of Apex Community Center), canoeing, kayaking and the use of small jon boats. Lake Pine Trail is a picturesque, two-mile paved loop around the lake which is popular with just about everyone from moms pushing strollers, to walkers and runners, bicycle riders, and those out with their families just enjoying the fresh air together. For an added bit of educational fun, check out the website kidsinparks.com which offers downloadable brochures containing games and activities specific to Apex Community Park.
Lastly, if you’re into fitness, be sure to visit the Elevate Fitness Course near the park’s back tennis courts. It’s a great obstacle course designed with all ages and abilities in mind.
Kelly Road Park – 1609 Kelly Road, Apex, NC 27502, 919-249-3402
Kelly Road Park’s Kidstowne Playground (known by many as “Castle Park’’) has one of Apex’s best and most colorful playgrounds, with separate play areas for ages two through five, and five through twelve. It features a pirate ship, rope climbing wall and lots of swings. There’s a large picnic shelter with a grill, as well as tennis and pickleball courts, and a trailhead to the Beaver Creek Greenway.
Crowder Park – 4709 Ten-Ten Road, Apex, NC 27539, 919-662-2850
If your family enjoys exploring nature, Crowder Park is a wonderful location. Much more than a playground, Crowder has multiple trails including a paved trail and boardwalk around a 2½-acre pond full of fish, turtles, geese, frogs, and who knows what else, that you’re sure to encounter along the way!
Middle Creek Park – 123 Middle Creek Park Avenue, Apex, NC 27539, 919-771-1295
Middle Creek Park is unique in that it offers one of the area’s most popular disc golf locations. This 19-hole course was designed by Professional Disc Golf Association Hall of Famer Carlton Howard. It’s a fun sport that can be played by people of all ages and is especially popular with teens. There’s also a great playground.
Cary
Marla Dorrel Park – 111 Thurston Drive, Cary, NC 27518, 919-469-4061
Marla Dorrel Park is the home of Kids Together Playground. Kids Together was the brainchild of sisters Helen Rittlemeyer and Kristin Holcomb, ages six and seven, respectively, when they came up with the idea back in 1993 for the creation of a playground for children with special needs. It’s an inclusive space for children of all physical and mental abilities. The playground’s uniqueness lies in its state-of-the-art play structures including Katal, a giant dragon sculpture that encourages climbing and exploration, as well as a misting garden for those warm (okay, hot) summer days.
Fred G. Bond Metro Park – 801 High House Road, Cary, NC 27513, 919-462-3970
Fred Bond Park, named for former Mayor Fred G. Bond, is the town of Cary’s largest municipal park. Especially loved by visitors for Lake Bond and its boathouse, those looking to experience the water can do so by renting canoes, kayaks and sunfish sailboats. Experience is required in order to rent a sailboat, but the park offers private lessons in all three for a fee.
MUSEUMS, ETC
A trip to the museum provides a meaningful, educational opportunity outside of the classroom and is an excellent way of fostering new ideas while piquing your child’s curiosity. Residents of the Triangle are fortunate to have a number of museums close to home, offering an array of exhibits and subject matter appealing to every age and interest.
Marbles Kids Museum – 201 E Hargett Street, Raleigh, NC 27601, 919-834-4040
A visit to Marbles is a treat for the imagination! Learning through play is the core mission in this creative environment. Younger kids will love exploring the museum’s first floor which houses “Around Town”—a child-friendly version of a community. Hands-on exhibits include a grocery store, kitchen, ambulance, fire engine, and a play veterinarian area. There is also water play; a musical playground; “Seedlings,” a pretend indoor garden; and “Sunsprouts,” a real outdoor children’s garden. On the second floor, older children will enjoy “Moneypalooza,” a fun, interactive exhibit offering an age-appropriate introduction to money; “Power2Play,” an area devoted to healthy eating and exercise; as well as “Stemosphere,” a STEM-oriented learning experience full of puzzles, games, building challenges, and lots more. There’s also an IMAX theater, a noteworthy gift shop, and so many more attractions that we can’t possibly list all of them here.
Museum of Life and Science – 433 W Murray Avenue, Durham, NC 27704, 919-220-5429
There’s so much to do at the Museum of Life and Science, you could spend the entire day there and still not experience all it has to offer. With more than 25 indoor and outdoor exhibits, museumgoers are given the chance to explore topics including wildlife, wetlands, sound, air and the weather. There’s a hands-on lab, a farmyard, a dinosaur trail, an insectarium, and the Magic Wings Butterfly House. Visitors can learn all about the lifecycle of a butterfly while observing hundreds of them, from 30 to 50 different species, in an authentic rainforest-like setting. If you’re lucky, one may even land on you!
North Carolina Museum of History – 5 E Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC 27601, 919-814-7000
There’s no better place to learn about the history of our great state than the North Carolina Museum of History. Visit a 1920s drug store and soda fountain; discover new information about North Carolina agriculture through the museum’s interactive outdoor classroom, “History of the Harvest;” and while you’re there, be sure not to miss the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame which contains memorabilia from more than 350 Carolina sports legends.
Our next two suggestions don’t fit under any particular category, but they’re great choices for an enjoyable, family day out:
Duke Gardens – 420 Anderson Street, Durham, NC 27708, 919-684-3698
There aren’t too many places close to home more stunningly beautiful than Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Truly an experience for the senses, this 6 ½ -acre botanical garden grows more than 900 species of native plants. My advice…pack a picnic lunch and a blanket, and print up a copy of “Observation Bingo,” a really fun game that will surely enhance your visit. Find it under “More to Do” at gardens.duke.edu, where you’ll also be able to take a sneak peek at what’s in bloom before you go.
New Hope Valley Railway Train Ride – 3900 Bonsal Road, New Hill, NC 27562, 919-396-5833
This one you’ll have to plan ahead for, as tickets for scheduled rides tend to sell quickly. The New Hope Train Ride takes passengers on a one-hour, four-mile, ride in a historic, vintage train from Bonsal to New Hill, and back. Run by a staff of strictly volunteers, the train station is also home to an open-air museum filled with railroad artifacts and memorabilia. For further information and to purchase tickets, visit triangletrain.com.
Summertime offers the perfect opportunity for family time, and that’s something we can all use a little bit more of. Hopefully some of these ideas will inspire a few of your family’s warm weather adventures!
