McDowell Nature Center and Preserve

McDowell Nature Center and Preserve is located on Lake Wylie, and offers a fun stop off for family adventuring. Their nature center is home to several critters kids will enjoy learning about including turtles, snakes and frogs. If you catch them during encounter time your tots (or husband) can get up close and personal with their corn snake.

The kiddos will enjoy reading a nature book, or participating in a bug scavenger hunt. The nature center offers several classes and kid-friendly events such as 'Animals Like Halloween Too!' 'Whooo Are Our Owls?" and 'Babes in the Woods' throughout the year. 

You can check out their programs for kids and adults by clicking here. Entry to the nature center is free, and many of the programs are free as well - you can even borrow a fishing pole to explore Lake Wylie (must have a valid fishing license). 

The trails at McDowell Nature Center and Preserve vary in length and difficulty. They offer camping, picnics, playgrounds and Copperhead Island a primitive group camp and shelter. 

McDowell Nature Center and Preserve is located at 15222 York Road Charlotte, NC 28278. 704-588-5224. Hours are M-Saturday 9AM-5PM and Sundays 1PM-5PM. 

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Atherton Market in South End

Atherton Market is nestled in Atherton Mills in the quickly growing trend-tactic South End. So trendy it's right next to the newly opened Anthropologie. We went on a Saturday morning to check out the market and enjoy the energy of South End. 

Atherton hosts about 20 vendor booths. Their wares run the gamut - offering specialty coffee, organic produce, meats and fish, high end chocolate unique cheeses, hand poured soy candles and more. 

Several booths offer samples of their tasty fares, we enjoyed Carolina Artisan Bread's raisin walnut bread samples. The fam liked walking around and exploring the culture-forward options that you can't find at Wal-mart. 

Artists are also on the scene with unique terrariums, water color canvases and hand crafted jewelry. 

The price points for items run closer to that of a Whole Foods, so be prepared to pay a pretty penny if you plan to purchase their quality goods. 

Atherton market is family friendly, I suggest rocking the single stroller or baby wearing on busier days, a double stroller would be doable if you're patient. The market is open 9am-6pm Mon - Sat. More information at: http://www.athertonmillandmarket.com/retailers/mill/atherton-market/ 

There are also lunch/dinner options with tasty experiences like Luna's Living Kitchen and a BBQ restaurant in walking distance. 

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Charlotte Knights Stadium

If you've been uptown recently you've likely noticed the beautiful Charlotte Knights Stadium just a few blocks from Trade and Tryon. A few weeks ago a large group in our neighborhood (180 of us!) were lucky enough to catch a game in the Knight's new digs.

Although I'm not a big baseball fan, I found the vista of the field and skyline in concert with an entertaining ball game to be well worth the price of admission. We were lucky enough to enjoy the game during one of Charlotte's many nice (although it threatened storms in the distance) evenings. The seats were comfortable, had a good view of the action and our son enjoyed eating (crushing) peanuts while we participated in the wave, singing take me out to the ball game and the 7th inning stretch.

Baseball games typically equal enjoying a few cold beverages. My husband and I were stoked about the beer selection - it wasn't just your typical domestic drafts - they had many local micro breweries on tap.

There are still several games to catch before the end of their season - Thursdays are "Thirsty Thursdays" with $3 small drafts and $1 sodas. You can buy tickets here.

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Our One and Only Visit to Tweetsie Railroad

Thomas the Train was coming to Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, NC and our little man E is the perfect Thomas-loving age (2 1/2). We packed up the gang and headed up the windy, narrow and  beautiful roads to Blowing Rock, NC for a visit with Thomas and to experience the adventures at Tweetsie.

We rented a cabin called Almost Heaven,  it was clean, spacious and comfortable  - and had everything you could need for 3 families. The only negative was the drive way, we bottomed out when we arrived as it is very dipped, but there were other parking spots and we would definitely stay there again (we brought the high chairs).

We scheduled one day at Tweetsie and arrived around 9am a little after it opened on a warm June morning. Our ticket to ride Thomas was at 10am. We organized our large group of 6 adults and 5 kids (ages 6, 3, 2.5, 1 and 3 months) and headed up the hill to the Tweetsie entrance, where they had one person taking tickets. We waited about five minutes to enter with anxious little ones chomping at the bit to get in. Once inside we decided it was best to spend about 30 minutes waiting for the train so we could sit further back from the engine. There was lots of soot that came out of the train's smoke stacks and we didn't want to be directly in the wake of the cloud of black. Then it was our turn to ride and the kids were excited as we hurriedly gave them all another coat of sunscreen and loaded into the cart. We steamed forward and were able to see the lush green scenery. About half way through the ride we came upon their train show, which was pretty awful. The actors seemed to have already given up by 10am and may as well have just been rolling their eyes as they gave their lines in a monotone voice. The kids didn't notice, but we were disappointed in how poorly these "actors" acted out the script. 

Then onward we steamed for the rest of our 30 minute journey on Thomas. We headed out to grab some lunch at Sparky's Southwestern & BBQ and felt the food was reasonably priced and tasted better than we expected. 

Finally it was time to hit some rides, and what I mean is wait over an hour for each crappy carnival-like ride in the hot blazing sun. But first, time to climb another big hill while pushing the double stroller. I didn't realize that Tweetsie is actually on the side of Mount effing-Everest!  I've been to Disney World more times than I can count on my hands and I've never waited this long for a ride before. Once we had spent far too long to ride the turnpike cruisers and ferris wheel we had a shorter wait for the carousel and Tornado.

Then we hoisted the kids up yet another much larger hill because the chair lift wasn't working. Once we arrived at the summit of Tweetsie and tipped my husband the sherpa, the toddlers enjoyed going on the boats and planes - which were too small for our 6 year old to ride. We watched the magic show, which was actually quite entertaining, S got picked to be his assistant and score - we were in the shade! Then the kids and grandma and grandpa waited about 30 minutes to ride the mouse mine train while the dads went to wait in line for 15 minutes to get us water. 

In summary, Tweetsie was a mountainous hot mess with rides we could have experienced at the local carnival. For now this "blast from the past" will be kept in our past. 

After our long hot day we enjoyed an awesome meal, with what my husband proclaimed to be the best fried chicken he's ever had, at The Daniel Boone Inn. Honestly everything was delicious and the servers were outstanding, a must try for the area. You'll want to get there early because the line got quite long after we arrived at 4:00PM on a Saturday, and they don't take reservations. 

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Holiday Lights at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens

I'm a Northern girl, and as such, I'm giddy that living in Charlotte means I'm able to walk around and look at holiday lights with a light jacket on. I feel like I'm getting away with something! Luckily the South, and particularly The Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens know how to do the holidays up right!

We visited for the Holidays at the Garden event and it was - enchanting.  The beautiful night, whimsical lights and mesmerized kids with the elegant back drop of Daniel Stowe will make it an annual family tradition. My pictures don't begin to capture the glimmer of the lights - its a must see in person experience.

They have lots of fun events planned throughout the evening. Check out their calendar of events here, which include s'more making by the bonfire ($3.75 for the kit), kids crafts, horse drawn carriage rides (additional cost), garden express tram rides and carolers.

Plus... SANTA! So... E wasn't so into it, but he did give me at least a few non-smile, non-crying shots. He was cajoled into sitting on Santa's lap with candy canes - I know my kid's currency...

They also had a cute model train set and a tasty coffee bar serving up peppermint coffee and hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream - yum! I bundled the kids just in case it got chilly and we were able to easily stroll around the gardens and take in the sights. There was plenty of parking and it wasn't too crowded the night we went. This family experience would be great for kids of all ages.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden runs Holidays at the Garden from 11/22/13 - 12/31/13, noon to 9pm, with lights twinkling at 5pm. The cost is $12 per adult and $6 for kids 4-12.

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McAdenville, NC - Christmas Town USA

We just completed our second annual trip to McAdenville - Christmas Town USA. This year we packed the car full of kids and grandparents and headed West to experience the lights.

We arrived a little later (6:40) than the year before (5:30) and were met with about 40 minutes of stand still traffic. Christmas Fail! Luckily everyone had extra Christmas cheer (especially E) and we were able to wait out the traffic. This year we went on a Friday, whereas last year we went on a Sunday. Christmas Town USA lesson: go on a weekday and arrive early!

In the end the lights were beautiful, and definitely worth the trip there. The pond is particularly fetching as it reflects the glowing trees. McAdenville houses sparkle nightly on the 2 mile route from 5:30-9:30 (M-F) and 5:30-11:00 (S-S). You can park downtown in several locations and walk the route to completely immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit, but it is hilly and can be cold. It's a FREE event (yeay!) and free to park in designated locations.

A few of the shops stay open but most are closed. Gastonia is only a couple of miles away and has every chain restaurant you could think of if you plan to catch dinner.

The pictures really don't do the town justice, it's definitely a must see in person experience to get the real feel that the lights bring.

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Penland Christmas Tree Farm

 
I've never been a big Christmas fan until I had kids -  now it's something that I've come to enjoy each year. This is our second Christmas where we ventured into a tree forest to pick out and cut down our own Christmas tree. We went to Penland Christmas Tree Farm this year located in York, SC about a 25-30 minute drive from Fort Mill. We went on a weekend and they had free coffee, hot chocolate, hay rides and a mulch play area for the kids. I purchased 4 marshmallows and a long clean roasting stick for $1 and S and I roasted marshmallows after we picked out our perfect Christmas tree.

Penland provides a saw to cut down your prized tree and wagons to haul it back to the car after you've tagged and paid for it. They will also drill a hole in the tree if needed. There were several species to choose from and this year we made sure we selected one (I mean S selected one) that would hold ornaments better than the one we chose last year. We adventured around the tree farm for at least 40 minutes while S painstakingly searched for our perfect Christmas tree. It's a nice large farm and it was a beautiful Carolina day to enjoy the outdoors. We spent $35 on the tree because it was under 8 feet, although they have some trees up to 16 feet tall.

Penland Christmas Tree Farm also sells landscaping trees throughout the rest of the year. It was a fun experience and we hope to go back next year.

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Carolinas Aviation Museum

Aaaa-bane! Aaaa-bane! (Airplane) My almost 2 year old shouts whenever we're outside and catch one skimming across the sky. Little boys just adore airplanes, so last Saturday we corralled the kids and headed to the Carolinas Aviation Museum.

The Carolinas Aviation Museum is located near the Charlotte airport. They offer a hands-on education workshop for kids several times a month. This Saturday they were making bottle rockets. The kids chose their water bottles and scrawled a rocket worthy design before handing it over to the professionals to load them with vinegar and toilet paper enclosed baking soda. They were put on the launching pad and - boom! They took off into the sky. You can see in the video below (please excuse my cackling laugh).

At the top of the hour we were able to get up close and personal with several airplanes behind the chain linked gates. We strolled through the gigantic hangar that houses over a dozen different types and sized planes. The Carolinas Aviation Museum has the plane that was part of the 'Miracle on the Hudson', on exhibition as well as a fighter plane like the one from Top Gun. The hubs and kids took turns posing for pictures in one of the fighter jets.

It was a fun and educational experience for everyone, the kids really loved the workshop and learning about all the different ways planes are used. The Carolinas Aviation Museum is hosting Time Warner Cable Night on Thursday, June 26th from 5-9pm. They are offering free admission with a current TWC bill and $4 for all others.

If you can't make it that Thursday night, then mark your calendars to bring the kiddos and check out one of their upcoming hands-on educational workshops.

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New Park Uptown - Romare Bareden Park

I've been trying to avoid the construction area uptown near the new Knights stadium because it's a total cluster. However, in doing so, I completely overlooked a beautiful new park that has emerged from the dust. Romare Bareden Park is now open, and although not completely finished, offers blooming gardens and lush green lawns for family fun. They also have a cascading waterfall spray ground and misting area for the kids to cool off in. There are other kid friendly elements to play, crawl and climb on. The location can't be beat right in the heart of Charlotte just a block from Tryon Street and opposite of the Atrium.

There are many areas to sit and relax or have lunch near the arbor and trellis. There is a list of activities planned for the new park including a music series, music box lunch series, party in the park series, art and photography classes, art shows, fitness programs including yoga and tai chi classes, and holiday activities and festivals.

Parking uptown can be frustrating, but if you're visiting on the weekend or before or after rush hour on street parking is generally available. There are many parking garages around the city and listed on their website. The park is mostly stroller friendly and offers a public bathrooms and a small eatery.

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Charlotte Knights Baseball

I'll come clean - I'm not a sports fan (in general). My hubby on the other hand, is a lover of all things football and baseball. For his birthday my mom and step dad got the family tickets to go see the Charlotte Knights. It just so happened to be the second to last game in their old stadium in Fort Mill - in the spring of 2014 they will be playing uptown in the new BB&T Ballpark.

The clouds had gathered around game time so we were worried the experience would be a wash out. Luckily the weather passed and the game started - at 7:50. It ended up being a beautiful night - but let me share that our kids bed times are between 8 and 8:30 so we were expecting to leave early following an inevitable melt down, probably long before the 7th inning stretch. Then a miracle for daddy happened - our kids were happy, content and amused the ENTIRE game. I was speechless. Our son whose favorite past time is high shrill whining and wanting to roll around on a dirty floor was the picture of a baseball fan - sitting on our laps and watching the 'business' gleeful until 11:30PM when the game ended. The game was more than just baseball, they had ongoing games and activities on the field to keep the kids (and me!) interested.

I think our daughter's highlight of the evening was the monumental sized cotton candy I let her pick out. My hubby was in his bliss, watching a live baseball game, Old Mecklenberg Brewery Copper in hand and cooperative kids. It was a really fun experience at the ballpark and even I (a self acclaimed sports Grinch) joined in the hooting and hollering as we supported our home team. Unfortunately they didn't win, but it was a great game.

Immediately following the game's conclusion they shut off the stadium lights and began one of the most beautiful fire works displays I've seen in my 34 years. This was a big time success in the family night out category and we are excited to check out some games in the new uptown stadium.

The venue isn't stroller friendly, so I brought my moby wrap that E hung out in for a little while. I also brought several kid friendly snacks and sippy cups to keep them happy. The tickets range from $7-$14 per person, and kids under 2 are free. The Knights usually have afternoon games throughout their season, which might be more conducive for small kids.

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Surrey Tour with Charlotte NC Tours

But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two - or six if it's a surrey!

We'd been hoping to go on a guided tour of uptown Charlotte again, previously we'd done a segway tour with Charlotte NC Tours and it was a great time. A guided tour is a wonderful way to get to know the city better, learn some history and have fun. Unfortunately the segways aren't kid friendly. Luckily Charlotte NC Tours offers surrey tours so the whole family can enjoy the experience together.


The kids got to ride in the front seats (I brought an additional belt strap and shoulder strap to keep our 1 year old fastened in). They donned helmets and were ready for speed! Grandma and Grandpa manned the back seats while my sweet hubby was the captain at the steering wheel and brake. I sat shot gun with my faux wheel that I treated as though it had true steering powers.

And we were off - our guide Jordan kept us safe from traffic when we were crossing over on the busier roads. He also helped keep our speed up around corners and literally pushed us up a few small hills. The surrey doesn't have gears so the hills would have been a bit tricky without Jordan-power! He had some great stories and shared many tidbits about the city we didn't know as we cycled through through the 4th ward. It was a lot of fun, and a little bit of a work out!

The kids laughed and our daughter squealed through a huge grin "We're going SUPER fast!" Our 1 year old was taken by all the sights and did his job waving to on lookers. If you haven't been to the 4th ward it is worth a tour. You'll discover interesting facts about the antique homes built there, can enjoy the lush parks, shallow fountains and general southern charm of the area. Charlotte NC Tours offers segway tours, walking tours, bike tours, van tours, relocation tours and of course surrey tours for the family of the 4th ward and many other areas around Charlotte.

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Fort Mill Strawberry Festival

This week's weather hasn't been the normal Carolina Blue skies, but that didn't seem to put a damper on the festivities at the annual South Carolina Strawberry Festival in Fort Mill, SC. Things were hopping when we arrived despite the looming dark clouds. They had vendors for local businesses showcasing their wares, any fried food you could imagine, music, rides and of course - strawberries (even fried strawberries!). Unfortunately we missed the strawberry shortcake eating contest - something my skinny hubby could have given many of the contestants a run for their money at, but caught several musical acts on the two stages. My favorite part was the funnel cake covered in real strawberries that the local girl's softball team was selling as a fundraiser.





The parking was either at the high school with transportation by a bus or parking in a field with about a half mile trek to the park. We opted for the walk, which I didn't mind, but we had the moby to carry E in which made navigating the bumpy grounds much easier.  I saw many strollers but the parents seemed to struggle as they pushed them around the festival - it's wasn't flat and was still damp from all the rain.

The festival is held at Walter Y. Elisha park, so the kids had a large playground to entertain themselves on as they took in the sights. Friday night they offered a $15 ticket for unlimited rides for kids, and there were several events leading up to the festival including a golf tournament, a strawberry pageant for Teen, Miss and Mrs contestants and a strawberry pick and flick (pick-your-own strawberries and a movie).

Overall, I'm not a lover of fair-like-festivals. That's just me. If you like fairs, festivals and strawberries, well then this is your ticket - and apparently it's many people's ticket because they broke the 2012 attendance record with over 55,000 attending this year.

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Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville, NC

The Lazy 5 Ranch is situated in Mooresville, NC and offers a 3.5 mile safari ride that can be experienced by car or guided wagon. There are over 750 animals from 6 continents between the petting zoo area and the safari. It was a wonderfully slobbery situation, and S's squeals of excitement and delight as she fed the the many animals at the Lazy 5 Ranch still has her talking about all that she saw and did. 

We arrived at the ranch and there was plenty of parking, and lots of areas to explore. Our 'mall strollers' would have had a hard time on the terrain, so we wrapped E in the moby which gave him a great view of the going on's and S walked. It's not too large of an area for young walkers to handle. The petting zoo had sheep, goats and horses. Within the petting zoo there were some non-petting animals as well, including kangaroos, camels, ring tailed lemurs, a pygmy zebu and a plethora of unique birds. The walk through the petting area was picturesque and beautifully landscaped, with many plants, shrubs and trees that I'd never seen before. We enjoyed strolling around and watching the animals and their playful antics as we waited for the wagon ride.

Three strong horses were saddled up to pull the wagon for the safari. We were given buckets of pellets and instruction on the proper way to feed the different types of animals. Initially, when the first animals trotted up to our wagon S was afraid, but once she saw everyone else feeding them she was excited to try it as well. This elicited many shrieks of glee, which the animals seemed unfettered by. We fed llamas, cattle, buffalo, brahma cattle, emus, giraffes and many other 4 footed friends. It was funny to see their crazy tongues reaching out for the pellets as S gently dropped them into their mouths. As we passed by the large ponds of water we could make out just the heads of water buffalo as they cooled themselves from the heat. Car-sized cattle with expansive horns came to investigate our wagon. It was a lot of fun to get this up close and personal experience with such massive animals as they went from hand to hand nibbling on the feed.

The wagon ride concluded and we were able to go and wash up in the bathrooms near the concession stand. Right next door is a large playground with swings for mom and dad, and several slides and room for the kids to burn off some steam after sitting in the car or wagon. Lazy 5 Ranch does events and birthday parties in their covered shelter. 

The Lazy 5 Ranch was a memorable experience, and was well worth the 50 minute trip from Charlotte. The cost for general admission (driving your own car) is $9.50 for adults, $6.50 for kids (2-11 and seniors 60+), feed is $3 per bucket. The wagon ride is $14.50 for adults, $9.50 for kids (2-11 and seniors 60+) and a bucket of feed is included. They do not accept credit cards or debit cards - so make sure to bring cash and wear sneakers. Lazy 5 Ranch asks that you call ahead to make reservations for the wagon ride at 704-663-5100. If you pay for the wagon ride you can also take your car through the safari. We tried both and I think the wagon ride left a bigger impression on the kids and the adults.

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About Town Pony Rides

My daughter loves 'My Little Pony' and for her 4th birthday begged that we have a 'My Little Pony' themed party. Well I'm all for a themed party, and since she's only little once and is spoiled with too many toys already, my husband and I decided to spend some of her birthday money on an experience instead. We hired About Town Ponies to come to our house for her birthday party. She was so excited, and all the kids at the party were nearly bursting at the seams with anticipation as they each patiently waited for their turn to ride on Magic, a dark brown pony. While some kids were riding the others were able to comb and pet Target, a light brown and creme colored pony. You can tell these ponies have been around lots of children, because they were calm and collected, and didn't seem to mind all the little rambunctious hands or squeals. This was a unique party experience for the kids, and many of them still talk about it when they come over to visit.

Angie, who owns About Town Ponies was very courteous, prompt and was able to keep the bedlam organized making sure every child got their turn. Angie is an active volunteer for a program that offers children with disabilities free riding experiences, which can be very therapeutic. Birthday parties start at $145 for an hour for two ponies. This includes bringing the horses to your event and any clean up necessary.

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Baxter Village Nature Trails

It was a beautiful Saturday in January, so we decided to get the kids out for some fresh air. Hailing from Central New York, I'm always excited when it's in the 70's in the middle of the winter and not -7. We opted to head to Baxter Village to enjoy their nature trails. S insisted we were going to the jungle (her grandparents just got back from an African safari so everything is the jungle), so off to the suburban jungle we went.

We bundled E in the moby wrap (which this mommy and daddy love) and started our trek, looking for animals (birds and squirrels mostly) and enjoying the scenery. The trail we took was paved, there are several different types of trails - some perfect for a stroller, others for bikes and walking. Click here to see the trail map at Baxter.

We came across several geocaches along the way, including a little gnome in a tree. It's a free fun way to get the family into the great outdoors - and it wasn't muddy!

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