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^^ This thread immediately reminded me of greenie's thread. You guys are alike
OP, I wonder why you are staying and spending so much time in Durham where it is not even your prospective area to live? If it were for me, I'd spend as much time in where I want to live... You could explore other areas after you moved. Anyway, I'd move Duke Chapel from day 2 to day 3. They are close, no need to make separate trips.
All visitors with this much time should have breakfast at Big Ed's in downtown Raleigh.
I totally agree with this suggestion. I didn't even know Big Ed's existed until 2014, after living here for seven years. Now, it's a favorite go to place whenever we're trying to Wow! out of town guests or looking to celebrate something as a family but with an early day schedule. I'm also a big fan of Smokey's BBQ Shack on Chapel Hill Road in Morrisville. When we're feeding people from out of town, that's the BBQ spot we prefer (The Pit is good, but it's kind of fancy BBQ and not really representative of the very best the area has to offer - though I do love their fried chicken).
I would also suggest swapping a museum with a trail hike for the kids. Blue Jay Point in North Raleigh has a few super short trails under a very thick tree canopy which reduces the threat of summer time heat significantly. Kids seem to really love the chance to explore, you can take one of the short trails to Falls Lake and let the kids splash a bit and, if the weather cooperates, let them enjoy a pretty good playground. My wife also reinforced the votes for Pullen Park. But there's not nearly as much shade as you might need.
Good luck with the visit and I hope you find what you're looking for. This is a great place to raise a family and so much easier on the parents than the NY/NJ/CT area.
I love Millstone Creek Orchards, but given how much you have packed into your agenda, it's a bit of a drive. We typically do that and the zoo together and make a day out of heading out that way.. unless there's another Millstone Creek Orchards I don't know about.
For the little ones, if you need a pit stop for energy without getting involved with a full blown museum trip, Kids Together @ Dorel Park in Cary was suggested and is a great stop. Kelly Rd park in Apex is good too (giant fort playground). Jack Smith Park in Cary and South Park in Fuquay have splash pads/spraygrounds. Of course, Pullen Park in Raleigh is always a big draw. Marbles/Museum of Life and Science are great but you could spend a lot of time there. Kidzu is smaller and more conducive to a shorter stop.
Another vote for skipping the orchards. Way too far and not worth it IMHO. Instead, when in
Apex, stop by DJ's Berry Farm. It's a local strawberry and pumpkin picking spot, they have a small farmstand at other times. The kids can climb a tractor for free there and they sell awesome Mapple View Farms ice cream.
Marbles is excellent for the toddlers and, most importantly, air conditioned. They are also the only local BofA "museum on us" destination, free entry for BofA customers once a month (check their calendar for dates).
I'd cut down on the activities outdoors if possible. In the middle of the day you absolutely will want to stay indoors, I'm not kidding.
Jack Smith park has no shade, unfortunately. Waverly Place has a playground with a small splash pad, it's open limited hours though. Might be worth a stop - you can get great food for a picnic at Whole Foods.
In Durham, I'd actually skip the Duke Gardens (if you go - at least get a duck food at the gift shop, at least something for the kids to do) and just stop by American Tobacco Campus with a short stroll to The Parlor ice cream.
First off, I hope you and your family have a great trip! I too have been on the forums for a long time and posted my threads from one of my previous trips. We are a few weeks away from relocating based on the information here and our visits, and we couldn't be happier about it. I hope you have the same experience.
We don't have children so I'm afraid I don't have much advice there but like others, I have heard nice things about Pullen Park. It's also very pretty from photos I've seen.
I'd recommend the orange area and then the center of the green area. I had walked the whole park before I arrived in the green area, knowing that there was a small cafe there. But the cafe was closed, to my disappointment. Maybe ask at the front desk when you get there, see if it's open if you intend to stop.
Should you decide to move, do you intend to buy a home upon arrival? I ask because we used our fact-finding trips to tour apartment complexes we had already contacted weeks before. This was important, because two of them were taken off the list based on our visit. Ironically, the apartment we wound up renting is nowhere near the target area we looked at and we've never actually seen it in person! It's a risk but my parents had toured them for us on a recent trip to the area.
I hope when you return you'll post a review and photos! I think we need more photo threads round these parts.
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Originally Posted by Tellurium
^^ This thread immediately reminded me of greenie's thread. You guys are alike
We did similar stuff when we came to visit. We know were needed to have some time for the kids to play and run or they would be out of control when we went and did the stuff that was boring to them. Marbles is a great choice, Kids together is another stand out because it is awesome and shaded. Pullen park is great but there is no shade. Jack smith park has the splash pad, I have never been so I can't comment on the park.
If you are going to picnic consider Bond Park where you can find shade and a playground. The airport park is cool and different and you do not need to spend hours. As another poster mentioned there are tons are amazing parks here that you can just drop by for a little to give the kids a chance to run.
I really want to visit Pullen and thought there would be a lot to do so we would just picnic instead of getting in the car again for lunch. If it's just a playground that will keep them entertained for a bit it would make sense to hit Bond. I'll have to look at this again, thanks. I think the shade will be important considering they will be running around and sweaty.
The Museum of Life and Science is my absolute fave for school age kids, but be aware it can literally take all day. Your kid might be a tad young, but it should still be plenty fun for them. There are two separate buildings full of exhibits and then there are 3 or 4 big sections outside including animal habitats, a treehouse village ala the Ewoks in Star Wars, plus the Catch the Wind exhibit and the mist exhibits (great on a hot day). You may want to pack a change of clothes because there are opportunities for little ones to get soaked. You can wear the kid out well here.
BTW, University Mall Place is the small mall. It's got Southern Season on one end which is a gourmet Southern food store worth checking out and then just sort of odds and ends, a nice art gallery, fancy movie theater and a Planet Fitness, but the big mall that people do big shopping at is Southpoint with Nordstrom and Macy's and all that stuff. Older folks, movie-goers, and parents of young kids seem to be the clientele at University Mall. Not very many teens like at Southpoint.
Hmm, thanks for the heads up. We definitely didn't schedule it for an all day event - i have 2.5 hours blocked for this. We'll have to revisit this on the agenda and make sure we're losing the rest of the day as the Duke Gardens are on the agenda afterwards. Like you mention, they are kind of young still, so I'm sure we can get away with skipping some things. Definitely worth looking to a bit further though thanks.
The Southern food store sounds interesting, I think i want to drop by there too!
I agree with the Museum of Life and Science, with many different areas and the possibility of misting and inside AC for some exhibits.
Check the weather ahead of time - an hour out in this sun, high humidity and temperatures can be completely draining. Think shade and hydration at the very least. We had gorgeous weather in June but now it is hot.
Does your child nap in the car seat? If so, plan accordingly for a ride from one place to another to provide some adequate snooze time. That is a busy schedule for a 3-year old!
Hope you enjoy your trip and let us know how it goes.
Weather is definitely going to be a factor, I'm hoping for an unexpected cool day or two but that's wishful thinking I'm sure. They all would nap in the car and strollers on longer walks which is great.
I'll definitely be back to share the experience!
Last edited by peechykeeny; 07-08-2017 at 08:09 AM..
^^ This thread immediately reminded me of greenie's thread. You guys are alike
OP, I wonder why you are staying and spending so much time in Durham where it is not even your prospective area to live? If it were for me, I'd spend as much time in where I want to live... You could explore other areas after you moved. Anyway, I'd move Duke Chapel from day 2 to day 3. They are close, no need to make separate trips.
I had a hard time finding things to do in towns like Apex, Holly Springs, and Wake Forest actually. We kept day 5 open so we can drive around those neighborhoods more and leave the kids behind and give them a break. If you have a suggestion on something to do, that'd be great! Also - while Durham isn't on the list of places to live, I'm still open. Everyone's reviews/thoughts/perspective are all so subjective so I'd be open to exploring it and considering it.
I have been back since and have some more advice, I'll be back later to reply again.
I love this, thank you!
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