Looking for a day away from it all out in the woods? On a fall day there is nothing like heading north to the streams, fresh air, dazzling waterfalls and fall colors of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With its 900 miles of hiking trails, six major waterfalls and over 10,000 acres of forest, DuPont State Forest is a showcase of some of the most fabulous scenery in western NC, just an hour from Greenville! KAG Contributor Liene is telling us all bout the best places to visit in Dupont State Forest.
Find even more great hikes on our Hiking Guide. Plus find tons of waterfalls in our area to visit here!
This article was originally published on Femme au Foyer as “DuPont State Forest and its waterfalls”.
What to expect if you go
To maximize a visit to DuPont, park in the Hooker Falls area on Staton Road and combine the Triple Falls Trail, the High Falls Trail and Hooker Falls Road for an unforgettable, three mile hike to visit three of the most popular and beautiful falls in the area. Two of them (Triple and Hooker Falls) you might recognize from the movie The Hunger Games, a portion of which was filmed in DuPont in 2011, and Triple Falls featured prominently in the movie Last of the Mohicans.
Just a short ½ mile from the Hooker Falls parking area you’ll reach Triple Falls, with three distinct cascades that drop 120 feet in total. The first overlook is just a short distance from the parking lot, and a few hundred feet further is the spur trail that leads down to the large rocky area between the falls. Bring a picnic to enjoy the spectacle – natural and human – before jumping back on the main trail.
Triple Falls trail and High Falls trail form a loop, but you can choose to stick close to Little River on High Falls trail and cut out a bit of the mileage by doing a there-and-back. (Triple Falls trail heads west, hitting Buck Forest Road and intersecting with High Falls trail and the Covered Bridge Trail about 1/3 mile from High Falls). To reach the base of the 150-foot cascade, take a detour on the short River Bend spur trail for a memorable view of the falls and the covered bridge at the top.
High Falls is the largest waterfall in the area, and together with the beautiful covered bridge was part of a planned real estate development in 2000. After a lengthy legal battle the state was able to purchase the land from the developer, ensuring the view of the falls would be preserved. The trail leading to High Falls is somewhat steep, so make sure to bring water and to set a comfortable pace in the summer heat.
Once you’ve retraced your steps to the parking area and crossed back under Staton Road, you’ll turn west on Hooker Falls trail. Make sure to pause at the observation area above the falls before circling down to the base of the 12 foot waterfall. From the popular swimming hole at the base of the falls, Little River flows on into Cascade Lake, outside of the state forest’s boundaries. The hike to the falls is relatively easy, a mildly sloping 0.4 miles down a gravel road.
These three DuPont waterfalls make for a perfect year-round destination. The weekends during the summer will find a crowd at Hooker Falls, cooling down in the natural swimming hole, meanwhile autumn brings unparalleled fall foliage to the views around High Falls. Winter will decorate the waterfalls in ice, and finally spring means wildflowers and the return of the Blue Ghost Firefly. Whichever season you visit, you’ll find the scenic and tranquil beauty of DuPont State Forest and its waterfalls a memorable experience you’ll want to repeat again and again.
Looking for a fun day trip not too far from Greenville? Have you heard about Dillard House? Everybody loves a good day trip and local mom Andrea Beam took her children to Dillard House just for that purpose! Today she’s telling us all about the grounds, the family friendly horseback riding, farm animals and more.
(This post has been edited to reflect 2018 pricing information.)
For more day trip options, check out Kidding Around Greenville’s extensive list of day trips.
Today I am going to talk with you about The Dillard House in Dillard, GA. Have you been? I went for the first time last year and loved it. Every minute of it.
So did my boys.
Our day trip to The Dillard House
Located on 768 Franklin Street in Dillard, Georgia, The Dillard House has a lot to offer you and your family.
First, let’s talk about the scenery. Breathtaking would be an appropriate adjective. As you near the property, you feel like you’re driving through the mountains of Tennessee. I don’t know about you, but I love to feel like I’m a million miles away from home. (Because Tennessee is exactly one million miles from my house).
Though you may feel like you are far away, it’s actually only about a two hour drive from Greenville. Unless you drive like me – then you are looking at an hour and a half, maybe less.
I have friends who make the trip just to eat at their family style restaurant. It is open seven days a week and serves a mean breakfast!
Although yummy, the food is not the reason we go. On the gorgeous grounds you can enjoy horseback riding, fishing and a small petting zoo. The prices are also reasonable.
When we took our boys, we paid $20 for them to ride a horse for fifteen minutes. That may not sound like a long time, but for a child fifteen minutes on the back of a horse is an eternity. Or, if you’re looking for something a little longer, a 30 minute trail ride for children and adults (6 and up) is just $35. The staff is friendly and very helpful. You are able to take pictures, so make sure to have your camera on hand.
There are guided trails for longer periods of time available for adults and older children. I certainly plan to take my son back in the future.
The kiddos will also enjoy feeding the animals.
Please check their website for a list of activities offered. It is very informative.
The Dillard House is one of my favorite day trip destinations. I strongly encourage you to pack up your car and go.
Plan your own trip to The Dillard House
768 Franklin Street, Dillard, GA
800.541.0671
Visit their website or their Facebook page.
Hours vary daily. See their events page for details.
Up for a road trip that includes something extraordinary, loads of natural beauty and maybe a touch of history too? We’ll tell you why we think the Biltmore Estate in Asheville is a great option for a journey this summer! You’ll find history, wonderful dining, family friendly activities and more at this beautiful estate.
Want more ideas for a road trip or two? Check out our travel page for information on all kinds of places you might just love!
Find a place to stay near the Biltmore. This article contains Stay22 affiliate links.
About the Biltmore Estate
Of all the family escapes that we’ve taken, a day trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina rates as one of the most enchanting, unique and definitely out of the ordinary (unless you’re a Vanderbilt yourself).
The Biltmore estate is only 90 minutes from Greenville. Known to be the largest private residence in all of America, it was built in the late 1880’s by George W. Vanderbilt, grandson of famed industrialist and philanthropist, Cornelius Vanderbilt. It was George’s first visit to the Blue Ridge Mountains with his mother that inspired him to build his country house. With his love for all things French and passion for nature, he built a chateau style mansion featuring 250 rooms on 125,000 acres of land. Later, the house would become a home with his marriage to Edith Stuyvesant Dresser and the birth of their daughter, Cornelia.
Summer is a great time to see the estate as the mansion has many outdoor events and exhibitions. But before anything else, do buy a week ahead to avail of ticket discounts and decide whether to visit peak (weekends and requires calling ahead to reserve a time slot for seeing the house) or off peak.
Tour du Jour
The house designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, took six years to build featuring 250 rooms, 35 guest rooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces. It’s of course recommended that you start your tour here. The sprawling estate requires a car to navigate, and takes about three miles to the parking lot from the ticketing office. (Tip: Print your tickets ahead of time to skip the registration process. With tickets in hand, you can go straight to your parking lot of choice. We usually park at the gardens and walk to the house to avoid having to wait for the parking lot shuttle).
Allot about an hour and a half of your day to see the mansion. If you are interested in anecdotes and stories behind the rooms, you may rent an audio guide. Tip: Since we usually visit with kids 9 and below, we usually skip the audio tour and rely on the free printed brochure of Cedric’s Treasure Hunt guide of the mansion at the house. Just ask for it when you go inside. Also, be sure to go to the bathroom before you go inside the mansion since there are none inside.
While some kids thoroughly enjoy the mansion with its maze-like architecture and magnificent rooms, it may be boring for smaller children. Our favorite highlights of the house: George’s 22,000 volume library; the cavernous dining hall; in some of the rooms, the unmarked secret doors and passageways; the indoor pool, bowling alley and Halloween room.
While you can take a self-guided tour of the house, the Biltmore offers lots of really cool guided tours.
Roam the amazing Biltmore Gardens
Designed by no other than Frederick Olmsted of New York’s Central Park, the Gardens of Biltmore Estate are one to behold. From the mansion, we love walking through the formal walled garden and stroll thru heritage roses in full bloom. If you’re lucky, you may spot a hummingbird or two hovering about patches of Bee Balm and Zinnias. At the end of the rose garden is the conservatory filled with exotic plants. During the Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt’s time, the conservatory provided fresh flowers and plants for the mansion.
While visiting the gardens is a thrilling experience any time of the year, the spring and fall are especially stunning.
Kid-friendly Antler Hill Village
A more casual affair, the Antler Hill Village is a great way to cap a Biltmore visit with kids. A short drive from the main house includes a Winery, more dining options, a creamery (hooray!), changing exhibitions and specialty estate shops. To the edge of the Antler Hill Village is the Farmyard where kids can play at the playground, pet the barn animals or tour the stables. The Antler Hill barn features turn of the century games and displays of old farming equipment to make Biltmore a self-sustainable community. Blacksmith, woodworkers and craft demonstrations are held daily to introduce old artisan traditions to young curious onlookers.
This Biltmore has brought back the Vanderbilt Travels Railway, a 250-foot model train display which showcases George Vanderbilt’s travels by using handcrafted architectural models made from leaves, twigs and other natural materials. Includes five model trains that run along track loops, passing by miniature versions of the Biltmore Rail Depot, the USS Vanderbilt Steamship, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc De Triomphe, London Bridge and other landmarks. This display is shown several months out of the year.
More on the Biltmore Winery
Begin by taking a stroll underground through the historic cellars of the former Biltmore Dairy. The kids enjoyed the cool temperature of the cellar and wandering thru the exhibit. Your stroll will lead to an impressive tasting room where gracious wine hosts guide you through a complimentary wine tasting. For a nominal fee, you can sample their finest reserve. Kids had grape juice and complimentary snacks while adults enjoyed their wine. The tasting room opens up to some wine shopping, cooking ware and gourmet tastings of spreads and honeys produced in the estate.
Tip: Combine your visit with a private Wine Tasting tour such as the Red Wine and Chocolate tasting tour. There are several other tours at The Biltmore Winery as well. Book your free tasting when you first arrive at the Biltmore at the Visitors Center. Slots fill up fast.
If you are looking to extend your visit, the Biltmore has a whole list of private tours to capture every imagination. Last year, we took the Upstairs-Downstairs tour and were able to see how the 438 employees kept the mansion in tip-top shape including the use of synchronized clocks and a state of the art in-house communication system and combined with other technological marvels of the time. Staff unlike those at the Downtown Abbey mostly lived upstairs in the upper floors with hidden passageways to the Master Bedroom and guest floor.
Seasonal events happening at Biltmore
Biltmore is a home for all seasons. The estate plans seasonal celebrations and many families have made this part of their tradition. They have an annual Easter Egg Hunt, summer concert series, art exhibitions, Christmas displays, and so much more.
Book an overnight at Biltmore Hotel
The Biltmore Estate is certainly a romantic destination perfect for celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions. Book your stay at Village Hotel, The Inn or the Cottage.
Dining Options at the Biltmore
Dining at the Biltmore estate can range from quick but delectable Courtyard Market fare such as sausages and pretzels in the House and Garden to a more formal sit-down affair complete with white linen and finery at The Dining Room located in the The Inn. There are over 16 places to choose from. And yes, they have a two ice cream shops, a bakery and BBQ! Most of the restaurants near the House and Garden are open daily but the Smokehouse at the Farmhouse at Antler Hill Village is only open on weekends. During our visits with kids in tow, we pack a light lunch and treat them to ice cream at the Creamery
If you’d like to sample afternoon tea Vanderbilt style, The Inn serves a selection of Newby Tea’s along with some artfully prepared sweet and savory bites. Offered daily 1 pm to 2:30 pm at $40 a person.
Have a picnic by the lake, go for a hike
If you’d rather take a picnic basket, Guest Services can recommend picnic spots in their many beautiful lawns and gardens. (picnics are allowed just not around the mansion or near any of their dining establishments). Use of tents, grills, multiple camping chairs/tables, and large coolers, is not permitted in Biltmore parking lots or on the grounds. The Azalea garden path, Bass Pond and Boat house are wonderful choices for your a walk and a packed lunch.
We love to go biking on the trails at the Estate as well. The paths run along the French Broad River and up to the Gardens.
Early Christmas Shopping at the Biltmore Estate
For those folks who have everything, the estate has some beautiful shops to choose from. Our favorites would be the Toy Maker’s which carries vintage toys and exquisite dolls for the quintessential doll collector; A Gardener’s Place by the conservatory sells rare plants and flowers such as the Chinese Lantern vine and heritage tomato seeds; and The Barn Door, located at the Antler Village Barn and features beautiful locally made arts and crafts.
Visit Biltmore
Tickets are priced by season but most start at $86 for adults and include the House and Gardens plus Antler Hill Village and the Winery. Reservations are required for visits inside the House.
If you plan to make more than two visits a year, buying an annual pass makes it worthwhile. Annual passes go on sale at different times throughout the year. To make it friendlier to families, during the summer months, Biltmore offers free entrance for kids 16 and under with the purchase of one adult admission.
One Lodge Street, Asheville, NC The Biltmore is open daily but hours vary
Have you visited the Biltmore house? What were your favorite parts?
Ready for a day trip? local mom Lacey Keigley and her family visited Flat Rock, North Carolina. In this review, she is sharing insight on what not to miss if you visit Flat Rock with your family! It’s smaller than an amusement park, but it’s loads more fun. Just over the mountain, a short drive north of Travelers Rest, it’s an easy, beautiful drive. It’s a perfect place to spend a day.
Buy a scone, a muffin, or a danish and coffee or tea and dine on the back deck under the branches of a fabulous tree that grows up and around and right through the deck.
Park your car and breathe in the fresh air. Wander up the lovely trail that takes you up to the Nobel Prize-winning author’s last home. Take a tour of his home – it’s only $5 for adults and free for kids and it’s absolutely worth it to see a snapshot of his life, left as if he might be entering his old study at any moment.
If you’ve got energy and time on your side, take a hike that begins behind the home, near the adorable barn teeming with goats who are direct descendants of Sandburg’s wife’s prized goat herd. Little Glassy has a view completely worth the manageable trek. Very family-friendly. When you reach the giant rock and take a break, you can pull out one of your new books and read for a little bit on the mountain top.
Open 9 am – 5 pm daily.
Head right back to where you started for lunch. (And after your hike, you’ve earned your lunch.)
For lunch, we chose a local BBQ hot spot. Friends, you just won’t find tastier BBQ in North Carolina. Sure, they have great fish tacos and delicious sides (try their deviled eggs and potato salad) but it’s their classic BBQ that draws the crowds. You pick pork or chicken and then you add your own sauce choice. (I lean to the vinegar variety, but you’ve got options and none of them are bad.)
Open at 11 am daily. Closed on Sundays.
(If your kids just aren’t into BBQ, you can order a pizza from Flat Rock Village Bakery and let them have that. The seating is all outdoors and is combined in a convenient way with the bakery so it’s no problem to grab options from both restaurants.)
The Wrinkled Egg
After eating and drinking and feeling satisfied, step upstairs to The Wrinkled Egg – an endearing shop filled with quirky souvenirs, home decor, eclectic design, local art, and even a pet rabbit who loves to be petted, along with a few beautiful songbirds. Kids and grown-ups will quickly call this store their favorite.
Open 10 am – 5:30 pm most days.
SkyTop Orchard
If you happen to be visiting Flat Rock in late summer or fall you will want to drive back in the direction you came for a millisecond and turn right and head up to SkyTop Orchard.
You can’t beat the views and the apple picking is convenient and feels perfectly autumnal. If you have room remaining, you can dessert on fresh apple cider donuts and cold apple slushes – or warm apple cider, depending upon the weather and your mood. Either way, you won’t be disappointed. The kids can have a hayride, visit the animals, wander through the bamboo forest, or romp on the playsets. And you get to take him the best reminder of your day out – fresh North Carolina hand-picked apples! Before you go, be sure to read our tips for apple picking with kids!
Open 9 am – 6 pm daily.
Evening in Flat Rock
Flat Rock Wood Room
If you still have time, money, and inclination, stay for dinner and eat at the Flat Rock Wood Room.
Open until 8 or 9 pm most nights, closed on Monday and Tuesday.
Enjoy a movie or live theatre
You can catch a movie at the neatest local theatre – Flat Rock Cinema – with shows every day at 4 pm and 7 pm. (Closed Mondays.) You can order popcorn, but they also serve BBQ and full menu options.
You can even take in a live theatre show at North Carolina’s State Theatre – Flat Rock Playhouse.
That’s a full day packed and overloaded with all the good things the fabulous little town of Flat Rock has to offer you.
It may be small in size, but it is full and wide in charm and activity.
What is your favorite thing to do when visiting Flat Rock, NC?
Looking for some staycation ideas? How about a day in Travelers Rest? Kidding Around Greenville contributor Lindy Wilson ventured out and about on her own personal Staycation to Travelers Rest. This quaint town offers shopping, parks, restaurants and more!
So maybe your budget (or perhaps even just your sanity) doesn’t permit for a full out family vacation this year. The trend of “staycationing” is still one many families enjoy. We are fortunate because there are tons of great spots within a short drive of the Upstate! Today I’ll focus on one area just a little north of Greenville, but be sure to dig around our archives for even more staycation ideas. The website is loaded with pieces such as weekend itinerary ideas or western NC day trips or SC day trip ideas.
About Travelers Rest
A few months ago, we headed to Travelers Rest, which we had driven through before but never really checked out. It’s very hip and you can make a day of it just exploring Main Street. So get out those strollers or tie on those baby carriers! (We choose the carrier for our baby while the four year old had to bear heavily enforced hand holding.)
We started TR with the Whistle Stop Cafe and of course fried green tomatoes. The cafe is charming- lots of memorabilia and decor along with a staff that was eager to greet us. The fried tomatoes, which I believe were my first ever, were amazing. The kids tried a little but preferred the kids menu, which wait for it – was written on a Dinosaur TRAIN coloring sheet! After many train pictures, we ventured out to find other spots.
This particular outing was for the Greenville Crawl so we were eating just a course or two per stop. That meant we still had room to try the nearby Sidewall Pizza! You could try your own version of a crawl or just take a different path to space out lunch, snack and dinner breaks. There were a few stores across the road we would have checked out if we had more time. The Whistle Stop Cafe also is right along the Swamp Rabbit Trail! There is also Gateway, Poinsett and Trailblazer park so consider adding those in to get out some wiggles! You could also check out the TR Farmer’s Market too. There is also a baby store specializing in natural products – Modern Cloth!
As I was saying, we immediately came upon Sidewall Pizza. Now originally we weren’t going to go but as we had time, we decided to check it out. Oh my gosh – pizza loaded with local meat! Thin flaky but not crackery crust! YUM! The kicker was homemade mint cookie and cream ice cream, my husband’s two favorite flavors in one! I was delighted that it was a light spearmint taste, and you can guess how the kids felt about pizza and ice cream! We’re also very excited about their birthday club for free pizza.
Next we wandered further down “the other Main street” here in downtown Travelers Rest to the Tandem Creperie. Not wanting to get too full, we got their Orange Rosemary Spritzer and a cafe americano. Daddy, my photographer extraordinaire, didn’t share his coffee but the spritzer was great. Very different but good! The baby and the big girl nearly drank it all! The shop itself was the epitome of hipster cool. It took a second for me to figure out why they had a tandem bicycle:) There was also patio seating which you might find better for kids.
In addition to some great restaurants in Travelers Rest, there were tons of local boutiques. This included Carolina Bee Company‘s store front AND Copperhead Mountain Moonshine, both of which we stopped in and were offered free samples. The honey was fun with various creamed flavors- chocolate, blackberry and cinnamon. The owner was busy but kind and made sure my baby was old enough for honey. Watch little hands as they do have some gorgeous but breakable pottery items. In case you didn’t know, raw local honey has many health benefits, including helping with seasonal allergies which is great for when it “pollens” here and all of Greenville is coated in yellow!
As a nice stop for us parents, the Copperhead distillery was awesome. We only had two samples each as the kids were with us and all, but they were more than willing to let us sample more. Moonshine is something new to us. Out west where we’re from, we didn’t see much of it though we aren’t much of drinkers anyways, especially not hard liquor. It seems sweeter than rum and I love its history. This particular business, like many in TR, is family owned and we met both the owner and his grown daughter. It’s also situated fairly center in the Main Street stretch making it a convenient stop.
Last but not least was Shortfield’s. It’s a quaint little place with an impressive menu. We got there right as they were filling up for dinner so we ordered quickly as not to be ”campers”- humus, brownie stack, and tartlets in addition to a generous bread basket (a life saver for impatient little ones!). They also had a nice patio set up for those interested. Even the kids liked their humus, which was smoky and not your common everyday chickpea puree. The brownie stack was baked just right, fudgy but yet crumbly. Our oldest didn’t like the tartlets but we enjoyed them. All in all it was a great way to spend a long afternoon.
Did you know there are elk in the North Carolina Smoky Mountains? We didn’t! After hearing in passing about the elk herd, we decided to load up the kids and set off on an adventure to see what we could find. And find them we did at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, along with some other great educational gems.
Elk were originally native to the Smoky Mountains, but over 200 years ago the population died off to extinction in the area. However, back in 2001 a project was begun to reintroduce the elk to the Smoky Mountains. Since then, the herd has multiplied. Cherokee, NC offers excellent viewing of these impressive animals in their wild habitat.
Find a place to stay near Oconaluftee. This article contains Stay22 affiliate links.
Oconaluftee Visitor Center
One great place to view the elk is the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. This spot offers a wealth of opportunities for homeschool students. The field next to the visitor center is known for elk viewing. In addition, the center boasts a small indoor museum about the history of life in the Smoky Mountains and an impressive outdoor museum consisting of original farm buildings built in the early 1900s.
There is no admission fee.
The best time to observe elk
First, observing the elk. We arrived at the center around 10 am, and we were disappointed to hear from the rangers that the best time to view the elk in the field is either first thing in the morning, about 7 am, or in the evening, approximately 6 – 7 pm, as elk prefer the cooler temperatures.
Walk along the Oconaluftee River
However, determined to enjoy our day anyway, we walked on the easy trail along the Oconaluftee River. The river was crystal clear and we enjoyed skipping stones and our leisurely walk. After walking a short while, we turned around to head back to the car to pick up our picnic basket. But our walk was interrupted by a few large park natives, elk. We were treated to a small group of 14 elk. One of them was a large bull with an impressive set of antlers. They were just a few feet off the trail! It was thrilling.
The bugle sound the bulls make to attract the females is unforgettable. This occurs mostly in September and October.
Be careful to view the elk safely
We climbed down the river bank to avoid getting too close to the bull. However, other walkers did not make the same decision. Another walker decided to approach the bull to take a picture and we watched the him rear up and toss his antlers. Fortunately the bull turned and ran, leading small herd away. (Note that especially in mating season, bull elk can be very aggressive. Approaching them closely is NOT recommended. It is actually illegal to approach them willfully within 50 yards. Stay on the trail and be mindful of getting too close. The Smoky Mountains National Park has some information about viewing the elk safely, you can find that here.)
Mountain Farm Museum
While the elk were extremely exciting to see, we also really enjoyed the small museum in the visitor’s center and the Mountain Farm Museum adjacent to the center. Both of these places allowed us to get a glimpse of what living in the mountains in the early 1900s was like. At the entrance to the Mountain Farm Museum (outdoors) look to the right of the opening in the fence and you will find a covered box with self-guided tour booklets. This will give you a lot of information about the individual buildings themselves, as well as their role on mountain farms at this time. We really appreciated that the buildings in the farm museum were original and not replicas, so we were able to examine the construction and see elements like pegs used as nails, and the dovetail construction of the cabin walls. Here we viewed a cabin, chicken coop, meat house, wood shed, pig pen with pigs, apple house and many other buildings utilized by mountain farmers in the 1900s.
Admission to this site is completely free, and the travel time is a little over 2 hours from Greenville, making this a really fantastic day trip.
Homeschool Field Trip Expansion Ideas for Elk
This section contains affiliate links.
As a homeschool trip, this site offers both science and history opportunities. If you’d like to augment the trip, check out some books or search the internet for information about elk or mountain farm life in the 1900s. You might also enjoy the following:
Read Little Farm in the Ozarks, by Roger Lea MacBride. This story is a continuation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, focusing on her daughter, Rose. It is set in Laura’s mountain farm in the Ozarks, in the same time frame as the buildings viewed at the Mountain Farm Museum.
Read Little House in the Ozarks: The Rediscovered Writings, by Laura Ingles Wilder. This is a collection essays Laura wrote for a newspaper during the late 1800s and early 1900s about her life as a farm wife on an Ozark Mountain farm. This is NOT a Little House series story and was not written for an audience of children, so parents may wish to read through first and make sure it is accessible and acceptable for their children.
This article from American Forests offers a lot of information about the project to reintroduce elk to the area. It contains a lot of information, but is quite long, so parents may want to go through it with children and select a few points to focus on.
For an alternative view, read this article about the struggle farmers in the area have with damage caused by the elk (you can view an example of this damage on the farm museum’s apple trees). Consider holding a mock debate in your home between siblings, or kids vs parents, about the benefits to the elk and the park vs the viewpoint of the farmers and the damage the animals cause.
Here is a brief minute and a half long video showing the elk at Oconaluftee with a little bit of information about the herd from the wildlife biologist for the Smoky Mountains National Park. You can hear the male elk bugle at the beginning of the video.
After I saw photos from the Western North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville, NC, I knew that my family would have to go. We love outdoor adventures and seeing animals, so I knew that my kids enjoy a visit. When we decided to finally visit, the WNC Nature Center was even better than I anticipated. If you haven’t been, you need to schedule a visit. And guess what? If you already have a Greenville Zoo membership, you can get half off admission to the WNC Nature Center.
Find a place to stay near Asheville, NC. This article contains Stay22 affiliate links.
Why the WNC Nature Center is so cool
The WNC Nature Center focuses on animals and plants in the southern Appalachian mountains so you’ll get to see animals that roamed this area eons ago up to the present day. The uniqueness of this aspect helps guests to understand more about their own environment and animals they may see in the area.
The center is built into nature with lots of shade, walkways, and natural playgrounds. It’s not huge so it’s very manageable for a day trip, especially with smaller children. The exhibits are interactive and fun for kids of all ages and the park is hardly commercialized.
The center is expanding though and has been building into their 2020 vision plan with new merchandise areas, a new (and beautiful) entrance, expanded parking and restrooms, and even a new name – which we don’t know yet.
What You Will See at the WNC Nature Center
You will start your visit in the Appalachian Station where kids can see a variety of small animals and reptiles. Children will also enjoy interacting with a textured wall and looking at rocks under microscopes.
Then, you will venture outside where you will follow paved and wooden sidewalks through animal exhibits. Most of the animals are behind glass or chain link fences but the exhibits themselves are large and full of animal play structures. These animal exhibits include: otters, raccoons, foxes, gray wolves, cougars, coyotes, bobcats, black bears, hawks, owls, and more. There is a brand new red panda exhibit with the cutest, fluffiest red panda ever. And the red wolf exhibit is an educational experience unto itself.
While exploring, you will also find the Trillium Nature Trail, a .6 mile nature trail to allow children to see the beauty along the Swannanoa River.
Kids will enjoy the Arachnid Adventure, a playground based on spider web jungle gyms. This playground also is surrounded by spiders hiding on the surrounding trees making a fun “eye-spy game”. There are also other playgrounds scattered throughout the park where kids use natural materials to build and play with.
Otter Falls also has a slide that kids can play on while they watch the active animals enjoy the water.
Your visit will end at the Western North Carolina Farm where kids will get to pet animals and even pretend to be farmers themselves in an interactive play zone with small wheelbarrows and tools inside the huge barn. Be sure to check out “water painting” nearby. A gem mine is also next to the barn and the buckets can be purchased in the little shop.
A new Songbird Garden is near the wolves and built like a big wall but cutouts to try to find the birds that are pictured on the wall.
Sensory Bags are available for free
For parents of children with autism or sensory processing disorders, free sensory bags can be signed out at the gift shop upon entering the center. They are sponsored by KultureCity, a national non-profit, and include headphones, a fidget toy, and a feelings chart.
Signs are posted throughout the park indicating areas to perhaps use the headphones. It’s great that the WNC Nature Center now has these available!
Should I bring a stroller?
If you’ve got small kids, bring a stroller or rent one ($10) there. There are lots of hills and little legs will probably get tired. There are plenty of places to rest and enjoy the animals and playgrounds but yes, strollers would be ideal.
Our Experience at the WNC Nature Center
We came later in the day, so we ended up missing the petting zoo (it closed at 4 pm) and didn’t have time to explore the trail. My kids had such a great time though that we hardly missed the extra activities. We easily spent two hours exploring and could have spent another 30 minutes if the nature center would have been open longer. We tend to be slow visitors to attractions, so your family may tour the center quicker especially if you don’t have small children who want to play in the play areas.
I really enjoyed that the layout and outdoor walkways seemed more like a nature walk than zoo. The animals were active in the cool fall air and most of them were easily visible. The paths were easy to follow, though it was confusing figuring out which way to turn to explore the center without missing any of the exhibits.
My kids favorite exhibits were the Otter Falls and the WNC Farm play area. I personally loved watching the cougars and was thrilled to get some wonderful photos even through glass. I was disappointed that glass and fences made it difficult and even impossible to get good photos of some of the animals, but at least the animals were easy to see in person.
Some concessions are available through vending machines and new concession areas will likely be opening in the next year. The center also has plenty of picnic space for families wanting to bring a lunch. The WNC Nature Center is also right beside a large park with a playground, picnic shelters, and public pool. The center has restrooms in the ticket access, barn near the petting zoo, at the arachnid climbing playground, and in the Appalachian Station which are wheelchair accessible.
Open: 7 days a week, 10 – 3:30 pm Admission: $13.95/ adults ($1 off for seniors), $13.95/ youth (13-15), $9.95/ kids (ages 3 – 12) 2 and younger free, half off with Greenville Zoo membership 75 Gashes Creek Road; Asheville, NC 28805 828.259.8080 WNC Nature Center
Have you ever visited the WNC Nature Center? What did you think?
Hagood Mill Historic Site and Folklife Center was built as a grist mill in 1825 by Benjamin Hagood. Today the site is managed by Pickens County Museum and features a grist mill, a working water wheel, historic buildings, and nature trails. It is a beautiful and interesting place to visit, especially if you enjoy stepping back in time and learning what life was like for the people who lived here years ago. Local mom, Kristen Alcock, brings us all the details and helpful hints to make your visit to Hagood Mill a wonderful spring adventure!
Folklife Center
Walking around Hagood Mill, you will see two restored log cabins, a moonshine distillery, blacksmith shop and a cotton gin. Inside the cabins are a giant loom, spinning wheel and other historical items. My son loved watching the cotton gin demonstration and touching the raw cotton. “Our favorite part was seeing the grist mill!” said Christel Price, a KAG reader. “The kids loved seeing it in action and learning how the whole process works.”
Nature Trail
The walking trail, through the woods and around historical buildings, is great for hikers of all ages. The trail is unpaved and a little bumpy. It’s short enough for little walkers to manage, and is usually very shady. My family did not walk the entire trail, but Elizabeth Lamb from Hike it Baby Greenville said, “It’s a beautiful 3/4 mile trail with a fun bridge. It’s perfect for young walkers.”
Petroglyph Site
This fascinating archeological site highlights 32 distinct petroglyphs, mostly human forms, and is one of the best petroglyph sites open to the public. Discovered in 1993, it is estimated that the drawings were left by a prehistoric culture 1,500 to 2,000 years ago. The drawings are pretty eroded but the exhibit has a great audio presentation, photographs and explanation of the historical significance of the drawing and the people who left them.
Special Events
My family was lucky enough to visit Hagood Mill during one of their monthly festivals which included banjo and fiddle music, local pottery as well as moonshine, cotton gin and gristmill demonstrations. The once a month events are noted on their calendar. Hagood Mill holds a kid’s fest in the spring, military celebrations and various music festivals.
Other upcoming events include the annual Fiddling Championship and Storytelling Festival. Look for a Native American Celebration in November and a Celtic Christmas in December.
Hagood Mill also occasionally offers some really interesting classes. Past classes include Hearth Cooking, fermenting wild foods, a Sketchbook workshop and a learning how 19th century southerners survived winters on the homestead.
Gift Shop
Shop local at the Hagood Mill gift shop. You can buy products such as jams, honey, and jewelry, pottery and soaps made by local artists. They also have books about local history, t-shirts and CDs. The gift shop also sells cornmeal and stone ground grits made right there at the grist mill!
Hagood Mill, the trails and the petroglyph site are open every week; Wednesday through Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is free, however on Saturdays with a festival there is a $5 parking fee.
Festivals are the third Saturday of each month. For a complete list and calendar of events visit their website.
We read a book that mentioned mills and what they do before our visit and it helped my son understand what he was seeing. Here are a few books that mention gristmills and petroglyphs:
Books that mention or explain mills, grain, flour, etc: Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle Any version of the Little Red Hen The Grist Mill Secret by Lillie V. Albrecht
Books that describe or mention petroglyphs: There Was an Old Man Who Painted the Sky by Teri Sloat Early Humans (DK Eyewitness Book) Magic Treehouse #7: Sunset of the Sabertooth by Mary Pope Osbourne
We sent our bravest parent contributor Jackie Vest to the Harvest of Horror at Denver Downs Farm (Kidding Around sponsor). If you have been wondering exactly what happens at these mysterious scary attractions and how old your kids needs to be before you give it a try, she has all the answers for you!
This October you and your older teens must check out the Harvest of Horror at Denver Downs Farm – if you dare! Four haunted attractions full of freakish clowns, serial killers, and creepy Christmas cheer await your senses. Not one grown adult in my party escaped without a scream!
What to expect at Harvest of Horror
Get your ticket and walk past the roaring family fun as you head in line for a hayride through the pitch dark, up to the unseen top of the hill– leaving the laughter and happy music far behind you. The tractors drop you off to get in line for haunt after haunt, each one progressing in horror. Expect loud sounds, blood, gore, gruesome surprises, chainsaws, fog machines, and tons and tons of creeps!
These attractions are truly not suited for young children. Some teens (and even adults) may find them to be too much. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and saw that most older teens did too! On the other hand, a young teen and his dad were just ahead of us at the first haunt and the teen did not fare so well. He had his face buried in his dad’s shirt and sobbed the whole time. Wisely, they decided not to continue on the rest of the tour.
Haddonfield Inn
You WILL find Michael. Or worse, he WILL find you. This haunt is the first one you will encounter and, while very creepy, it is not nearly as intense as the last haunt. If your party (especially younger teens) has trouble with this house, they may want to reconsider going further.
Santa’s Slay
This house has some seriously creepy charm going on. I don’t know if it’s the body hanging from the Christmas lights or the screams coming from within… either way… no one walks out of this house. They RUN!! Ps: watch out for Fluffy.
In between Santa’s Slay and the next attraction, you will find yourself amidst some excellent photo ops, a couple of smaller (less freaky) attractions, and some concessions.
The Freak Show
This is the main event and it does not disappoint! We ALL lost it at some point in this creepy clown show. If you think you’re tough, beware – something in there is sure to make you scream like I did, “I DON’T LIKE THIS!! WHAT IS THIS?!?!? I WANT OUT OF HERE!!!!!” I’m in my thirties. Random 6ft teen boys were burying themselves down my husband’s back like baby koala bears.
Camp Crystal Lake
Upon your thrilling exit from The Freak Show, you are shuffled into a creepy haunted school bus which will take you back to the unhaunted family fun area.
Words of advice for those brave enough to go to Harvest of Horror
Wear comfortable closed shoes like sneakers or boots. You will do a lot of walking through mulch, grass, dirt, etc.
Initially, I thought that the ticket prices were high. However, after going through it, I would absolutely pay to do it again. It is worth it!
Plan for about 3 hours to spend at the farm. More if you want to do some of the family activities.
Prepare to stand in long lines. We did not expect to spend MOST of our time waiting in lines. Perhaps if we were expecting that, it would have made the waiting a little better. From the time we left the family area to the time we arrived back, it was about 2 ½ hours. We got through each of the haunted houses pretty quickly, which means that a huge chunk of that time we spent standing in lines.
There is a $15 option to upgrade your ticket to a “Fast Pass” and avoid the lines – I recommend this for adults who don’t want to wait in line. Teens don’t seem to mind waiting/socializing.
Arrive early and plan to spend some time in the 10-acre corn maze after the haunts! (totally creepy) Your ticket is also access to dozens of fun barnyard activities, live music, bonfires, and more, perfect for the big kid in you!
Err on the side of caution when evaluating whether your teen may be able to handle this. It. Is. Disturbing.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!! Days later and we are still laughing and reminiscing over the best scares and our weakest moments. I highly recommend this attraction to any adult or older teen! So, what are you waiting for? Get over there!
Plan your own trip
Tickets:
$30 regular
$45 with fast pass
Thursday 7 pm-11 pm
Friday 7 pm-12 am
Saturday 7 pm-12 am
Sunday 7 pm-11 pm
Are you brave enough to enter Denver Downs Farm’s Harvest of Horror?
Meet Jackie
Jackie Vest is a writer and at-home-mom of two energetic little boys. She enjoys adventuring around the beautiful Upstate, the hilarity of kiddo-raising, outdoor fitness with friends, and her Favorite 5 C’s: cooking, crafting, camping, coffee, and chocolate. You can connect with her via her blog at: JackieVest.com.
Local mom Andrea Beam shares her family’s experience at LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Atlanta. Read her review! For more travel options near the Upstate, be sure to consult our Travel Near Greenville page.
My son decided he wanted to have his birthday dinner at Hard Rock Café in Atlanta. What 11 year old does that? Hey, it was cheaper than most venues, so count me in! We decided to turn it into an overnight trip and check out LEGOLAND Discovery Center while there. The overnight stay was an added bonus for our family, but LEGOLAND is completely doable as a day-trip.
I visited Trip Advisor and several other sites and found mixed reviews. I had no idea what to expect.
LEGOLAND is located at Phipps Plaza. I plugged the address into my Google GPS and had no problem. Driving through Atlanta is never high on my “To Do” list, but we survived. You’ll want to avoid morning rush hour traffic. If you don’t, pack a picnic because you’ll be eating lunch on 85!
We parked on the upper parking deck of the mall and entered through the door of one of the department stores. LEGO Land is located in the middle of the mall on the third floor. It doesn’t matter which door you use. Take the escalators. If your kids are anything like ours, they’ll enjoy this as much as the rides inside the building. Doors open at 10 am.
What to expect
The lines were well organized. Once you pay and walk through the front door, you’re pretty much on your own. Pick up a brochure/map at the entrance. There is SO MUCH to see! Most everything is interactive and hands on.
Space Mission is the newest addition and was a BIG hit with our crew. There are stations for the littles (and not-so littles) to build spaceships and a “control center” where they can fly their own ship. None of those compare to the space ship that actually launches every five minutes, complete with smoke and a countdown! I caught this magic on video. The boys have watched it multiple times.
Mini Land was really cool. While it’s not hands-on, we had fun looking at the replicas of the historical places around Atlanta. I had to keep reminding myself that everything is actually built out of LEGOS. It’s unreal.
Duplo Village is the perfect destination for the smallest visitors. There is a play zone as well as soft/hard blocks. Because my kids are older, we didn’t spend time here, but I poked my head in to see what it was about. Everything looked clean and kids were having a good time.
4D Cinema offers multiple movies featuring your favorite LEGO characters! Photos/videos are not allowed during the movie. This is unfortunate because the smiles on our kids’ faces were priceless. They LOVED getting wet! Oops… I hope I didn’t give anything away!
Rides are located inside LEGOLAND. I can’t tell you how impressed I was with the Merlin’s Apprentice. For a brief moment, I felt like I was at Disney World. Okay, that may be a stretch, but it was super cute. At one point a few of the adults were on the ride with NO children. To protect the identity of the guilty (or pitiful) I won’t list names.
Your kiddos will love the Build & Test area. This is the spot where you build your own car to race down the ramps.
If you asked our kids to tell you their favorite thing about LEGOLAND, Pirate Adventure Island would be the unanimous choice. You could easily spend half a day in this play area. There is a huge water table, a slide and several climbing sections. This area reminded me of The Children’s Museum of the Upstate.
One of the biggest complaints in the online reviews was how expensive the food is in the Café. There is another option – a Food Court right outside the entrance and we ate there. An employee, stationed at the exit, will stamp your hand for reentry. There is not an extensive selection of restaurants to choose from but it’s certainly the best option. There is a Moe’s and everyone loves Moe’s, right?!
Before you hit the road, click here to purchase your tickets. You’ll pay more at the door.
Plan your own trip to LEGO Land
LEGOLAND® Discovery Center
3500 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30326
404.848.9252
Online tickets start at $12.50 (prices may vary by time and date).
Has your family ever visited LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Atlanta?
Meet Andrea Beam
Andrea Beam works for the Greenville County School System, but her passion is writing! Greenville has always been her home. Her family enjoys exploring everything the town has to offer. In addition to Kidding Around Greenville, she blogs at Sunshine & Rain.
