Aug. 19, 2008 - Things to do with the kids in the Triangle

 Cary 

• Bond Park is located just around the corner from my home off of High House Road. This stop is definitely on my list.   There is a great place to have a picnic in the Kiwanis Shelter.  Our next stop will be a trip to the Lazy Daze playground.  And, then we'll head over to the paddle boats, sailing, and canoes.  919-469-4100.
• Monkey Joes in Cary looks like another cool place to go to with the kiddies. It's in Cary near crossroads.  Great for the little ones and birthday parties  
• Dog park and Sk-8 Cary skateboard park.  I take my dog Maggie to the Cary Dog Park off of Maynard next to Godbold Park on a regular basis.  Admission is $40/year and great fun for kids and your pets.  Sk-8 Cary is a full fledged skate park for skateboarders! 
• Ice House I used to take my daughter here when she was little.  It's very close to Jellybeans and Bullwinkles.  919-460-2756
• Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve -   A great place to take a quiet and peaceful stroll through the wilderness, right in the heart of Cary.  2616 Kildaire Farm Road 919-469-4601
• Railhawks  Soccer Games.  The Triangle has its very own professional soccer team.  They play at the Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary from May through July.  Maybe I'll be able to take the boys next year.  201 Soccer Park Drive in Cary.   

Chapel Hill

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center Educational and entertaining programs for all ages that teach and explore the science of the universe.  250 E. Franklin St. 919-962-1247 

Durham

• North Carolina Museum of Life and Science is one of our personal favorites! They have a butterfly house, lots of real animals and of course, a museum packed full of fun things to do!  The Butterflies are released in at 11am and 3pm.  The butterfly conservatory is the largest on the East Coast. My sister's boys will love the daily feeding of spiders, poison dart frogs and others fed their daily meal.  433 Murray Ave 919-220-5429
•  Durham Bulls  If you want an inexpensive night out for your family, head to the park. There is plenty of entertainment in between innings and things for kids to play on during the game - rock climbing wall and big puffy slide to slide down. The tickets are inexpensive and the game is, well, just your regular all American baseball game. 

Raleigh

• Adventure Landing Miniature Golf, Laser Tag, Go Karts, Arcade, and Batting Cages.  Capital Blvd 919-872-1688
• JC Raulston Arboretum Part of the North Carolina State University, this eight-acre garden contains a wide variety of cold hardy temperate zone plants. 919-515-3132
• Pullen Park  A great place for young kids  with a beautiful old carousel, a train that goes through the park, a kiddie boat ride, and even paddle boats on the pond/lake. There's also a little concession area. It is spacious with lots of open space for running, playing ball, etc. There are two large playgrounds & several picnic pavilions, too.  Adjacent to Pullen Park is and Arts Center that often has displays and Pullen Pool (indoor, year-round aquatic center.) 4301 Beryl 919-831-6468
• Frankies Fun Park
  Jellybeans Super Skate Center  This is great fun for the middle school crowd.  Also a big hit for Birthday parties.  There are two locations in the Triangle.  One in Cary and the other in Raleigh. 
• Lake Johnson Park  I personally like to jog around this lake but it's a bit too long for the boys. Lake Johnson has plenty of other amenities including boating, picnic shelters, and a consession are for us to cool off from all of the fun in the sun.  4601 Avent Ferry Road 919-233-2121
• Marbles Kids Museum i s a hands-on, interactive destination that inspires children to be creative thinkers, active learners and confident individuals in today's world. There are five galleries, two outdoor areas, and plenty of activities.  Let's not forget about the IMAX Theatre which is the only 3D capable IMAX theatre in North Carolina.  I plan on taking the boys to see Bugs! which is playing.  They'll love it! I'm not sure I'm ready for "bugs" in 3D.  Raleigh 201 E. Hargett 919-834-4040 
• State Capitol - One of the claims to fame of the North Carolina State Capital Building is that it is the most haunted of all state capitals. Today it's the home of our governor's office.  1 E. Edenton 919-733-4994
• Umstead State Park Sandwiched between downtown Raleigh and the airport, this oasis of green features a stand of 300+ year-old hardwood trees, more than 32 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, camp sites and lots more for nature lovers. There is an entrance off of Harrison Avenue and another one on Glenwood Avenue.  8801 Glenwood Ave  919-571-4170  Marbles Kids Museum is a hands-on, interactive destination that inspires children to be creative thinkers, active learners and confident individuals in today's world. There are five galleries, two outdoor areas, and plenty of activities.  Let's not forget about the IMAX Theatre which is the only 3D capable IMAX theatre in North Carolina.  I plan on taking the boys to see Bugs! which is playing.  They'll love it! I'm not sure I'm ready for "bugs" in 3D.  Raleigh 201 E. Hargett 919-834-4040

North Carolina Museum of History  The trip to the History Museum will be the educational stop of our trip.  The museum focuses on pre-Colonial to the present-day with an emphasis on sports, folk life and women's issues. 5 E Edenton 919-715-0200

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences off of West Jones Street in downtown Raleigh.  Free Admission.  The boys just love dinosaurs. The museum has the only-known fossilized dinosaur heart, some of the most complete dinosaur skeletons in the world, and much more.  This museum is also free!!! 919-733-7450

I'm off to plan out the schedule.  I hope I make it through the weekend!

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