Cary and Kill Devil Hills, NC in June, with kids

[rivan]

I'm visiting family in Cary (outside Raleigh) for a week in June and have a couple days planned for the beach at Kill Devil Hills. We'll be driving there from STL; I'll have my wife and 2 kids with us (boy - 5 and girl - 8).

The only other thing already on the agenda is the Nature Research Center in Raleigh.

What should I be sure to hit?

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Update 5-23-12
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Wow, guys - thanks for all the feedback.

We'll only be on the coast for a couple days. Should be able to fit in most stuff listed here, but I'll need to pick a single hiking/outdoors thing to do.

Considering I'll have a 5-year-old boy with me, and probably my 75-year old father, I was leaning toward Jockey's Ridge (over Alligator River and Buxton Woods) for easier hiking and exposure to new stuff for my son. Any thoughts? It's hard telling too much from their websites - all of them look awesome. Merchant's Millpond looks cool too, but is a bit out of the way for how long we'll be on the coast.

On the NC Zoo - is it worthwhile, knowing we go to the STL Zoo often? This list makes it seem quite a bit smaller (1/3 as many animals and 1/3 the species) than we're used to, but if there's something unique there, I'm still totally up for it.

Here's my cliff notes from the thread - additions/suggestions welcome:

Ole Time Barbecue - 6309 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh
http://www.ncmls.org/ Museum of LIfe & Sci - 433 West Murray Avenue Durham
Raleigh Farmers Market/weekend
Raleigh Art Museum

Wright Brothers Memorial/Kitty Hawk
KDH restaurant - Mama Qwans
Aquarium - Manteo
The Lost Colony - Manteo - historical play - $24/ticket
Cape Hatteras lighthouse

Pea Island for better beaches
Ocracoke island/ferry/lighthouse - bring bread for don't feed the damned gulls

Hiking/etc:
Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve - hike woods -> surf
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
Jockey's Ridge

 

[sixone]

I'm visiting family in Cary (outside Raleigh) for a week in June and have a couple days planned for the beach at Kill Devil Hills. We'll be driving there from STL; I'll have my wife and 2 kids with us (boy - 5 and girl - 8).

The only other thing already on the agenda is the Nature Research Center in Raleigh.

What should I be sure to hit?

I was there a few years ago - it was AWESOME. There's a history museum very close by, you should check it out, as well.

 

[rcpratt]

Jockey's Ridge and the Cape Hatteras lighthouse are requirements.

 

[SirStev0]

I just came back from Waves NC, about 20 miles down the road from Kill Devil/Nag Heads. I spent the week relaxing but there is lots to do.

If you wanna travel the 40 or so miles down the cape you can get a ferry (for free) across to Orcacoke Island where Blackbeard used to creep.

Roanoke Island is also just passed Nags Head and has some pretty sweet stuff.

There is tons of Kite Surfing going on right now on the bay side. There is also some hang gliding going down off the dunes.

There is a really good bar/restaurant in Kill Devil Hills called Mama Qwans. I highly recommend eating there. The fish tacos are supposed to be amazing. I had the sesame grilled chicken and it was badass.

 

[SirStev0]

I was there a few years ago - it was AWESOME. There's a history museum very close by, you should check it out, as well.

There is a shipwreck museum down there as well. Those barrier islands used to survive by fishing out wreckage. Pretty cool.

You can also go down to Hatteras Island and check out Rodanthe and see the carnage that is still being rebuilt after Hurricane Irene.

 

[zinfamous]

Cary sucks balls.

The Art museum in Raleigh has been running some awesome exhibits in recent years--check out what's on the docket for the time you are there.

Of course, this:
http://www.oletimebarbecue.com/raleigh.north.carolina.barbecue.catering.restaurant/

if you want a sampling of the only true BBQ, look no further.

and forgot to mention the required trip to the outerbanks while you are there. I love NC beaches; can think of none better. :wub:


And, if you have time, head to Chapel Hill for the Planetarium and Durham for the Museum of Science, which is also a mini-zoo. Totally awesome, great for kids.

I'll actually be back there in June. The New nature Museum that you linked was not yet complete on my last visit, so that is my #1 destination. I'll probably be heading west, though, hiking the smokeys instead of hitting the beaches. :\

 

[xSauronx]

Jockey's Ridge and the Cape Hatteras lighthouse are requirements.

christ, if the OP will be at KDH I say go a little further south and hit Pea Island. theres a little visitors center and you can go across the street, over the dunes, and onto an unsettled stretch of beach.

its gorgeous.

raleigh art museum is nice and not far off the beltline so its pretty easy to get to.

you can see if theres anything at DPAC in durham worth seeing. to me all that area is so close together that i wouldnt hesitate to go for a little drive to get to a few places.

if youre into beer raleigh has a few micro breweries.

you will be driving through plymouth and columbia on the way to the outer banks...get gas in williamston or plymouth, roll through columbia and on through the middle of nowhere. try not to speed, cops are out in force this time of year.

i work in plymouth and have seen a ridiculous amount of troopers on the roads in the last month.

in manteo there is a small aquarium, you have to drive through manteo on 64 to get to KDH, its worth a stop for an hour or two if you dont know what else you want to do. im actually planning on taking my brood that way soon since Im not too far away...aquarium, lighthouse, pea island. should be a nice day trip.

 

[zinfamous]

^ Pea Island rocks. :thumbsup:

 

[xSauronx]

^ Pea Island rocks. :thumbsup:

seriously.

went to rodanthe for my last vacation, and had to work in avon for a day last month. great drives once you get through the swamp, and pea island is great.

 

[rcpratt]

We always stay in Avon I love it.

 

[BrokenVisage]

Ferry to Ocracoke! Bring a loaf of bread too there's always a bunch of seagulls that follow it.

 

[IronWing]

The Nature Conservancy's Nags Head Woods Preserve is cool, bring bug spray. Ditto for Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve, a NC state preserve where you can walk from the woods out to the surf near Cape Hatteras.

Also Merchant's Millpond State Park canoe rentals are great.

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge offers guided canoe trips. Yes, we saw an alligator.

 

[tynopik]

stop by the biltmore on the way down

it's a long drive anyways, asheville might make a good place to stop for the night

from Cary you can make a day trip to the NC Zoo. It's positively ginormous

 

[zinfamous]

The Nature Conservancy's Nags Head Woods Preserve is cool, bring bug spray. Ditto for Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve, a NC state preserve where you can walk from the woods out to the surf near Cape Hatteras.

Also Merchant's Millpond State Park canoe rentals are great.

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge offers guided canoe trips. Yes, we saw an alligator.

I've been to Alligator river so many times. I'm actually a grandfathered-in member of an old-timers duck/deer hunting club in Hyde County, a mile or so from Lake Matamuskeet (largest natural lake in NC; and you can wade across the entire length. It never gets more than waste deep.)

There's a red-wolf sanctuary near by, the largest in the country, I believe. I went into the pens and howled with them one night, several years ago.


Though the only interesting thing in Hyde county besides the Honker's Club is a Federal prison, housing one Bernie Madoff.

 

[zinfamous]

stop by the biltmore on the way down

it's a long drive anyways, asheville might make a good place to stop for the night

from Cary you can make a day trip to the NC Zoo. It's positively ginormous

yeah, I was thinking of the Ashboro zoo. it will take a day, but it is one of the better zoos anywhere.

 

[Vic Vega]

...

 

[rudeguy]

Wright Brothers memorial. You can hanglide from the dunes

Lost colony outdoor play is a MUST

There are some great lighthouses and ship wrecks

We used to go down to Nags Head. Awesome place with tons of culture.

 

[SagaLore]

Take them to Bond Park and go out on paddle boats. Go to the Farmer's Market in Raleigh on the weekend.

 

[SirStev0]

Wright Brothers memorial. You can hanglide from the dunes

Lost colony outdoor play is a MUST

There are some great lighthouses and ship wrecks

We used to go down to Nags Head. Awesome place with tons of culture.

Apparently Andy Griffith got his start at the Lost Colony outdoor play. Or so I am told.

 

[SagaLore]

Couldn't agree more. If there's one place in the Triangle I do my damnedest to avoid it's Cary.

Why?

 

[tynopik]

http://www.thepncarena.com/events/
http://boothamphitheatre.com/calendar/#6/2012
http://www.progressenergycenter.com/event-calendar
http://www.ncstatefair.org/events/6-12.htm (Maker Faire Jun 16)
http://www.visitraleigh.com/visitors/events.search.php

 

[rudeguy]

Apparently Andy Griffith got his start at the Lost Colony outdoor play. Or so I am told.

Sounds about right. I think every area has a place for people to get good experience. Here it's the Red Barn.

I talk to outer banks folks every day and they are great people.

 

[Jeffg010]

Just an FYI that ferry to Ocracoke you can wait up to 4 hours for it. We were going to take it but then did not want to wait that long.

 

[rivan]

Wow, guys - thanks for all the feedback.

We'll only be on the coast for a couple days. Should be able to fit in most stuff listed here, but I'll need to pick a single hiking/outdoors thing to do.

Considering I'll have a 5-year-old boy with me, and probably my 75-year old father, I was leaning toward Jockey's Ridge (over Alligator River and Buxton Woods) for easier hiking and exposure to new stuff for my son. Any thoughts? It's hard telling too much from their websites - all of them look awesome. Merchant's Millpond looks cool too, but is a bit out of the way for how long we'll be on the coast.

On the NC Zoo - is it worthwhile, knowing we go to the STL Zoo often? This list makes it seem quite a bit smaller (1/3 as many animals and 1/3 the species) than we're used to, but if there's something unique there, I'm still totally up for it.

 

[sixone]

yeah, I was thinking of the Ashboro zoo. it will take a day, but it is one of the better zoos anywhere.

It was well worth the trip. One of the best zoos I've been to.