New park in Wendell offers hiking, picnicking, and a retreat in nature
I know, I know, everyone's still obsessed with snow right now (can you believe we got well over 8 inches in Durham?!) but today's a little bit of a throwback. Final photos for the Wake County Parks project were delivered and I am just itching to show you all the last round of images! I got to do a ton of fun things for the Wake County Parks photography project, from photographing mountain bikers and stand-up paddleboarders to exploring hiking trails to meeting up with equestrians to doing some fun interactive lessons with kids - but it also gave me the opportunity to do something I'd never be able to do otherwise (well, not legally at least): explore a park that hadn't been opened yet!
Scenic 2-mile loop around Bass Lake offers hiking and water recreation in Holly Springs, NC
On Sunday morning when I woke up to go on a Sunday Stroll it was four degrees Fahrenheit outside. Four degrees! I couldn't remember ever witnessing such cold conditions; even the winter break of my freshman year that I spent in Wisconsin racing sled dogs only showed me temperatures as low as 8°F. Regardless I had promised my dad that cold or no cold we were hiking that morning at Bass Lake in Holly Springs, so I bundled up with my merino wool long johns, my quilted coat, and my snowboarding jacket and I headed out.
Wake County section offers 4.7 miles of compacted gravel trail for horses and riders
The American Tobacco Trail, a 23-mile rails-to-trails project that runs through Wake, Durham, and Chatham counties, offers 4.7 miles of compacted gravel along the Wake County section where horses and riders can enjoy the wooded trail. On two afternoons recently I met up with equestrians to explore the trail and its features.
Workout group for Cary moms offers fitness, camaraderie, and no need for babysitter
Dilemma: you want to work out, but you've got an itty bitty human with you. What do you do?
A) Once again leave the kid with dad/grandma/nanny/the neighbor's kid who isn't really old enough to watch kids on their own but they're cheap labor/the dog
B) Don't work out, because it's too much of a hassle
C) Take the kid to the park and do a Stroller Strides workout!
Oh yeah, I'd say C) is a clear winner in my book too!
I first got connected with the Fit4Mom Cary/Durham Stroller Strides group at the stand-up paddleboarding event at Lake Crabtree, and when Devon from the group found out I was taking photos for Wake County parks we chatted about which parks were included. It turns out a group of moms regularly do a workout at Crowder district park, so I headed over Monday morning to meet up with them and take some photos.
10 Wake County parks. Lots of fun photos!
It's Friday, Fri-yay! Who's got a long weekend ahead for July 4th? I'm taking off Monday to do some exploring, and yes I'll have my camera with me!
I've talked a bit about the Wake County parks project, but here's the run-down:
10 parks in Wake County. New websites and brochures. Lots of photos by yours truly. Yep, you've got the picture, and here are a few of my favorites so far!
Some solitude and reflection on the American Tobacco Trail
It was the summer solstice and I was waiting for a group of cyclists to come down the American Tobacco Trail. I was hoping for a few photos of cyclists on the trail and had tentative plans to meet a group somewhere along the Wake County section, but with no firm confirmation and the sky darkening with clouds I found a scenic bridge and settled down to wait.
Trying Stand-Up Paddleboarding at Lake Crabtree and Harris Lake
I have been having a blast taking photos of Wake County parks! Most recently I met up with a group of stand-up paddleboarders at Lake Crabtree. The week before at Harris Lake I'd met Laura Prudhomme, the organizer of the Meetup "What SUP Triangle?" through a meetup with Life Is A Hike. Laura and her husband Mark own Earth Creature which rents SUP gear and organizes events like the SUP meetup at Harris and the meetup at Crabtree. I found them through a mutual friend and after I took photos at the Harris Lake event Laura invited me to take photos at a Lake Crabtree event and try out paddling for myself.
