Sarah P. Duke Gardens

This beautiful garden is so close by! Cole has been going here with her family for years. It's such a great spot for a Sunday afternoon picnic under a giant, gorgeous tree or alongside a pond full of ducklings! The gardens are pretty expansive and well kept. There are gazebos and great landscaping details everywhere! There are lots of places for quiet relaxation surrounded by the beauty of nature. There is a slight Asian feel to this place with some little Oriental-inspired buildings and bamboo forests. We happened to go the week between seasons of blooms, but we PROMISE it fills to the brim with vibrant blossoms. Also, it's a beautiful drive out there too! There are stunning trees lining all of the roads near Duke's campus.

Admission is free, but you will have to pay for parking. Located at Duke University, 420 Anderson St, Durham, NC 27705

Strawberry Picking at Hunt's Strawberry Farm

This week we fulfilled one of Cole's life-long dreams: STRAWBERRY PICKING!!! It was so wonderful! Long, luscious rows of low-lying plants bursting with beautiful berries (just try to read that sentence out loud). The berries were so tempting that we caught ourselves trying one after another and they were PERFECT for some homemade freezer jam!

We planned to only get one bucket, but were so tantalized that we caved and got another. What can we say? We just got all jittery picking these strawberries. Get there early so that there will still be berries. The best ones were in the middle of the plants so don't be afraid to just dig in! The strawberry season is fairly short so don't miss out!

At Hunts you take a one gallon bucket that you can fill as high as you can which you will pay for at the end. Hunt's is located at 4505 Watkins Road, Raleigh, NC 27616.

Airborne and Special Operations Museum

This place seriously surprised us! We were thinking it was going to be a lame warehouse with a few planes in it, but WOW, we were wrong! This patriotic museum is so well done! The exhibits are moving and beautifully crafted. There are life sized and VERY realistic recreations of soldiers, dug-outs, battles, machinery, and planes hanging from the ceiling. You even feel like you're traveling with the soldiers to Europe, Iraq, and the Philippines as you walk through the halls. There are informative videos, fantastic photos, and artifacts such as uniforms, notes, and journals from actual soldiers! This museum had so much to offer. We only wish that we had come more prepared! We knew a little bit about all of this from history classes, but it is definitely worth it to do a little background research into these things. But even if you don't know anything about the battles, this museum is a great place to learn! Across the parking lot is also a really nice Veteran's park. We walked through the lovely memorial before leaving Fayetteville. Admission is FREE! (plus $5 if you want to ride a motion simulator). Located at 100 Bragg Blvd, Fayetteville, NC 28301.

Aloha Safari Zoo

Have you ever been kissed by a Giraffe? WE HAVE!!! We loved the Aloha Safari Zoo! This adorable zoo is FILLED with animals that were rescued from situations of neglect or abuse. We heard countless stories of where these animals came from that tugged at our heartstrings. We loved walking around and seeing animals (some with scars, limps, and other "flaws") that have been given a happy, safe home.
From the second we walked in, we were impressed by the gorgeous, free-roaming peacocks. We fell in love with the baby pigs, horses and goats we were able to feed out of the palm of our hands. There are no words to describe the crazy sensation of a toothless pony gnawing at your fingertips! You can wander through the world visiting Australia to see the kangaroos, Africa to see the giraffe and tigers, and all over South America to see many types of monkeys, birds, and even snakes!

We definitely suggest taking a safari ride! For about twenty minutes, you will ride around the further parts of the zoo to see camels, ostriches, zebras, buffalo, antelope, and SO much more. You'll want to sit on the right side of the ride. The animals run along with you hoping that you'll toss them some bread--don't worry, bread is provided.

There is plenty of parking and you can stay until closing! They're open Saturdays and Sundays, so plan your trip soon! Admission is only 8 dollars! The ride is $3.00,  feeding the giraffe is $1.00. Located at 159 Mini Lane, Cameron, NC 28326.

This adorable, giant pig is named Miss Molly. She was found tied up in the front yard of someone's house with the rope so tight around her neck that it had to be surgically removed. You can see the scar from where the rope once was. When Aloha Safari rescued her and took her in, they promised that she would never be tied up again. So she wanders freely on the zoo grounds! This is just one of many stories that we were told. Another pig fell off of the back of a meat truck while on the way to the slaughter house and lost her tail. It's truly heartwarming to see where these animals came from and where they ended up! 

Views from the highest point in Raleigh and home-made ice-cream!

Do you like pretty views? Of course you do! Who doesn't? What is better than being able to see for miles in literally every direction you look? We'll tell you: being able to do it close to home! We checked out the highest point in Raleigh (that's not a building) and fell in love with what we saw. A 360 degree view of gorgeous green fields and trees! You can even see the silhouette of the Raleigh skyline.
The park is located on top of an old landfill off of Durant road. It's super easy to locate too. when you turn off of Durant, follow the road until you see a blue sign that points left to the park. You'll see a parking lot at the bottom of the hill. We parked there. When you park, turn right and walk a little bit until you come to a gravel road on the left. You'll take a short walk up around the hill.  Located: 9300 Deponie Dr Raleigh, NC 27614

When you're done there, head over to Chuck & Bucks for some delicious, home-made ice cream! This store is so cute and family friendly--not to mention the owners are super sweet! They have a stack of board games in the corner for you to play with the kids. They also bring in fresh, locally made pasties, pies, and cakes to be enjoyed as well. There is a separate section for flavors with peanuts for all of the peanut sensitive customers. One scoop is $2.85 plus $0.99 if you want a fresh made waffle cone. Located: 4610 Capital Blvd Raleigh, NC 27604