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

Crabtree Falls

This beautiful waterfall is powerful! We could hear the rushing water practically as soon as we started walking. Good news is that this hike is all downhill heading towards the fall. Bad news is that means it's all uphill on the way back! The path is clearly marked and there are stairs on the steep parts to help you. We crossed over a few muddy sections because it had recently rained, so be prepared to jump over streams! When we got to the bottom, we were STUNNED by just how big it is! We had seen pictures, but no photograph does it justice. There is a bridge at the bottom to sit and just soak in this amazing view or you can get in to splash around on a warm day!

Disclaimer: the buildings at the entrance are not always open, so go to the bathroom ahead of time! There are also two parking lots. We parked in the first one, started our hike, and then ended up crossing a second parking lot to start the real hike. Try to park in the second one. It'll save you time and pain on the way out!

We could never find a clear address for the falls, so what we did is we drove to Little Switzerland on 226A North, then we turned right onto Chestnut Grove Road. Take a left onto Blue Ridge Parkway. Keep a lookout for mile marker 339. It will be fairly soon after that.

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.

The Biltmore Estate

No one can say they have explored this beautiful state without seeing the Biltmore Estate--it's America's castle! This iconic home was started by Mr. William Henry Vanderbilt in 1889 and was finished in 1896. Mr. Vanderbilt thought of everything and spared no expense for his summer, mountain getaway. We were constantly reminding ourselves that this architectural masterpiece was a home, not a hotel. And for one family of three!

He spent several years collecting items to furnish his humble abode from tapestries made in the 1400s to a ceiling canvas he brought from a church in Italy. The house pivots around a gorgeous spiral stone staircase. There are endless rooms with royal chairs and enticing fireplaces. He built a room for practically every meal! Bedrooms upon bedrooms upon bedrooms make one wonder how many friends Mr. Vanderbilt had. His dining table could be elongated to fit around 70 guests. His ability to entertain was astounding: an indoor swimming pool, billiards hall, bowling alley, library, ping pong, and seemingly endless grounds awaited his visitors.

The home is surrounded by rolling green hills that fade off into deep blue mountains seen from the many balconies. One can just imagine galloping carelessly atop a prize winning horse. We did a self guided tour and loved the freedom to go at our own pace. You may also purchase an audio tour to learn more. We followed along in the book that comes with the tour and asked stationed guides when we had questions. General admission also includes free access to the gardens, the village and winery with a free wine tasting included. The only sad part is that you aren't allowed to take pictures inside of the estate, so you'll just have to go check it out!

Located at 1 Lodge St Asheville, NC 28803.

Mount Mitchell

Remember when we went to the tallest point in Wake County? Well, we loved the view so much that we decided to go even bigger! Mount Mitchell standing at 6,699 feet is the tallest point east of the Mississippi River. It is named after Professor Elisha Mitchell who was the first to explore the area. The sad part is that Professor Mitchell later died hiking nearby when he was verifying his measurements.

All the way up there, you can see for miles and miles! The park includes an area for camping, hiking trails, and a restaurant. It was an easy, beautiful drive off of the Blue Ridge Parkway up to the lookout. Keep driving until you reach the very end of the road. There will be a building with restrooms. The pathway to the left of the building leads to the lookout. We timed it to be able to catch the sunset, and we were not disappointed. Be warned: it was SO cold!

Located in the Pisgah National Forest South Toe, NC 28714.

Catawba Falls

We loved this hike! The trail was surprisingly flat and wide for a long time. It's exciting that you are walking alongside the river nearly the entire time! So cool! You can hear, see, and even touch the water at almost any point. There are many spots along the way that give you better views of the water and old ruins of buildings. It is definitely an interesting walk. It does get progressively tougher and steeper as you climb. You will have to cross the water a few times on stepping stones, but this gives you a great angle to see the rapids and smaller falls. You will reach a few larger falls. There is one by a dam and then another HUGE fall higher up. You'll know it when you get there. You can't even see the top because of the trees, but it's BEAUTIFUL! There is plenty of room to get in and play around or just observe. At that point, the trail becomes SUPER steep. We don't actually know where it goes to because it didn't look entirely safe. We don't recommend you try it either, but we promise that you will not be disappointed by this waterfall even if you don't keep going.

Located at the end of Catawba River Road, Old Fort, NC. The directions will seem really weird to you because you will cross over the off-ramp of I-40. It almost seems like you are driving the wrong way on the ramp. Make sure you're not actually on the ramp, but the road next to it.