It’s a good weekend to stalk carnivorous plants in a coastal forest, to learn what we’re doing — and what more we can do — to save our animal friends, or, cloud cover permitting, to check out the night sky.
Coast: Carnivorous Plant Hike
Carolina Beach State Park offers its Carnivorous Plant Hike frequently, but when are you going to find a better weekend to finally take it? Forecast: High of 60 under sunny skies, the perfect weather for stalking carnivorous plants. Join a park ranger Sunday morning and learn about the native species to the area. You’ll have an opportunity to see the plants that truly do bite back: pitcher plants, the Venus flytrap, butterworts, and a few more..read more
Sometimes you’re intrigued by an ambitious goal — a marathon, for instance, or triathlon — but are hesitant to commit. If only you could see it in action first … . Well, if you’ve been intrigued by the idea of an ultra — a footrace longer than a marathon — then head to Bald Island this weekend and check out the Third Annual Badwater Cape Fear, where runners will be doing either a 50K or 51.4-mile run, most of it along the lonely coastline between Cape Fear and Fort Fisher.read more
So much snow fell in the mountains last weekend — including a record 66 inches at Mount Mitchell — that not only is it now possible to snowshoe in the the Southern Apps, in some places it’s the only way to get around. Take advantage of this windfall snowfall on guided trips this weekend at Grandfather Mountain State Park.read more
Hike the coast, hike one of the most rugged areas along the East Coast. Or go for a run — for as long or as short as you want.
Options? You got ‘em this weekend.
Coast
Sunday, it’s one of our favorite guided hikes at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. At less than a mile in length, the Basin Trail offers about as much bang for the hiking boot as any trail around. The park’s website says it best: “Fort Fisher provides a glimpse of the dynamic ecosystem known as a barrier spit where the only constant is change. Sixteen threatened and endangered species can be found at Fort Fisher depending on the time of year.”read more
The forecast calls for seasonal, sunny weather over the next several days, weather that won’t be around for long and that’s ideal for certain types of adventure. Paddling at the coast, for instance. Or hiking a mountain trail. Or discovering a place that you’ll want to discover again and again.read more
