So with our predilection for post-sunset saunters, we were pleased to see that as part of Merchants Millpond State Park’s Holiday Decorations program with Gates County Community Events, the park will also be closing later, at 8 p.m. as opposed to 6 p.m., both this Friday and Saturday and next (Dec. 10, 11, 17 and 18). That means you can come and check out the holiday decorations, then enjoy about three hours of nocturnal navigation. 

Merchants Millpond (pictured above) is an especially intriguing spot for a night hike. It’s setting in the swampy northeast corner of the state (it’s a neighbor to the Great Dismal Swamp) gives it a “Creature from the Black Lagoon” feel — at night. Spanish moss drips from bald cypress and tupelo gum, casting eerie shadows on a breezy night. A chorus of frogs in the surrounding wetlands provides a surreal soundtrack. And there’s the park’s “Enchanted Forest.” Again, all this in the dark.

Learn more about how to take advantage of Merchants Millpond after dark and enjoy the park’s holiday decorations by going here.

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Two loves of mine from childhood: 1. Being outside, 2. Reading. That may explain why an event Sunday at 12:15 p.m. at Lake James State Park captures our fancy. The event: Story Walk: ‘The Hike.’ Targeted to preschool and kindergartners, the event focuses on the book, “The Hike,” by Alison Farrell. According to Goodreads.com: “This book tells the story of three girls’ friendship—and their tribulations and triumphs in the great outdoors. Here is the best and worst of any hike: from picnics to puffing and panting, deer-sighting to detours.” In short, it sounds like just the thing to spark an impressionable youngster’s love of the outdoors.

Learn more about “The Hike,” the book, here, the “The Hike”, the hike, here.

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Here’s another thing we love: winter. Specifically, exploring the outdoors come winter. This isn’t the place to wax about our love of the season (but this is). Suffice it to say it’s a misunderstood season, one that could, like so many things, be better appreciated with a little knowledge. Knowledge like the kind you’ll get Sunday at 2 p.m. at Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville, when a naturalist talks about the winter woods. 

On the Winter Tree Walk you’ll “learn about some evergreen plants that are still brightening up the landscape and try to identify some trees that have lost their leaves for the winter.” 

Free, but preregistration is required, by going here.

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As I mentioned at the top, I love a night adventure. Rarely, though, do we see a night adventure that extends from one day into the next. But if you want to catch the peak of a meteor shower, that’s the price you must pay. And that’s the only price for the Geminid’s Meteor Shower program Monday and Tuesday at West Point on the Eno city park in Durham.

Starting at 10 p.m. Monday and lasting until 2 a.m. Tuesday, you can hang out at West Point’s Eno Environmental Educational Pavilion and watch up to 120 meteors per hour streak across the sky. Again, the event is free but space is limited and preregistration is required, by going here.

Weekend Weather: It gets toasty (and perhaps a little wet) Saturday, with temperatures rising into the low 70s; a late-day cold front Saturday brings temperatures back into the seasonal range Sunday, with highs in the low 50s. Get a more specific forecast for where you are here.

Explore with us!

We have all sorts of GetHiking! hikes and trips planned for winter, including our just-begun Holiday Hiker series, with hikes Sunday afternoon, Tuesday evening, Friday morning and on the Wednesdays preceding Christmas and New Years. Check out the action here.

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Coast

WWJDD?

What Would John Denver do if he were still alive and living in the Wilmington area? We reckon he’d be taking part in Saturday’s F.A.R. Out Family Adventure Race at Brunswick Nature Park.

A total of four challenges —  trail running, mountain biking, “team challenges” and optional kayaking —of which family teams need only complete two. You get a map at the mass start, the rest is up to you. Courses differ by age category and are color coded. Plus food, vendors and more.

Logistics: Saturday, June 20, 9 a.m., Brunswick Nature Park, Winnebow. Race day registration starts at $75 (plus $8 if you need a one-day U.S. Adventure Racing Association membership). More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 90, chance of thunderstorms.

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Looking ahead: Into surfing — or at least surfing-curious? Check out the O’Neill/Sweetwater Pro-Am Surf Fest July 17-19 at Wrightsville Beach. Details here.

Piedmont

What does the adventurous dad truly want for Father’s Day? To spend some fat time with his kids.

And that’s just what he’ll be doing if you take him to Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville on Sunday for this year’s edition of TORCFest, a k a the Triangle Fat Tire Festival. Put on annually by the Triangle Off Road Cyclists, this is a day of mountain biking fun. There’s a time trial (including categories for kids 12 and under and ages 13-17), group rides, bike demos, BBQ and a skills clinic (and knowing these folks, possibly a BBQ skills clinic). Plus, join TORC and get a free chiropractic adjustment!

Logistics: Sunday, June 20, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Lake Crabtree County Park, Morrisville. More info and to sign up, here.

Sunday forecast: Sunny, high of 98.

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Looking ahead: A night triathlon? There’s one in Cary, on June 28. Check it out here.

Mountains

Would dad mind celebrating Father’s Day a day early? Not if it’s as part of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s June Jamboree in the Roan Highlands.

Five hikes are planned as part of the Jamboree. Don’t quite have your full hiking legs under you? Try the Roll n’ Stroll in the Rhododendron Gardens atop Roan Mountain (11 a.m.). More interested in something the kids would dig? Try the Salamander Scavenger Hunt at 11 a.m. at Hampton Creek Cove. Something a little more ambitious? How about the Ed Schell Memorial Hike from Carver’s Gap to Grassy Ridge (9 a.m.). And for those of you seeking a true challenge, there’s the Challenge Hike starting at 8 a.m. from Hughes Gap and ending 15 miles later at Hampton Creek Cove. This hike includes the longest contiguous stretch of grassy balds in the world.

Read more about the Jamboree in the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Logistics: Saturday, June 20, hikes start at 9 a.m. in the Roan Highlands area. Free. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 83, chance of thunderstorms.

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Looking ahead: Celebrate your independence this July 4 with a mountain run in Lenoir — the Firecracker 10K, 5K and fun run. Details here.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

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Today’s 90-Second Escape: Serenity on the Lake

Serenity now? 90 seconds on the late on a sunny, summer day should be just the thing.

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Today’s 90-Second Escape: Last Call at Lake Crabtree

Daylight is entering that period were it becomes a premium for an after work escape. This evening, the sun officially sets in Raleigh at 8:11 p.m. In two weeks, it goes down at 7:45 and in a month we’ll call it a day at 7:24. Our summer evenings of adventure will soon by gone, so take advantage of them while you can.

To that end, we share 90 seconds of what it’s like at Lake Crabtree, one of the area’s most popular after work playgrounds. Enjoy, then vow to take advantage of our waning sunlight.
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We know, it’s only Monday. But it’s never too early to start planning for the weekend, so allow us to plant a seed. As the weather and local waters warm, the opportunities to rent a canoe or kayak start to blossom. At Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville, for instance, the boat rental season begins this Saturday. In salute, we re-offer this 90 Seconds of escape on Crabtree’s placid waters.

And to help you take advantage of the various rental opportunities around the state, we direct you to our online guide to 51 Places to Rent a Canoe, Kayak or Standup Paddleboard in North Carolina.

It could be the best five bucks you spend all summer.

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