Coast

We may sound like a broken record, but one of the best adventure bargains going is canoeing at Merchants Millpond State Park. For just $5 an hour (and $3 for every hour thereafter), you can take out a canoe and explore this rambling, 760-acre millpond pocked with bald cypress, tupelo gum and the the assorted mysteries of a southern swamp.

It’s made even better Sunday afternoon when a park ranger leads Canoe 101. No paddling experience? No problem: the ranger will start you off with the basic strokes, then lead you on a paddle tour of this intriguing ecosystem. Best of all: there’s no fee. There are a limited number of boats available, though; sign-up ASAP to insure a spot (see below).

Logistics: Sunday, May 24, 2:30 p.m., Merchants Millpond State Park, Gatesville. Free, but space is limited; reserve a spot by calling 252.357.1191.

Sunday forecast: High of 82, mostly sunny.

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Looking ahead: Historical Southport Bicycle Tour, Saturday, May 30, 9 a.m. $20/$25. More info here.

Piedmont

What to do on a sunny Sunday morning on a cusp-of-summer day when the daytime high will only reach the low ‘80s?

Take advantage of one of the last days amenable to hiking in the Piedmont before fall. Which is the plan for our GetHiking! Triangle crew as it takes on a 10-mile stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along the Eno River. The group will start at West Point on the Eno City Park in Durham, hike upstream through rocky passages, past signs of Durham’s past, around the inviting Eno Quarry and through a thicket of mountain laurel atop a bluff en route to the Pleasant Green Access.

Logistics: Sunday, May 24, 9:30 a.m., meet at the Pleasant Green Access to Eno River State Park. For more information and to sign up, visit GetHiking! Triangle.

Sunday forecast: Mostly sunny, high of 82.

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Looking ahead: Volksmarch from the N.C. Museum of Art to Umstead State Park, 6.2 miles, Saturday, June 6, 2 p.m. More info here.

Mountains

As Karen Chavez with the Asheville Citizen-Times puts it, this weekend’s 15th Annual Mountain Sports Festival “celebrates all-things outdoor-recreation” Friday through Sunday. Based in Asheville’s Carrier Park in the River Arts District, the MSF truly covers just about every active mountain activity you can imagine, from whitewater kayaking and cyclocross to Ultimate Frisbee, Inline Hockey and knot-tying. If you want to experience it, you can experience it here.

Check out Karen’s account of the event here. Then, check out the Mountain Sports Festival site below for more detailed information.

Logistics: Friday-Sunday, Carrier Park in Asheville. For details, consult the Mountain Sports Festival website.

Three-day forecast: Highs in the mid 70s to low 80s, mostly sunny.

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Looking ahead: Blue Ridge Bicycle Club’s Fletcher Flyer, June 7, 8 a.m., Oskar Blues Brewery, 342 Mountain Industrial Drive, Brevard. Full century, metric century, half century, and half metric rides; post-ride party. $45 until May 24, $55 after.

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

The post This weekend: Make it a memorable one appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

Officially, summer doesn’t start until June 21 (at 10:51 a.m., for you sticklers), though unofficially we tend to associate the start of the season with Memorial Day weekend. Of course, there are always extenuating circumstances.

We here at GetGoingNC tend to expand the definition of weekend once summer — unofficial, Memorial Day summer — begins. We’re going to bend our definition even more so we can suggest Halyburton Park’s Black River Kayak Trip on Thursday. The Black River is a magical waterway. It contains some of the cleanest water in the state and meanders past some of the oldest trees in North America, including some dating back to the AD/BC transition. This is a daylong affair (including the drive to and from the river).

Logistics: Thursday, May 22, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. $50/$65. More info: 910.341.0075, info@halyburtonpark.com

Thursday forecast: High of 91, partly cloudy.

Piedmont

We’re always on the lookout for rare opportunities, such as the Paddle the Pond program offered this weekend at Yates Mill Pond.

Paddling the 20-acre millpond, part of 174-acre Yates Mill County Park in Raleigh, is just such an opportunity. Saturday and Sunday, the park is leading morning canoe trips on the millpond, which will include discussion of the millpond, the mill that once operated on the pond, and the pond’s ecology. The hour-long trip is for ages 6 and up.

Logistics: Saturday, May 24, 10:30-11 a.m.; Sunday, May 25, 11 a.m.-noon. $10 per boat. Preregistration required, buy calling 919.856.5635.

Saturday forecast: High of 81, mostly sunny.

Mountains

If it’s Memorial Day weekend it must be time for the Mountain Sports Festival in Asheville.

Kicking off Friday and running through Sunday, the Carrier Park-based festival includes lots of live music and a cross-section of the stuff that excites us, from foot races (Rock2Rock 10K, Rise N’ Shine 5K, MSF Mile Run), Youth Ultimate Frisbee, Kolo Flow Mountain Bike Race and dodgeball, to cyclocross, standup paddleboarding and more.

Logistics: Friday, May 23 — Sunday, May 25, Carrier Park, Asheville. More info may be found here.

Three-day forecast: Sunny with highs in the upper 70s.

* * *

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

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Coast

Memorial Day Weekend marks the impending end of school and the often daunting task of figuring out how to keep the kids occupied for the summer. That shouldn’t be a problem Sunday, at least, thanks to the Funyaking program at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park in Seven Springs. Targeted to the 10-to-17-year-old set, kids will get to take to their Funyaks (a rubberized kayak) and play a variety of games, most of which, we imagine, will require the use of a towel afterward.

Logistics: Sunday, May 26, 2 p.m. Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, Seven Springs. Free, but pre-registration a good idea, by calling 919.778.6234.

Sunday forecast: Partly cloudy, high of 77.

Piedmont

Worry that you’re not going to get your long run in Sunday morning before settling down to enjoy Memorial Day? Sign up for the Memorial Day Festival Trail Race at the National Whitewater Center in Charlotte and your problem is solved. Both the 5- and 8-mile races on the NWC’s 18-mile trail network begin at 9 a.m., meaning that by 11 a.m. at the latest you’ll be free to take in the center’s live music and fireworks display.

But wait, another dilemma: Live music (Jesse Dee, Bonerama, Marc Broussard) doesn’t start until 4 p.m., and the fireworks, of course, don’t happen ‘til dark. How to pass the time until then? Well, you could go white water rafting. Or rock climbing. Or zip lining. Or stand-up paddleboarding. Or any number of other activities at the Southeast’s favorite outdoor playground.

Logistics: Sunday, May 26, 9 a.m. Admission to the Memorial Day celebration is free; race fee is $27 through May 23, $37 race day. Additional fees to paddle, climb, zip, etc. Race information here, information about the NWC here.

Sunday forecast: Overcast early, then clearing. High of 79.

Mountains

The Mountain Sports Festival in Asheville doesn’t mince words in getting to the point at the top of its website: “SPORTS – Triathlon, 5K, Rock2Rock, Disc Golf, Ultimate [Frisbee], Yoga, Cyclocross.” If that’s not enough, it adds, “Music – Jazz, Blues, Bluegrass, Rock, Funk and more!” And finally, the deal-maker, “BEER – In cooperation with Highland Brewing Co. & Oskar Blues.”

Drill down and you discover a variety of clinics (tandem bike, off-road Segway, fly tying and casting, roller girls, ninja … ) and more on the aforementioned sports (Friday’s cyclocross race and Rock2Rock Trail run, Saturday’s stand-up paddleboard events, a dodgeball tournament …) all mixed in with a mix of live music and local beer. All in Asheville, in the mountains. Pretty decent way to kick off the summer.

Logistics: Friday thru Sunday, May 24-26. Fees for some activities, most are free. Get the full scoop here.

Weekend forecast: A chance of rain early Friday, gradual warming, from a high of 63 on Friday to 75 on Sunday.

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

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

U.S. National Wildlife Refuges
Rundown, by month, of regular activities at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service refuges in North Carolina.

* * *
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The post This weekend: Memorable bashes in Asheville, Charlotte appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

Despite its name, George Washington once referred to the Dismal Swamp as a “glorious paradise.” If you’ve only driven past, the rationale behind President Washington’s praise may escape you. But plunge into its lush depths on a kayak and the father of our country’s reasoning will be perfectly clear.

You’ll have a chance to do just that Saturday at 10 a.m. on a ranger-led kayak trip of the Dismal Swamp Canal. The trip samples a small portion of this massive quagmire, which is 37 miles long and reaches a width of 12 miles, in the Dismal Swamp State Park. But at two hours, it’s adequate time to get a feel for this wild area in northeastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia.

The trip is free, and kayak, PFDs and paddles are provided, but you need to reserve a spot in advance, by calling 252.771.6593. It’s from 10 a.m. to around noon. For more information on the park, go here.

Piedmont

I lived in Dallas for five long years, and in the month of August I found relief from the heat only once: on a nighttime sailboat trip across Lake Ray Hubbard. It may have still been 104 degrees at 9 p.m., but on the lake it felt like a brisk 85. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

My sail down memory lane was stirred by our current heat wave, our first of the season, and word that the Lake Townsend Yacht Club is hosting a sail-along Saturday at its namesake lake north of Greensboro.  Take a ride, watch expert sailors put a boat through its paces — and refreshments!

It’s free and goes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. out of the Lake Townsend Marina. Go here for more information on the event, here for more info on the Lake Townsend Yacht Club.

Mountains

If you live for the outdoors you should be living in Asheville this Memorial Day weekend, specifically at Carrier Park, home base for the three-day Mountain Sports Festival. Among the activities scheduled: Friday’s Rock2Rock 10K Trail Run at Camp Rockmont, Saturday morning 100-mile Wheel Ride for Food, the three-day Disc Golf Challenge, second-annual French Broad Challenge Triathlon, cyclocross, a longboarding/skateboarding competition and clinics on everything from chi running to fly fishing to ultimate Frisbee.

Live music, food, vendors and more — too much more to mention here so I’ll turn you over to the Mountain Sports Festival Web site for more info.

* * *

Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

The post Weekend plans? Three days for adventure appeared first on GetGoing NC!.