Southport Archives - GetGoing NC!

This weekend: Welcome, October!

JoeMiller — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 10:00:59 +0000

A mighty longleaf pine, at Weymouth Woods. (Photo courtesy NC Parks)

A mellow downtown bike ride at the coast, an audience with a survivor from the days of Mary Queen of Scots and hankie hike up in the hollow. An interesting weekend of choices in North Carolina.

Coast

We love a good organized bike ride. And we have a special fondness for those that don’t cater to the hardcore cyclist capable of riding 100 miles. Or 63. Or even 25. We like the short, leisurely rides that just about anyone could do — even someone without a bike.

That’s the case with Saturday’s Historical Southport Bicycle Tour in downtown Southport. This mellow ride around town takes in Fort Johnston, the Brunswick Inn, the Old Brunswick Jail, the Crimes of the Heart Home, The Indian Trail Tree along the Cape Fear River and more. And at two hours, there’s plenty of time to study the sights. Led by The Adventure Company.

Logistics: Saturday, Oct. 5, 9 a.m. $15 if you have a bike and helmet, $20 if you need a bike and helmet. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Partly cloudy, high of 81.

Elk Knob's Summit Trail: a three-hankie hike. (Photo courtesy NC Parks)

Piedmont

If you head the to the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve in Southern Pines Sunday afternoon and hitch on to the Old Growth Hike, you’ll be in the presence of something extremely special: the oldest known longleaf pine on Earth. Old Bessie (not the tree’s real name) rings in at 465 years of age. (We’ll save you the mental gymnastics: this tree sprouted would have sprouted in 1548, not long after Columbus et al started wrecking havoc on the New World.)

Come see one of the few remaining survivors from the year when Emperor Charles V ordered Catholics to become Lutherans. (A slow news year.)

Logistics: Sunday, Oct. 6, 3 p.m. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, Southern Pines. More info: 910.692.2167

Saturday forecast: High of 84, partly cloudy.

A two-hour tour, a two-hour tour ...

Mountains

We like Sunday’s Haint Hike at Elk Knob State Park near Jefferson for the hike’s unusual packing list. The hike is up the Summit Trail and it’s led by “a native Appalachian [who] tells ghost stories from way back in the hollows of Appalachia.” So what do you pack for a haint hike? “Participants should bring hiking attire and a box of tissues, as they will be frightened.”

Logistics: Sunday, Oct. 6, 2 p.m., Elk Knob State Park, Todd. More info here.

Sunday forecast: High of 63, 20 percent chance of rain.

* * *

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

Great Outdoor Provision Co.
Calendar includes three weekly events for each of its seven markets: Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington and Winston-Salem. Search by market.

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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This weekend: Get out and enjoy (?) the heat

JoeMiller — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:00:30 +0000

The forecast calls for record heat, in the Piedmont at least, this weekend. So … stock up on that dry ice they’re selling now at the Teeter.

Coast

Is there a more appropriate way to celebrate our nation’s 236th birthday than by running 3.1 miles? Probably. But it’s certainly a good way to celebrate our independence, which is no doubt what the people of Southport thought when they decided to include the Freedom Run as part of their North Carolina 4th of July Festival. And deciding to hold it five days before the Fourth of July was no doubt inspired by the desire to be able to walk again come Independence Day.

Saturday’s Freedom Run begins and ends at Southport’s Waterfront Park and takes in a goodly amount of this port town south of Wilmington. How much of Southport you get to enjoy depends upon whether you opt for the 5K or the 1-miler.

Logistics: Race day registration is from 6:30-7:45 a.m. Saturday at Southport’s Waterfront Park. 5K is at 8 a.m., the 1-miler around 9 a.m. $25 for both races. More here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny with a high of 90.

Pine Barrens Tree Frog (photo courtesy North Carolina State Parks)

Piedmont

The other night, beginning about 8 p.m., we were treated to a backyard concert that seemed to be well orchestrated by the participants: the chorus frogs opened, followed by the cricket frogs, a solo by a banjo frog … and finally closed around 10 p.m. with a bullfrog flourish. At least I think that was the order. I’d know for sure next time by attending Sunday’s Hoppers, Climbers, Swimmers program at Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve.

States the park: “This program will focus on some of the more than 20 species, from the tiny grass frog to the great bull frog, that inhabit the region.” Bring your lighters.

Logistics: Free, begins at 3 p.m. at the Weymouth Woods Visitor Center.

Sunday forecast: High of 106 — “with a heat index of 120F.”

Mount Jefferson, in cooler times (photo courtesy North Carolina State Parks)

Mountains

Thought you’d missed out on the season’s wildflower hikes? Turns out they’ve got wildflowers remaining on high, at Mount Jefferson State Natural Area and the rangers there are eager to show them off before nature’s final eviction. “Hike the ridgeline of Mount Jefferson join a ranger and explore the wildflowers on the Summit & Rhododendron trails,” says the park of this hike scheduled for Sunday morning

Logistics: Free, Sunday at 10 a.m. Meet at the picnic shelter.

Weekend forecast: High of 91, clear to partly cloudy.

* * *

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.

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.

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.

* * *

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GetGoingNC.com

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The post This weekend: Get out and enjoy (?) the heat appeared first on GetGoing NC!.