Tag Archives: Hiking

Permalink to Day Trip: Muscadine, BBQ and a River Wander

Day Trip: Muscadine, BBQ and a River Wander

by Dawn A Crawford|on September 27, 2010 |in North Carolina |tagged , , , , , |Leave a comment

I get a bug in me for dirt. It’s a bug to connect with the land, see some people who work a lot harder than I do, and feel what our country is really all about. I want to see tractors, feel the grace of the hot sun on my neck and shake the calloused hands that work the earth.

I have daydreams of owning a working farm. I know I don’t have the grit or know-how to make it successful, but I fantasize about herding goats, tilling planting rows and canning the bounty of the season. The allure of waking up to be part of a living cycle rather than signing into a computer sounds wonderfully real and honest.

IMG_1998To get my fix I plotted a day trip through Alamance County, NC to seek out farm animals, road-side farm stands and rural life. For a wider scope of all the offerings in Alamance County check out this Google Map I created from the information on the NC Farm Fresh website. See all the photos from our trip.

Our Day Trip (click on the locations below to read more):

[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=104733408894587426896.00048f9bddbfda1e8c53f&ll=35.985445,-79.35179&spn=0.11727,0.086736&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

Permalink to River Wander: Saxapahaw & Haw River

River Wander: Saxapahaw & Haw River

by Dawn A Crawford|on September 23, 2010 |in Confessional, North Carolina |tagged , , , |Leave a comment

Okay, so I know that wander literally means to “walk or move in a leisurely, casual, or aimless way” but I really don’t like the walking part.

Hiking is just not my thing. Growing up in the mountains of Colorado I hiked a lot. Loaded down with a pack and hiking boots, I’ve done day trips and week-long backpacking explorations. It is great to get away from civilization for a bit, but it’s the walk back that’s killer.

IMG_1983Wanting to give nature a second go, I planned an afternoon hike along the Haw River in Saxapahaw, NC. I know I like water so the river expedition would be fun, and walking at near sea-level has to be easier than hiking in the Rocky Mountains…right?

Saxapahaw has newer developments along the Haw River where they are converting an old rivermill into a cute community of housing and small businesses. They host Saturday afternoon farmers markets and a music series during the summer. This up and coming community is well worth the wander.

IMG_1992There is also an extensive network of land and paddle trails in the area. Conserved by the Haw River Trail Partnership, there are varying levels for every fitness level.

We wandered on the 3/4 of a mile River Loop that took off right beside the Saxapahaw Rivermill building. This level trail winds alongside the river before bending back through the woods to loop to it’s trail head. We just walked out the bend and back.

IMG_1986We got to amble over a tiny log bridge, see some turtles (super excited about seeing turtles in the wild for the first time) and came up on a gentleman and his dog camping by the river (which was a bit weird).

So, am I a converted hiker? Will you see lots of hiking wanders on this blog?

No. Sorry, I still don’t totally “get” hiking. I do love to do all other sorts of wandering, but walking to a destination is just not my forte. I had fun strolling and chatting with my family, but I’ll keep my cute hiking sneakers for beating the path to good food, culture, shopping and beach adventures.

Distance from Raleigh: 53 miles, round about an hour – Get the Route

Wander Well Tips:

  • Bring your hiking shoes – if you are into that sort of thing
  • Neat place to live if you want rural and upscale lofts
  • Check out the Saturday afternoon farmer’s market and music series in the summer

Sweet Tweets