My Kind of Nature: North Carolina Zoo

Another place that we FINALLY made it: The North Carolina Zoo!  Kim, E, G, and Nana had a fabulous spring day exploring the zoo, literally out and about in it from its opening to its closing.  We missed J, who was at work, but we had a blast exploring this vast park.  Everyone told us it was huge--and everyone was right.

Far from a "cages beside each other" zoo, The North Carolina Zoo strives to give its residents a truly natural place to live, and they do so beautifully. There are two park zones--Africa and North America--and both are spacious and fun to explore.  Animals include polar bears, bison, giraffes, elephants, zebras, wolves, and many more; if you pay attention, the vegetation is equally impressive.  Other features include a series of "geyser" fountains (these fascinated E); a pay-per-visit display of oversized animatronic bugs; and a couple of fantastic playgrounds, including one with a stream and one with a "super fast" leaf slide.  The kids were so happy to be outside, and E approached each new path, building, and viewing area with clear joy.  They were also both pretty fascinated by park maps!

If you go, we recommend picking an overcast, temperate day (think 60-70 degrees with a chance of showers, not too hard to come by in the North Carolina spring).  A friend told us to start in Africa to see the animals before the heat of the day--helpful advice that was perfect for us.  Families set on exploring the play areas in the cool of the day, however, should start in North America.  Plan to walk a LOT; bring what you need to make that comfortable (good shoes, sunscreen, hat, water bottle, stroller, etc.).  The zoo itself features picturesque paved paths dotted with sculpture and that include many ramps of varying slopes; you can also hike a trail between park sections.  As out-of-town visitors, we were glad we stayed all day--and we were equally glad we toted in snacks and drinks, making the trip much more cost effective.  When planning your day trip, spend time exploring the park website in advance, as well as reading current TripAdvisor reviews.  For a place this big, you'll be glad you did your research. 

If you'll be staying in the area with small kids, consider a visit to the Greensboro Children's Museum.  E especially adores this place, a wonderland of imaginative play with nifty outdoor classroom to boot.  You can see our earlier visit here.

The Ratcliffe: A Local History Museum That's Fun For Kids

 

If you've been exploring our blog, you know Justin and Kim will enjoy just about any type of museum, and we're raising our kids in the hope they'll be able to do the same.  Pulaski's Ratcliffe Memorial Transportation Museum makes it simple to get kids--or anyone--interested in local history, whether or not you know much about Southwest Virginia.   The Ratcliffe's presentation is impressive, including appropriate signage and an attractive museum catalogue for sale to those interested.  If you know local history and local museums, you do not take these things for granted. 

The collection features prominent transportation-related items, most notably two antique fire engines from the town's early departments and an extremely impressive model train layout of Pulaski, VA.  The layout was crafted as a life-long hobby of a local dentist, and it was obviously a realistic model of the town, even to our first-time visitor eyes.  Most of the structures in the model are made of reused cereal and shoe boxes, and you can see professional photos of them on the museum's Facebook page.  Expect the majority of the rest of the collection to showcase Pulaski history.  There are photographs of workers from local industries, architectural components from local theatres, and signage from local stores.  For kids, there's a "train table" for play.

The museum's friendly staff welcomed us warmly and provided nifty information as we toured, even allowing Elijah to access one of the antique fire engines.   He can describe its parts, including its hand-cranked siren, quite well, and he'd be happy to give you a tour if you want to take him on your trip!  If you go, know there is a playground nearby, and it looks like a decent spot for a simple picnic.  We didn't readily find lots of other tourist stops or shops, but there are plenty of fast food outlets for lunch.