Holiday Open House at West Point

So come out to West Point this Sunday, December 11 for our annual open house.  The McCown-Mangum house is decorated in a traditional manner.  There will be hot cider and cookies at the house and we will be serving up hot hush puppies at the mill.  So come out between 1-5pm on Sunday to see the house all decorated up (drink some cider and eat cookies), go visit the mill (eat some hush puppies), and then go take a hike to burn off those calories and to see the winter beauty of the forest and Eno River. 

Hanging Rock State Park Trip

So coming up on December 29, 2011 we have a day trip for 10-14 year olds to Hanging Rock State Park.  This is definitely one of my favorite programs/trips.  The park is beautiful as the mountains rise up out of the piedmont.  You get great views from the peaks because there are no bigger mountains around you.  There are also a lot of waterfalls at the park.  It is amazing to see the difference the the ecology and geology of the area even though it is less than two hours from Durham.  Here are some pictures from 2009 when not only did we have a beautiful sunny day, but we also had snow on the ground...extra fun!

The first thing we did was an ascent of "Snow Mountain"

 

The hiking trails had some snow on them, but that was not an issue, it made the day feel like a winter wonderland.  It also gave the kids a chance to see the mountains in snow.

Here are some of the views from up by Hanging Rock itself.  There are many great locations to hike to at the park.  In 2009 we chose to go to the parks namesake.  You can see how far the view is looking back towards the piedmont.  Truly a beautiful place. 

Finally we headed to one of the many water falls in the park.

We went to Window Falls and it is quite a nice little waterfall. 

Now that you see all the fun that can be had, call us up and sign up your children to join us on this fun hike and exploration at one of North Carolina's best natural treasures.  Call 919-471-1623(opt 2) or email me  christopher.shepard@durhamnc.gov  for more information or to register.