From the Mountains to the Sea: Father’s 2015 Day Edition
Fatherhood, they say, is an adventure. And it certainly is this Father’s Day weekend, with a host of adventurous options across North Carolina. At the coast, you can team with dad for a far out (and kid-friendly) adventure race, you can indulge his mountain bike obsession with a day-long cycling celebration in the Triangle, or you can take him on a short hike — or a really long one — in the gorgeous Roan Highlands.
Coast
Teamwork — it helps make a father/kid combo strong. And you won’t find a better opportunity to employee teamwork than during an adventure race. Saturday, there’s an event geared just for kids & dads (moms, too): the F.A.R. Out Family Adventure Race at Brunswick Nature Park near Wilmington. There’s competition in various age categories, and if you aren’t crazy about all the challenges — trail running, mountain biking, “team challenges” and kayaking — worry not: you only need to do two.
You can find more details at GetGoingNC.
Piedmont
Some dads get a little obsessed with their mountain bikes: whereas they once disappeared every Saturday for a day on the links, today they sometimes disappear for a day on the trail. Embrace that obsession with him at the annual Triangle Fat Tire Festival Sunday at Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville. There’s a time trial race, skills clinics, bike demos, vendors, BBQ — what more could he want? Six hours of mountain bike madness.
If you’re looking for more about Triangle Fat Tire Fest, you can find it here.
Mountains
Saturday, as part of its annual June Jamboree in the Roan Highlands, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is sponsoring five hikes. Some are short and not all that physically demanding (the Roll ’n’ Stroll in the Rhododendron Gardens), some are a little more demanding (the Ed Schell Memorial Hike from Carver’s Gap to Grassy Ridge), and some are meant for hard-core hikers only (the 15-mile Challenge Hike, from Hughes Gap to Hampton Creek Cove).
More details about the June Jamboree here.
Escape on the lake?
And if you’re looking to beat this crazy heat by getting out on a local waterway, but don’t have a boat, check GetGoingNC.com’s list of places to rent a canoe or kayak or standup paddleboard in North Carolina. We’ve got 56 spots across the state where you can escape on the water for as little as $5 an hour.
For a whole list of kayak rentals, we’ve got you covered.
Every Thursday, we team with our friends at GetGoingNC.com to offer suggestions on how you can have an active weekend. We offer ideas for the coast, the Piedmont and the mountains that cover a range of activities, from running and hiking to paddling, biking and more. For more information on the events listed, as well as for additional options for the weekend, visit GetGoingNC.com.
[top image: Shutterstock]
