Raised in a Barn Farm - The Sunflower Festival, NC

I was in eagerly waiting to attend the first Sunflower Festival in Chocowinity, organized by Raised in a Barn Farm team and wanted to go for it on Saturday, September 3rd. However, the Hurricane Hermine which hit NC on late Friday and Saturday underpinned my hopes. I was delighted though that the event was scheduled for Monday, September 5th the Labor Day and my husband and I were determined to attend the festival. 

As I entered the Raised in a Barn Farm, I noticed a field full of sunflowers that had drooped and fallen to the ground due to the storm, but the spirits of the team and the owners were still soaring high. They braved the storm, and continued the festival with the sunflowers patches that were gaily dancing in the wind, looking cheerful and bright. 

A gentle horse greeted me as I entered the grounds daughter squealed in delight as the horse nuzzled against her arms. The hens and chickens on the right were clucking and welcoming us too. I started by taking a tour of the patches of sunflowers, capturing with glory, the honey bees and butterflies pollinating the flowers. 


I headed next inside the grounds where there were few arts and crafts stalls, a music platform and some fun activities for children. The owner mentioned that many of the vendors had backed out due to the storm, but it was great to see the support of the existing vendors who displayed their wooden crafts, decorative pillows, hand-made soaps, jewelry and bracelets etc. 

The music arena attracted a lot of people and I saw people eating their food, sipping their drinks and enjoying the band. There were few children dancing to the tune of the music too. 


The children (and big ones alike :) were having lots of fun at the play area. The booth owners gave multiple chances to children to take a go at the lucky duck, hitting the frog, throwing a ball at the basket, climbing a bouncy house etc. The kids enjoyed the prizes - little stars, cuddly toys, rubber ducks, stamps, pencils and notepad, coloring pads etc. Some kids also had fun at the face painting counter and enjoyed the free treats that a volunteer was handing around. 

I almost missed this - but I really enjoyed picking the fresh bright sunflowers right from the field at $1 per piece. Nothing was more exciting than going around the field, picking your own flowers, making your own bouquet and visualizing it on your very own vase back at home :) 

And yes, my husband and I were excited about the hot air balloon tethered ride, but that was scheduled a little late in the evening due to the wind forecast, and we had to drive around 2 hours back home, so we missed it. We will come back for it next year :)

Overall, a great event despite the downside of the storm. I wish they come back with a bigger bang next year. I look forward to attend the festival. 

Adieu...

Lazy Daze Festival is one of those unique arts and crafts festival prized highly in the State of NC. This is the fortieth year of the festival and was conducted for two days at the Cary Towne Hall. As I entered the campus, I saw a series of promotional offers and the one that caught my attention was the offer for "our state" magazine. As a travel freak, I love reading this magazine which provides a great view of the unique experiences to be found in cities and towns of NC, the offbeat places to visit, the popular and tasty foods special to each place and so on. Grasping the precious free copy of the September issue in my hands and struggling with water bottles and a backpack on the other, I skipped on to view the other activities that the festival presented before me. 

I saw so many different arts and crafts artisans who were selling pottery, jewelry, paintings, wooden crafts, garden accessories, handbags etc. and the uniqueness of this was all of these are hand-made in some form or the other, which is why the vendors are heavily juried and selected. It was more of an art for the eyes than the purse, as many items were expensive as they were hand-made. I could see people of all ages coming together and having fun experiencing the arts and crafts, grabbing food and drinks and watching the children play and enjoy. 

There were a lot of bands and entertainments and the kids play area had a special stage with its own band of players, storytelling, magical shows and games. There was a small pool near the kids zone where kids could dip their legs or splash in the water. Not to miss out on the home-made ice-creams, face painting and craft zones. 

Overall, a good festival to meet the artisans, learn about the art, and have a fun day-out with the family. 



Hope you enjoyed the festival. Bye Friends

The Outer Banks - Part 1

Hello Friends, 

Back from a new travel - oh so exhausting, but fun!

I negotiated and re-negotiated and after a while negotiated again on selecting some mountain adventures, but my husband was stuck on visiting the beach. I do not blame him, having stayed all his life in a beach city, he echoes the emotions of being a beach person, while I prefer having conversations with trees, mountains, lakes, nature trails and waterfalls. 

Once we reached a deadlock, I gave in, considering that we had three mountain vacations before this. Drudgingly I agreed to explore the places. Our first visit on the way to Outer Banks was to a place called Elizabeth City which was stated as one of the best small towns in NC. With high hopes, we entered the city and were surprised by the run-down state of the city, despite having a beautiful waterfront. Somehow it felt odd on a weekend to see the lonely streets, barren walls and isolated views, rather than a vibrant city. 

The waterfront was clam and peaceful and we sat in one of the benches and had a picnic lunch. Then, we headed to the downtown streets which was right opposite the waterfront park. If you have kids with you, then it is good to take a break and go to Port Discover which is a small but good activity place for children. They have centers which cater to specific play like doctor's clinic, aeroplane control center, kitchen center, pool center etc. Otherwise, not many unique or explorative shops. There is a book, toy and gift store called page by page which was good. The sunset was good by the waterfront, but otherwise nothing different. 

The next day, we headed to Kitty Hawk to visit the famous Wright Brother's First Flight and Memorial. We were not disappointed. The museum had some interesting exhibits like a replica of the model used by Wright Brothers during their first flight, the wind tunnel, the tools they used, the approach, the problems they faced etc. There is a long pathway leading to the memorial from the museum and on the way you can view the ground where they attempted three flight attempts and the final take-off. It is very hot in summer and it is better to have sunglasses, sunscreen, hats before you head out. For people who cannot walk long distances, there is a car trail leading up to the memorial and provides a good view. There is also a narrow strip of airfield where the small airplanes and choppers do test runs. They are good to view too. There is a gift shop where you can get memorabilia on the First Flight. 

After this hot walk, we headed to the Bodie Island Lighthouse, which was built in 1872. It is around 50 feet tall and has more than 200 steps to climb. Do call and check with the visitor center if you want to climb up the stairs. The office had closed the lighthouse climb during the day we went, due to excessive heat and humidity. Also, if you have kids, make sure they are able to climb 200+ steps on their own as the office does not allow carrying kids due to safety issue. 

But once you stand before the lighthouse, I can bet your mind will visualize a hundred different thoughts - so pretty, so tall, so majestic, so alluring, something undescribed that makes you wish to stare at the stature and not leave it. 

There is also a wooden bridge leading to a pier kind of structure from where you can visualize the massive marshlands surrounding the lighthouse. Beware of letting children walk along the grasslands or marsh area as they are infested with snakes and other bugs. 


On our way back, we visited the Coquina Beach, which was a nice sandy beach. We spent our time watching the waves wash our feet, building sand castles and spying on seagulls which seemed to be in a world of their own. The beach had an area dedicated to changing rooms, so made it easy for people who wanted to swim or attempt adventure sports. 


Soon, it was time to go back to the hotel. A day well spent and we got some beach treasures on the way back at the "The Cottage Gin" store which had an amazing collection of gifts and souvenirs. We were lucky to find an oceanside store which had 50-70% on entire store items and I jumped at the offer to buy some seaside wall hangings and magnets. 

Also, do try the Big Bucks Ice Cream shop of home-made ice cream and I bet you will not leave the shop without eating and packing some of it. The flavors are too many and the taste was amazing. 

In my next blog, I will talk about our adventures at Beaufort, and Morehead City, two more cities in the Outer Banks and the fun places to visit. 

Cheerio

Wilmington - A coastal city with historic charms

I cannot wait to talk about this quaint coastal city - a city which was one of the first of my trips in the US. I had heard a lot about this place, the historic downtown, the US NC Battleship, the three island beaches etc, but the charm of this place was more impactful when I experienced it. 

First visit - The US Battleship - which is a reminiscence of the history during World War II. The battleship is a reminder of the hardship and the bravery with which soldiers battled and the ship and its exhibits the history, the living conditions and the souveniors which survived the battle. 

From the massive cannons, the tankers, the float plane, etc., the huge deck recounts the destruction of enemy warships and aircrafts, while at the same time safeguarding many of her fellowmen who had bravely risked their lives to save their country. The story unfolds as you start exploring within the ship. 

The interiors of the ship was designed to hold everything necessary for the army and navy men from the baker's room to the dry cleaners to the barber's room to the printing press to the spinning room and many more. Soldiers used to be marooned in the ship for days together and it was important for them to get all the basic stuff organized. More intricate were the layers of engine room and machines going down till the basement of the ship. The complicated mechanism gives an idea of the nuances of running a ship and the level of coordination needed from the people at the stern and the bow, to the men who were loading the coal, to the men who were operating the engines. AMAZING!


It is one thing to go on a cruise and enjoy the experience, but it is another to step into history, understand the mechanics that make the experience enjoyable and explore a mariner's life for some time. I would recommend this as a unique visit, one that will remind you to return back again and again. Make it a memorable tour for your kids too - as they explore the crunched places, climb up and down the stairs from the cellar to the upper levels and frolick as they see the tiny spaces to go in and come out. 

My next visit was to the Railroad Museum which had fun and informative displays. As I stepped out of the parking lot and entered the museum, the first thing that caught my attention was the huge steam engine standing proudly and it seemed to me as giving a welcome smile. The visitor center was a small one, but had an eye-catching round track at the top, and with the press of a button, the train chugged a circle from end to the other whistling merrily along the track. 

Inside, there was a glimpse of the traditional railway station master's room, ticket counters, along with bright and cute displays of luggage, luggage carriers, models of trains, various types of engines and even the lanterns used during the old days. You could then see a play area which is a delight for small children as they trot and happily play with the train tracks and models, followed by a room which displayed models of trains along mountains, rivers, cities, villages. 

The bright red caboose near the play area is an eye-catcher and you will see children trying to peek from one of the windows of the caboose shouting peek-a-boo. 

Overall, a small but good place to visit with a dedication to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. 

Next on the list was the historic downtown area which was a mix of classical and modern era. The waterfront was beautiful with a view of the Battleship, the Henrietta and the small sailboats that passed by the glory of downtown. I sank in the beauty of the sunset, the boats passing by and the people strolling lazily down the wooden bridge. It was ethereal!

The pavement gave way to small boutique shops of different kinds catering to the tourists and the residents. The classical charm began as we bagged a horse-drawn carriage tour strolling through the mansions and houses which were beautifully preserved and decorated. 

Each mansion was unique and the brown and the black plaque indicated houses which were over 100 years old and the ones that were less than 100 years old. The driver also gave a tour of the famous government buildings and houses, I felt elated and then stopped to take a picture with the horses which were munching their food happily after the 30 minute ride. 

I once more was lured towards the wooden walkways by the side of the river and took a walk. The evening was beautiful and the restaurants were humming with voices of people who had come together to enjoy an evening dinner by the watefront. Satisfied, I started on my way back to the hotel. 

Overall, a very enjoyable experience. 

I almost forgot to mention about the irresistible beaches in Wilmington - the three island beaches which are an easy drive from the city and are filled with activities. Try out the Carolina Beach or the Wrightsville Beach or the Kure Beach to enjoy fun-filled sand and long streches of water. 

I cannot stop talking about this wonderful city, but will reserve more for a later post as I visit some offbeat places at Wilmington. 

Bye for now.