Burlington Carousel Festival

Welcome to the Burlington Carousel Festival!

The Burlington Carousel Festival is a two-day festival held at the Burlington City Park and is a combination of music, arts, crafts, food, entertainment and amusement rides ++++ loads of FUN :)

We had a visit to the 2015 festival and was awed by it. Kids are going to have a bonanza and will go nuts over the car rides, boat rides, carousel rides, train rides, bouncy houses etc. For older kids, there are activities like sand-art, face painting, arts and crafts, science activities etc. The colorful arts and crafts display is very pleasing to the eyes - especially the outdoor and garden items - with the colorful butterflies, metal fishes, glass paintings etc. 

There is music and more music all through the day and you can take a sway among the groups if you are sitting in the front. The 2016 festival is on September 17th and 18th and promises more fun. Do not miss it if you are anywhere in North Carolina. 

AND I forgot to mention that most RIDES ARE FREE!

Enjoi... Here's a glimpse from last year festival...

Great Smoky Mountains & Bryson City, NC

The Great Smoky Mountains...

The name says a lot - the smoky mountains are called so because of the blue mist that surround their mountains and valleys. These mountains are a sub-range of the Appalachian Mountains and form a part of the famous Blue Ridge Parkway. 

We had booked a cabin very near to the Bryson City, NC, hence this blog will talk about places near Bryson City and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (also termed as GSMNP) that is in North Carolina. The other side of the GSMNP is in the State of Tennessee and has beautiful views too. 

Our cabin: 
The Lands Creek Log Cabins - The Possum Creek - The cabin had all kinds of necessary amenities and offered a very peaceful and great view of the woods. There is a small stream running beside the screened porch and you can hear the water running through the creek and little birds chirping in the morning and twilight hours among the trees. There is a campfire space right in the front of the cabin and you can spend hours sitting there in the glory of nature. 

Deep Creek Trail: A 10 minute drive from Bryson City leads to the Deep Creek Trail and campgrounds. This is a fantastic trail for those who want to spend leisurely hours in the nature without having to walk for a long time. There are three cute waterfalls in the trail. The trek can be completed in 45 minutes from one end to the other, with wooden benches in between in case you are tired. 

The highlight though is the river tubing activity where you can buy big and small kid tubes and try river tubing. The water is refreshing and cool, sometimes cold...

Ideal for families with kids, senior citizens who want to take a moderate to easy hike and for anyone who wants to spend time relaxing amidst the nature. 

Bryson City Downtown: Around 3 miles from the Lands Log Creek Cabin, you will reach the Bryson City Downtown which is a very small but quaint little place for strolling around. There are eateries, cafe's, boutique shops, gift and souvenir shops to look at. The Great National Smoky Mountain Railroad depot is here with the station in case you want to take train excursions to the nearby areas in the Great Smoky Mountains. We did not do that due to a time constraint, but we did hear great recommendations about it. 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the highest visited park in the US with around 9 million visitors per year. We had a chance to drive around and hike this park which was AMAZING!

GSMNP is a one-hour drive from Bryson City and on the way, you can view beautiful views of the lake and the valleys and if you are lucky, you might even meet a bear :) 

We went to the highest peak point mountain in the park - Clingman's Dome which offers astounding views of the mountains. There is a trail of the famous Appalachian Trail in the park too. Once you reach the parking lot of Clingman's Dome, it is a 30 minute, half a mile uphill trek - especially if you are with kids. And further up is the Clingman's Dome which gives an all direction view of the range of mountains in great smoky mountains. 

- Do not take strollers uphill - its much more tedious and dangerous

- Do take water bottles

- They do have wooden benches for catching your breath and going uphill again

- And do not forget your camera - the views are fantastic!

Here's a preview:

OK! Will share exciting snapshots from our next adventure - Asheville. Adieu.

New Bern - A small town with big houses

New Bern - A small town with big houses

The former capitol of NC state is now the home to numerous aristocratic families, who have houses dated from the eighteenth century. Famously known for "The Birthplace of Pepsi-Cola", it is also the home town of the celebrated author of North Carolina - Nicholas Sparks. 

The first visit we made was to Tryon Palace - which was the British Colonial Government House in the 1700. It was burned down in the late 17th century and later renovated. Today, it is a famous tourist spot housing the mansion, the kitchen, the stables and the gardens which are spread around 16 acres of land. 




Waterfront: Located near the downtown area, the Waterfront is a relaxing arena for everyone. There is a long walkway with benches and one can soak in the view of the blue water as seagulls try to catch bits of food and fishes.

Do not forget to take bread crumbs for the ducks and sea gulls as they try to vie for the food crumbs. 

 The Birthplace of Pepsi-Cola is at a walkable distance from here and as you go by, you can view some of the historic New Bern homes. The Birthplace of Pepsi-Cola has a board Bradham Pharmacy. Caleb Bradham "drink" that he created in the pharmacy was later renamed as Pepsi-Cola.

  

Overall, a pretty old fashioned town to lazily stroll around and enjoy a relaxing weekend and get back.