Travel NC With Kids: July 2016

Sunday, July 31, 2016

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival at High Rock Lake

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

On July 30, 2016 the Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival at High Rock Lake offered plenty of entertainment beneath the graceful white wings of egrets in the sky and the methodical ripple of waves below.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

This was the third annual Dragon Boat Festival to support Rowan County's Chamber of Commerce with money going to help the county's small business programs and services.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

If you have never heard of dragon boat racing, you are not alone. I only learned of the sport a couple of years ago when my brother joined a team. However, dragon boat racing began about 2,000 years ago in China.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Each team at the festival included twenty people. The dragon boats were the long variety and were wide enough to fit two paddlers side-by-side.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

One team member sits at the bow facing the stern and all teammates. That person taps a steady drum beat to help those who are paddling work together in a fluid motion. The drummer has to have a bit of faith in the steersperson because the drummer rides backwards.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

At the stern stands someone who steers the boat with a 10-foot oar. A few teams who have been racing for a while provide their own person to steer, but most teams rely on having an experienced steersperson provided by High Five, who also provided the boats, oars, life vests, and instructions for novice teams.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Although we arrived around lunch time, we heard they had a nice start to the festival with the rescue squad boat spraying water out in the lake while the national anthem played.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

We have had a hot summer in these parts, but the morning temperatures were kept somewhat at bay by clouds. The afternoon races heralded full sun without a hint of giving up from the teams. The waves were a bit rougher in the afternoon as more people were out boating on the lake.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Three teams faced off for each round until the final race in which four teams competed. Many of the races were extremely close...within inches of each other at the finish line.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Teams carefully loaded several folks on the boat at a time and then eased the boat a bit farther into the water until the whole group was ready to shove off and head to the starting line. They were quite organized to get so many people in and out of the boats quickly for each race.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Many of the teams were people who work together and who knew one another, so this race gave participants a chance to go beyond the comfort zone with friends and to enjoy a memorable summer day together.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Most who came were not experts at dragon boat racing; they were librarians, cancer survivors, seniors, co-workers, friends, neighbors. Overall it was a pretty friendly competition.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Some teams decided to wear matching shirts, and one team sported hats that looked like bright red hair on top.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

A few drummers wore wild and crazy outfits to add more festivity to the occasion and perhaps win a prize.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

The races tended to be quite close. I would say times that had to go to 0.01 second to determine rank were pretty darn close!

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Even teams who had very little or no experience really did not take very long to work together and become pretty competitive. I didn't see anyone on the boat teams going overboard, but a few spectators took a dip in the lake.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Quite a few vendors were at the event, offering a wide range of foods, drinks, and frozen options. We didn't have to walk to or from the parking area - we just hopped on the trolley and enjoyed the ride. Extra credit goes to the Chick-fil-A cow - the afternoon was really hot out there without wearing a suit!

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Visit this Salisbury Post article for a list of the winners for the 2016 Dragon Boat Festival. The Chamber offered prizes for several different categories and also offered a raffle with several different prizes. The Rowan Chamber of Commerce has a Facebook page that you might also want to visit for more about the festival.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Additional articles by Katrena

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Thanks for visiting my Travel NC With Kids blog - I hope you'll check out my other articles featuring fun family activities all over North Carolina.

2016 Rowan Chamber Dragon Boat Festival ©Photo by Katrena

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Lake Norman State Park - Enjoy the View from the Porch and Beautiful Trails

Lake Norman State Park - Photo by D.W.

Lake Norman State Park, located at 759 State Park Road in Troutman, North Carolina, is actually the closest state park to my home town. It is only 30 minutes from where I grew up, and I'm ashamed to say this is the first time I have ever visited the park. I guess we all might be a bit guilty of taking our own back yard for granted.

View of the Nature Center from Lake Norman © Katrena

I had heard that folks could swim in the lake at Lake Norman State Park, but that was about the extent of my knowledge of the park. Yes, it does have a sandy beach area where swimmers can enjoy swimming for a nominal fee. There were very few swimmers when we visited on a weekday late morning. Entrance into the park and use of the trails is free. Those who wish to camp, boat, or swim can check rates at the link provided near the bottom of this article.

Welcome Center at Lake Norman State Park © Katrena

We visited Lake Norman State Park in July 2016 and decided to check out the Welcome Center first. My kids have gotten involved with the NC State Parks Passport program, so we get a stamp for each state park we visit. This year, 2016, is the centennial celebration of our state park system, so this year's stamps all include a special 100-year insignia.

Fun Free Family Activities in Iredell County NC

The folks at the Welcome Center were very nice and helpful. Although I do a good deal of online research before visiting a state park, there is nothing that can replace the helpful hints offered by someone who works there. Whenever I ask which trails they might suggest, I have always found the advice to be helpful. The state park system is creating some wonderful interactive educational centers in the various parks that highlight something pertinent to the region, so we toured the indoor displays first and then headed outside to the trails.

View of Lake Norman from Back Porch of Welcome Center © Katrena

One of our favorite spots at this park lies on the back porch of the Welcome Center. You will find a huge, welcoming back porch with rocking chairs that overlook the lake. One Facebook friend described it as "sort of like Cracker Barrel but with a better view." Yep, that about sums it up. My mom said she could easily spend half the day out there in a rocking chair, soaking up the beauty of the scenery and sounds of nature.

Dragonfly Trail Educational Display © Katrena

We decided to try the 0.15 mile Dragonfly Trail first. The trail begins just to the left of the Welcome Center and is handicap accessible. This trail is quite educational with large, colorful interactive displays that encourage visitors to read about the various plants and animals of the area. Many of the displays asked questions and would offer answers after lifting a flap.

Close-up View of the Lake on the Alder Trail © Katrena

The Dragonfly Trail leads to the Alder Trail, which includes 0.8 mile of shaded, scenic lake views. This trail is not paved and has some tree roots and a few stairs along the way. It includes some interactive displays and a deck with stairs leading down close to the water on the left. Seeing the lake from several different directions provided lots of photo opportunities and a nice walk that was level in most areas in addition to the opportunity to see a few animals that were drawn to the water on a day with temperatures in the mid- to high-90s.

This state park is also known for an extensive 30.5-mile bike trail. We saw several people bringing their bikes to enjoy the day here. We didn't have bikes with us, but from what I could see, the bike trail seemed to be cleared and marked well.

We also drove to another area of the park on Shortleaf Drive and found shaded picnic tables and a picnic shelter. We had our picnic lunch in this area, but I don't think it offered as good a view as the area near the Nature Center. The next time we visit Lake Norman State Park, we'll probably plan to have our picnic in that first area and will likely hang out in those rocking chairs on the back porch for a while!

Visit the Lake Norman State Park official web site for directions, swimming fees, trail maps, and more.

Additional articles by Katrena

Easy Family Hiking Trail in North Carolina

Thanks for visiting Travel NC With Kids! I hope you find my articles and pictures to be helpful if you are planning a family outing. Have you visited Lake Norman State Park? If so, what was your favorite memory of your visit?

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

North Carolina Outer Banks - Ahhhh....the Atlantic Ocean Beach!

My family took a vacation to the Outer Banks in July 2016. We enjoyed many sites and visited a nice variety of attractions; however, one of the favorites for my group was going to the beach. This was the first time my family had been to a beach in North Carolina.

When traveling with kids, I like to make vacations educational because the best classrooms are rarely surrounded by four walls. We talked about being on the Atlantic coast on the eastern edge of North Carolina and named other states that border our state. And how wonderful it is to live in a state that offers topography from the beach to the mountains.

We talked about the barrier islands, how the various Sounds are different than the ocean, and what animals might be found in each and in both. From the vantage point of Currituck Lighthouse, we saw a big contrast in population on the ocean side versus the sound side and the north versus the south.

We enjoyed sunsets and talked about what parts of the country might enjoy sunrises over the ocean water and which areas might enjoy sunsets over the ocean water. We also remembered a bit about how the moon can affect tides and how lightening and electricity can travel through water.

We looked for animals and shells on the sand and talked about protecting ocean animals, the land, and the fragile ecosystem on the North Carolina beach. And perhaps what might have happened to The Lost Colony many years ago.

We waded in the water and talked about riptides and remembered learning about how to safely get back to shore by swimming parallel to shore to move to a safer wave if one were pulled out by a riptide. How it is easier to walk on wet sand than on dry sand. And how shells at the beach are so unique and beautiful.

We noticed how various people and a few dogs were enjoying the beach and noticed people often take beautiful natural areas for granted when they live near them. We went to the beach late in the evenings, which was great for our skin and also meant fewer people on the beach.

We also talked about the access ramp to get to the edge of the beach and how they now make special wheelchairs that will roll on the sand and how a family we know ensured that the dad was able to make it out to the beach several times before moving to a heavenly home. And how we hope some day beaches will have access ramps all the way out to the water for those who are not able to get the special wheelchairs.

Yet we were also quiet as we listened to the methodical ebb and flow, ebb and flow of a majestic body of water that seems timeless, a beautiful natural wonder that can calm and soothe through its shimmering metronome. What a gift to be able to dig one's toes into the sand, feel the cool water, and listen to the ocean's serenade.

Additional articles by Katrena:

Thanks for visiting Travel NC With Kids. I hope you find my articles to be helpful and informative. Have you visited a beach in North Carolina? Feel free to share your beach story in the comment section below. If you like to listen to the beach, you might want to pull up a video on YouTube and enjoy the sounds from home.