Road Trip #2

We debated where to go with the kids for a fun end of summer trip before heading back to school.  We decided on the Raleigh Durham area in North Carolina with a stop in Asheville on the way.  As we have done in the past, we waited until late afternoon on the drive down to book our overnight stay at a hotel.  We picked a great little place with a pool, near an awesome farm with an incredible restaurant.  The next morning, we headed out early to spend the day in the arts district of Asheville.  This little area with cute coffee shops, restaurants, art galleries, and music venues did not disappoint.  I was actually disappointed we didn’t choose to spend more time here!  Ryan and I enjoyed it a lot and we even bought a painting of the mountains to remember our trip.  The kids were definitely tired and very whiny by lunch time and were no longer able to nicely walk through another art gallery.  We tried to get tacos at a local taco truck for lunch.  But the highly rated little spot was very busy and we knew the kids could wait no more for food.  

While in Durham we visited the Museum of Life and Science.  This place was amazing!  The kids had an absolute blast; we were there from open to close.  The outdoor play space with large scale tree houses was incredible.  If you find yourself in this area with kids, it’s definitely a must!  We also went to a great little park with walking trails and a few amusement park type rides for the kids.  They had a good time and we were able to follow that up with a trip to downtown Raleigh for some fantastic ice cream.

Our time in NC was fun, but the unexpected, unplanned part of our trip ended up being the most fun for everyone.  We drove through Cincinnati, OH on the way to NC, so we thought it would be a fun surprise for the kids with a stop at Kings Island on the way home.  The kids were super excited and we had a blast!  This park is a smaller amusement park, but their kids section was fantastic!  The adult rides at Kings Island are smaller and not as new as some of the other parks.  If you are looking for an amusement park for young kids who are not tall enough for adult rides, Kings Island is a great choice.