Day Trip Idea: Dan Nicholas Park BY LAURA DYDEK WITH TRIAD MOMS ON MAIN
Dan Nicholas Park is so much more than just a park! This is absolutely worth the day trip and something everyone in your family will enjoy. I even skipped my son’s (very necessary) nap for the day trip, and I don’t regret it one bit. We had heard many wonderful things about the park, but I truly wasn’t sure what to expect. I packed us both a lunch and drove about 45 minutes from Clemmons to Salisbury! We headed straight for Rowan Wildlife adventure when we arrived, because we were excited to see the animals. It was $1.00 for an adult to enter and $.50 for a child under 10 (under 1 is free!). We also paid for our Barnyard visit here, which was $.50 each. Wildlife Adventure was wonderful to walk through. We saw bald eagles, bears, vultures, foxes, alligators, and more! The flow of the zoo is nice and loops you back through, so you get a second look at all the animals on your way out. We headed to the Nature Center next. The nature center is free to all visitors, so in all honesty, I wasn’t expecting much. However, I was completely blown away when we walked inside! It is an immersive experience that gets you up close and personal with reptiles and marine life. The center is small, but the exhibits are beautifully done, and staff is nearby to answer any questions you have while visiting! Finally, we made our way to the Barnyard. A large barn houses farm animals such as sheep, goats, a hog, and a donkey. This experience is a simple loop around the barn, but it was a fun way to finish our animal adventure! After the Barnyard, we decided to try out the Gem Mine. My son is just shy of three years old, so I wasn’t sure it was something he would enjoy but we gave it a try! You can purchase a bucket of sand to mine, starting at $9 and going up to $47. We opted for the $9 bucket (which was quite large) and made our way to the flume lines! My son had a blast scooping the sand into the screens and sifting to find gems. He even found two shark teeth and was very proud of his large bag of gems he got to take home!
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