Day Trips from Fosyth County

Day Trips from Forsyth County

BY ANGELIA CORNATZER

With summer approaching and schedules filling up, finding fun day trips to do with the family is such a special way to make memories and soak up some sun, while not breaking your bank or your PTO. Forsyth County is in such a great location because on all sides, there are fun day trips to be had! This is going to be your destination station to find out all the places you can plan on visiting together this summer!

29 minutes – Greensboro, NC

There are so many things to do just down the road in Greensboro! There is the Greensboro History Museum, Science Center, Children’s Museum, Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden, The Elsewhere Collaborative, water park, art museum, Gateway Gardens, and much more!

30 minutes – Summerfield, NC

This is the home of Summerfield Farms, where there are so many things to experience. They also have a children’s fishing derby, music in the park event, and many other events in the community.

39 minutes away – Asheboro, NC

Asheboro is the home to the North Carolina Zoo. This is a great place to invest in a season pass and visit all sections throughout the summer. While in Asheboro, you can also check out their motorcycle museum and Randleman Lake! If you feel like taking a swing through the trees, you can go ziplining at Richland Creek Zipline Canopy Tour.

40 minutes – Danbury, NC

If you are wanting to find the perfect place to see and hike, you will find it at Hanging Rock. This park is full of fun trails and breathtaking sites. Another place to explore here is Tory’s Falls or the Dan River Company.

56 minutes – Mooresville, NC

Here in Mooresville, you can find a very unusual animal experience for the whole family at The Lazy 5 Ranch, where you are able to drive right through the safari park, feed the animals, and even pet some as they come to your window.

1 hour – Charlotte, NC

Whether you are looking to spend time outdoors or in the city, CLT is a hotspot just an hour away. Lake Norman is a great option in the area to spend time in the outdoors. Optimist Hall is a place you don’t want to miss. With tons of food stations and shops, you will walk away full and happy.

1.5 hours – Raleigh, NC

My personal favorite part of this city is the Morgan Street Food Hall. There are so many options of yummy local and cultural foods to try. Marbles Kids Museum and The Raleigh Market are fun places to spend family time. Walk around Juniper Level Botanic Garden where you can find over 27,000 plants! If you are a golfer, visit Raleigh’s Drive Shack!

1.5 hours – Boone, NC

Of course, we all love the skiing sites that Boone has to offer. Tweetsie Railroad Amusement Park is a great place to explore. Zip through the trees at High Gravity Adventures Park or take the kids to the Children’s Playhouse. You can also learn about, and come to love, the sights of Daniel Boone Native Gardens.

2.5 hours – Greenville, SC

A little farther away is Greenville! This city has an unforgettable downtown area with lots of food and coffee shops, as well as the beautiful landscaping of a park perfect for a picnic. If you’d like to get away from the city, check out Pretty Place. It is a destination that will leave you speechless as you watch the sunrise on the mountain.

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Daddy-Daughter Date Nights

BY ANGELIA CORNATZER

GrowinG up, I was able to experience a truly special relationship with my dad. I have such amazing memories from what we called our “daddy-daughter dates.” These dates would sometimes consist of special outings and experiences, or just having dinner together. I always treasured these moments and now I treasure those memories. I remember my father, John, would even dress up and ring the doorbell to pick me up with flowers for these dates when I was young. The activities we did were so much fun, but it was my dad’s intentionality that made the deep and special impression on my heart and still brings tears of joy to my eyes. One of my favorite memories of a daddy-daughter date night was when we went to dance, got ice cream, and had a snowball fight afterwards. Another memory I love was when we went to the mall and petted stingrays; I was splashed by the water, and we shopped for a new outfit! Whatever we would do on the daddy-daughter date nights, I felt special and thankful for each moment in that time together.

Fathers have such a purpose and a special calling when it comes to their daughters’ lives and hearts. No matter how old or young a daughter is, her father’s love and kindness mean the world to her. Making a daughter feel loved doesn’t have to be an extravagant or materialistic effort, but just a daily choice to make her feel seen, known, and loved. It is the little things in everyday life that add up to a full heart. Young girls experience so much pressure and judgment these days. Having a father who can speak encouragement, truth, and love into a daughter’s life is priceless. There are so many things that girls feel like they need to be in order to be “good enough,” or liked. When a father intentionally loves his daughter as she is, it greatly increases her self-confidence and ability to love herself, no matter what she hears from others throughout life.

There are many different things to do for dad-daughter date nights. For younger daughters, consider going to the zoo, a park, doing sidewalk chalk, walking around Tanglewood, or baking cupcakes at home! For older daughters, maybe go to a concert, a movie, take a painting class, or get ice cream. Try out rotating who picks the activity; maybe dad will pick this week and daughter will pick the next.

Philip Morgan, father of 14-year-old Leah Morgan, prioritizes uninterrupted time with his daughter each week. When describing their time together, he said, “We talk candidly about her life and her passions. We talk about school and relationships. Sometimes conversations are deep and meaningful. I always want her to be encouraged, to grow in her confidence in herself and who she is in Christ. I want her to learn about healthy relationships and hopefully to share some wisdom about how to navigate growing up in this broken world.”

As Father’s Day approaches, take advantage of this holiday! If you are a mother or wife, try to plan a day when your child and their father can create special memories together. If you are a father, it is never too late or early to begin this daddydaughter date tradition! Maybe the two of you will go on a walk and color, go to a movie and dinner, or just put on some music in the living room and dance! Don’t worry about what the activity is, just focus on the intention and attention. Daughters crave time and love from their fathers, and setting aside a daddy-daughter date night every once in a while is a special way to fill up a daughter’s heart.

In their work with schools and educators, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC team strives to remove barriers to student success and strengthen their resilience. Resilience helps children deal flexibly with whatever experiences come along, and good nutrition plays a vital role – supporting learning and play; cognitive development; and a healthy immune system.

Cynthia W. is part of a school-based team that works to address students’ basic needs – food, clothing, hygiene, housing, mental health, and more. She’s a big fan of Second Harvest’s Nutrition Services team, which partners with local elementary schools and programs to provide a six-week long nutrition education experience and a variety of nutrition-related workshops.

“The lessons are fun and get our kids thinking about food and nutrition,” Cynthia says. “Students go home with ingredients to prepare a meal with family members following recipes they’ve learned. Most of our students are eligible for school-provided meals, so the food is helpful, and parents say cooking together is a wonderful bonding experience.”

LuzAngela S. with Communities in Schools describes the year-round School Pantry Program with Second Harvest as “integral to efforts to surround students with a community of support to achieve success in school and life.”

“Life will always bring challenges and the last two years have been exceptional,” Luz says. Sadly, the work of her team now also involves a grief support group for students who have lost one or both parents, or other family members to COVID-19.

Second Harvest’s student-focused programs are happening in communities across our region. This summer, when school-provided meals end, together we can help ensure that all children can access the good nutrition they need to do and be their best.

Come Check Out the Progress on Our New Home

We invite you to drive by our new HQ home at 3330 Shorefair Drive. We’ve said all along that the Hunger For Change Campaign is about more than a building...it’s about the greater impact that we, our friends and partners will be able to make in our shared mission to address hunger and its causes. That said...we couldn’t be more excited about the progress on our new home in Whitaker Park.

Stay tuned to updates at HungerForChangeNC.org