Turtle Hole Eno River

We spend far too many Saturdays around here without a plan. The morning fades into noon and the day goes by without our really sucking the marrow out of it. We sometimes lament that we can’t afford fancy travel or fun toys like motor boats and waltz back to life on Monday with ridiculous sunglasses and sandal tans and windblown hair. We let things like money, the ages of our boys, and that mid-morning punch of drowsiness relegate us to the sofa or playroom.

This past Saturday, we took a family adventure that blew me away. As in Sunday morning I was aching all over, and I was made aware of which of my muscles had atrophied since my youth – all thanks to a rope swing. Yet, it was more fun than I’ve had in a long time. We were debating driving to the beach for the day, when we up and decided if it’s water and a natural setting we want, why not just go to the Eno River? I love the ocean, but fresh, running water, smooth stones and a canopy of trees are where my heart tends to skip a beat.

From downtown Raleigh, our drive to the Eno was just under 50 minutes, and the hike to Turtle Hole from our car was less than a quarter mile. Scooby had no trouble walking it, but Wookie needed help on the steeper sections. We took in chairs, towels and snacks and hung out for several hours and well past nap time. The boys had a great time, and Joe and I got to play like kids again. After a successful short trip, I have renewed hope that this fall we will finally get to go camping as a family.