Over the years, I’ve managed to keep my team pretty busy with road trips, stay-cations, outdoor fun but add in a pandemic and let’s just say it has become a bit more challenging.
Our family’s birthday season begins in January runs through March with a short break then picks up again in August. In total, we have three birthdays to plan and execute from January to March then four more between August and October plus our last of the year in May.
Our year is always full of memory-making moments but lately, the thing I’m most concerned about isn’t the how or when but the where. Where do I find fun yet safe ways to celebrate while keeping my family and those around us safe?
North Carolina never fails . . .
Thankfully North Carolina has found a way to keep the fun options available in a safe, affordable way.
A few weekends ago I decided it was time for my Kiddies to get out of the house – like further than the curb! I am always in favor of outdoor events and activities where we can maintain a safe distance from others, wear our masks and still have a blast with each other. So I took to the inter-web to figure out where we would be off to.
I don’t mind making a day of things as long as most of that day isn’t spent on the road. I wanted a destination that would allow us to feel we left the neighborhood but still have enough energy left to enjoy things and still drive back.
NC Aquarium at Ft. Fisher
My search leads me to The NC Aquarium at Ft. Fisher. A short 2-hour drive from us we could leave in the morning without greeting the sun and still have time to get back home before the day was done – see what I did there? You like it – I know you do!
Anyway, I clicked around the ticket options on the site and loved that they have adapted a reservation-only sales system. Knowing that the amount of visitors is limited helped me feel secure that my family would not need to worry about crowds or even delays.
I grabbed a family set of tickets with our military discount. I do wish I’d done a bit more clicking around because it wasn’t until after I booked them that I realized purchasing an annual membership would have actually been the better deal.
Here’s why:
Tickets Family of 6 (Military Discount) $74.58
Family membership which includes 2 Adults, all children in the household plus one guest: $89
PLUS as a member, we can visit throughout the remainder of the year! So yeah, I know what I’ll purchase next time the NC Aquarium this will most likely become one of our repeat ways to explore and have fun this coming year.
Our Day
Alright, so now that you know where we ended up here’s how the day went.
Left Fayetteville 8:30 AM
Arrived Kure Beach, NC 11:30 AM
Walked the beach 30-45 minutes
Checked-In for our 12:30 PM Registration
Explored the Aquarium – 60 minutes
Searched for local food – The Hang Ten Grill
Headed Back to Fayetteville, NC 2:30 PM
Home 4:30 PM
The NC Aquarium is the perfect size to feel like a day’s worth of fun without feeling like you missed anything. We were able to experience hands-on exhibits including the brand new baby otters, Luna the albino crocodile, and her buddy as well as the stingrays and crabs. There was also a great balance of indoor and outdoor exhibits.
How’s that for a day away? My Kiddies loved it, I enjoyed the drive and we created yet another memory out of moments right here in North Carolina.
How are you spending your free time?
Any suggestions for my next road trip stay-cation?
“Believe in yourself, your passions, and your dreams. Your voice is unique - build on that. Embrace what is different about you and make it your greatest asset!”
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