While we were in Europe, the boys stayed with my parents for what they affectionately call “Grammie and Pea Camp.” Here are all the fun things they did written by my mom!
This post was written by my mom Barbara!
When Maze asked to stay with us for two weeks this summer in Hillsborough, I said, “Yes!” Birch, of course, would come too. Kath heard of the plan and instantly suggested that she and Thomas head to Europe.
As the visit came closer, I began to worry about entertaining a 6 and 12-year-old for that long, especially since North Carolina is very hot in the summer. Thanks to enormous help and planning from my husband, Cliff, and plenty of luck, the visit went off splendidly.
Harry Potter Theme
This summer had a bit of a Harry Potter theme since Maze has been reading the books! Every summer, I let Maze pick out a Lego set for his visit. Birch now gets one, too. Maze sailed right in. Soon, Hogwarts emerged on our coffee table.
Maze even figured out how to shine Hogwarts on the living room wall at night.
He requested the ingredients for making Butter Beer. Sweet but delicious!
We watched four Harry Potter movies during the visit. Maze was quite patient explaining the plots and more complicated characters to me.
Grammie Toast
Birch loves what he calls “Grammie Toast,” which is toast with lots of butter and cinnamon sugar. He liked pressing on the vintage happy face from his mom’s childhood.
Art Share
Birch enjoyed showing me his kindergarten art collection and reading David Pelham’s creepy bug pop-up books, also vintage.
Eno River State Park
Our first adventure was a visit to Few’s Ford at Eno River State Park. The rocks on the bottom can make wading difficult, but with water shoes, the boys managed pretty well. There are great hiking trails right there, too.
Museum of Life and Science
Durham’s Museum of Life and Science is perfect for kids. The boys loved the insects, especially the roaches.
The train ride, dinosaur trail, treehouses, stream, butterfly house, mist pads, and animals were also big hits.
The Durham Bulls
The next evening, we cheered on the Durham Bulls. Both boys put on the shirts they picked out before the game.
Although the Bulls lost, Maze and Birch got to see Snorting Bull light up when a home run went out of the park, a highlight of the evening.
Visit to Charlotte
Cliff and I had a hunch that ten straight says at our house might wear us all down, so we planned an adventure in the North Carolina mountains. On the way, we stopped in Charlotte for an overnight with cousins Emerson and Avery. The kids went wild until I put on my bossy grandma voice, which, amazingly, worked! Here they are at Resident Culture, a brewery not far from Laura’s house where we had dinner.
Blowing Rock, NC
The next day we set off for Blowing Rock. The cabin Cliff rented was just the right size for the four of us.
Birch loved the porch swing.
Maze was pleased with the cool upstairs loft.
The first night, we ate a delicious dinner at Mellow Mushroom in downtown Blowing Rock followed by a visit to a playground in the center of town.
Tweetsie Railroad
The next morning, we set off for a North Carolina legend: Tweetsie Railroad.
We brought Kath and Laura to Tweetsie in the eighties, so we loved coming back with the next generation. The boys immediately took to the jail.
Birch got brave enough to ride some of the kiddie rides by himself.
The petting zoo was great fun, especially meeting this goat who managed to slip the fence and greet us on the flagstone path.
When asked what their favorite part of the day was though, the boys both answered: The train ride!
Panning For Gems
The next day, by request, we hit the playground again, and this grandma got an hour to shop (and find two summer dresses). Then we set off to pan for gems at Prospector Hill Gem Mining. Although not cheap, this is a great kid activity. The boys came away with bags of beautiful rocks.
When we returned to Hillsborough, final activities included a movie and a delightful visit with Grandma Bonnie. Bonnie is the wife of Maze’s late great-grandfather, Don Monson.
Before we knew it, Kath and Thomas were home. Birch greeted them out front with a great stick he found in the woods near our house.
I’m so sorry I didn’t snap a photo of the European travelers. We loved hearing about their adventures and telling them about ours.
The next morning, we said goodbye as they all headed back to Charlottesville. The boys seemed truly appreciative of the time we spent together. And what an honor it was for us to spend such happy days with them!
