Welcome and thanks for visiting Nature Tikes, your one stop resource for outdoor activities that are family tested, close to the greater Lake Norman area and guaranteed NOT to break the bank!
My name is Coleen Wright; I live in the greater Lake Norman area with my husband Bill Wright who is native to Davidson and our children. I moved from rural PA (Bedford, PA) and in 1984, at that time exit 28 and the surrounding area was rural NC…really, not one Starbucks, no Birkdale. Exit 25 was not even a glimmer in developers eyes (or should I say pockets?) yet. I would have laughed at the idea of traffic anywhere other than a few popular coves with skiers and Jack’s Place. Anyone remember the Ham & Eggs at exit 28? Ok, I digress; I grew up on a small 10 acre “Hobby Farm”. “Hobby Farm” is a term that is used to say that we were not “real” farmers, meaning that we did not make a living at farming, but farming did make for great living and was the foundation of my lifelong love of the outdoors, fresh fruits and vegetables, adventure and simplicity. My days consisted of horseback riding, swimming in creeks, picking and shucking peas and beans, bottle feeding lambs and generally exploring nature….. We were very close to self sustained in the food category, and much of it was organic, even before “organic” was hip…more on all of that later….
Jumping ahead to 2010, I am now the 40-year-old mother of four children, ages 14, 13, 6 and almost 3! I recently joined the ranks of the unintentional unemployed. I have little idea what is next for me as far as careers go, and I do have to get at least a paying job if not a new career. I pondered therapy, career counseling, getting my hair dyed, moving to a country in South America, hiking the A.T but with the aforementioned children and growing pile of debt; I decided on a free Blog. These posts will be about activities your family can do after reviews by my family and volunteers. They will be family tested for you. I hope that this will be a resource that you use often as you ponder your next family outing! I am interested in feedback, your family reviews of local parks, special events, adding to this site in the way of clubs, outdoor gear swaps and more….
