News

Sep 08, 2023

WNC Parent's Summer Thrive Guide: Get out there!

As the mother of two wildly energetic boys, ages 7 and 9, summer is as sweet

As the mother of two wildly energetic boys, ages 7 and 9, summer is as sweet for them as it is for me. Summertime means warm weather, endless outdoor playtime, pool time, and numerous options to strategically expend their energy. Come along with me and check out our family's Summer Thrive Guide for wearing out the wiggles outside (and in) and having loads of fun along the way.

The older your kids get, the more fun pool time becomes. Apart from the sunscreen application, which can always result in resistance (I try to lather my kids up before we leave the house), pools offer splash time, jumps, swimming and plenty of time to soak in the sun. We love to go to a variety of pools depending on the weather and our mood.

For families with younger children, Black Mountain Pool at Lake Tomahawk is a favorite, with a kiddie area and concessions on site. For a larger pool with grassy areas to have a picnic, we enjoy visiting Owen Pool in Swannanoa. It is a Buncombe County pool – and there are four other county pools in the area. For a gigantic pool experience we love Recreation Park Pool. This Olympic size pool is huge, and it's easy to make it a day and visit the Western North Carolina Nature Center right beside it.

We reward ourselves with ice cream after swimming and love to hit up the local Dairy King in Black Mountain. Only open in the summer, Dairy King is your quintessential mom and pop's stop with delicious ice cream shakes and kiddie rides on site. Keeping it local and offering amazing flavors, we also devour Ultimate Ice Cream, with locations on Charlotte Street and in East Asheville.

If we are just feeling a casual park and play day, we often meet friends from around town at Weaver Park. This park has something for kids of all ages. In addition to the playground, there are basketball courts, a baseball field, and a creek running adjacent to the park. My kids love to splash and explore the creek, ride bikes on the paved trail and (yes) still play in their large sandbox.

After playing at Weaver Park, we will wander over to YoLo Frozen Yogurt. My children go crazy for their toppings bar. YoLo also has games, chalk and many activities to pass the time for families.

Our favorite family hike is Lookout Trail. To fuel up before our hike, we head to Four Sisters Bakery in Black Mountain. Tucked off the main street, this locally owned bakery features mouth-watering croissants, quiches, coffee and more.

After breakfast, we push off to Lookout Trail. This short hike is steep at times, but my boys scramble up like mountain goats and love to hit the yellow diamonds that lead to the top. The last part of the hike offers bouldering, and my boys scramble up, and then we are all rewarded with a stunning 360-degree view of the Black Mountains.

If we have time, we finish up at Robert Lake Park, just below Lookout Trail head. We dip our toes and play in the rushing waters that wind through the park, a great way to round out our adventure.

Montreat Park sites:

Rainy Days can be challenging. My boys’ favorite way to pass a rainy day is to head to Launch Trampoline Park, pretend to be Ninja Warriors, play dodge ball and bounce all around. Parents can simply observe and have a drink or join in the fun. My boys also adore the onsite arcade.

We also love catching a flick at the Asheville Pizza and Brewing, especially since they are offering more kids movies in a second theater. Other rainy day options for us include swimming at the various Asheville YMCA indoor pools. Black Mountain, Downtown Asheville and Reuters’ all have indoor pools great for rainy days.