A Charming North Carolina Town

I have ALWAYS wanted to explore downtown Cary, yet I never had the chance until last weekend!! Although it is small, there is a lot to do and see for half a day in this charming town. My Papa and I did a walk through last weekend, and we had a great time taking in all of the sites while still maintaining our social distance. With its small town charm and proximity to Raleigh, I am most definitely excited to check out downtown Cary soon again!

Cary, North Carolina is a suburb located outside of Raleigh. Its downtown is super adorable with many local shops, restaurants, hotels, and other small businesses. There is even a park – it is all super adorable with a modern twist. While there, Papa and I walked the streets and checked out some of the shops as well as gorgeous The Mayton Inn – located in the heart of downtown. Even though the downtown is tiny, it is super walkable and fun to explore, whether it is for an afternoon, lunch, or a drive through. I will definitely be back to check out some of the restaurants and maybe even the small businesses!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Historic Mill Park in Raleigh

I am OBSESSED with old mills, however, I had never been to one until last Saturday. My Papa and I love going for walks together, and since he was in town for the weekend, we decided to check out Historic Yates Mill Park. Our experience at Historic Yates Mill Park was most definitely social distancing-friendly and a fun Fall adventure.

On our way to the park, we crossed through lots of farm land, which is found on the outskirts of the Raleigh area. Both Papa and I did not know where we were going when I had found this cute little park on Google of all places and wanted to explore it with him. Contrary to our beliefs, we were both in for a treat when we arrived and saw anything but farm land – there were gorgeous trees and waterfront views everywhere that we turned.

Like its name, Historic Yates Mill Park is home to the absolutely stunning Historic Yates Mill. Although this is a historic site to North Carolina, it is free to all of its guests, which makes this a super budget-friendly place to explore, especially if you are in Raleigh or nearby. According to the park guide volunteer who spoke with me and Papa, Yates Mill has been around since the 1700’s and was used for corn. Yates Mill also sits right beside Yates Mill Pond. The park is also owned by NC State University and their Agricultural students use as their own classroom and research area. Along with Yates Mill, there are trails alongside Yates Mill Pond, which is open to exploration. Papa and I walked the entire trail surrounding the pond and we both had no trouble walking it (I was wearing my Jack Rogers sandals and Papa has a walking stick). Everywhere we turned, there was a stunning view of the everchanging Fall leaves, the mill, the pond, and all of the above. We surely got our daily workout in while taking in some scenic Fall views!!!

Historic Yates Mill Park is most definitely a hidden gem in Raleigh. With its free and easy access to everyone and its gorgeous views, the park has much to offer for everyone of all ages and abilities. I am also super happy that I got to cross seeing a historic mill off of my bucket list, too!

XOXO – Katie <3

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A North Carolina Vineyard and Llama Farm

What’s better than wine?! Wine AND llama’s!!! My good friend Caroline wanted to go to a vineyard to celebrate her 22nd Birthday, so when I found out about Divine Llama Vineyards located in East Bend, North Carolina, neither of us could pass up the opportunity to go. Our friend Cassie lives a lot closer to Divine Llama Vineyards than Caroline and I do as students in Raleigh, so it was a great place to truly meet up. The wine and llamas along with the breathtaking views of its location in the stunning Yadkin Valley made for an amazing experience.

Fall Foliage

On the way there, Caroline and I could not believe how stunning the views of the Fall foliage were! Unfortunately, the leaves have not changed that much on the trees in Raleigh as compared to its Western, North Carolina counterparts. As someone who lives in Northern Virginia, the leaves are in a Fall Foliage around this time of year and stay that way into November, so this was super nice and refreshing to see again. I missed it!!! When we got to the vineyard, the Fall leaves were in their glory this weekend as we could see them all across the vineyard and while looking at the mountainous views from afar. In fact, while I was texting a friend, she said that this weekend that we went to the vineyard was the peak of the Fall foliage. No wonder the leaves looked absolutely breathtaking!

The Wine

Upon arrival, we made our way to order some flights. If you do not know what a flight is, it is a tray with tiny samples of wine. We each got four wine samples in each flight, where I chose all of the sweet flavors. Although I have a savory tooth for food, I have a much greater sweet tooth when it comes to my wine! The flight was definitely enough wine for each of us to enjoy, and it didn’t break the bank for our college girl budgets ($10 each!). However, if I was willing to and had not bought another bottle the previous day, I definitely would have purchased a bottle of wine to take home. Personally, I thought that because I was going to a vineyard that attracts people for its llamas that the wine would not nearly be as good as anywhere else, but I was clearly mistaken!!!

The Best Part: The Llama’s

As you would have guessed, the llama’s are what attract several tourists to Divine Llama Vineyards. Once we had our wine, we had headed off to see the llama’s. The llama’s were kept down a hilly path away from where people purchase their wine. However, you can take your wine with you and sip it as you admire the llama’s. Along the way, we saw rows and rows of grapevines and took in the amazing views of the Yadkin Valley. Then, BOOM, llama’s EVERYWHERE you turn!!! The llama’s were definitely managing their own business for the most part or wanting food, but I really enjoyed getting photos with my friends and these gorgeous creatures.

Even though I was expecting suburb llama’s and not the best wine, I was truly in for a splendid surprise when the wine and llama’s were both extremely impressive!!! The experience at Divine Llama Vineyards was one for the books – it was super fun to interact with the llama’s, other visitors (social distanced of course), and enjoy their wine. Not to mention, the prices are hard to beat here, as you only have to pay for the wine and merchandise, which means you can enjoy the llama’s and only the llama’s for FREE if you so choose to. Divine Llama Vineyards is also owned by two families that are friends with one another, which makes it a sweet small business – something that we should all be support now more than ever before. I would definitely come back here with friends, family, or even on a date! The best part?! I got to celebrate an amazing friend like Caroline!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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