Archive for June, 2010
Operation Celebrate Freedom
Shop ’til you drop!
There are lots of fun places I like to go shopping in Fayetteville! My favorite place, that’s usually my first stop, are the cute little boutiques downtown on Hay Street. They always have the most unique things in their stores whether you’re shopping for clothes or cute things to furnish your home. Downtown has it all. I get most of my wedding gifts, birthday presents, and Christmas presents downtown!
GO Swampdogs
Beat the Heat !
Below, I’ve outlined a few family-friendly ways to beat the heat this summer. These places are all great fun!
Fantasy Lake
Fantasy Lake is located on a six-acre man-made lake in Hope Mills and is surrounded by white sand beaches. In addition to lots of room to swim, the facility offers dozens of special activities including:
- Trapeze Swings
- Water Slides - both enclosed slides and slower open slides
- Pedal Boats
- Drop Slides - featuring a free fall at the end
- Jump Tower
- Porch swings in the water
- Water Volleyball
Admission is $14 for adults (11+) and $10 for ages 3-10. Fantasy Lake is open 10 am - 6 pm throughout the season. More information: www.fantasylakewaterpark.com
Smith Lake
Located one mile outside of Ft. Bragg, Smith Lake Recreation Park offers a large lifeguarded beach from 12- 7 pm Thursday through Sunday throughout the summer. The park has volleyball, a playground and floating trampolines in the children’s swimming area.
Managed by Fort Bragg MWR, Smith Lake is open to the public. Admission is $5 for the public $4 for government ID holders and $2 for children 6-16. Mountain bike trails and Paintball Adventure Sports are available on-site for an additional fee. Camping is available for active duty personnel, military retirees and Department of Defense civilians. More information: www.fortbraggmwr.com/smithlake.php
Waldo’s Beach
A third place to beat the heat is Lake Waldo’s Beach in Hope Mills. Lake Waldo’s Beach has water slides, a lazy river, pool and lake swimming, picnic areas, playgrounds, a pet trail, fishing pier, boat ramp, fishing and paddle boat rental.
Open daily Memorial Day through Labor Day. Admission is $12 for ages (11+) and $10 for children under 10. Admission is ½ price Monday through Friday. Camping is also available. http://www.lakewaldosbeachcampground.com/
Splash Pad
The under 10-set love the Splash Pad at Christina Smith park. Admission is free. The Splash Pad features water guns, sprinklers, sprayers and cannons all under colorful arches. A shaded picnic area is just outside the fence and restrooms are nearby. Hours are 3-6 Monday through Friday; 10-6 Saturday and 1-6 on Sunday. http://www.fcpr.us/aquatics.aspx
Falcon, Godwin & Linden - Northeastern Cumberland County
As I mentioned in my last blog, at the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau we represent all municipalities in Cumberland County, and I will spend some time writing about each one. I’ve certainly discovered some things I did not know.
FALCON
Falcon is in the northern part of Cumberland County. In the 2000 census, Falcon had a population of 328 and included 84 households
.Falcon is known as the birthplace of the Pentecostal Holiness Church. In January 1911, at the Octagon Tabernacle in Falcon, a formal agreement was signed merging two denominations to form the Pentecostal Holiness Church.The Octagon Tabernacle was built in 1898 by Julius A. Culbreth as a location for prayer meetings. (Culbreth was also the founder of the town of Falcon.) Built with wood uprooted from a tornado, the tabernacle was built with its unique shape because it reminded Culbreth of tents that were used during revivals.
The Octagon Tabernacle stands today on West Street in Falcon. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Falcon is also home to the Falcon Children’s Home, a ministry of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. For 100 years, the Falcon Children’s Home has cared for children from the southeastern United States who need out of home placement for many reasons. Their annual homecoming event, which typically welcomes 600 visitors, is July 24-25, 2010.
GODWIN
According to the 2000 census, Godwin is our smallest municipality in Cumberland County. The entire town sits on .2 square miles of land north of Fayetteville and its population is 112.
Godwin is home to the Godwin Presbyterian Church. Founded in 1904 this church is an offshoot of the Old Bluff Presbyterian Church, which was founded in 1758. The church offers a friendship garden that is open to the public.
David “Carbine” Williams, the inventor of the M1 Carbine rifle, was born in Godwin. He is buried in the cemetery at Old Bluff church in nearby Wade.
Rhodes Pond, located just outside Godwin, offers some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in Cumberland County. The NC Natural Heritage Program designated the 461-acre blackwater lake as regionally significant because of the breadth of wildlife and plants on the site. These include cypresses, alligators, game fish, river frogs, little blue herons, great blue herons and egrets.
Additionally, the fishing is said to be incredible. Although I do not fish, I found many sites that fishing rave about the fishing at Rhodes Pond. In fact, NC Angler has a current forum devoted to Rhodes Pond. Check out the link to learn more.
LINDEN
Linden is the second-smallest municipality in Cumberland County. It encompasses 1/2 -mile of land and 127 residents.
Linden was incorporated in 1914.
From its founding, Linden was and continues to be an agricultural community. This agricultural heritage is displayed every April when Indian Ridge Farms holds the community’s Annual Corn Planting Day. At this event, teams of horses, mules and oxen break, plow and plan the land. Food is cooked on a campfire and a wood stove; and horse-drawn farm equipment is on display. Interpreters dress in early 20th century attire. Visitors are welcome to take part in all of the activities.
Thanks to Facebook, I learned just today that the Linden Orchards is opening up for blueberry picking on June 15th. They are located at 777 Lane Road in Linden. Call 919-889-8523 for more information.
Its been very interesting to learn more about Cumberland County! In the final blog on Cumberland County municipalities, I will write about Eastover, Stedman & Wade. Anything you’d like me to know about any of our municipalities that I’ve missed? I’d love for your to share with me.