Although we have spent a lot of time in the triangle, the only thing we had been to in Durham was the
Science Museum. On this trip, we decided to check out the Farmer's Market because it is next to a playground and kid's nature area. An added plus that I had forgotten all about is the Chirba Chirba food truck, which I had seen on Food Network's Great Food Truck Race! After buying the most delicious Greek raviolis, getting our dumpling fix, and playing, we left the market and headed a few minutes away to the Duke Gardens.
The gardens are free, although parking is not, and it's open 365 days a year from 8 am until dusk. Sprawling across 55 acres, this isn't a place you can get through in a day. The garden began with a dream in the 1930's by Duke professor Dr. Hanes who hated walking by the trash filled ravines on his way to the school. Dr. Hanes persuaded his friend, Sarah P. Duke, to give $20,000 to finance the garden and by 1935 more than 100 flower beds had been installed. Now, there are four distinct areas: the Historic Garden, Garden of Native Plants, the Asiatic Arboretum, and the Duke Center Gardens. In the five miles of pathways there are so many cut throughs and side paths that we actually got lost on our way to the chickens in the Discovery part of the gardens. We walked through several Asian inspired exhibits and even found small waterfalls. There is lots of shade and seating areas, but be sure to stop by the visitor's center before heading in. There you'll get a map as well as some activities for kids to do on their trip.
