On Wednesday we met a fellow triplet mom friend for a play date at the park. There are four nature centers/museums in Charlotte that I know about. We frequent Reedy Creek and Latta, and have been to the Nature Museum a few times. I've been wanting to check out the McDowell Nature Center for a while now, but it's on the opposite side of town in an area I rarely visit, My triplet friend (who was also my roommate and carpool buddy for our Nashville trip last summer) lives in that direction. We were excited to get together and check out the park.
Both of our newly turned 5 year olds and almost 3 year old triplets were born within a few months of each other. Therefore, we have eight preschool aged children between the two of us. We were asked more than once if we had an in-home daycare or preschool.
We met at the playground, then decided to drive to the nature center after the kids began to wander from the traditional playground.
There are several hikes of varying lengths within the park. We glanced at the map and decided to go on an easy quarter mile hike.
Unfortunately, we turned the wrong way at a fork in the trail and ended up going on a longer walk than any of our kids could handle. There were a few steep spots and lots of exposed roots. James and Amelia held hands to keep each other steady.
There were some unusual natural sightings, including a bat box and this tree below.
The indoor part of the nature center was cozy and full of character. There were plenty of secret compartments in the walls that you could lift to see what would grow or live under the soil. The nature center also had the usual tanks with snakes, turtles, frogs, and lizards.
Our final stop was to drive to the lake (all within the same park) for a picnic lunch. I have an exceptional group of mom friends, but it's nice to have another triplet mom in which I can relate. We both stood while eating lunch, laughing that this was the norm for picnics.
Unlike Lake Norman, Lake Wylie doesn't have any beach access or place to put your feet in the water. Still, it was a lovely view. We listened to the gentle waves crash against the rocks as boats drove past.
It was an exciting, eventful day at the park. There wasn't anything special or unique at McDowell Park to make it worth the drive, but I look forward to future play dates with our triplet family friends.
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