CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1466416
CityViewNC.com | 5 EDITOR'S CORNER Making memories one trip at a time BY LORRY WILLIAMS Contact Lorry Williams at lwilliams@cityviewnc.com or at 910-423-6500. Lorry The marina is a short distance from the arcade at Carolina Beach. Murals have been painted on several businesses, and The Fat Pelican was named one of the "diviest dive bars'' in America in 2015. Photos by Michael Spencer W hen I was growing up, family vacations or day trips were something I looked forward to. My mom, dad, younger sister and I oen spent time in the North Carolina mountains or along the Carolina coast. Sometimes, extended family or friends would join us. For day trips, we would meet family from Duplin County at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park in Wayne County or Morrow Mountain State Park in Stanly County. ose picnics and walks exploring the trails are memorable. It wasn't until I was an adult that I expanded my travel itinerary to include places across the U.S. and other countries. I have framed photos around my house that remind me of those good times. Even now, years aer some of those trips, I look at those photos and recall the fun I had with good friends exploring cemeteries in New Orleans, seeing glaciers in Alaska, attending concerts in Las Vegas, roaming Sicily and southern Italy, taking a cooking class in Paris, and savoring a mouth-watering eggplant Parmesan bianco in Rome. It's nice to get away and discover new places. And many of us who have been sticking close to home in recent years because of the pandemic are ready to once again venture out. is month's magazine is our travel issue. We've suggested a few destinations for people who may be looking for places to explore that are not too far from Fayetteville. One of them, Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck — home to more than 260 species of exotic birds — is definitely on my short list. And it was interesting to learn about how the Gronski family turned their day-trip snack times into a quest for homemade ice cream. "I am excited to be making memories with our children and creating traditions that they can pass on to their children when they grow up and start families of their own," Mark Gronski told us. And for the foodie who also likes to travel, check out Low and Slow Smokehouse at Johnston Regional Airport in Smithfield. Whether your next adventure is a day trip or something longer, the memories can last a lifetime.