Great Outdoor Blog

The weekly festivities include performances by top bands, featuring bluegrass, back porch, roots, americana and old time music and a thriving Farmer’s Market with fresh local produce, cheese, eggs, baked goods, flowers, honey, organic meat, locally produced wine, hand made arts and crafts and more. Every week, CERES, Saxapahaw’s local quality of life organization sets up exciting events and activities for children including the Famous Zipboat, the Environmentally Engineered Slip-N-Slide, face painting, children’s arts & crafts and a weekly kid’s parade.

Festivities take place every Saturday from 5pm-8pm through the end of August. Admission is free though donations are appreciated, organizers pass around a “Swan Bucket” each week for the band. It’s a beautiful day out! Come On Along!!!

OCKTOBERFEST is Saturday, Oct 18

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Our friend, Spencer Cooke, took an incredible surf kayaking adventure to Morocco on Africa’s Northwestern coast in January.  A video + video podcast & photos are available on Spencer’s new web site Rapid Transit:
http://www.rapidtransitvideo.com/blog/?p=53

Check out Spencer’s hand written trip journal here:
http://effort.tv/2008/pix/moroccoslideshow/

FINISH. One of the best words to encounter at the end of a race - especially if it’s a trail marathon. Friends from Great Outdoor Provision Co. enjoy the finish of the 2008 Umstead Trail Marathon. Join us next year. Start training now so you can smile at the FINISH. For more information on the Umstead Trail Marathon and other local races visit www.carolinagodiva.org

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 11

Get this reusable tote FREE when you purchase $50 of Moving Comfort apparel at your local Great Outdoor Provision Co.

*While supplies last

Flower Hill Rhodo Ramble Open House
May 3, 2008, 9 a.m. - noon
Join us for our traditional early May visit to this Johnston County jewel for the magnificent blooms of Catawba rhododendron and other wildflowers. In the mid-1930s, thousands of visitors flocked each year to behold the bountiful blooms. B.W. Wells, the prominent early 20th century naturalist, called Flower Hill a “freak of nature” for its natural stands of Catawba rhododendron, a mountain species out of its element amid the flat farmland of the Coastal Plain.

The Flower Hill Rhodo Ramble this year is one of our 25th Anniversary Outings. To make this year’s outing special we’re trying something new. In addition to the traditional interpretive walk led by local naturalists, we’re holding the event as an Open House. Volunteers will be on-site from 9 a.m. to noon to talk about the history of Flower Hill and its unique ecosystem.

Visitors can explore the preserve on their own or sign-up for the guided walk (begins at 10 a.m.; limit 30).

Registration is required for the guided walk due to the limited number of spaces available. Click here to register.

Registration is not required for other visitors to the Open House.

For Flower Hill directions and a locator map, click here.

They ask that you please leave your pet(s) at home for TLC outings.

Gear Up for Summer (from Garden & Gun Magazine)
By: Carter Worrell - April 21, 2008

It’s not clear if Hawaiians invented the flip-flop, but they should have. OluKai sandals, from the Hawaiian words olu, meaning “comfort,” and kai, meaning “ocean,” are designed to imitate the pleasant sensation of walking on wet sand. Constructed with an anatomically correct sole molded to the natural curve of the foot, the sandals mimic a high-end running shoe, but they’re more like surfer shoes on steroids. While cheaper flip-flops break down over time, OluKais are built to support weight, aiding your posture in the process. And with the company’s cofounders hailing from Nike and Quiksilver, it’s not surprising that they look as cool as they feel. Pictured: Hiapo - $100

Olukai sandals are available in Charlotte, Raleigh, Chapel Hill & Wilmington shops