9 a.m. Arrive at the Glennstone Nature Preserve, found on Glennstone Drive between Lady Slipper Lane and Amber Stone Way, Durham. Don’t be fooled by its proximity to a residential neighborhood, this 83 acre nature preserve is beautiful and includes trails that wind through a “new growth forest, past an old cabin site, and across rocky diabase feeder streams.”
This Saturday the Glennstone Nature Preserve will host the Spring Ephemeral Hike as part of Keep Durham Beautiful’s Creek Week festivities. The walk will be led by a biologist and specifically focus on wildflowers and their pollinators.
If you want to explore on your own, begin on the Prairie Loop Trail. Take the short Tributary Trail instead of completing the loop. Continue along the Woodcock Trail – with a trip to the creek on the Ellerbe Creek Trail – and finish with the Lone Pine Trail before arriving back on the main road. Rare red-headed woodpeckers nest in snags within the park, and other native North Carolina species are plentiful.
10:30 a.m. Head from the preserve to the Durham Farmers’ Market, 501 Foster Street, Durham. Beginning in 1998, the market has grown from a few stalls selling produce and crafts to more than fifty vendors spread out throughout the Pavilion at Durham Central Park, as well as food trucks lining an adjacent street.
While the next two weekends are the final Saturdays of winter hours from 10 a.m. to noon, starting April 5th the market will move to summer hours from 8 a.m. to noon, and beginning April 16th will re-open on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Enjoy a weekend brunch by sampling from the many vendors of the Farmers’ Market. All 71 vendors are located within 70 miles of Durham, putting an emphasis on local food. Try baked goods from Scratch, organic breads from Chicken Bridge Bakery, or even take some wine home from Benjamin Vineyard & Winery. There’s always more to see and try at the Durham Farmers’ Market!
Have a great trip? Tell us about it and post a photo on our Facebook page!
