Tag Archives: Neuse Greenway

June 27, 2016 · 9:24 am

Sunflower Fields in Bloom along the Neuse Greenway ~ Summer 2016

Flowers1

This past weekend I ventured out on the Neuse Greenway to see if the sunflowers had started to bloom along the lower portion of the trail near the Wake / Johnston County boarder. To get to the fields I parked my car at the the parking lot along Mial Plantation Road, which is a little past mile 26.25 on the trail. I then ran about 2.5 miles to mile marker 23.75 which is where the fields are located. If you don’t want to run or bike there you can pull off the road along Brown Field Road and sneak a peek at the field (to drive there GPS 2600 Brown Field Road – map).

Flowers2

The fields are beautiful but they do look a little smaller than last year, and I think the sunflowers are a shorter variety. I noticed many of them still have yet to bloom. I suspect they will be in full bloom within the next two weeks so try to get out there by July 10th – after that they will start dying off from the summer heat.

FLowers 3

Many don’t realize this, but these fields are actually owned by the City of Raleigh and are used to land apply treated wastewater. The plants are grown on the fields to take up the nutrients from the wastewater, which basically acts like a fertilizer for the flowers. Because it is City of Raleigh property you’ll need to enjoy the view of the field from behind the white fences that line the fields.To learn more about the Neuse Greenway and download a full map of the trail visit the Neuse Greenway website here.

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July 2, 2015 · 1:52 pm

Sunflower Fields along the Neuse Greenway

Sunflower1

The Neuse Greenway stretches 27.5 miles from Falls Dam in Raleigh all the way down to Clayton. I’ve explored the upper sections of the trail extensively, but yesterday I took a run along the lower portion near the Wake and Johnston County boarder to get a peek at the famous sunflower fields along the trail. These fields are located between mile markers 23 and 24 near the intersection of the trail and Brown Field Road (map).

Sunflower2

I’ve tried to get pictures of this field before but my timing in the past was off and I always missed the flowers in bloom. If you want to see them you need to go out there by mid July otherwise the plants start dying off from the heat. (Update: I’ve gotten reports that the sunflowers are already “spent” from the intense heat – best to try and catch them next year). To get there I parked my car at the the parking lot along Mial Plantation Road, which is a little past mile 26 on the trail. I then ran about 2.25 miles to mile marker 24 which is where the fields are located. If you don’t want to run or bike there you should be able to pull off the road along Brown Field Road and sneak a peek at the field.

Sunflower3

Many don’t realize this, but these fields are owned by the City of Raleigh and are used to land apply treated wastewater. The plants are grown on the fields to take up the nutrients from the wastewater, which basically acts like a fertilizer for the flowers. Because it is City of Raleigh property you’ll need to enjoy the view of the field from behind the white fences that line the fields. To learn more about the Neuse Greenway and download a full map of the trail visit the Neuse Greenway website here.

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March 19, 2015 · 7:12 am

Weekend Picks: March 20-22nd

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New Section of Neuse River Greenway

This weekend looks to be a little cooler than this past Monday and Tuesday, but there are still plenty of ways to get out and enjoy the day. Here are a few quick picks of things to check out the weekend. Happy exploring!

Thursday March 19th

Pharmacy Bottle + Beverage Grand Opening
Downtown Cary has a new craft beer bottle shop! Pharmacy Bottle + Beverage opens Thursday March 19th at noon. It is located downtown Cary at 120 E. Chatham Street next to the Cary Theater.  It features a unique tap room (cool white design and sleek layout) with a retail selection with wine & beer. https://www.facebook.com/pharmbottlebev/

Friday March 20th

Free Coffee Cupping at Counter Culture Coffee
Counter Culture Coffee will be holding their weekly FREE coffee cuppingat the training facility in Durham this Friday at 10am. The cuppings provide a great opportunity to learn more about the different flavors and profiles expressed by different coffee. The tasting is followed by a tour of the roasting facility. I’ve attended a cupping in the past and really enjoyed it. Here is my recap of the experience.

Full Steam Brewery “Fellowship of the IPA”
Starting Friday and lasting and all weekend long Fullsteam will host the “Fellowship of the IPA”, a celebration of rare and creative India Pale Ales. All brewed right here in North Carolina. They’ve been gathering 25 or so kegs and the pours will start at 2 pm on Friday and continue throughout the weekend. You can learn more about the event and see the full lineup of beers here.

Saturday March 21st

Sola PopUp Market
They were rained out last weekend so the PopUp Market was rescheduled for this Saturday 9am-1pm. Enjoy great coffee and local artisans selling their handcrafted wares. Symbology, Oak City Collective, Tierra Sol Studio, Bird & Beau, Lo & Behold, Badkatbeadworks, Hum Right Along, Johnna Elstob, Ella B, Grace Reclaimed, Relay Foods, Jess Sandford Ceramics, Urban Guerrilla 63, Gypsy Jule. https://www.facebook.com/events/940566305974380/

Ella’s Race
Are you looking for a 5K , 10K or 1 mile fun run this month and want to support a great cause in the process? Well lace up your running shoes for Ella’s Race on Saturday March 21, 2015 hosted by Chick-fil-A Capital Crossing and Falls Village in North Raleigh. The race will benefit The Cure Starts Now and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation to help pediatric research, aid, and support efforts for children with brain cancer & tumors.

Pittsboro Food Truck Rodeo
Historic downtown Pittsboro will be hosting several food trucks this Saturday 5-8pm at the Pittsboro Roadhouse. http://pittsbororoadhouse.com/pittsboro-food-truck-rodeos/

Sunday March 22nd

Explore the Neuse Greenway
A new section of the Neuse River Greenway was recently opened near Horseshoe Farm Park connecting the upper Neuse Greenway into one long uninterrupted stretch. It is now possible to travel from Falls Dam in North Raleigh to Clayton on 27.5 miles uninterrupted trail. You’ll encounter the newest section aroun mile 7 (pictured at the top of this post). Exploring the greenway is always a great way to spend a weekend afternoon. http://neuserivertrail.com/

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September 10, 2013 · 3:28 pm

Picture of the Week – Falls Lake Dam

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View from Falls Dam

This week’s picture was taken during a fun bike ride along the Falls Lake Dam this past Sunday. I’ve been doing a lot of running as I train for the City of Oaks Marathon and biking the day after my long runs is a great way to shake out the kinks in my legs. One of my favorite places to bike is along the dam with great views of the lake on one side and the Neuse River on the other. You can also easily connect to the Neuse Greenway which provides for a great 6.5 mile ride along the river from the dam to the WRAL soccer park on Reedy Creek Road.

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