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Whirligig Appeal: Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in Wilson, NC

Sure, telling someone that some pieces of metal that move about in the wind really is a sight to see, and worth the drive to Wilson, NC, may not sound appealing, but trust us, it is.

We have seen the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park featured in a few travel guides for North Carolina, and had always said how we needed to take a drive to actually see it, but had never made the time. We can think of about a thousand similar things our state has to offer that we need to take advantage of, as far as road trips go, similar to the Whirligig park. We need to make a list and start checking them off. We’re excited to not only tell you about the Whirligig Park on National Road Trip Day, but also to let you know about it before the Memorial Day holiday, when many people have an extra day off, and are looking for a way to spend some time with family, but maybe not take a big vacay. Well, if you are in North Carolina, or nearby, we have the road trip for you!

reunion of family post-covid — Reunited at the Whirligig Park with my dad, and sister Holly (right), after way too long, thanks to covid.

Due to covid, it had been almost a year since I (Shannon) had seen my sister, Holly, and 8 months since I had seen my nieces, when we decided that we would meet at the Whirligig park, to make a day of fun, and plus, Betty White could go. My nieces would rather see Betty White than just me, let’s not kid ourselves. I know my place.

Wilson, in eastern North Carolina, is still a couple of hours drive from the coast, but not too terrible. From the triangle area, it is only about an hour. We packed up some travel bottles of water, Betty’s stroller, and away we went for a day at the park.

Marleigh, Betty White, and Hendrix- cousins reunited at last 🙂

Some history of the Whirligig Park:

Vollis Simpson was a Wilson native who built these really cool whirligigs out of scrap metal.
He made them by himself for his own enjoyment, and had them on his land. He said he “worked my whole life. Work won’t hurt nobody. It will only hurt your feelings.” Gotta love that!
Before Vollis’ death, he and his whirligigs were becoming famous, thanks to social media. People were going to his home to visit the whirligigs from all over the US.
In 2010, Vollis was delighted to be a part of a plan that the town initiated, to restore and relocate the whirligigs to preserve and protect them, and put them on display in a park for people to see and enjoy for years to come. It would become, what is now, the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in Historic Downtown Wilson.
The Whirligig park is a spot in the center of town that hosts concerts and events and is a great space to have a picnic, gather with a group, friends, and family. You can check out their events calendar, here.

Our day was beautiful and amazing! It was sunny and warm, and we arrived early in the day, on a Sunday, so it wasn’t crowded. The wind was just enough to move the metal pieces of art, created by Vollis himself, about to and fro. They were colorful, and detailed. Some were people sawing a log, one was a cowboy, and some were carousels. They were beautiful, and chaotic, all at the same time. It was a joy to walk around the park, looking into the sky, taking in the intricacy of each piece of art, knowing how much work must have gone into each piece.

Some tips for you to know before you go:

Free parking- there are lots around the park, so you just park where you find a spot.
Unless you happen to be there when there is an event or food truck, there is no vending, so bring your own food/drinks. We brought water, and I brought some treats for Betty White, so we were all set. It is ideal to bring a picnic, or you can plan to grab lunch, or beer, al fresco at Casita Brewing Company.
They do have a couple of bathroom trailers that are decent, so you are good-to-go in that arena.
Re: pups- we are always prepared with poop bags, but we did not see any pup stations, or anything that showed that they were pup-friendly, so just be prepared to have everything you need for your furry friend. Betty White did have a great time, and there was plenty of green grass for her to run and play, and shaded areas, when she was hot. This goes for your kids, too. There are shaded areas when it gets steamy.
No charge for entry. Everything is accessible, and there wasn’t a formal entry area, so we just had free reign of everything. It is sort of a community space, which is really nice. There is a grassy amphitheater-style set-up feel to it, with a stage, but no seating, just lots of grass, and it is all centered in the middle of downtown Wilson, so it is just a lovely nestled feeling.

carousel whirligig — Multiple whirligigs in downtown Wilson, NC

Be sure to take some time to walk around downtown Wilson and take in some of the shops and restaurants if you have time. I had Betty White with me, so I couldn’t go inside a lot of places, but as I walked around, I saw places I wanted to revisit next time. One of the places we must visit is Treat Yo’ Self Bakery. Not only do they have a super cute aesthetic, but they have an ahhhmazing looking cannoli cake that we must try! I’m also dying to visit The Edge, which is a collaborative art gallery.

The beautiful thing about road trips is that when you are exposed to an area that is new to you, your eyes are open and you are enlightened to what you can experience in the future. Now, we can plan another trip to the area, and partake in more of what downtown Wilson has to offer, all thanks to a day trip to the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park.

In Adventures hiking trails Mindfulness road trips Stress Travel ·

Fort Macon Trails on a Blustery Winter’s Day

On a cold drizzly afternoon, just after the New Year, we decided to check out some local hiking trails close to our home at the North Carolina Coast. Since Covid dampened our Paris trip for Christmas and celebration of the New Year, we opted to participate in the First Day Hike event, however, January 1^st, was a rainout, go figure. It appeared 2020 just didn’t want to let go, but January 2^nd proved to be the day that we, and others were able to get out, and take part- social distanced, of course. Due to the benefits that hiking has on reducing stress, we felt that it would be a great way to start the year off right.

Gerry, looking very similar to the hiking crossing sign.

I’ve (Gerry) long held the idea that we can miss so much right under our nose while pursuing larger often more expensive adventures. Sometimes the stress that comes with lengthy car trips on busy highways or air travel involving crowded airports can run counter to the enjoyable experience you may be seeking, especially around the holidays. We chose to drive to a nearby spot on our coast that we’ve frequented many times but have never walked the hiking trails. The spot is at the north end of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. It’s also a state park where the civil war fort (Fort Macon) is preserved for the public to visit.

Shannon skipping down the trails, happily into the start of 2021.

The day was blustery, but beautiful in that wintery kind of way. We started with a stroll on the beach, through the sand dunes, to the jetty. Then, we were off to the 3-mile hiking trail that runs through the sand dunes and the thick live oak trees that dominate the Crystal Coast. I’ve always been fascinated with the dense, wooded areas of our coast made up of these trees. The trails made for a great hiking experience; they are covered with cedar, making it extremely comfortable on your feet. A light mist energized us as we wound through the park to many beautiful places with great views, up high on dunes, overlooking the ocean, and various parts of the park.

Selfie from the tip top of a very high dune.

We finished at Fort Macon where the trail ends. After completing a small hike, it is nice to have a destination where you can gather yourself, stretch out, and unwind. This historic fort offers such an opportunity. I’ve been to this fort many times throughout my life, starting with family visits during my elementary school years. I’ve always been drawn to history, especially American history. The fort was completed in the 1830’s to guard Beaufort Inlet and harbor, North Carolina’s only deep-water ocean port. It was instrumental in our civil war beginning in the 1860’s. So, for civil war buffs, the fort is a perfect capper after your 3-mile hike at this beautiful and historic state park.

2020 came with many twists and turns, as we all learned to navigate through our new normal. We found ourselves searching and creating new ways to have fun and adventure. Our daytime outing to the Fort Macon Trails is just the beginning of many more like it to come.

In Adventures Harkers Island Holidays road trips wanderlust ·

Extending Christmas-Harkers Island

When I (Shannon) was a child, it seemed like the Christmas season was as long as our summer break. My mom began decorating the weekend before Thanksgiving, and we left our decorations up until at least the first week of January. That all seemed normal to me, as most of my family operated the same way. It wasn’t until one late January, when our neighbor began giving us the side-eye, that I realized leaving our decorations up, long past Christmas, was perhaps a bit abnormal. When I asked my mom about the decorations being on display past Christmas Day, she told me about Old Christmas, January 6^th. January 6^th is also the Feast of the Epiphany, the celebration after the 12 days of Christmas. In the Irish and Amish tradition, January 6^th is believed to have been the original Christmas Day.

My mom still loves Christmas and has been known to leave one of her trees (yes, I said one of her trees) up year-round, changing the ornaments out to fit the season. In our home, of course with our minimal décor, we still celebrate the Christmas season until Old Christmas Day, therefore, we cringe when all things Christmas (songs, movies, décor) stop abruptly on December 26^th. We like to extend Christmas for as long as we possibly can.

Extending Christmas includes a drive down to Harkers Island, to view their Christmas lights. A couple of years ago, the locals told us about how Harkers Island really “does it up” with their holiday décor. Almost every residence has an “Island Anchor” lit, and hanging from a pole, tree, dock, or anything else standing. Alongside the anchors are many crab pot Christmas trees, boats decorated, and lights strung on anything that sits still.

Harkers Island is just a short drive from our home in Beaufort, and if you take the drive just before sunset, as we did, the experience can be magical. As you head down east, the land is flat, and the view over the sea marsh to the ocean is immediately calming. Once you cross the old bridge into Harkers Island, there is a sign that greets you, of course lit up for Christmas, that welcomes you to the “Gateway to Cape Lookout.” If you drive to the end of the island, you can see the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, which is also just a 15-minute ferry ride away from this point. We have often driven to Harkers Island, to this area to walk Betty White, and take in the view, and the ocean air from a different vantage point than we have in Beaufort.

The island is also a hidden gem of a watch area for a sunset. A sunset on the Crystal Coast is unsurpassed, except maybe in Key West, but one from Harkers Island is breathtaking. It is worth a road trip, just to witness the sunset, if you are near eastern North Carolina.

The history of Harkers Island is interesting, and not all positive. Ebenezer Harker, who owned the island beginning in 1730, was a slaveowner, and the island had many slaves until their emancipation in 1863. Harkers Island saw an influx of new residents after hurricanes in 1896 and 1899 devastated Core Banks and Shackleford Banks. The storm of 1899 ravaged the Banks’ protective sand dunes and washed away nearly all of the soil. Harkers Island became a refuge for those people.

One of the homes decorated on Harkers Island

Nowadays, if you meander into places on the island, or meet folks who are from Harkers Island, you will often notice a dialect you may not have heard anywhere else. I recall hearing it for the first time, thinking that the person I was talking to was probably from a remote area of Ireland. The dialect is known as “high tider” or “hoi toider.” The dialect of Harkers Island can be traced back to the Elizabethan period and developed as the island was in almost complete isolation for over 250 years.

Also, interesting, even though the island is only approximately 4 miles by 2 miles in size, and has a population of about 1200, there are 8 churches on the island, all different denominations.

The history is so rich on Harkers Island, and makes a drive to it, even more fascinating, at Christmas, or any other time. The island, though just a few miles from Beaufort, also seems like a world away once you cross that bridge onto it. Opulent history, breathtaking sunsets, and a dedication to Christmas decorations makes this experience one that we are grateful for, as we extend our Christmas into the New Year, through January 6^th.