Category Archives: Family travel

‘Farm Fresh Georgia’ joins the family

Posted on March 20, 2014 by didaniel

I’m very excited to announce the arrival of “Farm Fresh Georgia,” another sister book, after Tennessee. This one has a North Carolina component — it was researched and written by Charlotte journalist and travel writer Jodi Helmer. Jodi is as … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Family travel, Farmers, Farmers' markets, History, Livestock, Lodging, Recipes, Road travel, U-pick farms, Wine | Leave a comment

Pepper Festival returns with more pep than ever

Posted on October 3, 2013 by didaniel

Somehow, regretfully, I end up being out of town every year for one of my favorite events — the Pepper Festival in Chatham County, so please go for me! This year’s fest, on Sunday, Oct. 6, from 3 to 7 … Continue reading →

Posted in Beer, Chatham County, Environmental, Family travel, Farmers, Food, Orange County | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Flurry of farm-fresh fall festivities

Posted on September 5, 2013 by didaniel

Wow, there’s so much going on that I feel compelled to do a round-up. Typical fall in the Carolinas! The 8th annual and always entertaining Eastern Triangle Farm Tour is happening Sept. 21-22. Six new farms are included among the 27 … Continue reading →

Posted in Beer, Charlotte area, Durham County, Family travel, Farmers' markets, Food, Franklin County, Johnston County, Lincoln County, Mecklenburg County, Road travel, Stokes County, Wake County, Wine | Leave a comment

Let ‘Chefs of the Mountains’ be your guide

Posted on October 9, 2012 by didaniel

First, there was the “Food Lovers’ Guide to the Triangle.” Now there’s “Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants & Recipes from Western North Carolina” (John F. Blair, $19.95), by food critic John E. Batchelor. John doesn’t know it, but he helped … Continue reading →

Posted in Ashe County, Avery County, Books, Buncombe County, Cooking, Family travel, Haywood County, Henderson County, Recipes, Road travel, Watauga County | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Vollmer Farm returns with even more fall festivities

Posted on September 30, 2012 by didaniel

Happy fall, y’all! … One of my favorite photos taken for my “Farm Fresh North Carolina” guidebook is this one, of a boy we spotted at Vollmer Farm carrying a load of pumpkins. It might look staged, but it’s not.  And … Continue reading →

Posted in Family travel, Food, Johnston County, Road travel, U-pick farms | Tagged , | Leave a comment

‘Food Lovers’ Guide’ to the Triangle is out

Posted on September 17, 2012 by didaniel

My pal and busy “Durham Foodie” blogger Johanna Kramer just birthed her first book, and it’s a great one for food-minded locals and visitors to the Triangle. (And, really, who isn’t food minded?) “Food Lovers’ Guide to Raleigh, Durham & … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Dining, Durham County, Family travel, Orange County, Recipes, Wake County | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

It’s maple-tree tapping time again — yes, in NC!

Posted on February 20, 2012 by didaniel

It’s time to get sappy! Yes, it’s maple syrup-tapping time again — even in North Carolina! Maple Creek Farm outside of Burnsville, in the mountains, will host its fourth annual Maple Tour on Saturday, Feb. 25, and Sunday, Feb. 26, from … Continue reading →

Posted in Family travel, Farmers, Food, Yancey County | Tagged , | Leave a comment

I’m goating* you on

Posted on February 9, 2012 by didaniel

I don’t think I’ve met a soul who isn’t smitten with goats (myself included). If you live in the Triangle or Triad, here are some great goat-loving opportunities that will let you get up close and personal with the ridiculously … Continue reading →

Posted in Chatham County, Durham County, Family travel, Goats, Randolph County | 2 Comments

Food and race; High Country tour; learn to write, paint and cook in a day; food classes; and more!

Posted on August 2, 2011 by didaniel

Mark your calendars for these farm-food events in the Tiangle and the mountains:  Thursday, Aug. 4: “Eating the Other: Food, Race and You,” discussion of race as it relates to agribusiness, farmers’ markets and the slow food culture. At Southwest Regional … Continue reading →

Posted in Alleghany County, Ashe County, Avery County, Bicycling, Cooking, Dining, Durham County, Family travel, Farmers, Food, Road travel, Watauga County, Wilkes County | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Guidebook author’s dream come true

Posted on July 29, 2011 by didaniel

A guidebook writer couldn’t ask for more than this blog post   from pastry chef and local-food lover Jenni Field for SavorNC magazine.  She writes about how her husband bought her my book for their anniversary (thank you, husband!) and, more importantly, … Continue reading →

Posted in Family travel, Farmers, Food, Granville County, Livestock, Meat, Road travel | 2 Comments

Coming up: farm tour, party, picnic, local fish — and more!

Posted on April 14, 2011 by didaniel

No surprise that spring is positively bursting with farm/food news. At the top of my list is the Piedmont Farm Tour in the Triangle this weekend, sponsored by the awesome Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA). Everything about this yearly happening … Continue reading →

Posted in Chatham County, Family travel, Farm Fresh events, Food, Livestock, Orange County, Poultry, Wake County | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Nice ‘Farm Fresh’ coverage in today’s Herald-Sun

Posted on March 2, 2011 by didaniel

Nice piece in today’s Herald Sun (my hometown paper!) on “Farm Fresh.” About this excerpt: “The Durham writer grew up in Raleigh and returned to the Triangle after several years in Florida and Boston. What she found was an area … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Durham County, Family travel, Media, Wake County | Tagged | Leave a comment

Tap into fun at southernmost maple-syrup source

Posted on February 13, 2011 by didaniel

One of the very, very few farms in my book that I didn’t visit is Maple Creek Farm outside of Burnsville, which has the country’s southernmost commercial “sugar bush,” the name for a grove of sugar maple trees. (Long story … Continue reading →

Posted in Family travel, Yancey County | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

View farm-inspired functional art firsthand

Posted on December 10, 2010 by didaniel

If you’re in the market for original, beautiful off-the-farm functional art, this weekend is your chance to visit my farm-fresh friend Roger Dinger of Reinbarnation. An artisan and all-around great guy, Roger finds new uses for old barns. He’s one … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Chatham County, Family travel, History, Road travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stay, play, and learn on a farm near you

Posted on September 9, 2010 by didaniel

Want to spend a night, a weekend, or longer on a farm? My book will give you more than two dozen options in NC. In the meantime, you can read about five of them in the September issue of Southern … Continue reading →

Posted in Buncombe County, Christmas trees, Family travel, Food, Haywood County, Madison County, Orange County, Perquimans County | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Big reward for little effort at Great Smokies

Posted on October 13, 2009 by didaniel

October is a peak season at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most heavily visited national park in the country, with more than 9 million visitors a year. Despite all those people milling about, it’s still amazingly easy to get … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental, Family travel, Road travel, Tennessee, US/Canada national parks | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More farm-fresh fun in North Carolina

Posted on April 30, 2009 by didaniel

While we don’t suggest that mere mortals try this, Wessel and I managed to visit 10 farms in five hours during the 14th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour in central North Carolina. That’s because we’re seasoned pros. When you’re researching a … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental, Family travel, Food, Triangle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Christmas tree trivia: who earns top star?

Posted on December 16, 2008 by didaniel

So which US state do you think grows the most Christmas trees? That would be Oregon. But the red-ribbon winner might surprise you — my home state of North Carolina. Oregon harvests 7.5 million trees to our 5.5 million. Santa … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas trees, Family travel, Mountains, Triangle | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment