Raleigh Downtown

The day we decide to visit Downtown Raleigh is the day that it pours with rain.  So walking around town was completely out of the question!  We did however manage to find an indoor Childrens museum - awesome!

Play area 1 - Everyday life

The cars and roads

Abulance and Fire trucks

The Abulance was open at the back with all the ambulance accessories!   Loads of fun!

There was an area for shopping, baking, planting veggies...

Jaime helping mom pic fresh vegies for dinner

The second play area was under water..

Pirate ship with all accessories and dress up.  Including brooms!

The submarine

 Play area 4 building stuff... Our first stop the car mechanic...

Ili and Jaime placing their newly built cars on the race track

Jaime waiting for his car

 Home depot...all drills, hammers, screws wood

Other areas included a fashion dress making and runway set up, drawing pads, paper planes etc

 Play area 5: how to save money.  This whole section was filled with fun things to do to make money.  Eg pizza making and selling.  Pushing balls through this huge suction (below) make it land in the bank and save save save. 

There was one that linked to a huge piggy bank on the roof.  Once there are too many balls the pig will lean resulting in a shower of plastic money balls. (lets not analyse the falling balls)

We ended the day watching an IMAX video.  Animal something or other.  Very funny creation displaying animals in the wild with an added sing along - Ili had a good nap lol

I leave Jaime with Dad for 10minutes while I shower and the boy gets CHOCOLATE!!  I ask what about teh fresh veggies we picked?????

Raleigh Hotel

The Best Western in Raleigh - 3 rooms.  One bedroom, a sitting room and a bathroom. Very spacious which was well wanted!  jaime did the honours and took pics of the room

The entrance hall, fridge and bathroom

The sitting room

the bedroom


then some messing around at "home"..

Bedtime... in our kind size bed!

Note this is officially the last pic we have with Jaime and his pacifier (chucha, binky, dummy)!

Cary, Raleigh

We dont have many pics of Cary as we drove around alot trying to capture everything visually and forgetting to take pics!

As per usual the afternoons are spent at a playground.  Again the GPS lead us to this gem of a playground.

Ili and Jaime

The park had 3 areas - one for toddlers and babies, one for the older kids and another general area with slides and climbing.

The general area, lots of steps, slides and climbing

Even included monkey swings

The older kids area. Of course Jaime flocked to the older kids.  This jungle gym included alot of climbing, tunnels and firemens poles!

Toddler and baby section - rides sandpits and a playhouse

jaime with his new friends - 4 girls which he basically stalked till they played with him!

Sandpit area - learning co-ords

Off for a walk in the park

Chasing a squirrel

The innocent squirrel

On the way home from Cary we passed the farmers market.  This is literally a place for farmers to set up a stand and sell their fresh produce.

The farmers market

The drive home... view of Raleigh Downtown

Raleigh NC

The drive from Charlotte to Raleigh took about 3 hours.  It was good to be on the wide open road. 
Again look at the trees - I have never in my life seen so many!  I could be lying when I say, but Im pretty sure Im not, the whole stretch of highway we were on was completeley lined with trees!

On toward Raleigh!

Last day in Charlotte NC

Peter left for Boston at 4 this morning - thanks for the visit Pet it was good catching up!

The jardim family decided to spend our last day in downtown Charlotte.  After breakfast we caught the train North...

First stop the Childrens museum.  This was fun - jaime enjoyed all the activities for kids to learn and play.  The library part of the museum included a area for the kids to read and today a singing group.  Jaime didnot do singing!

Lunch from Firehouse Subways. Very very very good!

Jaime biting into a meatball sub.  The Fireman Hat came with his meal - cool hey!

Picnic in the park with beautiful Charlotte as a back drop

Even the Park has a naughty corner!

Walking through the Park to see the duck!

We just had to go past the Nascar Hall of fame...

Ok ok all we did was walk past - they were charging $12 for Jaime!

Hudson Hornet - the real deal

Celebrations!  The train arrived!

Goodbye Charlotte, thanks for having us!  Tomorrow we leave for Raleigh!

Charlotte North - outlet mall and Nascar

Today we did North of Charlotte!  This trip included the outlet malls and Nascar!

First stop in the mall included these home made crafty items.  We initially saw this tank with painted shells and thought WTH??? then the shells started moving!  Hermet crabs yeah, hermet crabs!  All living in painted funky shells...

Then the Outdoor warehouse... we have never seen such a fun store before.  Anything outdoor you can find it here! 

Fish pillows!!!!

Even fun Christmas toys

Jaime playing with the train

Jardim family visiting Santas house.  Unfortunately Santa was out supervising the Elfs


The rest of the mall was pretty standard - huge deals, lots of people and good coffee ;-)

Next Nascar!  ok it was Nascar go carts just outside the mall.  The real Nascar only happens twice a year, in May and October.  we missed both events!  We could have gone to see the stadium but the boys preferred the go-carts - ah boys will be boys

Jaime screaming for Tio Peter and Daddy

Fun day!

Driving around South Carolina and back to Charlotte South Park Mall

We were lucky enough to communicate with a few South Africans here in NC.  Apparently there are around 500 families from SA!  They have a support group which helps connect families and helps get families settled in.

The one family we spoke to live in a town just off NC in South ACrolina called Fort Mills.  We decided to take the drive.

The town is small but quaint.  Absolutely gorgeous with all the trees and typical American buildings.  I think if we had someone showing us around we would have appreciated the town a little more.

On the way back we drove past a Christian Organisation who perform the Nativity play over the festive season.  We just had to show Jaime the animals.

Jaime and Ili chatting up the donkey

Carowinds - One of the biggest attractions in NC!  Unfortunately for us the park was closed for the season.  We did manage to get a pic of the BIGGEST rollercoaster any of us have ever seen. 

Carowinds

The drive was really cool - we managed to drive through several neighbourhoods.  Both Ili and I really liked this part of town. Found a house on teh market not badly priced and in a good looking part of town.  The neighbourhood included kids on the side of the road selling lemonade - this we have only seen in the movies so it was pretty cool to experience it!  And the lemonade was dam good!

Back in Charlotte South Park mall

Cheesecake Factory for lunch .... my ultimate favourite retaurant!

Jaime, my Jaime

Loving the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Monkey see Monkey do...

Typical of cheesecake fctory - too much food - doggy bag for dinner YUM!

Walk around the mall

Peter and jaime posing

Jaime just has to much energy.  Thank God for GPS finding a playground was always such a breeze.  This park had tennis courts, football field and a great playground for Jaime.  It was good for us to see the type of people hanging around meet some moms and au pairs ;-)

Best time of year to be in the US - just look at the trees!