Smarty Day Trip Series: Chapel Hill's Franklin Street

By Guest Blogger Leslie M.

Regardless of where your college basketball allegiance may be, Chapel Hill - and its beloved Franklin Street - offers several excellent reasons to pack up the kids and take a day trip. Located just 60 miles east of Greensboro (and 90 miles east of Winston-Salem), the driving is easy and the destination is worthy.

I made this short trek just a couple of weeks ago during Spring Break with my two young daughters (ages 6 and 3). We started our morning at the Morehead Planetarium which offers a series of kid-friendly shows. Fortunately, the Morehead Planetarium offers several choices of shows that are appropriate for young children. (For those of you who do not know, the Omnisphere Theater at the Natural Science Center of Greensboro does not permit children under 4 to attend planetarium shows. I learned this the hard way; translation: at the ticket counter). The planetarium is currently featuring a 50-minute show, Magic Tree House® Space Mission - based on the ever-popular "Jack" and "Annie" characters from Mary Pope Osborne's best-selling Magic Tree House® children's book series. For a full listing of shows and events, plus hours of operation and ticket information, visit the web site.

From there, we simply strolled across the sprawling university campus - walking the brick paths through beautifully-landscaped quads, exploring the student "Pit," and then snapping the necessary photos at the infamous Old Well. By this time, we had worked up quite an appetite for lunch. Luckily, being in a college town means there are plenty of affordable and tasty dining options. Let your palette be your guide - pizza, pasta, grilled sandwiches and burgers, quesadillas, fresh salads...take your pick! If you are fan of soda-fountains and counter dining, be sure to visit Sutton's Drug Store at 159 E. Franklin Street (open Monday-Saturday, 7am-6pm and Sundays, 9am-5pm).

In the ever-changing retail landscape of Franklin Street, there is a recent addition that you simply must put on your to-do list: LocoPops, a gourmet popsicle shop. I admit the the idea of a "gourmet popsicle" had never crossed my mind, but a friend had recommended it so enthusiastically that I simply had to check it out. Wow - was it worth it! LocoPops are inspired by paletas (Mexican popsicles) which are made with a variety of interesting and flavorful ingredients, such as mango-chile and tamarind, and quirky ones like honeydew-lavender and chocolate-rosemary. Don't worry - there are also traditional American frozen favorites as basic as "chocolate brownie". You and your kids will have an equally enjoyable time in this shop! (Hint: bring your wipes!) Locopops is located at 128 E. Franklin Streeet and is presently being lauded in Food & Wine Magazine.

If you're looking for more excitement after you get all sugared up at LocoPops, I'd recommend KIDZU, a children's museum located at 105 E. Franklin Street. You can get the 4-1-1 on its web site. For those of you who are already familiar with the children's museums of Winston-Salem and Greensboro, I would say that KIDZU is a smaller-scale museum in the literary and artistic spirit of the Winston-Salem museum. The museum is in a narrow, yet long storefront. Venture all the way to the back where a hands-on art room awaits the most anxious preschooler. On two of my three recent visits, I have been pleasantly surprised when a friendly, college undergrad student working as a museum employee seems to "discover" us almost upon arrival and usher my children and me through the museum, giving me a much-needed extra set of hands in the art room. Bless their hearts.

I hope this has given you proper inspiration to pack up the kiddies and gas up the tank for an adventure past the edge of the Triad. Franklin Street with kids is worth the effort. Go ahead, a LocoPop is waiting for you.

Leslie M. admits to making frequent day trips to Chapel Hill in hopes that her daughters will fall in love with the town as much as she has. Go Heels!

Have you been with the kids? Let us know your thoughts and any other Smarty tips you may have!

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Posted by Triad Smarty Pants at 5:00 AM