Visitors to Lowes Foods City Park on Main Avenue in Hickory can’t resist the xylophones. The oversize instruments tempt tiny percussionists and those who fondly remember the toy of toddlerhood. Bang away, or watch the joyful abandon from a bench backed with a multicolor mosaic. The swirling inlaid messages are ones that both young and old can decode: “Come sit with us and make new friends.”
Here, kids are encouraged to use their imagination on unique “unrestricted play” equipment. Intrepid climbers can reach the “North Pole” on a giant, Epcot-like geodesic dome filled with rods, ropes, and netting. Explorers can take a tour of the Catawba River by following a twisting, turning map, complete with a splash pad; geography and history lessons; and a compass pointing toward Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and Blowing Rock. Or you can just sit in the shade with a treat from one of the slew of eateries steps away on Union Square, dig your heels into the spongy surface that covers the park, and reflect on how nice it is to know there’ll be no skinned knees or muddy feet, just pink cheeks and lots of giggles.
Lowes Foods City Park
300-326 Main Avenue Northwest
Hickory, NC 28602
Why does this Haywood County town have some of the cleanest water in the state? It’s the result of the community’s efforts to keep the forests in its watershed pristine.
The spectacular views in North Carolina’s High Country aren’t just inspiration for writers, painters, and sculptors. Those landscapes — the rugged gray face of Grandfather Mountain, the vibrant fall leaves, the deep green meadows — are brushstrokes on Earth’s own canvas.
The sprawling vineyards and wide-open skies that stretch for miles across seven North Carolina counties offer relaxing getaways — not to mention some of the state’s finest wines — for Sunday drivers aching to escape the rush of city life.
Nothing lasts forever — and that’s what makes many of our cherished moments so special.
