Last weekend, Micah and I ventured back to Eno River State Park for a scenic hike. I still can't get over how different this landscape is than Oklahoma: dense forests full of soaring pines, cool undergrowth, green grass in the summer, steep hills. We've been looking at houses near Eno for this very reason: it personifies everything we still find enchanting and alien about the East Coast.
In the past we've chosen shorter trails closer to the river, but those are also more likely to be full of families playing in the water this time of year. So, we took Cox Mountain Trail, about a half-mile into the park: 4 miles of forest and streams, with a 750-foot elevation to keep things interesting and sweaty.
It was varied and beautiful enough to keep us curious and distracted, and just challenging enough to make us feel like we got a solid workout in (and deserved beers and tamales at Geer Street Garden afterwards). There are still so many more trails to explore; I can't wait to come back again.