A great part of the lifestyle that comes with living in the Pinehurst / Southern Pines area is the easy access to many great attractions and leisure options within a short drive. It doesn't have to be all about golf when you live here.
I spent a recent Saturday afternoon at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, a quick 45-50 minute drive from Southern Pines. This wonderful property is situated at the foot of the Uwharrie Mountains in what is essentially the geographic center of the state, and it is a beautiful trip.
Having opened its first permanent exhibit in 1979, the North Carolina Zoo sits on 1500 acres, but only about 1/3 of that has been developed so far. It's arranged into 2 main sections, one for North American animals and habitats, and the other for Africa. A key word is "habitat" as the entire property is built with the notion of exhibiting the animals in what is as close to their natural habitat as possible. Gone are the days when zoos display their animals in storefront cages so the patrons can walk by and throw peanuts or bananas through the bars. The NC Zoo is making every effort to let the people see what the animals would look like "at home". Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, as the park has over 5 miles of walking trails. A tram connects the two main sections, but the walk is really easy and has plenty of shade, rest stops, and concessions stands.
If you want to see cougars, alligators, sea lions, polar bears, gorillas, chimps, lions, elephants, rhinos, zebras, giraffe, bison, elk, a Sonoran desert or you name it, it's all there. In fact, there are more than 1,100 animals and 40,000 plants to discover. When you want to show the kids (or the grandkids) a great time, and not spend a lot of money, think about a good, old-fashioned trip to the zoo.
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