Another Adventure

“If the bus is going, we are going!”
East or west, north or south, which direction is the Springmoor bus headed this week? High Rock Farm in Gibsonville, the Hunt Library in Raleigh, and Grady White Boat factory in Greenville are just a few of the adventure tours that are on the destination list.

Jim and Faye Bundy, two Springmoor residents, are experts when it comes to Springmoor trips. They confess that in their two years on campus they have certainly made at least 97% of the trips offered to residents.
The Springtimes, an activity book published monthly, lists the month’s trips, events, lunch outings, speakers, musical entertainment, exercise programs, and so much more. Jim says his trick is to review the book on the day that it arrives, read through every page, check his calendar, and call the hotline immediately to make reservations!
The tour groups are their favorite. A day trip to see how guitars are made, or to learn about the waterfowl off the coast, these trips give them an opportunity to meet new people and learn about new topics.
When asked what his favorite trip has been thus far, Jim pulls out quite a list. However, The NC Estuarium and River Roving Museum is at the top. It is the world’s first Estuarium and one of North Carolina’s most innovative environmental centers. Over 200 exhibits describe the vital estuaries and coastal rivers, including aquariums with crabs, alligators, and other estuarine life. After the museum, there was a boat tour on the Pamlico-Tar River and lunch at The Meeting Place.

Another favorite trip was to Glendale Springs near West Jefferson. There the group toured the 1905 St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. During the 1970s, internationally renowned fresco artist Ben Long created magnificent, enduring works in two small antique churches in Ashe County. Being surrounded by mountain views and learning the history of fresco painting made this a wonderful tour for the entire group.

The Hunt Library on the North Carolina State campus was another memorable and noteworthy trip. And Jim, a former university employee, was happy to be back on campus to see what’s new. The bookbot, a robot driven book delivery system, is a must see for visitors. Watching from “Robot Alley,” you can see four robots dart up and down the aisles that hold over 2 million volumes. The library’s online catalog pinpoints the location and the robot quickly retrieves the book for you!

Other high-ranking trips include the Lemur Center at Duke, the Bayer Bee Center in Durham, and surprisingly, the landfill tour. His list goes on and on…there is so much to learn and so much to see in the area.
Springmoor residents also frequently enjoy city tours with the Raleigh Travel Series. The Bundy’s have been Raleigh residents for many years but they learn something new each time they tour the city. Parker Call, a former docent is entertaining, knowledgeable, and such a pleasure to be with each month. She has taken the group on tours like “Ghosts & Cemeteries” and “The Guided Age.” They have seen historic Raleigh homes and churches, and learned a few new facts along the way.
If you want to stay up to date on events happening on and off campus, check out the Springtimes publication, the Springmoor website, Facebook, or give us a call at 919-234-7626.