Cindy and I went for a longer walk today in Raleigh. The weather was perfect. Something I would rarely say. We went to Lake Johnson in the south portion of Raleigh and parked by the trail near the bridge. The first 2.8 miles is paved and flat until you cross the dam at about 1 mile, then the ups and downs are pretty steep and a good workout. We crossed the fishing bridge and back to the car to eat our lunch. Apples! Then we did the East loop. This side is not paved and very pleasant. Good views of the lake. The first 1/2 mile is flat then you cross a boardwalk over a marshy area and a creek and the hills begin. This time you need to watch for roots. We stopped for a short time at an overlook and watched a couple of Blue Heron in the distance. It was a nice hike and if I had not missed a portion of the correct trail it would have been about 4.5 miles, we added a mile:)
I hope they are very happy!