A joyful moment captured in Raleigh, with a smiling woman in a floral dress holding a giggling toddler, both seated against a vibrant backdrop of lush greenery and neon sign saying 'you're exactly where you're supposed to be', embodying the spirit of a Raleigh family adventure

About

About Raleigh Family Adventure

Hello! Welcome to Raleigh Family Adventure, a website dedicated to sharing the best family fun in the Triangle region of North Carolina.

My Little family

I’m Amy Hartle, and I live just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina with my husband and my son, Malcolm. As a Mama to a rambunctious toddler, I’m always looking for the best things to do with kids near Raleigh. And I feel SO fortunate to live in this great and growing area, where there are TONS of cool things to do!

I’ve been working in the travel blogging and content creation world since 2012. Now as a Mom, I’m a bit more settled down (though I still love to travel!) and I thought, why not create something where I’m putting down roots?

I decided to put my skills and passions to use to highlight my own adopted region which I’ve grown to love so much.

Enter Raleigh Family Adventure.

I’ve lived in the Triangle region since 2020, and also spent a couple of years living in the Asheville area. My husband is a North Carolina native (and I guess our son is, too!) and I’m really glad we’ve chosen this state to live in. It offers so much, from the mountains to the beach and all the fun in between.

A Raleigh mom blogger shares a sunny embrace with her cheerful toddler, both radiating happiness in a casual outdoor setting with green foliage and a brick backdrop, epitomizing the warmth and joy of family life in Raleigh
A radiant mother in a denim jumpsuit and sunglasses kneels beside a stroller, offering a large ripe strawberry to her delighted child, amidst a vast strawberry field, highlighting family-friendly activities in the Triangle area
An ecstatic toddler with a beaming smile enjoys a swing ride, gently pushed by a smiling woman with sunglasses, at Pullen Park in Raleigh, NC, capturing a moment of pure joy and family fun in this beloved local park.
The Hartle family steps out in themed costumes, with the parents dressed as ghostbusters and their toddler adorably costumed as a mini Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, ready for a playful and spirited family outing

What You Can Expect Here

I create and share content here on the Raleigh Family Adventure website as well as on our connected social media accounts. Psst! Follow us there, too!

Fair warning that I interchange “me and I” with “us and we” a whole lot. Mostly because when I’m talking about myself, I’m really talking about my family by extension. Especially my son and I. We tend to move as a unit!

But more importantly, the experiences I’ll be sharing on this website are largely his! While I will be offering reviews and opinions through the lens of a parent, at the end of the day, Malcolm is the one having the actual experiences! He’s having that kid-friendly FUN! He’s sampling the “fun things to do with kids in Raleigh.”

As the child, I guess he’s kinda in charge here.

So the real litmus test for the things I share will be, “did my child enjoy this?”

Side note: Malcolm’s opinion will become more important to the content as he learns to form longer sentences. His current rating of every single playground is “Yay! Fun! Wow!” Which….doesn’t tell us much.

In the midst of a North Carolina family outing, a woman in a patterned shawl shares a tender moment with her baby, who sits in a stroller, both enchanted by each other under the whimsical purple blooms of a wisteria tree.

Why Follow this Raleigh Mom Blogger?

If you’ve made it this far, you might be thinking “why should I listen to this lady?” Well, to be honest, you definitely don’t have to. But here are a few reasons I think you should give me a chance!

I’m a Mom!

If you’re also a Mom or a Dad, you can trust that I’m looking at things through a similar lens and frame of reference. I’m also sharing what I think parents want to know about the locations I visit and the activities we try.

I’m doing the things!

I really live in North Carolina and I’m out and about experiencing these places with my son in person.

I’ve been writing for the web for over a decade now.

On my better days, I’d like to think I know what I’m doing at least a little bit! And because I’ve been doing this for a while, I know that, as a content creator, my readers’ and followers’ trust is SO important. That’s why I strive to earn and protect that trust by offering only high quality content from my honest and authentic perspective.

I have a Master’s in English!

Okay, this actually means very little in the scheme of things, but I don’t get to talk about it much. Bragging is all I have, guys. On a more serious note, you can feel confident that the writing on this site won’t totally suck.

Malcolm is a child, which makes him a Certified Playground Expert.

He also holds an (un)official degree citing his expertise in “Fun Things to Do in Raleigh With Kids.” And, in some circles, he’s known as the foremost authority on “Things to Do in Raleigh with Toddlers.”

Meet the Fam

Amy Hartle (Mom)

Amy Hartle enjoys a leisurely moment at an outdoor café in North Carolina, her radiant smile matching the sunny ambiance, as she holds a warm cup of coffee, epitomizing a relaxed lifestyle

Amy is the Editor-in-Chief of Raleigh Family Adventure. She has a Master’s Degree in English (raises pinky) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Musical theatre (does jazz hands).

Amy is obsessed with traveling and taking adventures near and far. And she loves writing about the places she loves. If she’s not off exploring the world, or at home in North Carolina, you’ll probably find her in New England.

New England With Love is her other baby (errr….I mean, website) created to celebrate the region she lived in for 15+ years (and still visits constantly!)

In her spare time, Amy loves doing Zumba, and hopes to get involved in some community theater in the Triangle in the near future!

Malcolm Hartle (Baby)

Malcolm, a joyful toddler with tousled hair, sits on the grass clutching a red ball, his face lit up with a delightful smile, capturing a moment of pure childhood bliss and playful discovery outdoors."

Malcolm is the traveling, adventuring toddler on our team. Born to parents who love to travel, Malcolm took his first road trip at 2 months old and his first international flight at 6 months. He’s already a discerning little traveler, having taken over a dozen flights and been to 5 countries. And he’s not even 2!

In his spare time, Malcolm enjoys watching Ms. Rachel, reading board books, spinning in circles, and dining on goldfish crackers.

Nathan Hartle (Dad)

Nathan Hartle shares a heartwarming embrace with his infant, both smiling joyfully, capturing a serene father-child moment at home, with the baby's bright eyes and playful grin highlighting the bond they share

Nathan is the daddy of this family and a darn good one! He’s somewhat retired from the travel blogging business (although he and I started our site Two Drifters together way back in 2012), but he is far from retired from adventures! He’ll make many appearances on this site as he joins us for fun around the Triangle. Nathan is also a North Carolina native, so we keep him around for the street cred.

Nathan is also a sci-fi and fantasy author, and I will brag about him every chance I get! 😉