Holding Tight to Your Wallet These Days?

When Erin Donoghue Baldwin, a Carrboro mother of three, first started writing The Big Fun Guide to Tar Heel Country: 135+ Activities for Families in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, Pittsboro, and Points in Between, she had no idea that the economy would be taking a tumble at exactly the same time that her book would come out. But the same week her publisher released her guidebook for family fun in Orange and Chatham counties, North Carolina, the United States government formulated a plan to bail out our financial system to try and stave off economic disaster.

News like that would make any parent hold tighter to her wallet!

But luckily, Baldwin's new book, released September 15 by DRT Press, offers plenty of family activities that are 100% free and within a 20 minutes' drive from home, both big pluses for families who are trying to watch every penny.

The book is a comprehensive guide to things the whole family can enjoy in the greater Chapel Hill area. Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Pittsboro are also equally represented, and there are over 25 day trips within an hour of Chapel Hill. Basically, anything families with young children can do in Orange or Chatham counties is included in the guide. Each entry includes a description of the activity, as well as contact information, hours of operation, and an address and website, if available. There's also a handy picture guide to each location that indicates whether or not bathrooms are available, if the activity is stroller friendly, and if picnics are allowed or food is nearby.

Laura Baxley, a mother of 2 children from Chapel Hill, was very impressed with the book when she got her copy. "My kids and I will never be bored again!" she says. "Erin has listed the great attractions we knew about, but she has also discovered some quirky and adventurous activities we never dreamed existed in our area. I also appreciated the parent perspective - information on food, strollers, and potties - which is information much more helpful to have before a crisis strikes. Forget receiving blankets and teddy bears, from now on my standard baby shower gift will be The Big Fun Guide to Tar Heel Country!"

The Big Fun Guide to Tar Heel Country: 135+ Activities for Families in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, Pittsboro, and Points in Between! is available in bookstores and children's stores in the greater Chapel Hill area, as well as on-line through amazon.com, bn.com, and through the publisher's website: www.drtpress.com.