Please complete and submit this form no later than 6:00 pm on Friday, July 15, 2022 to let us know if you're planning on joining us for an “urban” chapter hike in Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, NC (https://dixpark.org/file/dix-park-visitor-map-updated-march-2022). We'll send a confirmation email by 7:00 pm on July 15 to everyone who signs up.

Disclaimer: We can’t control the temperature or humidity nor can we guarantee that the sunflowers will be in bloom on July 16.  They “should be” was the best answer I could get!  So, we’ll hope we get lucky!

Bob Dermody will be leading this 3.0 mile hike to see the 5 acres of sunflowers.  The City of Raleigh planted approximately 198,000 Clearfield Sunflower seeds.  At the end of the sunflower season, the flowers will be harvested to make biodiesel for programs by the Raleigh Water Department.

We'll meet at All Faiths Chapel, Dorothea Dix Campus, 1030 Richardson Dr, Raleigh, NC 27603 (https://dixpark.org/chapel).  This is on the corner of Umstead Dr. and Richardson Dr. on the Dix Campus.  There is a large public parking lot in front of the Chapel with an additional limited number of parking spaces around the Chapel.  We will meet in front of the Chapel at 8:30 and start the hike at 8:45.

Degree of difficulty: Easy: It is a combination of sidewalks, open fields and tree-lined trails.  Please wear sunscreen, bug spray, dress for the weather and bring plenty of water and a snack.  Please read information about heat stroke from the Mayo Clinic at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heat-stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-20353581.  Please alert the hike leader if you experience any symptoms of heat stroke.  There is a potential for large crowds at the sunflower site (this is a very popular destination), although we are out in the open, please feel free to wear a mask, if that would make you more comfortable.

Restrooms: There are restrooms at The Chapel, however it doesn’t open until 10:00 a.m. so they will be available when we return (provided there is not a wedding or other social event).  There are porta-potties at various points along the route.

We’ll start out at The Chapel and head up Umstead Dr. to Flowers Field.  We’ll cross Flowers Field and walk the .25 Pine Loop Trail (tree-lined).  Then we’ll recross Flowers Field past the Cemetery to the Sunflower Field and walk the open-field Sunflower Loop (.4 miles).  We’ll spend some time admiring the sunflowers and reading information on kiosks surrounding the loop.  

On our return, assuming The Chapel is not reserved, be sure to check out the mural painted by NC artist, Christopher Hold.  The artist applied 1,400 silver leaves by hand in creating the mural (https://dixpark.org/chapel and https://dixpark.org/sites/dixpark/files/2022-05/Chapel%20Mural%20Guide_Web.pdf.  In addition to the mural, there are restrooms and a water fountain located in this air-conditioned space.

We would be happy to hold a shell ceremony for any departing members heading to start their Camino in the next month.  Please let Bob know (dermonc7@gmail.com).

Some interesting facts:
Who was Dorothea Dix (1802 – 1887)?  She is described as an “advocate on behalf of the indigent mentally ill” and through her efforts the Dix Hill Asylum was opened in 1858 on this site.  Around 1958, the facilities were renamed the Dorothea Dix Hospital.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_Dix

The Hospital was abandoned in 2012 and currently houses the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Plans are underway to develop Dix Park: See the Dix Park Master Plan at: https://dixpark.org/master-plan 

Other interesting facts and links: https://www.businessinsider.com/north-carolina-central-park-mental-hospital-2019-9#during-the-antebellum-era-the-land-held-a-large-slave-owning-plantation-parts-of-it-were-later-converted-into-a-mental-hospital-1

At the American Pilgrims on the Camino Gathering in Black Mountain, NC in April, several chapters described their “urban” hikes.  This inspired us to try one and Dix Park presented a perfect opportunity to hike an “urban” setting of sorts and see the iconic sunflower field.  Initially we hoped to do a longer out-and-back hike from Lake Johnson along the Walnut Creek Trail to the sunflowers.  However, so much of this route was out in the open and we were concerned that with the potentially high temperatures and humidity that are characteristic of Raleigh in July, it was too risky.  So, we opted for a shorter, safer version within Dix Park.  We would appreciate any feedback on this type of hike.

Other points of interest nearby:
NC State Farmers’ Market: 1201 Agriculture St, Raleigh, NC 27603, https://www.ncagr.gov/markets/facilities/markets/raleigh/

Pullen Park: 520 Ashe Ave, Raleigh, NC 27606, https://raleighnc.gov/parks/pullen-park 

NCMA: North Carolina Museum of Art, 2110 Blue Ridge Road, in 2021 had a 2.5 acres of sunflowers.  I was not able to determine if they have planted some sunflowers this year.  See this link for information on the 2021 planting:  https://ncartmuseum.org/series/city-of-sunflowers/ 

Feel free to bring friends or family members. Sorry: No dogs allowed. Contact raleigh@americanpilgrims.org if you have questions or need more information.