Joe Pellegrino (ENO RIVER)
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Eno River
TAKE A DIP The heat is rising! Here are five hikes near the Triangle that offer a chance to cool off in the water by JOE MILLER
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panish explorer Ponce de León gets a bum rap for pursuing the fountain of youth. Sure, his primary focus was similar to that of fellow explorers — conquest and finding cities of gold. But his obsession with eternal youth had his peers (and parents, no doubt) questioning his commitment. Little did they know that Ponce was on 30 | WALTER
to something. The fountain of youth does exist. In fact, you can find them all over. You just have to know where to look. Water is the elixir of youth. Think about it: when did you ever feel younger than when you were frolicking, weightless, on — and especially beneath — the water? The neighborhood pool was great; that forbidden spot on the local lake or the river that ran outside of town was
even better. Fortunately, you needn’t board a barquentine bound for Bimini to find a watery return to your youth. In the Triangle, there’s a pretty good chance you can find one in less than an hour’s drive — we’re surprisingly close to waterfalls, swimming holes, and sandy shores. Here are five of our favorite lesser-known spots to get into the water.
