Raleigh Trolley season begins this month

Raleigh's historic trolley begins its rides through downtown Raleigh for the season this month.

The trolley, a long-time fixture in downtown Raleigh, is a great way to acclimate yourself to downtown and learn about the city's history. It's an hour-long ride in an enclosed and air conditioned trolley.

I took my mom and then five-year-old daughter on the trolley about a year ago and we all had a great time. My daughter was in the middle of reading the Magic Tree House series. So, like the characters in the book, she brought a notebook and pencil with her and jotted down notes as the guide shared with us interesting facts about the city.

I definitely recommend it as a fun activity if grandparents are visiting from out of town or if you are just looking for something new to do ... especially for school-aged kids and up.

The trolley route and stops have changed this year. It now stops at Bicentennial Plaza (where the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and N.C. Museum of History sit), the Joel Lane House, Fayetteville Street and City Market.

You can get on and off if you want to have lunch at a restaurant on Fayetteville Street or City Market or tour the Joel Lane House, for instance. The one catch is that you are not guaranteed a seat if you get back on, so you may have to stand if there are no seats left when you return.

The tours depart from Mordecai Historic Park, 1 Mimosa St., every Saturday from March to December at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $4 for kids ages 7 to 17. Kids 6 and under can ride for free.