Spring is the most straightforward season to be here. The dogwoods bloom in late March. The trails dry out from winter. The courthouse grounds are at their most photogenic in April. Farm stands start appearing in May with the first strawberries and lettuces. The heat hasn't arrived yet. Go outside.
What opens up
The Northeast Cape Fear River Walk is at its best in late March and April. The water is up from winter rain, the bottomland trees are just leafing out, and the light through the canopy is soft and green in a way that won't come back until fall. This is the window.
Holly Shelter Game Land is passable again after winter. The savannas are green, the longleaf pines have their new growth, and the Venus flytraps are visible in the open bogs. Go before May if you want to avoid mosquitoes.
What's at the farm stands
May is when the stands start appearing along the back roads. Early crops: strawberries, snap peas, lettuces, radishes. The blueberry farms start advertising their U-pick dates - usually late May for the first opening. Sign up for their lists if you can find them.
The Burgaw Farmer's Market runs on a seasonal schedule. Check the current dates - it moves. But it's worth building a Saturday around when it's running.
A spring walk worth doing
The block between the courthouse and the main post office on a clear April morning is worth doing on foot with nowhere to be afterward. The oaks are fully leafed by mid-April. The dogwood in the courthouse yard blooms for about two weeks. You will not regret stopping.