Take the kids: OC Aerial in Durham

I slipped off my shoes, laid down on the mat and held my breath. I couldn't see the slope in front of me. I had seen it from the ground. I watched other people conquer the slope. But I still wasn't convinced I wasn't going to free fall as soon as I slid forward. My five and eight year old daughters watched from below, excited to see mommy launched into the air. Woosh!

It was certainly a rush. It may not have been a 90 degree drop, but it felt like it. At the end, I flew off the slide and plopped with relief onto a giant inflatable mat. I made it!

That one just one of the highlights of our trip to the brand new business OC Aerial in Durham a few weeks ago.

John Coates and his family opened the 16,000 square foot facility in August of this year.

“The idea for OC Aerial stemmed from an outdoor adventure course my family and I completed on a beach trip almost a decade ago. My wife, son and I immediately fell in love with the concept, and we wanted to bring Triangle residents a similar, fun-filled experience to share with their family and friends,” said John Coates, founder of OC Aerial.

“We've enjoyed welcoming countless guests from across the state and beyond to the park and look forward to continuing to providing people of all ages and experience levels with an outlet to engage in physical activity and make lasting memories."

The space features a massive rock climbing wall, multiple ninja courses, warp walls, a zip line, two slides, and an incredible ropes course high in the air.

My daughters loved trying to run up the warp wall over and over, but none of us could make it to the top. We laughed and shrieked our way through the ninja course. PSA: do some stretching before you begin. Your muscles will move in ways you didn't know they could.

I was thrilled when my five year old decided to tackle the rock climbing wall as she isn't always as eager to try new things as my eight year old (who climbed her way to the tip top of the wall).

Next up, the ropes course. My youngest agreed to get suited up in the harness, but wasn't sure about doing an obstacle course while hanging up in the air. I was so proud when she decided to give it a try and conquered it like a champ. Parents will need to do the course with their kids so that you can move the hooks from rope to rope for them. I was very impressed with the safety measures of how the hooks worked and the fit of the harnesses.

After all the fun, we were able to enjoy fresh popped popcorn and soft serve ice cream with toppings in the snack bar! Talk about an extra sweet ending.

Overall, we had a blast. It was easy to enjoy and get around. It was great psychical fun we could do as a family. I think this would also be a great night out for couples to do together.

What to know before you go

Where: 3463 Coates Industrial Blvd Suite 200, Durham, NC 27705 (just off I-85). It's a newer road so your GPS may try to have you turn one street prior into a neighborhood. There is plenty of parking.

What to wear: Wear comfortable clothes you can easily move it like athletic wear and tennis shoes.

What to bring: Consider a phone harness if you want to be able to take photos or video on the ropes course, otherwise phones aren't allowed (don't want to drop it on somebody's head below). They have free lockers to stash your purse or water bottle.

Pricing: Children ages three to five years old costs $33. Children six to nine years old are $49.50. Adults and kids ages ten and older are $58. This price covers three hours of adventure time. It may seem high for some people, but everything you need is included: climbing gloves and harnesses, lockers, phone charging stations, coffee, ice cream and popcorn. You don't have to worry about getting there and then having to pay more for activities or snacks. It's all included.

Time: I didn't think we would need a full three hours, but we did. We stayed for two and a half hours and only left because we had to get back for dance class. I would have loved to have that extra thirty minutes of our time slot to have more fun on the ropes course.

Who: Participants must be at least three years old to climb. Pass holders and immediate family or group members are welcome to enjoy OC Aerial’s observation area with complimentary coffee, soft serve, popcorn and other refreshments during their stay.

Find out more on the OC Aerial website.

Tara Lynn is a former WRAL reporter and anchor. She lends her 15-plus years in journalism to tell visual stories through love-filled photography for families of all kinds. The mother of three little humans and one senior rescue dog believes in celebrating magic in the little things, the big loves, and the imperfect moments that make the most remarkable memories. Her vision is to help families celebrate and share their love through photography and curated album artwork that become timeless keepsakes connecting multiple generations...because moments often pass in the blink of an eye, and the photographs we take connect us to our memories and our great loves, forever.

You can find Tara Lynn on Instagram at @TaraLynn_andCo and TaraLynnAndCo.com. Learn more about her photography at TaraLynnAndCoPhoto.com.