Bowman Gray is an excellent pool, enormous and well-appointed. Whatever type of water exercise you…read morefancy, this place can accommodate you easily. Unfortunately, it is a university facility. Beyond the obvious caveat about being available only to students and faculty, that means that it is subject to strange scheduling mishaps that even students must beware of. Make sure that you stay very, very up to date on all of the various programs and classes that rotate in and out of here, since your independent usage will take a back seat to university events (which will often fill up the whole place).

My first introduction to Bowman Gray was during an aerobics class at UNC (my no-fail solution to…read morefulfilling my gym credit without having to throw or catch a ball of any shape or form). I'll never forget that class. We had aerobics in an un-air-conditioned room in the 90+ degree weather of August and September; and then we had water aerobics at Bowman Gray during the chilly fall-to-winter months of November and December. Despite these logistics, I did enjoy getting to play in the pool some -- even if water aerobics seemed a little more for the 60-and-up crowd. The pool is big. we had one area partitioned for our class; but there are plenty of 50-meter lanes and 25-meter lanes, so you can do some serious laps. I attended an old boyfriend's sister's swim-meet here; it was an all-day affair with several competing teams, but the facility has plenty of space to accommodate that. If you're a student, you can also expect to do your swim-test requirement here (if they are indeed still enforcing that graduation stipulation). The pool is accessible to UNC students and faculty (to the latter for a fee).

Really nice aquatic center in Chapel Hill! I took the bus here from my hotel near the university,…read moreit was a free bus ride and quick (plus a short walk). The aquatic center has great locker rooms; they are clean, spacious, and have good shower facilities...bring your own lock. The pool itself is huge (there's actually two pools, but just one for laps), I had no problem getting a lane to myself. All in all, this is a wonderful public aquatic center!

Overall, I've had consistently good experiences at this aquatic center. The facility is fairly…read moreclean, and I've never encountered the strong pool or locker room odors that can sometimes be an issue at swim spaces. The water temperature has been comfortable and well-balanced on most visits--perfect for lap swimming, with only one day that felt slightly chilly (not bothersome for me). The staff are calm, approachable, and hospitable, which helps create a relaxed and welcoming environment. I also appreciate that they provide a few pieces of equipment like the tombstone-shaped paddle boards and pool weights, which add variety to a workout. One thing to be aware of is that you'll want to bring your own personal hygiene items--there also aren't wipes for cleaning lockers nor are locks provided. It might be helpful if the center gave clearer guidance on what to bring so guests can come prepared. The atmosphere is generally peaceful, though if the boombox-style aerobics class isn't your preference, you'll want to check the schedule ahead of time. The schedule is posted week-to-week, so it's worth planning around if you're looking for a quieter, more meditative swim. Despite a few small considerations, I've enjoyed a sense of privacy and a good, focused swim on each visit. It's a solid place to get in the water and take care of your health.

Full disclosure, I only come here to watch my nephew play hockey…read more Most of the time parking is easy when I come to watch my nephew's game, but sometimes it is insanely packed, especially if they have more than one event going on. This past weekend was a hockey game and a swim meet so I had to park very far away because I didn't get there early enough. The facility is always clean and looks well maintained. It is a little difficult to navigate if you're not exactly sure where you're going, but I always eventually find my way. They have so many amenities! There is a gym, a pool, an ice rink, and even a concession station! There's probably much more that I haven't seen, but it looks like they have a lot to offer. My best friend's family has a membership and they are there weekly if not multiple times a week. If I had kids and lived in Orange County, I would definitely check this out.

The pool was reserved for a masters swim meet, so we had the space to ourselves. The workers were…read morefriendly and helped direct us where to go. The complex looked like it had a lot of other options for working out, and even a separate space to meet with a physical therapist for sessions. It was a nice facility.

I would not recommend this for any child who is just getting started in gymnastics. Many of the…read moreteachers barely give any instruction. Several times two of the instructors talked with one another the entire time and paid no attention to the kids. Another time the teacher spent the entire time rearranging equipment while ignoring the children. A third time, the teacher told the kids there would be free time and then ignored the kids for the entire class. This is for a beginning class. I would also be wary of upper level classes if you want your child to be treated respectfully, since I have witnessed one teacher repeatedly, over many weeks, berate young children at a more advanced level. Also, Google the company's history.

The facility is nice and they definitely have some awards but I have to be real about this place…read more I have watched my 6 year old daughter here every Tuesday for at least 6 months. My daughter is young and is no gymnastics prodigy, but for example she had been here like 24 times and she still doesn't know which hand to use to start her cartwheels. She's left handed and even in front of her teachers she will use a different hand each time trying to figure it out. I put her in gymnastics to learn some basics at least. The instructors barely help them do their stretches correctly. Half the time each kid is doing something different. RIGHT NOW I'm watching kids all doing their stretches a different way and the instructor zoning out. 7 kids in her class, one instructor for 60 mins isn't enough to teach which hand to start with. I'll just use YouTube going forward. 18 year old high school student instructors are just not trained in dealing with young children. Not for this price anyways.

To any parents that may be considering sending their kids to ID Tech technology camp, I would not…read morerecommend it. My son went there in June and though the counselors are polite and upbeat college students, we were less than satisfied with the overall quality of the experience. The Pros: - I did find the camp counselors energetic, upbeat, polite, and socially engaging with the kids. I do think that they do a good job of trying to make the experience a fun one and facilitate getting the kids comfortable with one another. - The UNC campus is a nice venue for the camp. The Cons: - The first part of the disappointment relates to the fact that even though we had signed my son up for a particular track (FPS - Unreal Development Kit), on the first day, they had him attending another track. My son, who is 12, brought it to their attention, but was told that he was in the right class and he must not have remembered what we had signed him up for. My wife talked to the camp director immediately after hearing that from my son the first night. After the camp director checked into it at my wife's request, it turns out that there were two kids (one being my son) with the same first name and last Initial. Since check-in is done by finding your name tag that displays only first name and last initial, the problem occurred there, so they actually had two campers attending the wrong tracks for the first day. It makes me wonder about those kids that have medications distributed while they are there? Do they ever get the wrong medicines? - The instruction format is not what we expected. We thought that it would be instructor lead tutorials, with hands-on exercises and mentoring as follow-up to those. As my wife and I asked more and more questions of my son in regards to the structure of the day, it sounds like it was largely self-paced discovery and you could ask the instructor / counselor any question you might have. I was very disturbed at the "Class Graduation" when the counselor said to my son, that "he heard that my son was doing some real cool stuff with his level, but he never got the opportunity to play through it". The counselors are good people and I do not intend to paint a picture otherwise. They are also young college students that are not trained instructors and are not necessarily expert at the topic they are teaching. Considering the cost of the camp, the program that my son attended did not provide anything close to a good value. For any parent considering sending the kids to this camp with the hopes that it will further their technological knowledge of game development and the software tools associated with it, you will be far better off buying a good PC, downloading the tools for free (www.UDK.com, www.Unity3d.com, www.yoyogames.com, etc.) and going to YouTube to watch the ample tutorials there. Once my son is old enough (needs to be a rising ninth grader) we will be sending him to the game development camps at Wake Tech at ~ 1/3rd the cost.

My son attended the iDTech camp held at Chapel Hill. He LOVED it! From a parent perspective, it…read morewas incredibly organized and very well run. From a student perspective, it was awesome! I loved how, at the end of the week, there was a "diploma ceremony" where the counselors spoke at length about each individual child and their contributions to the camp week. It was a very positive experience for my child. Thank you iD Tech!

We organized a kid's birthday tree climb with Piedmont Tree Climbing and had an absolute blast. All…read morethe kids were thrilled to climb the HUGE tree, and the several adults who chose to climb had a great time as well. The adults who didn't climb still had fun enjoying the beautiful surroundings, tree swings, etc. I highly recommend this activity not just for kids, but for adults too, whether for a date, a party, or a team building exercise, or even just for a fun and uplifting experience.

We attended a private climb up a 75 foot high Chapel Hill oak tree near Gimghoul Castle, for a home…read moreschool group. BLLAST. Patrick, the owner, also runs public group climbs at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, the NC Botanical Gardens, and many local parks. Though a new service, word has gotten out and his climbs often fill up quickly and are waitlisted. Truly a fun, unforgettable, and very Carolina thing to do :)

I love the Turnstone pool almost better than the main pool because for the most part it is quiet…read more Life Guards have always been friendly and pool has always been clean for the most part. There are quite a few trees around this pool so it gets a few more leaves in it and the shade also hides most of the pool around 5:30. The large pool is great for kids, full sun all day and the snack bar. There is no snack bar or vending machine at this location but you can bring in food or have it delivered to the pool.

Over the summer my children participated in a reading program. After completing the program we were…read moreinvited to the summer baseball game here. Parking is crazy so we parked on the road and crossed the street. Inside there are plenty of places to eat at, clean restrooms and a play area for the kiddos!

I have loved all of my experiences with the Sock Puppets!! The staff is amazing and really cares…read moreabout their fans! Definitely would return!!