I'm an airport geek. I don't mind the hassle and waits. I look forward to the actual time in the airport. To me, it's all an adventure.

And, with all that in mind, I can't believe how long it's taken me to get my daughter to Observation Park at RDU. We went last week. Should have gone sooner.

The small park, which opened 20 years ago this year, is near the airport's general aviation terminal  and is perfect for kids, like mine, who love airplanes. The observation deck provides a great view of the western runway next to Terminal C.

My daughter and other kids there on a recent afternoon pretended they were airplanes - arms spread out - chasing each of the planes as they took off every few minutes or so. She climbed all over the metal spider and went on "trips" on the child-sized runway.

And now's a great time to go. The western runway is much busier than usual. A resurfacing project, which will be complete in mid-November, has diverted all commercial traffic there.  The deck also features plaques with information about different kinds of planes and the live chatter from air traffic controllers and pilots. There's a bathroom and water fountain on grounds and lots of picnic tables.

After the park visit, we headed over to the nearby general aviation terminal to watch the private planes load and unload. (Usually you'd see airplanes taking off and landing, but this looks out on the runway that's closed right now).There's a small cafe there if you want to pick up lunch or a snack. Short-term parking is free and there are bathrooms in the terminal (which is pretty plush when compared to the old commercial terminals).

And if you're curious about the new terminal under construction which will open Oct. 26 and replace Terminal C, the airport will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 11, with free food from some of the many new restaurants there, giveaways and kids activities.

Every Thursday, TriangleMom2Mom features new places and ways to play with your kids.

Check out our other daily themes at TriangleMom2Mom:

MONDAY: Meet!
TUESDAY: Ask!
WEDNESDAY: Eat!
THURSDAY: Play!
FRIDAY: Out!

WEEKEND: Relax!