Surrounded by Alpacas and Kissed by a Llama in North Carolina 😂🦙

 

I went to Serenity Alpacas in Stony Point, North Carolina thinking I was going to spend a nice peaceful morning walking an alpaca.

Well... apparently nobody told Carl that I was supposed to be in charge. 😂

Carl knew the trail, knew where the snacks were, and knew exactly where he wanted to go. I’m pretty sure I was just the person assigned to hold the leash while Carl handled the tour.

And Carl wasn’t the only cute face around there. I got surrounded by alpacas, fed the herd, and met an absolutely adorable baby alpaca that was only around two months old.

These animals have the funniest little expressions too. Half the time I couldn’t tell if they were curious about me, judging me, or just wondering why I was taking so long with the food. 😂

Either way, I wanted to hug all of them.

A North Carolina Alpaca Farm Experience

Serenity Alpacas is a family owned working alpaca farm in Stony Point, NC, not far from Hickory and Statesville and about an hour from Charlotte and Winston Salem.

When I visited, the alpaca walk was $35 for the person walking an alpaca and $15 for an additional person coming along who wasn’t walking one.

And it’s definitely more than just grabbing a leash and heading down a trail.

We got to spend time with the herd, feed the alpacas, learn about their fleece and personalities, and then get our alpacas harnessed up for the walk.

The trail itself is around a half mile and goes through some really pretty parts of the property before reaching an area called Camp Squirrel.

Alpacas Are Little Furry Weirdos... In the Best Way

I learned SO many random alpaca facts that morning.

Alpacas hum to communicate, which might honestly be one of the cutest things ever. They can hum when they’re curious, happy, stressed, or just communicating with the rest of the herd.

Their ears can also move independently, so one ear can basically be listening to you while the other one is apparently checking on neighborhood gossip. 😂

They’re also social animals, so Carl couldn’t head out on the trail alone. At least two alpacas go out together.

And get this... alpacas can run around 35 mph for short distances.

Which means Carl COULD have picked up the pace anytime he wanted.

He simply chose not to. 😂

They’re also surprisingly tidy animals. Alpacas usually pick just one or two areas in their pasture to use as the bathroom instead of going everywhere.

Very organized little creatures.

Alpaca or Llama? There Is a Difference

I think a lot of people look at an alpaca and a llama and think they’re basically the same animal in different sizes.

Nope.

Llamas are much larger and have historically been used as pack animals, while alpacas are smaller and are mainly raised for their incredibly soft fiber.

The alpacas at Serenity average around 120 pounds while llamas can weigh closer to 400 pounds.

That difference becomes VERY obvious when you’re standing beside both of them.

And yes... alpacas CAN spit.

But the idea that alpacas spend their entire day waiting for an innocent tourist to walk by so they can launch one at them is pretty unfair. 😂

They’re much more likely to spit at another alpaca when they’re annoyed or telling them to back off.

So no, you probably don’t need safety goggles for your alpaca adventure.

Then I Got Kissed by a Llama

Her name was Aramus and she gives kisses.

Okay... full disclosure.

I DID have a little treat in my mouth to help convince her. 😂

But for those couple of seconds it still felt kinda magical.

There’s something hilarious about starting your morning expecting to walk an alpaca and then suddenly realizing a llama is kissing you.

Just another normal CoreniaBug adventure apparently.

We also discovered something I definitely wasn’t expecting.

Their breath can actually smell kind of sweet, almost like lavender.

So from now on, if someone tells me I have alpaca breath, I’m taking that as a compliment. 😂

Camp Squirrel, Alpaca Shopping and One Really Good Morning

The walk eventually took us through Camp Squirrel, one of my favorite little spots on the property.

There’s a creek, hammocks and a place where you can bring a picnic and just sit for a while.

It was quiet, peaceful and one of those spots where you suddenly realize you haven’t checked the time in a while.

After our walk I checked out the farm shop, which of course meant looking at all kinds of cute alpaca stuff and trying to convince myself that I didn’t need everything.

There’s also a patio overlooking the pasture where you can sit and watch the alpacas.

By that point I was trying to convince Carl that he should probably just come home with me.

I feel like he thought about it.

Maybe.

😂

Between Carl taking me for a walk, feeding the herd, meeting the baby alpaca, learning way more about alpacas than I ever expected, and getting kissed by a llama, this turned into one of those simple adventures that just puts you in a good mood.

If you’re looking for something fun and different to do around Hickory, Statesville, Charlotte or western North Carolina, Serenity Alpacas is definitely worth knowing about.

And now I have to know...

Have you ever been to an alpaca farm? And would you trust Carl to take YOU for a walk? 😂🦙

🎥 Watch my full CoreniaBug adventure here:

https://youtu.be/2qvPASKyvPk