More and more of my local communities are coming on to Twitter and tweeting about what’s going on around town. So maybe Twitter can actually help us get our lazy butts up, off the Internet and out of the house.

I’ve been following my hometown of Hillsborough (NC) for a while now, so I always know when a family fun day is coming up (hint: pretty much every Saturday). Cool neighbor city Durham recently came online (that’s where they have all the best restaurants). I also follow my local co-op grocery store and farmers market on Twitter, so I know immediately that I missed the free farmers market pancake breakfast last weekend (boo!).

If you don’t want to go local, Twitter can also take you where no man has gone before.

Meanwhile, my hometown of Pittsboro (NC) — which does not have a Twitter account, as far as I know — has hatched an evil plan to thwart the economic recovery by issuing local currency, a plot that is getting covered as far away as Los Angeles. You can even use the locally issued money at the Piggly Wiggly! I always knew I came from a beehive of socialism; now it is just confirmed.

A friendly dinosaur on the trail.

I remember walking the Dinosaur Trail as an exciting event when I was a kid. The dinosaurs were hidden among the trees, and I thought it was a game to try and spot them. Today we think of dinosaurs as more colorful and more active, and some even have feathers. So the dinosaurs on this trail were due for a makeover, and they really look stunning.

Watch out! There's a dinosaur!

The Museum of Life and Science is a great local resource with lots to do, especially for kids. Besides the brand-new dinosaur trail, there is a wildlife area, a wetlands, a farmyard, a butterfly house and plenty of hands-on exhibits. The kid enjoyed the toddler play area, and we enjoyed sitting down for a few minutes in the air conditioning while he played.

Patting the dinosaur nose.

I have to add that the Museum really knows how to use social media to create a sense of community. Besides their clever use of Twitter to get people to come in, they are also on Facebook, collecting photos on Flickr and quoting blog posts on a participation page on their website. Very clever!

• Become a fan of the Museum on Facebook
• More dino trail tweets; also here
• Flickr photo group
• My hubby’s blog post about the tour