Bear Ridge Mall , Murphy, Cherokee county

The last place I visited was the Bear Ridge Mall, the Murphy area’'s largest indoor flea market. They offer antiques, many different collectibles, and much more. The on-site RV park has 20 campsites with full hook-up, water, sewer and cable. The Mall is open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 8am to 4pm.

Appalachian State University football team ring ceremony, Boone, Watauga County

In Boone, I went to the 3-time 1-AA National Championship Football Team ring cermony at Appalachian State. My brother (who happens to be on the team) gave me a tour of the campus before the ceremony began.



App. State Library, http://www.library.arizona.edu/conferences/ltf/2006/images/ASU-Library-large.jpg,
4/19/08


Touchdown Yosef, http://collegerule.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/yosef_asu_boone_lg.jpg, 4/19/08


ASU seal, http://access.unc.edu/images/seals/asu_seal.gif, 4/19/08


Appalachian State Sign, http://www.wsoctv.com/2008/0303/15478572_240X180.jpg, 4/19/08

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Picture taken By Evonne Jurius on March 29, 2008

Mystery Hill, Boone, Watauga county

Mystery Hill, home of the Hall of Mystery and the Mystery House, is the only place where a ball rolls uphill, water flows uphill, and you can stand at a 45 degree angle without falling down! You can even put a bubble around yourself (unless you’re a 280-pound lineman, that didn’t exactly work for Josh…). Prices:

Adults (13-59)………………………$8.00
Children (5-12)……………………..$6.00
Seniors (60 and over)……………..$7.00
Children (4 and under)…………….Free

Mystery Hill Logo, http://grandfathervistas.net/images/gal_MysteryHillLogo.jpg, 4/19/08

Price Lake, Banner Elk, Avery County

Price lake, situated just off of the Blue Ridge Parkway, is a National Park in which you can camp, hike, or swim. With the beautiful views, the amazing fishing, and the awesome campgrounds, this is a great family getaway.

Price Lake, http://www.kodey.com/boxster/images/brbs_2002/price_lake.jpg, 4/19/08

Hawksnest ski resort, Seven Devils, Avery County

At Hawksnest, you can ski, snowboard, and tube on any of the 12 slopes, with three beginners slopes, six intermediate slopes, two difficult slopes and one expert slope, you will spendmore time skiing and less time in line. If skiing, tubing, or boarding just aren’t your things, you can sit back and relax at the expansive lodge, with the huge fireplace near the Nest Lounge, the restaurant. Prices:

Adults………………..350.00

Juniors/students……325.00

Seven Devils Spring, http://www.findrentals.com/php/22785/kellys001.JPG, 4/19/08

The Blowing Rock, Blowing Rock, Watauga county

The blowing rock, named for the rocky walls of the gorge that form a flume through which the northwest wind sweeps, making light objects (such as snow) blow back up to the top of the rock. The Legend of the Blowing Rock (copied from www.blowingrock.com/legend.html):

It is said that a Chickasaw chieftan, fearful of a white man’s admiration for his lovely daughter, journeyed far from the plains to bring her to The Blowing Rock and the care of a squaw mother. One day the maiden, daydreaming on the craggy cliff, spied a Cherokee brave wandering in the wilderness far below and playfully shot an arrow in his direction. The flirtation worked because soon he appeared before her wigwam, courted her with songs of his land and they became lovers, wandering the pathless woodlands and along the crystal streams.

One day a strange reddening of the sky brought the brave and the maiden to The Blowing Rock. To him it was a sign of trouble commanding his return to his tribe in the plains. With the maiden’s entreaties not to leave her, the brave, torn by conflict of duty and heart, leaped from The Rock into the wilderness far below. The grief-stricken maiden prayed daily to the Great Spirit until one evening with a reddening sky, a gust of wind blew her lover back onto The Rock and into her arms. From that day a perpetual wind has blown up onto The Rock from the valley below. For people of other days, at least, this was explanation enough for The Blowing Rock’s mysterious winds causing even the snow to fall upside down.

Blowing Rock, http://www.westernncattractions.com/images/blowing1.jpg, 4/18/08

Prices are:

Adults…………………$6.00

Children (4-11)...…….$1.00

Senior Citizens (60+).$5.00

Linville Caverns, Marion, McDowell county

The natural limestone caverns in Marion, North Carolina are the only caverns in the state. The underground streams, which are home to native trout, feed into the ‘bottomless pit’, the extremely deep pool. The temperature is constantly at 52°F, so bring a jacket. Prices are:

Adults ............................................$6.00
Children ages 5-12 ......................$4.00
Seniors ages 62+ ..........................$4.50

Both Linville Caverns Limestone Pics, www.tripadvisor.com, 4/19/08

Unto These Hills, Cherokee, Swain county

Unto These Hills is an outdoor drama and retelling of he Cherokee History. The length of the performance is normally 2 hours, there is no charge for parking, no performances on Sundays, and smoking is not allowed in the seating area. Prices are as follows: adults: (13+) $18, Children (6-12) $8, Children 5 and under are free.

Unto These Hills- Cherokee, NC www.unc.edu/depts/outdoor/av/
4/19/08

Cherokee Heritage Museum

The Museum of the Cherokee Indian opened in 1948 and moved in 1976 to its current location. Its exhibit was totally renovated in 1998, with a 12,000 square foot addition. It opens daily at 9 a.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is $9 for adults, $6 for children (ages 6-13), and free for children under 6.

Museum of the Cherokee Indian - Cherokee, NC, www.armitageimages.com/murals.html, 4/19/08

Hot Air Balloons, Asheville, Bunkham county

This hot air balloon ride is unique, safe, and beautiful. Flying over Asheville is richly forested, and abounds in waterfalls and wildlife. In the midst of all of this you will find wildflowers, azaleas, rhododendrons, and flowering cherry trees that wave gracefully in the wind. Costs for a general flight is $200 per person and costs for a private flight is $550 per couple and includes complimentary Chateau Biltmore champagne(Getting drunk at that altitude? Hoo boy.) Flights last one hour on average.

Hot air balloons, http://www.nemsplace.co.uk/e107_images/miscellaneous/hot%20air%20balloons.jpg,
4/19/08

Colburn gem and mineral museum, Asheville, Bunkham County

This museum in Asheville is not very big, but is packed with fun, interesting things for the whole family. The main museum is full of gems, minerals, and even dinosaur bones! Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, students and children; children 4 and under are free.

Mineral museum, http://www.visitnc.com/images/med/250.jpg, 4/19/08

Biltmore Estates, Asheville, Bunkham county

Built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt, Biltmore Estates has been open since Christmas eve of that year. When you visit this beautiful house, you can walk through the 250 awesomely furnished and amazingly decorated rooms, whose decoration depends on the season. Prices are as follows:

July 1–October 31

Sunday–Friday $45.00 $39.00 $6.00

Saturday $49.00 $45.00 $4.00

November 1–January 1

Sunday–Friday $55.00 $45.00 $10.00

Saturday $59.00 $55.00 $4.00

January 2–March 14

Sunday–Friday $29.00 $25.00 $4.00

Saturday $35.00 $29.00 $6.00

Youth Admission

* Ages 10–16 are admitted at half the adult admission price.
* Children 9 and younger are admitted free year-round with a paying adult.
* Kids ages 10–16 are admitted free January 2–March 14, 2008.

Price chart copied from www.biltmore.com

Biltmore Estates, http://z.about.com/d/honeymoons/1/0/u/N/BB1.jpg, 4/19/08

Biltmore Estates, http://blog.aia.org/mt-static/plugins/Ajaxify/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/imagemanager/images/favorite_architecture_images/8_builtmore_estates.jpg,
4/19/08

Chapel Hill museum, Chapel Hill, Orange co8unty

Built in 1968, the Chapel Hill Museum was founded to exhibit the history of Chapel Hill. The museum has exhibits about James Taylor, and a history of Franklin Streets called Meet Me on Franklin Street. This exhibit is set in a 1940’s scene, and as you walk down it, you meet various characters and see artifacts from Chapel Hill’s history. The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 to 4, and Sunday from 1 to 4 PM.

Chapel Hill museum, http://www.chapelhillpreservation.com/images/6-museumphoto.jpg, 4/19/08

Jean's Berry Patch, Apex, Chatham County

At Jean’s Berry Patch, you can pick your own strawberries in summer and spring, and pumpkins in the fall. Children are welcome, but pets aren’t. Bring you own bucket, and call in advance to make sure there are strawberries available. Prices are $1.10 per pound ‘U-PICK’, and $3.25 per Quart pre-picked.

Jean's Berry Patch logo, http://www.jeansberrypatch.com/jeanlogo.gif, 4/19/08

International Civil Rights Center and Museum, Greensboro, Guilford County

When Ezell Blair, Jr., David Richmond, Joseph McNeil, and Franklin McCain sat down at the whites-only counter at F.W. Woolworth store on South Elm Street, service did not come easily. This simple act of peaceful civil disobedience and the amount of publicity it got was amazing. Now, a museum is being constructed in memory of those people. Housed in the original store, the exhibits include the whites-only counter where Ezell Blair asked for a cup of coffee, a re-creation of Greensboro’s 1960s railway station with its “Colored Only” area as well as white-only restrooms and water fountains.

The 'Greensboro Four', http://www.februaryonedocumentary.com/4woolworth.jpg, 4/19/08

Jordan Lake, Pittsboro, Chatham county

Jordan Lake is the place to go during the hot summer months in Chatham County, North Carolina. With the campgrounds, the beaches, the picnic areas and the boat ramps, this place is the family getaway central! Admission and parking is free, and the whole park is pet friendly.

Being at Jordan Lake is a lot like being at the beach, without all the salt water and the sand dunes.
The lake is Chatham county's place to be on the 95 degree heat in the summer months.


Jordan Lake Sunset, http://www.cardensdesign.com/photography/CD00139.jpg, 4/19/08

Asheboro’s First Friday beach music series, Asheboro, Randolph county

On the first Friday of May, June, July, and August, you can go down to 146 N Church Street and hear beach music from a variety of groups. Admission is free, bring your own chair, and pets stay on leashes. Each concert begins at 6:30 and goes until whenever the band stops playing!

Summer Concert poster, http://www.asheboroparksandrecreation.com/images/395_Concert_Series_Logo.jpg,
4/19/08

NC Zoo, Asheboro, Randolph county

The North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro is open 364 days a year, April 1 - October 31 - 9am - 5pm, and November 1 - March 31 - 9am - 4pm. While there, children can ride the endangered animal carousel, and you can see over 1,100 animals from 250 species. Pets are asked not to be allowed in.

NC Zoo logo, http://www.enr.state.nc.us/upclose/images/Zoo-logo-4C.gif, 4/19/08

Old Salem

Salem was founded in 1766 by a group of Moravian settlers from the Czech Republic. Today, costumed men and women re-create what life would be like in the in the 1700s and 1800s by producing these goods the same way it would have been done back then. Admission to Old Salem is Adults - $21.00 / Children ages 6-16 - $10.00.

Woman baking bread in Old Salem, http://www.gallagherstravels.com/States/NC/story005/images/image007.jpg,
4/19/08

SciWorks, Winston-Salem,

SciWorks is a planetarium/museum/education program extraordinaire! The 15-acre environmental park includes interactive exhibits and a huge planetarium. The planetarium is a 50 foot dome, with realistic night sky simulations, with video images and lightning. Admission:

Adults	$10
Students/seniors	$7
Children	$5
Children under 2	free

*chart courtesy of http://www.sciworks.org

SciWorks logo, http://www.msnucleus.org/research/images/sciworkslogo.gif, 4/19/08

Duke Gardens, Durham, Durham county

Situated on the campus of Duke University, in the Duke Gardens you can walk on the ‘Zigzag Bridge’ that goes over the goldfish pond, or watch a variety of birds in the bird watching shelter. Admission is free, and once you’re done walking in the beautiful gardens, you can go to the gift shop.

Duke Gardens Entrance, http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u131/pacosta808/100_0293.jpg,
4/19/08


Ducks at Duke, http://www.cwwebs.com/duke_gardens/images/duke_ducks_3754_550_dropwm.jpg, 4/19/08

Museum of Life and Science, Durham, Durham county

The Museum of Life and Science (visited many times by the pre-k classes of North Chatham) is located in Durham, North Carolina, and offers many programs for children. (Adults too, Daddy loved it). Prices are as follows:

Adults:	$10.85
Seniors (age 65 and older):	$8.85
Children (ages 3-12):	$7.85
Children (under 3):	Free

*chart thanks to http://www.ncmls.org/visit

While in the museum, you can visit the farmyard, with has sheep, goats, rabbits, a pig, a steer, turkeys, chickens, and a donkey. If the farm scene just isn’t your thing, you can go to the butterfly garden (Mom’s favorite), or make a 13 foot tall tornado! (That was always cool).

Making the tornado, http://lcrossley.encblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/tornado2.jpg,

4/19/08

African American Cultural Complex, Raleigh, Wake county

The African American Cultural Complex is a large collection of artifacts and displays of contributions made by African Americans, on display in several buildings along a nature trail. Tours are by appointment only, and the complex is open year-round.

State Farmer's market, Raleigh, Wake county

At the NC state farmers market, the 75-acre open-air buildings contain indoor and outdoor specialty shops, garden center, fruits, vegetables, and gifts from across North Carolina. A seafood restaurant (The clam chowder is very good) is right across the parking lot, and is highly recommended by locals.

Relocated State Farmer's Market, http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/exhibits/sodfather/images/timeline23.jpg,
4/19/08

State Capitol, Raleigh, Wake county

At the North Carolina State capitol, finished in 1840, you can take a self guided tour of the beautifully restored building or take a guided tour with one of the tour guides.

Tours of the Executive Building are by reservation only. Self guided tours are Monday through Friday and the guided tours are Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and on Sunday at 2 p.m.

I took the guided tour, and the guide was very helpful. The only problem was that it was by reservation only, and you have to call two weeks in advance.


NC capitol building, http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/86/89/22618986.jpg, 4/19/08

Ocracoke Lighthouse, Hyde County

Built in 1823 and located across the Pamlico Sound, the Ocracoke Lighthouse is the oldest active lighthouse in North Carolina. The current lighthouse replaced the 55-foot wooden lighthouse, which was struck by lightning in 1818 and burned down. The current house is 76 feet high, and its signal is visible for 14 miles. The house is not open for climbers, but you can visit it daily.

To get to the Lighthouse, I took the ferry. The trip took two hours and 15 minutes, and left off from Cedar Island.

Ocracoke Lighthouse, http://www.ncdot.org/transit/ferry/graphics/lighthouse/ocracoke.jpg, 4/18/08

The Great Dismal Swamp, Morgan's Cormer, Pasquotank County

Great Dismal Swamp (AKA Wooley Swamp, thanks to Charlie Daniels) is partially in Virginia, and the address is Suffolk, VA, but the bulk of the refuge is in North Carolina. While there, you can go hiking or biking on the Washington Ditch trail, which is 4 miles, or the Dismal Town Boardwalk Trail, which is 1 mile. You could also go fishing, boating, camping, picnicking, or hunting in the 111,000 acres of forested wetlands.

Great Dismal Swamp, http://gradschool.unc.edu/programs/royster/explorenc/northeast/northeast/Great%20Dismal%20Swamp.jpg

4/18/08

Craotoan national Forest, New Bern, Craven County

Croatan National Forest, located between New Bern and Emerald Isle, is home to coastal and inland swamp habitats. It has the largest collection of carnivorous plants in any national forest, and a large group of bugs to keep them alive, including mosquitoes (joy) and horseflies (even better). While visiting the forest, you can go on any of their 3 hiking trails, or go canoeing in either Great or Catfish lakes, in small streams, or in the White Oak, Neuse and Newport rivers.

Byssus Skipper Butterfly, http://www.carolinanature.com/butterflies/byssus6086.jpg,
4/18/08

Lake Mattamuskeet, Hyde County

Lake Mattamuskeet is the largest natural lake in North Carolina. Located in Hyde County, NC, the areas around it are continuously being pumped to keep the land dry. Lake Mattamuskeet is home to many varieties of wildlife, such as bears, deer, red wolf coyote, rabbit, beaver, panther, and bobcat. There are many types of birds, such as Canada geese, snow geese, swans, a variety of ducks, osprey, a long list of songbirds, and bald eagles. There are many, many, MANY types of fish in the lake (this is where Daddy comes in): largemouth bass, crappie, yellow perch, white perch, pickerel, striped bass, white bass, a variety of blue gill, HUGE catfish, alligator garr, and bowfin. Those are all freshwater fish, but there have been cases when people have caught flounder, mullet, croaker, drum, and blue crab.

Lake Mattamuskeet Sunrise, http://www.naturalsciences.org/education/treks/birds%20of%20winter/images/Lake%20Mattamuskeet%20sunrise.jpg, 4/18/08

Bath, Beaufort County

The next stop in my statewide trip is Bath, North Carolina. Bath is the favorite hangout of Edward Teach (AKA Blackbeard) the Pirate. Bath was North Carolina’s first town, first settled in the 1690s by European settlers. The first settlers were French Protestants from Virginia. Located 50 miles from the Atlantic Ocean in Beaufort County, North Carolina.

While in Bath, you can go to the, well, Bath is a very small town. You can go to the oldest church in North Carolina, the St. Thomas Episcopal Church, built in 1734. You can also visit the Palmer-Marsh House, and go on a guided tour of the house.


Bath is a beautiful little coastal town, and you will have a very educational time.


Blackbeard, http://members.aol.com/JLAlligood/blackb.jpg, 4/18/08


Palmer-Marsh House, http://www.censusfinder.com/images/ncpalmermarshhouse.jpg, 4/18/08

Poplar Grove Plantation-Wilmington, New Hanover

Poplar grove is one of the oldest peanut plantations in North Carolina, located just north of Wilmington, North Carolina. Visit here and you will see the old house (built in 1850), a blacksmith shop, basket weavers, and many other things. You can see the dye gardens for the yarn weavers, and maybe (in the summer) see them dye the yarn. While there, make sure to go on the nature trail. The views are beautiful in summertime especially.

Poplar Grove Plantation, http://www.poplargrove.com/, 4/18/08

Haunted Wilmington Ghost walk

Haunted Wilmington is a ‘ghost walk’ that takes you through the most haunted places in Wilmington. Costs are $12 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger. The tour is ninety minutes long, and from many reviews from travel.yahoo.com, is very informative as well as entertaining. Most people choose to go on Halloween night, nights with full moons, or Friday the thirteenth (wonder why…). The tour guides are amazing, and extremely informative. Ghost walk at haunted Wilmington is highly recommended by many.

Haunted Wilmington poster, http://www.hauntedwilmington.com/Copy%20of%20Ghosts%20of%20Wilimington.JPG,
4/18/08

Battleship North Carolina-Wilmington, New Hanover

The first place I visited on my statewide road trip was the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Battleship is from World War two, and has a self guided tour. On the tour, you can go into the gun turrets; you can see the quarters and the engine room; and you can see the movie theater, the barber shop, and the ice cream parlor(In a battleship! Who knew...)

The tour is self-guided, and you can come any time between 8am and 8pm. The Battleship is a great historic site, and I had a great time.


Battleship North Carolina, http://www.rockinghamcc.edu/NCSA/Battleship%20NC%20small.jpg,
4/18/08