The Explore All 50 States Project
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North Carolina is an awesomely beautiful place as well as a study in complete contrasts. As we drove through the state we were awestruck at the lush greenery, not woodsy or forrest like but lush and soft elegant and wispy. And while everywhere we looked was a sight to behold, the differences from east to west and north to south were astounding. In the south, we discovered the beaches near Wilmington, with beach … [Read more...]
Everyone I know who has ever traveled to Asheville has always marveled at how lovely the area is. It is pretty, but maybe the kids and I missed something. We just didn’t get it. Walking around, it seemed like a sort of hippie town with strange little boutiques and artsy weirdness on every corner. We arrived to find some super hipster jam session going on in one of the town squares. Driving the next morning … [Read more...]
So you’ve probably heard of Duke University, and maybe even Duke Energy and the legendary heiress Doris Duke. But did you know that the Duke fortune was amassed through the production of tobacco? The Duke Homestead State Historic Site is where you can tour the early home and factory where Washington Duke first grew and processed tobacco. Duke’s sons later founded the American Tobacco Company, the largest tobacco … [Read more...]
Oh Krispy Kreme, how do we love you, let us count the ways.... As we were driving through High Point on our way to the Word's Largest Chest of Drawers, we passed one of the original Krispy Kreme locations....Of course we could not pass us a taste of those heavenly lighter than air doughnuts so we made a beeline straight to the drive through window. Krispy Kreme doughnuts were founded right here in North Carolina … [Read more...]
If you didn't already know, High Point, North Carolina is the center of the furniture industry in the United States. Many manufacturers are based here. If you’ve got a few minutes, drive by the building that bills itself as the World's Largest Chest of Drawers - which is an office building ... that's apparently for lease. Love the socks! … [Read more...]
After learning all about the Wright Brothers in Dayton, Ohio, we were very excited to see where the first flight actually took place at Kitty Hawk in Kill Devil Hills which is now known as The Wright Brothers National Monument at Kitty Hawk. The Wright Brothers chose this spot because of the perfect wind conditions and abundant landing areas. The first thing we did was explore the visitor center and seeing a … [Read more...]
For dinner,we made our way to the Black Pelican and highly recommend it for a memorable meal. This place which is located right on the beach, get's packed so make sure you make reservations in advance. While we waited for our table, we perused the huge gift shop located in the restaurant. There were all kinds of fun things to check out here which helped pass the time while we waited to be seated. I found … [Read more...]
Passing over the bridge to Roanoke Island we found ourselves entering a quaint area with a legendary history. Roanoke Island has been known in American history for its significance as the site of Sir Walter Raleigh’s planting of an English settlement with his Roanoke Colony in 1585 and 1587. The Anglo-Spanish war delayed the delivery of much needed supplies and when a ship was finally able to make it back to the … [Read more...]
Billed as an Outer Banks favorite, and now we know why—Sam and Omie's restaurant is nothing fancy but it's good cooking with simple fresh ingredients. Walking in to the charming but crowded little beach shack we seated ourselves as the sign told us to do. Shortly our friendly waitress arrived with menus. They've got all kinds of sandwiches and burgers and a host of seafood specialities. We had the Greek … [Read more...]
The North Carolina Museum of History is a wonderful museum in the center of town that really engaged us with their exhibit titled "The Story of North Carolina". Walking through the museum we were able to trace the story from the ancient peoples all the way up to the present. We explored the native settlements and the early colonists discussing the plantation crops like rice, tobacco, cotton and indigo. We … [Read more...]
