GQ calls Asheville a ‘rad city’

In the May issue of GQ, Stan Parish writes what many North Carolinians already know — Asheville is awesome. | story and photographs

The stickers are everywhere — on the windows of dive bars, used-record stores, head shops, and the omnipresent yoga studios. “Love Asheville,” they read. “Local Is the New Black.” Yes, they’re a little twee. But after a few meals, a few local microbrews, and a rock show or two, you realize that loving Asheville’s basically a reflex. The city of 80,000 is an anomaly in its home state, with its indie-music cred, ambitious restaurants that could hold their own in San Francisco, and a panorama of the Blue Ridge Mountains that will have you turning circles just to take it all in. The locals are too modest and well- mannered to say this themselves, but we’ve got a better slogan for that sticker: “Asheville is the new Austin, with a better view.”

Quick hits: A new movie coming to Wilmington, pick your fave N.C. sports moment, and the Blue Ridges are pretty

New feature film coming to Wilmington

"The rumor circulated for several days. Local film industry workers dropped hints that 'a big project was coming to town,'" says the Star-News.

"Now, there’s proof.

"The office of Governor Beverly Perdue announced Monday that the New Line Cinema film, 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' will start production in Wilmington later this month. The film stars Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock), Michael Caine and Josh Hutcherson. ..."

Great moments in N.C. sports history

"The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame has created a new program to recognize and honor Great Moments in North Carolina Sports History. 'Great Moments' highlights special accomplishments by both individuals and teams through the years.

"A special panel choose from a list of 20 'Great Moment' in sports history in North Carolina, the most significant as candidates for our first-ever award.

"You are invited to participate by helping to choose the first winner from the top five “Great Moments” previously selected in 2010 ..."

In Blue Ridge Mountains, autumn hues are wedded with history

"When the Blue Ridge Parkway beckons me, I answer, especially in autumn, when I long for its twists and turns, its waterfalls, natural gardens, forests and upland meadows that dot its nearly 500 miles in Virginia and North Carolina," says the LA Times.

"Little has changed here in the 75 years since the parkway construction began, permanently linking Virginia's Shenandoah National Park in the north and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the south. It took 52 years and hundreds of workers to complete this public works project, which helped Appalachia climb out of the Great Depression.

"Thanks to varying elevations, a drive in October and even into early November will yield good views of fall hues. Hickory, tulip poplar and ash are ablaze with yellows, and reds burst forth from dogwood, maple, sumac and sourwood trees. This year mountain ash trees at higher elevations have an outstanding crop of bright red berries. ..."

Ken Burns and the Blue Ridge Parkway

According to an email from the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, documentary film maker Ken Burns has completed a new film, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea. UNC-TV will air the six-episode, 12-hour work in its entirety in the fall.

This spectacular series was filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature's most spectacular locales, including North Carolina's own Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The documentary is a story of people and a story full of struggle and conflict, high ideals and crass opportunism, stirring adventure and enduring inspiration - set against the most breathtaking backdrops imaginable.

Quick hits: Hemlocks quickly dying and Duke Energy gives $1 million to N.C. coast

Study: Hemlocks dying quickly
"A tiny insect may be killing Eastern hemlocks across the Southern Appalachians even faster than expected, U.S. Forest Service researchers said Thursday.

"Most of the evergreen trees, called a 'keystone species' for their important ecological role, could be gone within a decade," says the Charlotte Observer. "Hemlock forests shelter dozens of species of birds and shade mountain streams, cooling the water for trout.

"The rapid death of the trees may also disrupt the way carbon cycles through the forests and into the atmosphere, said the research published by the Forest Service's Southern Research Station in Asheville. ..."

Duke set to give $1 million to N.C. coast

"Duke Energy will donate $1 million to help a fragile coastal N.C. peninsula adapt to climate change, the Nature Conservancy will announce today," according to the Observer.

"The money from one of the United States' largest utility sources of carbon dioxide, the gas linked to global warming, will help the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge cope with rising sea levels.

"The refuge sits on the 2,100-square-mile Albemarle Peninsula, just inside the Outer Banks. The peninsula has very high vulnerability to sea-level rise, one of the hallmarks of climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a January report. ..."

'Stay-cation, happy to get away'

If there is one brightside to the rising cost of gasoline, it is that tourists -- both from North Carolina and from our nearby neighbors -- may opt to enjoy what the Old North State has to offer instead of heading off to Disney World or Paris.

"Visitor spending increased 7.4 percent across North Carolina last year, to a record $17.1 billion, according to information released Tuesday by the state Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development," and according to WRAL.com.

“Our very important state tourism industry continues to grow, even as the national economy is struggling,” Gov. Mike Easley said in a statement. “Tourism is a key economic driver, particularly for several of our rural and urban counties, and plays a critical role in adding new jobs to our economy and supports our other economic development efforts.”

Domestic travelers' expenditures reached $16.5 billion, up 7.2 percent from 2006, while international travelers’ expenditures increased to $607 million, a 13.2 percent jump from the previous year.

Visitor expenditures created 198,900 jobs and nearly $4.2 billion in payroll income statewide last year. Employment increased 2.2 percent, and payroll jumped 4.3 percent from 2006. Visitor spending also generated close to $2.7 billion in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments, up 4.6 percent from 2006.

Earlier reports had stated that our nice, clean beaches saw an increase in visitors, but apparently so did most Triangle-area counties.

"Wake County was one of six counties to register double-digit growth in visitor spending, with a 10.7 percent increase to almost $1.5 billion. Nash County saw the largest jump statewide at 12.7 percent, to $218 million," said the report.

"All Triangle-area counties saw increased tourism spending, except for Lee County, which registered a 0.4 percent decrease."

'Toilet paper flowers' a problem in Blue Ridge Mountains

According to an email from the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, visitors to Graveyard Fields, the "most popular visitor destination south of Asheville, have created a phenomenon of "Charminus floribundum," or toilet paper flowers.

As such, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the Parkway Foundation have begun a water quality study.

"Visitation to this destination has compromised water quality due to lack of facilities and poor sanitation practices," says the email. "A task force of planning professionals and park managers are working together to address this and other identified issues that are compromising the natural loveliness of the area."

Click here for a website for the project.

Quick hits: 'Journeys' for N.C. schoolchildren, women

Textbook series aims to take N.C. students on captivating 'Journeys'
"A new series of social studies textbooks involving North Carolina State University faculty members aims to take elementary and middle-school students on a journey to explore their state, nation and world," according to a news release from N.C. State.

"North Carolina Journeys is a textbook series designed for fourth- through seventh-grade students developed by faculty members from N.C. State's College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS), as well as other scholars and educators from across the state. The series also includes an eighth-grade text written by North Carolina scholar Pamela Grundy. The series takes students on a literal journey across North Carolina and beyond by highlighting key people, places and events in the state's history, while emphasizing North Carolina's connections to the global world.

" 'The series is custom-built for North Carolina,' says Dr. Jim Clark, professor emeritus of English at N.C. State, who was involved in the textbook project. 'It emphasizes reading and assessment – especially the end-of-grade tests and the North Carolina writing assessments. It also addresses the needs of students who are not native English-speakers.' ..."

Blue Ridge Mountains among best quick, affordable vacations for women
"From yoga retreats in Mexico to grand tours of India, dozens of women-only travel companies have made it possible for women to be in their own element while exploring the world. Not every woman has weeks of vacation time at her disposal or the money to travel overseas, though. Luckily, there are plenty of short, affordable women-only tours in the U.S. that promise empowerment, relaxation, and adventure for a fraction of the cost—and time commitment—that other more far-flung trips require," writes USA Today. ...

"After falling in love with backpacking during her six-month journey along the Appalachian Trail in 1996, Melody Blaney started leading wilderness trips for both men and women. In 2001, however, she came to the conclusion that many of her female clients had better experiences in women-only groups, so she co-founded Wildside Adventures for Women with fellow outdoorswoman Patti Landovek.

" 'It was amazing to me the difference between the dynamics on the co-ed trips and the women-only trips,' says Blaney. 'Women were much more relaxed and would take risks or challenge themselves in ways they wouldn't do if men were present.'

"The company now annually runs about 30 two- to five-day backpacking, kayaking, and biking trips around the U.S. designed to help women become comfortable in the outdoors without having to spend a lot of money. ..."