Every North Carolinian must ______

 

I don't recall what it was that spurred this thought, but the other day I wondered, "What are the quintessential things that every North Carolinian MUST do at least once?" 

It may have been an article about the dunes at Jockeys Ridge that had me thinking about it. Or it may have been a discussion about Sliding Rock. Regardless, what do you think are the things that should be givens if you are to call North Carolina home?

Here are a few off the top of my head, in addition to the aforementioned ones:

• Attend an ACC basketball game
• Visit the Biltmore House
• Enjoy barbecue at one of the holy cathedrals of 'cue
• Spend a day (or half-day) at Tweetsie Railroad
• Test out if the legend about The Blowing Rock is legit
• Pay a visit to Old Salem
• Enjoy a pork chop sandwich and the Mayberry sites in Mount Airy
• Watch an outdoor drama like "The Lost Colony," "From This Day Forward" or others
• Play Pinehurst No. 2 (or any other great course)
  

 

What else would you include on this list? Please share in the comments.

Sliding Rock image from Blue Ridge Mountain  Life

Economy effecting Harrah's, Old Salem

Not that this should surprise anyone, but one of the state's oldest tourist attractions and one of its newest are being severely impacted by the national economic crisis.

The Citizen-Times reports that Harrah's Casino in the mountains is "facing job cuts for the first time in its 11-year history."

The casino will reduce its work force this year by 5 percent, or about 100 jobs. The company is making the cuts voluntary at first, with offers of severance to workers based on years of service.Harrah's managers told employees about the plan in a meeting Monday.

General manager Darold Londo said in a statement the casino would turn to layoffs if the reduction isn't achieved voluntarily. He said the weak economy has meant fewer customers.

The casino has enjoyed steady growth since it opened in the fall of 1997, becoming one of the region's largest private employers, with about 1,800 workers. ...

In addition, the payments to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which owns the casino, were also down for the first time.

"The tribe's 13,500 members receive a check twice a year from casino profits. The last check of the year, issued Dec. 1, was $4,473 for each member, an 11 percent drop from June."

A little further east and north, Old Salem announced it will lay off workers and "change the way it tells its story to tourists," according to the News & Record of Greensboro.

The museum will trim its staff from 120 to 95 full-time workers and from 103 to 79 part-time workers through voluntary retirements and layoffs, said Lee French, the president of Old Salem Inc. ...

Some of the positions have been vacant for some time and will not be filled. A few full-time positions will be converted to part time. ...

Old Salem's management and its board of directors have worked on the plan for about six months, French said. ...

But laying people off and cutting costs can't be the end of the story, he said. Old Salem needs new ideas and new energy to attract visitors.

''I don't think you can just lay off and expect the world to get better," French said. ...

The museum is changing the way it does its tours, starting next Tuesday. Currently, people pay $21 for a one-day ticket that gives them admission to buildings in the village and a history of life there.

Under the reorganization, visitors would pay $21 for a two-day ticket. The history of the village in the 18th and 19th century would be presented on alternate days.

Who knew there was an Appian Way ... in N.C.?

While working on something completely unrelated, I came across this note in the Encyclopedia of North Carolina by William S. Powell:

The Appian Way of North Carolina "was a plank road built by the Fayetteville and Western Plank Road Company that extended 129 miles from Fayetteville to Bethania. Completed to Salem in 1853, it reached Bethania on 28 Oct. 1854 and at the time was the longest plank road in the world. The road's descriptive name suggests its important -- the ancient road of the same name built in in Italy in A.D. 312 extended 132 miles from Rome to modern Santa Maria Capua Vetere. Eventually continued into southern Italy, the Appian Way was considered to be the 'queen of long-distance roads.'"

Who knew?

Old Salem tabbed as a top 10 place to find your farming roots

Old Salem (in Winston-Salem) has been named as one of the top 10 "places to dig up old dirt on farming" and to "see where our food comes from" by USA Today's Travel section.

The selections were compiled by Judith Sheridan, secretary/treasurer of the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (alhfam.org), a volunteer organization that promotes agricultural tourism and living history.

Regarding Old Salem, Sheridan says that "folks often come here for the four museums — a toy museum, decorative arts museum, children's museum and the Town of Salem, a historic Moravian community. But this place has always been famous for its gardens." USA Today says that "You'll see fruit and vegetables growing in the many different gardens as well as wheat, flax and cotton. 888-653-7253; oldsalem.org ."