Legendary N.C. ghost spot to be immortalized on the silver screen

Easily one of our favorite (and most popular) Tar Heel State ghost stories is the Devil's Tramping Ground near Siler City. It's the place where Satan reportedly does his nightly planning by walking in a circle -- and thus ruining the ability for anything to grow.

Now, the "Devil's Stomping Ground" is being immortalized in film, writes WRAL's "Out and About." (In fact, kudos to WRAL for an extensive look at the history of the spot.)

In the movie, a group of college film students visit the place in rural NC known as "The Devil's Stomping Ground" to shoot their senior short project. Their footage is recovered the next day, but the students are nowhere to be found.

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It seems like the mystery of the Devil's Tramping Ground has always been part of North Carolina's mythology. However, all stories must have a beginning, and many would be surprised to discover written accounts of the tramping ground dating back into the 1700s – and oral accounts dating back to before the founding of the United States itself.

In fact, the Chatham County Deed Book has a 1784 deed referring to the Devil's Tramping Ground as 'the Poison Field tract,' meaning the unusually barren spot was well known enough to have a name even then.

 

The movie sounds an awful lot like "The Blair Witch Project." But who are we to judge -- especially when it's about one of our own special spots. According to IMDB.com, the filming has taken place/will take place in Wilmington and the actual spot itself.

N.C.'s best food tourism spots?

This may come off as snooty, and it's really not meant to, but since I live in Raleigh, I don't necessarily have to leave my city to enjoy great restaurants. The Capital City has come a long way over the past two decades or so in offering a veritable cornucopia of culinary delights. But that doesn't mean I don't look for those hot spots or "must-hit" spots around this great state. And there are plenty. Some are a short drive away, while others ... not so much.

In fact, a random conversation among coworkers a couple of weeks ago about favorite haunts around the state got me thinking: Just how far will you go for "food tourism?"


My grandparents, many moons ago, used to fly friends (in a small plane) from Clinton to Raleigh, just to have an evening at the Angus Barn. These days, I know a fair number of folks who can make a day or two out of heading to Kinston to see what Vivian Howard is cooking up at The Chef and the Farmer. People also sample the goods at Mother Earth Brewing as well. (Both of these are on my own personal "food tourism" bucket list.)


WRAL's Scott Mason, the Tar Heel Traveler, recently put out a map of some of the more popular restaurants in the state. Not surprisingly, many of these would qualify, in my mind, as food destinations: Britt's Donuts in Carolina Beach, the Roast Grill in Raleigh, Sherry's Bakery in Dunn (a personal favorite of mine).  We ARE in North Carolina, so BBQ places also made the cut (thank God!). And I know of people who have made the trek to Siler City just on the off-chance that they can enjoy a burger from Johnson's Drive-In before they run out of beef. Another place that I don't think made Scott's list but seems to be a sort of Mecca for some is the Beefmastor Inn (note the 'o') in Wilson County.

So a couple of questions .... what are some of your favorite food tourism sites in North Carolina? And how far are you willing to drive JUST to enjoy food? Feel free to share in the comments below.

Johnson's Drive-In image from Our State; Beefmastor image from greenolivemedia.blogspot.com