N.C. is "First in FRIGHT!"

We are big fans of the spooky and the creepy that North Carolina has to offer. (We've documented that many times through the years.) So you can imagine our excitement when we got an alert that there's a new resource from the good folks at Visit North Carolina called "First in Fright." And just in time for Halloween, too!

"From historic hauntings to unexplained mysteries, find out why these North Carolina destinations will haunt you in the best way."

The site offers spooky trails for the coast, piedmont and mountains -- and haunted places where you can spend the night -- IF YOU DARE!

Oh, and there's a podcast. 

Check it out. Even though it's fright-tastic, the site also offers a list of family-friendly events available all over the state.

When beach music taught Southerners how to 'dance sexy'

The folks over at WUNC very recently published a really well-done piece about the history of Beach Music -- and how it helped teach us Southerners "how to dance sexy."

(They also somewhat concur with the Beach Music Origin Story that I, personally, subscribe to -- and professed on a recent episode of the Finest Worksongs podcast, which you can listen to here.)

Charlie Shelton-Ormond: It actually started in the mid to late 1940s, kind of, uh, like post World War II on the Carolina coast. So John Hook told me about a guy who was white and had a club at Carolina Beach in the mid 40s, and he started playing this kind of soul music off of a jukebox, followed by getting out there on the dance floor and showcasing the kind of dancing he'd seen in the Black community, which eventually came to be known as shag dancing.

So one thing to keep in mind is while most people tend to think of Beach Music as a VERY WHITE attempt at enjoying Black R&B, it is -- at its essence -- a very integrated genre of music -- and should be celebrated as such.

HOWEVER, one of the most interesting parts of the WUNC piece is the "difference" that they point out between the shag dance and "swing" dance -- though they are essentially the same -- or at least VERY similar if embraced by different races.

Anisa Khalifa: So at this festival that Curtis Platt puts on, is he showcasing the same kind of dance that you can find at the Spring Safari? How does it compare?

Charlie Shelton-Ormond: It's similar, but it's not the same. So Curtis said white folks call it shag, and the Black community has always called it swing.

Anisa Khalifa: Oh.

Curtis Platt: What you call the shag, but we call it swing dancing. The art of the dance doesn't really change. It all derived from the lindy hop and the jitterbug. And of course the beach music, they call it the beach music, the shag, but. That's in the history books, but in the Black community, it's the swing.

Charlie Shelton-Ormond: As Curtis is saying, shag dancing and swing dancing, it's all kind of coming from the same starting point, um, but there are distinctly different labels that people put on this different type of dancing.

No matter what you call it, it's such an important piece of our heritage here in the Carolinas. Thanks to WUNC for honoring it. 

17% of North Carolinians would want to secede (again)

According to a YouGov survey, 17% of North Carolinians would very much like to secede from the Union. This wouldn't be the state's first (or even second) taste of secession -- neither tended to end well, if we're being honest. 

But it should be noted that N.C.'s percentage is below the national average from this survey.

The idea of states leaving the American union has attracted substantial attention in recent months amid near unprecedented tensions between Democrats and Republicans, which surged following the 2020 presidential election. In February 2023, House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia sparked controversy and debate by calling for a "national divorce" between "red states and blue states."

The YouGov survey found that 23 percent of adults want their state to become independent, with 51 percent opposed and 27 percent unsure. The poll was conducted between February 2 and 5.

The Old North State falls squarely in the middle of the pack. Alaska, Texas and California are the most prone to want to secede at 36, 31 and 29 percent, respectively. The most "pro-union" states are Minnesota, Ohio, Massachussets and Rhode Island at 13% (MN) and 14%.

What is North Carolina's most iconic brand?

Pepsi.

Texas Pete.

Krispy Kreme.

Those are some of the most well-known brands in America, and they were born in North Carolina. But they are not alone. The Old North State has also given birth to some other high-profile brands like Cheerwine, Mount Olive pickles, Bojangles, Hardee's and Goodys powders. 

We can also add to the list Cook-Out and Biscuitville, though they are both more regionally-bound brands and Biscuitville, admittedly, started in Danville, VA. Also, don't sleep on Lance crackers:

In 1913 Phillip Lott a food broker from Charlotte got stuck with 500 pounds of peanuts. He sold them and was then inspired to create the now popular snack company.

(Also: What is the deal with all this food?!) 

But what is the most iconic "brand" of all to come from North Carolina?

One could argue sports/college brands like the ACC, UNC, Duke, NC State would make the list. Or perhaps NASCAR (which got its start in the hills of the state). 

Or, perhaps, the most famous brand is just "barbecue." I think we may all agree on that ... though WHICH kind may still lead to some PASSIONATE discussions.

Image courtesy of NCTripping.com

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

British soil on Ocracoke

On Friday, May 12, on the North Carolina island of Ocracoke, a ceremony will be held once again to honor British seaman who were lost off the coast more than 80 years ago. And while the event itself is special, it is worth noting that the soldiers are buried -- technically -- on British soil.

This year marks the 81st anniversary of the sinking of H.M.T. Bedfordshire off the North Carolina coast on May 11, 1942, writes the Island Press. ... Representatives from the British Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy will be in attendance, as well as members of the United States Coast Guard, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and students from Ocracoke School.

 When the ship went down due to a German torpedo, all 37 sailors on board died. Most of the bodies were never recovered, save for the four that washed ashore on Ocracoke.

From Atlas Obscura:

The people of Ocracoke wanted to honor the four men, and a small plot of land was donated to create a British Cemetery alongside the village cemetery. Initially it was unofficially cared for by the townspeople, simply thankful for the sacrifice of the sailors. Eventually the grounds were leased in perpetuity to the British Commonwealth for as long as the sailors are buried there, so technically the four men are buried on home soil.

... Plaques near the graves tell the story of Bedfordshire and list all the names of those who died, and a few lines from poet Rupert Brooke:

     “If I should die think only this of me

     That there’s some corner of a foreign field

     That is forever England.”

If you'd like to show support, you can make donations at ocracokepreservationsociety.org/donations or make checks payable to Ocracoke Preservation Society with “British Cemetery” in the memo line and mail to: OPS, Box 1240, Ocracoke, NC 27960.

 

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.

...

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.