Gardens At The Coast

Gardens At The Coast

Just the mention of the North Carolina Coast conjures images of windswept dunes, towering lighthouses and acres of sea oats. Yet this is also a land of manicured formal gardens, masses of azaleas and unique botanical treasures such as the rare Venus Flytrap.The light, sandy soil is easily cultivated, and the climate is tempered by the Gulf Stream for a lengthy growing season. Anyone can well understand why the earliest settlers enthusiastically made this their home.

Become acquainted with the state's signature gardens, regional treasures and smaller gardens of note.

Edenton
Cupola House Garden - A Colonial Revival Garden designed by Donald Parker of Colonial Williamsburg, with parterres, orchard, arbor and herbs befitting this historically significant 1758 home. 252-482-2637

Kure Beach
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher - Featuring natural habitats and ecosystems, including plants that can prosper at the seashore with minimal care. 910-458-8257

Elizabethan Gardens

Manteo
Elizabethan Gardens - A grand formal garden with abundant plantings, antique statuary and ornaments, and peaceful natural areas memorializing the settlers of "The Lost Colony." 252-473-3234 New Bern
Tryon Palace Historical Sites and Gardens - Elaborate 18th century-style gardens benefiting the royal governor's residence and first capitol of North Carolina. 800-767-1560

Wilmington
Airlie Gardens - A 1920's garden filled with abundant camellias and azaleas offering beautiful waterfront views. 910-793-7531

Bellamy Mansion Museum Gardens - Victorian elegance in gardens with year-round color, featuring a symmetrical series of elliptical and circular parterre beds. 910-251-3700

Burgwin-Wright House Gardens - 18th century-style gardens featuring a parterre garden, terraced orchard at the oldest museum house in southeastern North Carolina. 910-762-0570
UNC-Wilmington Arboretum - A 10-acre wildflower preserve, 200 acres of pine savanna, numerous wetlands and more among the rich natural resources of this campus. 910-962-4177

Windsor
Historical Hope Plantation - Historically correct King Bazemore House Gardens featuring herbs, flowers and vegetables, circa 1763. 252-794-3140

NC History and Historic Sites

From George Washington to Barack Obama, U.S. presidents have slept, studied and taken their first steps in North Carolina. They’ve vacationed here, played golf and visited must-see attractions. Depending on whom you believe, as many as four native sons have held the nation’s highest office. As the state awaits a new moment in history with the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, political junkies of all persuasions can dig into our presidents’ pasts at places across North Carolina.

President James K. Polk State Historic Site (Credit: North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources)

James K. Polk Our 11th president was born on a 150-acre farm south of Charlotte in 1795. The oldest of 10 children, he lived there until 1806, when his family moved to Tennessee. Nine years later, Polk transferred from a Tennessee academy to the University of North Carolina, where he graduated with honors in 1818.Sites to see

• President James K. Polk State Historic Site, Pineville. About 12 miles from convention headquarters in Charlotte, the site features period log structures and furnishings similar to those from Polk’s childhood. Exhibits explore the Mexican-American War, the Oregon boundary dispute, the annexation of California and other events that marked Polk’s single term as president (he did not seek re-election).  
• UNC-Chapel Hill. Polk Place, a tree-lined quadrangle in the heart of the historic campus, is named for the distinguished alumnus. Morehead Planetarium and Science Center displays a bronze statue of Polk in its art rotunda.  
• State Capitol. A monument on the grounds honors Polk, Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson as “Three Presidents North Carolina Gave the Nation.” President Harry S. Truman spoke at its dedication in 1948.

Andrew Johnson In 1808, our 17th president was born in downtown Raleigh in a kitchen at Casso’s Inn, a bustling business where both of his parents worked. After apprenticing as a tailor, he traveled the South, returned to Raleigh, then moved with his family to Tennessee in 1826.
Sites to see

Johnson House

• Andrew Johnson Birthplace. A highway marker across the street from the Capitol approximates the original site of the kitchen. In honor of the Johnson sesquicentennial, Harry S. Truman attended ceremonies at the house, which is now located at Raleigh's Mordecai (pronounced MOR-duh-kee) Historic Park. 
• State Capitol: The monument “Three Presidents North Carolina Gave the Nation.”

Andrew Jackson About 30 miles south of Charlotte, a historic marker in Waxhaw places the birth of our seventh president “a few miles southwest of this spot” in 1767. That could land you in South Carolina, which is consistent with Jackson’s own account, but North Carolina has yet to give up its claim. In any case, Jackson studied law in Salisbury with prominent attorney Spruce Macay and was admitted to the Rowan County bar in 1787. He moved to Tennessee while it was still part of North Carolina.

“Three Presidents North Carolina Gave the Nation”

Sites to see 

• Museum of the Waxhaws and Andrew Jackson Memorial. With its focus on the region’s history and Scots-Irish heritage, the museum illuminates Jackson’s boyhood and influences on his world view as a young Patriot and future president. 
• Salisbury. Stroll down Jackson Street, supposedly named for Old Hickory. A highway marker at the Rowan Public Library notes his tenure with Macay. And the Rowan Museum has a warrant for his arrest on a complaint that was settled out of court. 
• Greensboro Historical Museum. Before moving to Tennessee, Jackson stayed at the family home of his friend John McNairy. The McNairy House has been relocated to the grounds of the museum, whose collection includes native daughter Dolley Madison’s famous red velvet dress and photos of presidential visits. 
• Cherokee. Visit the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Oconaluftee Indian Village and Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, or watch a summer performance of the outdoor drama “Unto These Hills,” for a Native American perspective on the president who administered the Indian Removal Act of 1830.  
• State Capitol: “Three Presidents North Carolina Gave the Nation” monument.

Woodrow Wilson Our 28th president was the son of a minister who was pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington from 1874 to 1885. The future Nobel Peace Prize winner attended Davidson College, a top liberal arts college about 20 miles north of Charlotte, during the 1873-74 academic year. He withdrew because of illness and spent the next year convalescing at his family’s home in Wilmington. Future Congressman John D. Bellamy was among his local friends.
Sites to see

• Davidson College. Wilson is rumored to have planted a tree in the college arboretum. He also played center field on the baseball team, but note that Wilson Field is named for T. Henry Wilson Jr., Class of 1951, and not the president.  
• Wilmington. First Presbyterian Church is near the riverfront in the historic port city; a marker notes the site of the manse where the Wilsons lived. Also, John Bellamy’s home is now the Bellamy Mansion of History and Design Arts. 

Abraham Lincoln The official story places the birth of our 16th president in a log cabin in Kentucky. An alternate story suggests that Nancy Hanks gave birth to the future president in the North Carolina foothills of Bostic, about an hour’s drive from Charlotte.
Site to see

• The Bostic Lincoln Center makes its case at a library on Depot Street and with visits to Lincoln Hill, site of another log cabin.

Something's Brewing in North Carolina

Something’s Brewing In NC It may be hard to bottle this place, but we do it every day. In North Carolina, you’re never far from fresh local beer and people who love to talk about ales, lagers, porters, stouts and the seasonal experiment the brewmaster has on tap. The heady aroma of malted barley, bitter hops and fermenting yeast wafts from 60-plus brewpubs and production breweries – more than any other Southern state – in big cities, coastal villages, mountain towns and rural communities. Their tantalizing variety and award-winning quality earn the state an esteemed place in the world of craft brewing. North Carolina is home to more brewpubs and breweries than any other Southern state North Carolina is home to more brewpubs and breweries than any other Southern state In 2012, Asheville rose to the top of examiner.com’s BeerCity USA poll for the fourth consecutive year. Home to 11 breweries and three beer festivals, the Western North Carolina city also ranks among the “24 greatest cities in the world for drinking beer” according to Gadling, the world’s top travel blog. Asheville even boasts an informative Brews Cruise, which takes guests on guided tours to some of the city's microbreweries. When you lift a pint to toast to North Carolina’s abundant breweries, you’ll have plenty of interesting choices. Celebrate with Gaelic Ale from Highland Brewing Company or Fiddlehead Extra Pale Ale from Green Man Brewery in Asheville. Tipple some Belgian-Style Strong Golden Ale from Triangle Brewing in Durham, Ruby Lager from Olde Hickory Brewery in Hickory or Corolla Gold Beer from Weeping Radish Farm Brewery in Jarvisburg. Try a dark-as-night Jumpin’ Bean Coffee Stout from Carolina Brewery in Chapel Hill, a thirst-quenching Ölsch Pale Ale from the wind-powered Outer Banks Brewing Station in Kill Devil Hills, an award-winning Southbound Stout from Boylan Bridge Brewpub in Raleigh or a fruity Endless River Kolsch-Style Ale from Mother Earth Brewing in Kinston. Sebastian Wolfrum, a co-founder of the North Carolina Brewers Guild and director of brewing operations at Natty Greene’s Pub & Brewing Co. in Greensboro, anticipates there will be more than 50 breweries in the state soon and a growing reputation worldwide. “North Carolina beers win awards regularly at the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado and at the World Beer Cup®,” he says. “In the next few years, some beer styles will be defined by us,” Wolfrum says. Other North Carolina breweries making names for themselves include Natty Greene’s (enjoy the Buckshot Amber Ale); Winston-Salem’s Foothills Brewing (try the Pilot Mountain Pale Ale); Wilmington’s Front Street Brewery (get a chocolaty Dram Tree Scottish Ale); Farmville’s Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery (don’t miss the Milk Stout); and Durham’s Fullsteam Brewery (whose Hogwash Hickory-Smoked Porter pairs well with hickory-smoked barbecue). Fullsteam founder Sean Lilly Wilson, who led the group Pop the Cap in lobbying for laws allowing craft brewing in the state, sees a steadily expanding culture of handcrafted beer enthusiasts. “People appreciate fresh, local, innovative brews,” he says. “They get interested in what’s on tap from week to week. That’s what attracts them to brewpubs in the first place, and it’s what keeps them coming back for more.” Sample regional favorites at one of many annual events, such as the World Beer Festival in Durham, and visit the North Carolina Brewers Guild to learn more about local beer and its community of brewers, wholesalers, retailers and enthusiasts.

Visit Oriental North Carolina

...a place where land and water meet under the best circumstances.  A place shared by fishing trawlers and racing yachts, Victorian homes and modern marinas, shady lanes and waterfront vistas. It’s a quiet place where people smile and wave to passersby. A pace that captivates you so quickly and thoroughly that, from the moment you arrive, you’ll be making your plans to return – or just maybe stay.

Oriental is located in Pamlico County, just below where the Neuse River connects with the Pamlico Sound. The Pamlico is the second largest sound on the East Coast after the Chesapeake Bay. The Neuse River, the widest-mouthed in the US, is five miles across at this point. Five navigable creeks also meet here: Smith, Green’s, Raccoon, Whittaker and Pierce. Connected by a short channel to the Intercoastal Waterway, Oriental has earned a reputation as one of the most popular stops on that well-traveled aquatic thoroughfare.

Because of its unique setting, Oriental is perhaps best known as homeport to some of the East Coast’s finest sailing. In fact, many of the activities here occur in and around the water, such as the Oriental Cup Regatta, sport fishing and the annual Croaker Festival. However, you’ll quickly discover that this congenial Eastern North Carolina town has a lot more to offer.

Remote, yet easily accessible, Oriental is an ideal spot to get away from it all. And once you’re here, you’ll find most everything you need – from local art to local seafood – just a leisurely walk or bike ride away. For those who wish to wander a little farther afield, the surrounding area offers exceptional opportunities for cycling, paddling, hunting, golfing and other activities, all within a short drive.

But most important, Oriental offers the friendly, small-town charm; relaxed comfort and simple serenity that creates the feeling that you somehow belong here. It’s a haven of simple living to which you can return again and again, a place you can call home.

The Georgia Satellites

Hot New Music Groups From The Outer Banks

Hot New Music Groups From The Outer Banks

Whether you like Jazz, Rock, Blues, Country, Hip-Hop, World or a slice of all of it together OBX has a unique blend of diversity when it comes to local music in multiple genres. There are many bars and restaurants that feature live local music which makes the live entertainment music scene rich and ever interesting. Whether you like cover bands or original groups OBX has what you are looking for and something for everyone. One of the greatest features of the Outer Banks music scene is the diversity of local talent with a wide range in age and music taste. In addition, there are plenty of DJ’s and wedding performers as well. There are also online websites that provides a source for music library listening as well as databasing the Outer Banks music scene. Whether you are just traveling into the Outer Banks area on vacation or business or if you are a local resident you will be pleased to discover the potential in live music entertainment. The beauty of this music scene is that there is usually some kind of music event happening almost everyday of the week making it very easy to discover new music and to have a good time in the Outer Banks area.  

Pirate Adventures of the Outer Banks

Welcome to Pirate Adventures of the Outer Banks, a place where children come to experience the magic of sailing away in search of buried treasure. Come aboard our pirate ship and get caught up n this real life adventure and be amazed as our crew taps into the wonder of a child’s imagination. Before you know it your child will be painted with a curly mustache or a beautiful mermaid, dressed up as a pirate and marching off to the ship.

Once aboard the young pirates will learn the rules at sea aboard their pirate ship and read a treasure map to find our sunken treasure. A message in a bottle floats by and the children discover that Pirate Pete, the smelliest, most rotten pirate on the seven seas is lurking nearby and he has something our brave crew needs. Off we go into battle with our famous water cannons! Will the crew defeat Pirate Pete and find the sunken treasure?

On the pirate ship Sea Gypsy we always find the treasure, we always defeat that stinky pirate, and the
children always walk away with incredible stories!

Pirate Adventures of the Outer Banks will begin operating Memorial Day weekend six times a day seven days a week from the town dock in the beautiful waterfront town of Manteo. Our great program, our caring, high energy staff and our committment to your child’s satisfaction make Pirate Adventures an outstanding choice for families on vacation or spending the day together.  

Museum of the Marine

Our Story

Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point and New River, North Carolina are sacred ground to all Marines. On these bases and their supporting auxiliaries, more than four million Marines and other members of the sea services – known as the Carolina Marines – have heeded the call to defend their country and have prepared themselves to respond to crises anywhere in the world.

Since being established during World War II, these bases have played a critical role in the training of an elite fighting force and in the development of technological and tactical innovations.

In many ways, the war in the Pacific from 1942 until 1945 was won on the beaches of Onslow County, North Carolina and in the skies of eastern North Carolina, as the area became a center for amphibious training and the building of Marine units.

The two Army divisions that spearheaded the Allied assault on North Africa and Europe were likewise trained in amphibious operations by Marines and Coast Guardsmen at Camp Lejeune.

A brief history

The Marine Corps came to North Carolina in 1941, following the decision by the U.S. to construct a base devoted to the organization and training of a Marine division. This base, ultimately named Camp Lejeune, was the site at which one complete Marine division (the 1st Marine Division) and components of four additional Marine divisions were trained during World War II. The first African American Marines all trained at Camp Lejeune, as did nearly all of the 23,000 women Marine reservists.

At nearby Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station and its 16 subordinate air stations and air fields, 17 Marine Corps Aircraft Groups and 91 Marine aviation squadrons were trained and deployed, mostly to the Pacific theater.

Our Carolina bases and units endured significant reductions following the war. With the eruption of the Korean War in 1950, however, military leaders quickly realized the need for amphibious expertise and both were substantially augmented. The vastly under-manned 1st Marine Division, then on the west coast, was brought to wartime strength by transferring Camp Lejeune’s 2nd Marine Division units to the 1st Marine Division and changing their designations.

With this reinforcement, the 1st Marine Division conducted what is considered to be the most successful amphibious assault in military history at Inchon, radically altering the course of the war.

Through the wars in Vietnam, the Balkans, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Africa and Iraq, the Carolina Marines have continued to prepare right here on the coast to conduct our country’s most challenging military operations at the “tip of the spear.”

Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.

Recent news: Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. hosted Thalian Hall: Wilmington’s Living Room, a historic theatre forum presented by the League of Historic American Theatres, Inc., October 11-12, 2010 in the recently renovated Thalian Hall.

Representatives from approximately 30 historic theatres and other organizations across the country convened in Wilmington for the League’s quarterly board meeting and another in a series of forums hosted by and for historic theatres. They joined host Tony Rivenbark, Thalian Hall’s Executive Director, in discussions ranging from preserving and sustaining a cultural icon to partnerships for enhancing community engagement and strategies for expanding historic theatres without threatening their unique characters.

By visiting a historic theatre and community renewed, forum participants learned first-hand from Thalian Hall and Wilmington, sharing information and techniques for surviving and thriving during challenging economic times.

Dedicated to sustaining America’s historic theatres for the benefit of their communities and future generations, the League of Historic American Theatres, Inc. is a national network of resources for improving historic theatres, their business and their communities. For more than three decades, League members and their historic theatres -- a growing network of more than 300 historic theatres across the U.S. and Canada -- have been at the forefront in stimulating downtown redevelopment, building community identity and heritage, promoting pride of place and anchoring creative communities.

League members know from direct experience that historic theatres are irreplaceable social, economic, historic and cultural resources for their communities. As successful survivors, historic theatres’ longevity is due to managements who constantly adapt their programming, operations and facilities to remain relevant to their communities.
Additional information about the League of Historic American Theatres, Inc. is available online at www.lhat.org .

The 1858 Thalian Hall is one of the most significant theatres in the United States and has been in almost continuous use since it first opened. The theatre has been under the management of the Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. since 1963. In addition to the historic Thalian Hall Main Stage, the THCPA staff operates the City Council Chambers and Ballroom, and the Studio Theatre. The THCPA operates the Center Box Office, co-ordinates the calendar and supervise the use of the facility. It provides the ushers, and maintains the interior of the building.

THCPA produces the Main Attractions Concert Series, the Adventures in Arts Series for family audiences, and the Cinematique Film Series with WHQR. It also serves as a private foundation by subsidizing the use of the theatre by a wide range of community users.

Last year there were over 250 shows, events and films for a total of 495 performances, and these programs attracted audiences totaling more than 85,000 people. The events ranged from music to ballet and theatre, from pop, jazz, folk and country music to the finest in domestic, independent and foreign films. The Thalian Hall complex is the site of recitals, awards ceremonies, film festivals, lectures and charity events, and is "home" to a large number of theatre and performing companies, including By Chance Productions, Opera House Theatre, Thalian Association, Willis Richardson Players, Theatre Exchange, and Stageworks Youth Theatre.

Thalian Hall is an education center, with unique performances and programs attracting more than 10,000 school children each season. Thalian Hall is one of the most heavily utilized facilities of its kind in the nation and is an economic generator stimulating the local economy by more than $2 million dollars annually. Today Thalian Hall continues to serve as the most enduring symbol of Wilmington’s cultural heritage and exciting plans are in process for its future under the direction of the THCPA.

Explore here to learn about the near-limitless activities and opportunities that Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts affords our community and our visitors.

Core Sound Museum

Much has been said about the flare bow of Harkers Island boats. Writers and boat builders have come from across the country to marvel at the engineering that its structure exemplifies. They are amazed at how the shape of the bow worked the shallow waters of Core Sound and the way the soft juniper wood would make the angle of the curve. How could a man with only an innate knowledge of the water and a natural talent for working wood develop such a design? The answer is simple; he knew what was needed and he built it. The boat's beauty is the culmination of that understanding.

Other boatbuilders on the Island explained it this way: "Brady had a gift for building things and he understood the water. The curve of the bow turns water away from the inside of the boat, the round stern has no corner for net to get hung on; practical thinking, practical people, fine craftsmanship, ingenious results." From his influence has come a long legacy of master boatbuilders and an industry whose trademark Harkers Island "flare" is recognized worldwide.

The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum recognizes the "Jean Dale" as a story that goes far beyond boat building design. This vessel's history reflects the talents and strength of a community of people who for generations have made a life for themselves and their families with that same style and ingenuity. Mr. Brady's boats began with a hatchet and just the right tree to make the "knee" of the boat. Brady Lewis believed he had all he needed and he made it work.

In that day, the people of Harkers Island accepted that reality in everything they did. Their resourcefulness was their survival, their work was their success and their character was shaped by both. The "Jean Dale" is a beautiful symbol of all that. That is the story she tells.

Calvin Rose, one of the legendary Rose Brothers boat builders was born and raised among these boats all his life. He explained Harkers Island boats this way. "What makes Harkers Island boats the best? I guess it's the material, the design of the boat that we put in it and then we put ourselves in that boat. When that boat is finished, what's in us is in that boat and I think that's what makes our boat one of the best boats built ..."

Mr. Harry Lewis, the man who owned, fished and loved the "Jean Dale," was a man who worked the water by putting himself into his work. Depending on the season, the wind, the tide (in other words, "what he had") and the working knowledge and determination born in him, Mr. Harry made a living for his family. His children's names, Patty Jean and Dale, graced the vessel he worked and loved for more than half a century. His family, his work and his boat were all one and the same.

It is this community's story that the "Jean Dale" tells and the heritage we will carry on.

Funding provided by the NC Arts Council to document this historic vessel.

Airlie Gardens

Airlie continues to amaze visitors with its breathtaking combination of formal gardens, wildlife, historic structures, walking trails, sculptures, views of Bradley Creek, 10-acres of freshwater lakes, more than 100,000 azaleas and the grandeur of the 467-year-old Airlie Oak.