Posted Aug 11, 2009, 1:38 pm
Posted Aug 18, 2009, 12:37 am
As soon as I bust out of my envelope I am greeted by two other Toy Voyagers that are staying in the house. One toy is a Moose his name is Hirvuli and the other is a pink frog named Baubles, I was so glad to meet them!
Here I am with all my goodies.
Here I am with my official North Carolina postcard!!
I get on the computer and I Google a map of the USA so I can show you where I am!! See the pink state close to me? thats where I am!
I get to meet the dog that lives in the house. She is a spoiled FAT pug named Thumper. I have been told I need to stay up out of Thumper's reach or she will try to pick me up and carry me around!
For my first dinner Darcie makes us a Tater Tot Casserole. It has meat, a TON of cheese and Tater Tots!! It was sooooo good!
I found out that Darcie's husband Steve races motorcycle's for a hobby and that I got here just in time to go to a race next weekend! I will be going to Summit Point, West Virginia! I will have a 7 hour drive through the beautiful Shennondoah Valley. We are taking a Toy Hauler and camping out in the paddock at the track with all the other racers. When I heard the name Toy Hauler I thought that meant it was for ME!! hahaha Basically it is a fully enclosed trailer that has beds, kitchen, bathroom, air conditioning, fridge, flat screen TV and a table for eating. Darcie says it wouldnt be camping without being comfy! lol we are going to have a TON of fun and I heard I get to try Steve's GSXR 600 out on the track for a few laps. I will take a ton of photos for you to see me having fun and being part of the race crew! Here is the link to where I am going if you care to see it.
http://www.summitpoint-raceway.com/
During dinner I watched my first AMA Superbike race. Here I am with the other TVS cheering on Josh Harrin. They held the race at VIR (Virginia International Raceway) this is the closest track to my new home and also my hosts very favorite!!
It sure looks tricky to ride at high speeds while going around those corners!
After we watched the race we went out to the garage to help Steve work on his race bike. It is a total mess right now because he had the forks adjusted and is fine tuning everything for the race. I work great on a bike since I can get in small places!
We get out the repair manuel and start reading....
Here we are sitting on the back tail piece that is totally stripped down waiting for some parts that will be here tommorro.
Here we are in front of the racing leathers that are hanging up in the garage. Id like to get a set myself
Here we are on the front stand.
We have a TON of work to do in the next few days and it sure is fun hanging out in the garage! Oh guess what? The garage has air conditioning so we dont sweat to death! Anyways mom I just wanted to let you know Im here and Im safe and I am having a blast!!
Love
Henry-Bo
Posted Aug 23, 2009, 12:24 am
Today I got on the computer and did a bunch of research on the state of North Carolina. I have prepared a big report for you to read about the Tarheel state!! I am having fun and a new TV arrived today named Holgihh. Now there is a big gang of us here in the house and we are having a great time! I hope you enjoy my report!!
North Carolina is bordered by South Carolina on the south, Georgia on the southwest, Tennessee on the west, Virginia on the north, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The United States Census Bureau classifies North Carolina as a southern state in the subcategory of being one of the South Atlantic States.
North Carolina consists of three main geographic sections: the coastal plain, which occupies the eastern 45% of the state; the Piedmont region, which contains the middle 35%; and the Appalachian Mountains and foothills. The extreme eastern section of the state contains the Outer Banks, a string of sandy, narrow islands which form a barrier between the Atlantic Ocean and inland waterways. The Outer Banks form two sounds—Albemarle Sound in the north and Pamlico Sound in the south. They are the two largest landlocked sounds in the United States.
Immediately inland, the coastal plain is relatively flat, with rich soils ideal for growing tobacco, soybeans, melons, and cotton. The coastal plain is North Carolina's most rural section, with few large towns or cities. Agriculture remains an important industry. The major rivers of the coastal plain: the Neuse, Tar, Pamlico, and Cape Fear, tend to be slow-moving and wide.
The coastal plain transitions to the Piedmont region along the "fall line", a line which marks the elevation at which waterfalls first appear on streams and rivers. The Piedmont region of central North Carolina is the state's most urbanized and densely populated section - all five of the state's largest cities are located in the Piedmont. It consists of gently rolling countryside frequently broken by hills or low mountain ridges. A number of small, isolated, and deeply eroded mountain ranges and peaks are located in the Piedmont, including the Sauratown Mountains, Pilot Mountain, the Uwharrie Mountains, Crowder's Mountain, King's Pinnacle, the Brushy Mountains, and the South Mountains. The Piedmont ranges from about 300–400 feet (90–120 m) elevation in the east to over 1,000 feet (300 m) in the west. Due to the rapid population growth of the Piedmont, many of the farms and much of the rural countryside in this region is being replaced by suburbanization: shopping centers, housing developments, and large corporate office parks. Agriculture is steadily declining in importance in this region. The major rivers of the Piedmont, such as the Yadkin and Catawba, tend to be fast-flowing, shallow, and narrow.
The western section of the state is part of the Appalachian Mountain range. Among the subranges of the Appalachians located in the state are the Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, Great Balsam Mountains, and the Black Mountains. The Black Mountains are the highest in the Eastern United States, and culminate in Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,037 m).[3] It is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. Although agriculture remains important, tourism has become the dominant industry in the mountains. One agricultural pursuit which has prospered and grown in recent decades is the growing and selling of Christmas Trees. Due to the higher altitude of the mountains, the climate often differs markedly from the rest of the state. Winters in western North Carolina typically feature significant snowfall and subfreezing temperatures more akin to a midwestern state than a southern one.
North Carolina has 17 major river basins. Five of the state's river basins: the Hiwassee, Little Tennessee, French Broad, Watauga and New, are part of the Mississippi River Basin, which drains to the Gulf of Mexico. All the others flow to the Atlantic Ocean. Of the 17 basins, 11 originate within the state of North Carolina, but only four are contained entirely within the state's borders - the Cape Fear, Neuse, White Oak and Tar-Pamlico.
The coastal plain is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean which keeps temperatures mild in winter and moderate in the summer. Daytime high temperatures on the coast average less than 89 °F (31.6 °C) during the summer. In the winter, the coast has the mildest temperatures in the state, with daytime temperatures rarely dropping below 40 °F (4.4 °C); the average daytime winter temperature in the coastal plain is usually in the mid-60's. Temperatures in the coastal plain rarely drop below freezing even at night. The coastal plain usually receives only one inch (2.5 cm) of snow and/or ice annually, and in some years there may be no snow or ice at all.
The Atlantic Ocean has less influence on the Piedmont region, and as a result the Piedmont has hotter summers and colder winters than the coast. Daytime highs in the Piedmont often average over 90 °F (32.2 °C) in the summer. While it is not common for temperatures to reach over 100 °F (37.8 °C) in North Carolina, when it happens, the highest temperatures are to be found in the lower areas of the Piedmont, especially around the city of Fayetteville. Additionally, the weaker influence of the Atlantic Ocean means that temperatures in the Piedmont often fluctuate more widely than the coast.
In the winter, the Piedmont is much less mild than the coast, with daytime temperatures that are usually in the mid 50's, and temperatures often drop below freezing at night. The region averages from 3–5 inches of snowfall annually in the Charlotte area to 6–8 inches in the Raleigh–Durham area. The Piedmont is especially notorious for sleet and freezing rain. It can be heavy enough in some storms to snarl traffic and collapse trees and power lines. Annual precipitation and humidity is lower in the Piedmont than either the mountains or the coast, but even at its lowest, the precipitation is a generous 40 in (102 cm) per year.
The Appalachian Mountains are the coolest area of the state, with daytime temperatures averaging in the low 40's and upper 30's for highs in the winter and often falling into the teens (−9 °C) or lower on winter nights. Relatively cool summers have temperatures rarely rising above 80 °F (26.7 °C). Snowfall in the mountains is usually 14–20 in (36–51 cm) per year, but it is often greater in the higher elevations. For example, during the Blizzard of 1993 more than 50 inches (130 cm) of snow fell on Mount Mitchell over a period of three days.
Severe weather occurs regularly in North Carolina. On average, the state receives a direct hit from a hurricane once a decade. Tropical storms arrive every 3 or 4 years. In some years, several hurricanes or tropical storms can directly strike the state or brush across the coastal areas. Only Florida and Louisiana are hit by hurricanes more often. Although many people believe that hurricanes menace only coastal areas, the rare hurricane which moves inland quickly enough can cause severe damage. In 1989 Hurricane Hugo caused heavy damage in Charlotte and even as far inland as the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwestern part of the state. On average, North Carolina has 50 days of thunderstorm activity per year, with some storms becoming severe enough to produce hail, flash floods, and damaging winds.
North Carolina averages fewer than 20 tornadoes per year. Many of these are produced by hurricanes or tropical storms along the coastal plain. Tornadoes from thunderstorms are a risk, especially in the eastern part of the state. The western piedmont is often protected by the mountains breaking storms up as they try to cross over them. The storms will often reform farther east. Also a weather feature known as "cold air damming" occurs in the western part of the state. This can also weaken storms but can also lead to major ice events in winter."[8]
North Carolina was originally inhabited by many different native peoples, including those of the ancient Mississippian culture established by 1000 A.D. in the Piedmont. Historically documented tribes included Cherokee, Tuscarora, Cheraw, Pamlico, Meherrin, Coree, Machapunga, Cape Fear Indians, Waxhaw, Saponi, Tutelo, Waccamaw, Coharie, and Catawba.
Spanish explorers traveling inland encountered the last of the Mississippian culture at Joara, near present-day Morganton. Records of Hernando de Soto attested to his meeting with them in 1540. In 1567 Captain Juan Pardo led an expedition into the interior of North Carolina on a journey to claim the area for the Spanish colony, as well as establish another route to protect silver mines in Mexico (the Spanish did not realize the distances involved.) Pardo made a winter base at Joara, which he renamed Cuenca. The expedition built Fort San Juan and left 30 men, while Pardo traveled further, establishing five other forts. He returned by a different route to Santa Elena on Parris Island, South Carolina, then a center of Spanish Florida. In the spring of 1568, natives killed all the soldiers and burned the six forts in the interior, including the one at Fort San Juan. The Spanish never returned to the interior to press their colonial claim, but this marked the first European attempt at colonization of the interior of what became the United States. A journal by Pardo's scribe Bandera and archaeological findings at Joara have confirmed the settlement.[9][10]
Sir Walter Raleigh returns to find the colony abandonedIn 1584, Elizabeth I, granted a charter to Sir Walter Raleigh, for whom the state capital is named, for land in present-day North Carolina (then Virginia).[11] Raleigh established two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s, both ending in failure. It was the second American territory the British attempted to colonize. The demise of one, the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke Island, remains one of the great mysteries of American history. Virginia Dare, the first English child to be born in North America, was born on Roanoke Island on August 18, 1587. Dare County is named for her.
Main article: Province of Carolina
As early as 1650, colonists from the Virginia colony moved into the area of Albemarle Sound. By 1663, King Charles II of England granted a charter to establish a new colony on the North American continent which generally established its borders. He named it Carolina in honor of his father Charles I.[12] By 1665, a second charter was issued to attempt to resolve territorial questions. In 1710, due to disputes over governance, the Carolina colony began to split into North Carolina and South Carolina. The latter became a crown colony in 1729.
Colonial Period and Revolutionary War
Main article: American Revolutionary War
Reconstructed royal governor's mansion Tryon Palace in New BernThe first permanent European settlers of North Carolina were British colonists who migrated south from Virginia, following a rapid growth of the colony and the subsequent shortage of available farmland. Nathaniel Batts was documented as one of the first of these Virginian migrants. He settled south of the Chowan River and east of the Great Dismal Swamp in 1655.[13] By 1663, this northeastern area of the Province of Carolina, known as the Albemarle Settlements, was undergoing full-scale British settlement.[14] During the same period, the English monarch Charles II gave the province to the Lords Proprietors, a group of noblemen who had helped restore Charles to the throne in 1660. The new province of "Carolina" was named in honor and memory of King Charles I (Latin: Carolus). In 1712, North Carolina became a separate colony. With the exception of the Earl Granville holdings, it became a royal colony seventeen years later.[15]
Differences in the settlement patterns of eastern and western North Carolina, or the low country and uplands, affected the political, economic, and social life of the state from the eighteenth until the twentieth century. The Tidewater in eastern North Carolina was settled chiefly by immigrants from England and the Scottish Highlands. The upcountry of western North Carolina was settled chiefly by Scots-Irish and German Protestants, the so-called "cohee". Arriving during the mid-to-late 18th century, the Scots-Irish from Ireland were the largest immigrant group before the Revolution. During the Revolutionary War, the English and Highland Scots of eastern North Carolina tended to remain loyal to the British Crown, because of longstanding business and personal connections with Great Britain. The Scots-Irish and German settlers of western North Carolina tended to favor American independence from Britain.
Most of the English colonists arrived as indentured servants, hiring themselves out as laborers for a fixed period to pay for their passage. In the early years the line between indentured servants and African slaves or laborers was fluid. Some Africans were allowed to earn their freedom before slavery became a lifelong status. Most of the free colored families formed in North Carolina before the Revolution were descended from relationships or marriages between free white women and enslaved or free African or African-American men. Many had migrated or were descendants of migrants from colonial Virginia.[16] As the flow of indentured laborers to the colony decreased with improving economic conditions in Great Britain, more slaves were imported and the state's restrictions on slavery hardened. The economy's growth and prosperity was based on slave labor, devoted first to the production of tobacco.
On April 12, 1776, the colony became the first to instruct its delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence from the British crown, through the Halifax Resolves passed by the North Carolina Provincial Congress. The dates of both of these independence-related events are memorialized on the state flag and state seal.[17] Throughout the Revolutionary War, fierce guerilla warfare erupted between bands of pro-independence and pro-British colonists. In some cases the war was also an excuse to settle private grudges and rivalries. A major American victory in the war took place at King's Mountain along the North Carolina–South Carolina border. On October 7, 1780 a force of 1000 mountain men from western North Carolina (including what is today the State of Tennessee) overwhelmed a force of some 1000 British troops led by Major Patrick Ferguson. Most of the British soldiers in this battle were Carolinians who had remained loyal to the British Crown (they were called "Tories"). The American victory at Kings Mountain gave the advantage to colonists who favored American independence, and it prevented the British Army from recruiting new soldiers from the Tories.
The road to Yorktown and America's independence from Great Britain led through North Carolina. As the British Army moved north from victories in Charleston and Camden, South Carolina, the Southern Division of the Continental Army and local militia prepared to meet them. Following General Daniel Morgan's victory over the British Cavalry Commander Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781, southern commander Nathanael Greene led British Lord Charles Cornwallis across the heartland of North Carolina, and away from Cornwallis's base of supply in Charleston, South Carolina. This campaign is known as "The Race to the Dan" or "The Race for the River."[15]
Generals Greene and Cornwallis finally met at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in present-day Greensboro on March 15, 1781. Although the British troops held the field at the end of the battle, their casualties at the hands of the numerically superior American Army were crippling. Following this "Pyhrric victory", Cornwallis chose to move to the Virginia coastline to get reinforcements, and to allow the Royal Navy to protect his battered army. This decision would result in Cornwallis's eventual defeat at Yorktown, Virginia later in 1781. The Patriots' victory there guaranteed American independence.
Antebellum Period
On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the twelfth state to ratify the Constitution. In 1840, it completed the state capitol building in Raleigh, still standing today. Most of North Carolina's slave owners and large plantations were located in the eastern portion of the state. Although North Carolina's plantation system was smaller and less cohesive than those of Virginia, Georgia or South Carolina, there were significant numbers of planters concentrated in the counties around the port cities of Wilmington and Edenton, as well as suburban planters around the cities of Raleigh, Charlotte and Durham. Planters owning large estates wielded significant political and socio-economic power in antebellum North Carolina, often to the derision of the generally non-slave holding "yeoman" farmers of Western North Carolina. In mid-century, the state's rural and commercial areas were connected by the construction of a 129–mile (208 km) wooden plank road, known as a "farmer's railroad," from Fayetteville in the east to Bethania (northwest of Winston-Salem).[15]
In addition to slaves, there were a number of free people of color in the state. Most were descended from free African Americans who had migrated along with neighbors from Virginia during the eighteenth century. After the Revolution, Quakers and Mennonites worked to persuade slaveholders to free their slaves. Enough were inspired by their efforts and the language of men's rights, and arranged for manumission of their slaves. The number of free people of color rose in the first couple of decades after the Revolution.[18]
On October 25, 1836 construction began on the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad[19] to connect the port city of Wilmington with the state capital of Raleigh. In 1849 the North Carolina Railroad was created by act of the legislature to extend that railroad west to Greensboro, High Point, and Charlotte. During the Civil War the Wilmington-to-Raleigh stretch of the railroad would be vital to the Confederate war effort; supplies shipped into Wilmington would be moved by rail through Raleigh to the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.
During the antebellum period North Carolina was an overwhelmingly rural state, even by Southern standards. In 1860 only one North Carolina town, the port city of Wilmington, had a population of more than 10,000. Raleigh, the state capital, had barely more than 5,000 residents.
While slaveholding was slightly less concentrated than in some Southern states, according to the 1860 census, more than 330,000 people, or 33% of the population of 992,622 were enslaved African-Americans. They lived and worked chiefly on plantations in the eastern Tidewater. In addition, 30,463 free people of color lived in the state. They were also concentrated in the eastern coastal plain, especially at port cities such as Wilmington and New Bern where they had access to a variety of jobs. Free African Americans were allowed to vote until 1835, when the state rescinded their suffrage.
American Civil War
Main article: American Civil War
In 1860, North Carolina was a slave state, in which about one-third of the population of 992,622 were enslaved African Americans. This was a smaller proportion than many Southern states. In addition, the state had a substantial number of Free Negroes, just over 30,000.[20] The state did not vote to join the Confederacy until President Abraham Lincoln called on it to invade its sister-state, South Carolina, becoming the second to last state to join the Confederacy. North Carolina was the site of few battles, but it provided at least 125,000 troops to the Confederacy— far more than any other state. Approximately 40,000 of those troops never returned home, dying of disease, battlefield wounds, and starvation. Elected in 1862, Governor Zebulon Baird Vance tried to maintain state autonomy against Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond.
Even after secession, some North Carolinians refused to support the Confederacy. This was particularly true of non-slave-owning farmers in the state's mountains and western Piedmont region. Some of these farmers remained neutral during the war, while some covertly supported the Union cause during the conflict. Approximately 2,000 North Carolinians from western North Carolina enlisted in the Union Army and fought for the North in the war, and two additional Union Army regiments were raised in the coastal areas of the state that were occupied by Union forces in 1862 and 1863. Even so, Confederate troops from all parts of North Carolina served in virtually all the major battles of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy's most famous army. The largest battle fought in North Carolina was at Bentonville, which was a futile attempt by Confederate General Joseph Johnston to slow Union General William Tecumseh Sherman's advance through the Carolinas in the spring of 1865.[15] In April 1865 after losing the Battle of Morrisville, Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Bennett Place, in what is today Durham, North Carolina. This was the last major Confederate Army to surrender. North Carolina's port city of Wilmington was the last Confederate port to fall to the Union. It fell in the spring of 1865 after the nearby Second Battle of Fort Fisher.
Bennett Place historic site in Durham, North Carolina.The first Confederate soldier to be killed in the Civil War was Private Henry Wyatt, a North Carolinian. He was killed in the Battle of Big Bethel in June 1861. At the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, the 26th North Carolina Regiment participated in Pickett/Pettigrew's Charge and advanced the farthest into the Northern lines of any Confederate regiment. During the Battle of Chickamauga the 58th North Carolina Regiment advanced farther than any other regiment on Snodgrass Hill to push back the remaining Union forces from the battlefield. At Appomattox Court House in Virginia in April 1865, the 75th North Carolina Regiment, a cavalry unit, fired the last shots of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War. For many years, North Carolinians proudly boasted that they had been "First at Bethel, Farthest at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and Last at Appomattox."
Film studios are located in Shelby, Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Asheville, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem. Some of the best-known films and television shows filmed in the state include: All the Real Girls, Being There, Blue Velvet, Bull Durham, A Walk to Remember, Glory (film), The Color Purple, Cabin Fever, Super Mario Bros. (film), Cape Fear, Children of the Corn, The Crow, Dawson's Creek, Dirty Dancing, Evil Dead 2, The Fugitive, The Green Mile, Hannibal, The Last of the Mohicans, Nell, One Tree Hill, Patch Adams (film), Shallow Hal, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Leatherheads, Nights in Rodanthe and 28 Days. Half of Steven King's movies were filmed in North Carolina. The television show most associated with North Carolina is The Andy Griffith Show, which aired on CBS-TV from 1960 to 1968. The series is set in the fictional small town of Mayberry, North Carolina, and was based on the real-life town of Mount Airy, North Carolina, although it was filmed in California. Mount Airy is the hometown of actor Andy Griffith. The show is still popular in reruns and is frequently shown in syndication around the nation. North Carolina is also home to some of the Southeast's biggest film festivals, including the National Black Theatre Festival and the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, and the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina.
The School of Filmmaking at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem is a unique arts conservatory that combines rigorous professional training with unparalleled facilities, equipment and resources. All Second, Third and Fourth Year productions are entered into film and video festivals worldwide, and several have won major awards, including the Student Academy Award, the Angelus Award and the Cine Eagle Award. The best Fourth Year productions are also screened on film in front of large industry audiences at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles in June each year. School of the Arts alumni have performed in or behind the scenes of Broadway shows, film, television and regional theatre, and are members of the world’s finest symphony orchestras and opera and dance companies. They have won or been nominated for all of the major awards in the entertainment industry, including Tony, Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and others. Some well-known alumni of the NCSA School of Drama are Jada Pinkett Smith, Mary-Louise Parker, Catherine Dent, and Tom Hulce.
Although North Carolina did not have a major-league professional sports franchise until the 1980s, the state has long been known as a hotbed of college basketball. Since the formation of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 1953, the conference's North Carolina member schools have excelled in conference play. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Duke University, and North Carolina State University are all located within 25 miles (40 km) of one another, creating fierce rivalries. Wake Forest University, another ACC member, is located less than 100 miles (160 km) to the west of these schools in Winston-Salem. UNC has won four NCAA national championships in basketball: 1957, 1982, 1993, and 2005. The Tar Heels also won a national-level championship in 1924, before the NCAA was created. Duke has won three NCAA championships: 1991, 1992, and 2001. NC State has won two: 1974 and 1983. The Duke-UNC basketball rivalry has been called one of the best rivalries in sports and the two schools are often contenders for the national title. In addition to the ACC schools, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte went to the NCAA's Final Four in 1977, and Davidson College near Charlotte went to the NCAA's "Elite Eight" in 1968, 1969, and 2008. In 2007 Barton College in Wilson won the NCAA Division II championship in men's basketball. Although basketball remains the dominant college sport in North Carolina, several schools have also enjoyed success in football and other sports. In 2005, 2006, and 2007 Appalachian State University won the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision championship; they are the first university to win the Division I Football Championship Subdivision championship three times in a row. Wake Forest University has also enjoyed substantial success in football; in 2007 they won the ACC football championship and participated in the 2007 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. This was the first major bowl berth for a North Carolina-based team since Duke defeated Arkansas in the 1961 Cotton Bowl (game).
Recreation
The Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shining Rock Wilderness AreaDue to geography, rich history, and growing industry, North Carolina provides a large range of recreational activities from swimming at the beach[53] to skiing in the mountains. North Carolina offers fall colors, freshwater and saltwater fishing, hunting, birdwatching, agritourism, ATV trails, ballooning, rock climbing, biking, hiking, skiing, boating and sailing, camping, canoeing, caving (spelunking), gardens, and arboretums. North Carolina has theme parks, aquariums, zoos, museums, historic sites, lighthouses, elegant theaters, concert halls, and fine dining.[54]
North Carolinians enjoy outdoor recreation utilizing numerous local bike paths, 34 state parks, and 14 national parks which are the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site at Flat Rock, Croatan National Forest in Eastern North Carolina, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site at Manteo, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro, Moores Creek National Battlefield near Currie, the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, Old Salem National Historic Site in Winston-Salem, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, Uwharrie National Forest.
Other information
Famous food and drinks from North Carolina
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)
2008 Lexington Barbecue FestivalA nationally-famous cuisine from North Carolina is pork barbecue. However, there are strong regional differences and rivalries over the sauces and method of preparation used in making the barbecue. Eastern North Carolina pork barbecue uses a vinegar-based sauce and the "whole hog" is cooked, thus using both white and dark meat. The "capital" of eastern Carolina barbecue is usually considered to be the town of Wilson, near Raleigh. Western North Carolina pork barbecue uses a ketchup and vinegar based sauce and only the pork shoulder (dark meat) is used. The "capital" of western Carolina barbecue is usually considered to be the Piedmont Triad town of Lexington, home of the Lexington Barbecue Festival which brings in over 100,000 visitors each October.
North Carolina is the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola, first produced in 1890 in New Bern. Regional soft drinks created and still based in the state are Sun Drop and Cheerwine. Krispy Kreme, a popular chain of doughnut stores, was started in North Carolina; the company's headquarters are in Winston-Salem. Despite its name, the hot sauce Texas Pete was created in North Carolina; its headquarters are also in Winston-Salem. The Hardees fast-food chain was started in Rocky Mount. Another fast-food chain, Bojangles', was started in Charlotte, and has its corporate headquarters there. A popular North Carolina restaurant chain is Golden Corral. Started in 1973, the chain was founded in Fayetteville. Popular pickle brand Mount Olive Pickle Company was founded in Mount Olive in 1926. Cook Out, a popular fast food chain featuring burgers, hot dogs, and milkshakes in a wide variety of flavors, was founded in Greensboro in 1989 and operates exclusively in North Carolina.
[edit] Ships named for the state
Several ships have been named for the state. Most famous is the USS North Carolina, a World War II battleship. The ship served in several battles against the forces of Imperial Japan in the Pacific theater during the war. Now decommissioned, it is part of the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in Wilmington. Another USS North Carolina, a nuclear attack submarine, was commissioned on May 3, 2008.[55]
Cardinal, North Carolina state bird
Strawberry, North Carolina state red berry
[edit] State symbols
Main article: North Carolina state symbols
State motto: Esse quam videri ("To be, rather than to seem") (1893)
State song: "The Old North State" (1927)
State flower: Dogwood (1941)
State bird: Cardinal (1943)
State colors: the red and blue of the N.C. and U.S. flags (1945)
State toast: The Tar Heel Toast (1957)
State tree: Pine (1963)
State shell: Scotch bonnet (1965)
State mammal: Eastern Gray Squirrel (1969)
State salt water fish: Red Drum (also known as the Channel bass) (1971)
State insect: European honey bee (1973)
State gemstone: Emerald (1973)
State reptile: Eastern Box Turtle (1979)
State rock: Granite (1979)
State beverage: Milk (1987)
State historical boat: Shad boat (1987)
State language: English (1987)
State dog: Plott Hound (1989)
State military academy: Oak Ridge Military Academy (1991)
State tartan: Carolina tartan (1991)[56]
State vegetable: Sweet potato (1995)
State red berry: Strawberry (2001)
State blue berry: Blueberry (2001)
State fruit: Scuppernong grape (2001)
State wildflower: Carolina Lily (2003)
State Christmas tree: Fraser Fir (2005)
State carnivorous plant: Venus Flytrap (2005)
State folk dance: Clogging (2005)
State popular dance: Shag (2005)
State freshwater trout: Southern Appalachian Brook Trout (2005)
State birthplace of traditional pottery: the Seagrove area (2005)
Hope you enjoyed your history lesson Mom!!
Henry-Bo
Posted Aug 25, 2009, 1:18 am
Today we went out in town to get a few more things for the race bike. We had to make sure everything is perfect and ready to go. Here we are at Lejeune Bike Shop. It is raining today and you can see the rain as we drive downtown to Jacksonville.
We checked out some of the dirt bikes. Here is a perfect TV sized bike!! It is only a 50cc and that is perfect for us!
Next we go check out the four wheelers. They are very popular here with the guys who like to take them in the woods and race them around as fast as they can!
Next we go look at some helmets.
Here is the special edition Repsol Honda race bike. There was a sign that said KEEP OFF but we asked the manager and he said we could take a photo.
Next we went to the movie theatre. The ones here are HUGE and have 16 screens! we went to see *The time travelers wife* Darcie read the book and said it was fantastic! The movie was very good.
Here we are getting Popcorn, coke and some Reeses peanut butter cups!!
This movie advertisement looks like it will be great!
Here we are in the movie theatre waiting for the show to start.
The movie was really good and we had a fun day! We almost have the race bike put together and will start loading the Toy Hauler tommorro!!!
Love
Henry-Bo
Posted Aug 27, 2009, 12:52 am
Today Darcie had a little surprise party waiting for Steve when he got home from work!! the party was a *Good Luck* party for the big race this weekend. As you can see everything was done in Tiffany blue (Darcie's favorite jewerly store and color) We even had blue raspberry Martinis!! Anyways here we are helping getting the food already before he got home.
Here we are with Blue Truffles
Here we are with chocolate cupcakes and Tiffany blue icing, I ate two of them myself!
Here we are with the blue raspberry martini mix and the bar set and martini glasses.
And here we are with all the goodies out and ready to eat!!
Now it was time to load up the toy hauler. We helped out getting everything checked off the list and loaded up and tied down.
Here we are inside the front of the kitchen. It is kind of dark since the lights were not on but I will take more photos when we get to the track so you can see better
we loaded up all the food in the fridge and the Corona beer, Captain Morgans rum, snapple teas, Water and Coke in the coolers.
Here we are on the back of the race bike after we got it loaded. Doesnt it look better then a few days ago??
Here we are on the back of the pit bikes. My hosts have three pit bikes, two scooters and one dirt bike. They make it easy to get around the paddock since the race tracks are way to big to walk around back and forth all day long. This time we are bringing the Zuma Scooter and the Dirt Bike.
Here we are checking to make sure we have all our riding gear. This boot bag has our Alpine Star racing boots inside and also to the left is Steves back protector.
Last thing to go in is the big tool box. We cannot go anywhere with out all the tools! as you see we have quiet a huge load of stuff that has to be hauled to the races!
Close up of us checking to make sure every tool is in the right drawer.
This year Steve got new racing shirts done and they are sooo neat!! His number is #33 and if you look hard *Muttley* the cartoon character is on the front of the shirt!!! Have you ever seen Muttley on TV??? he has the FUNNIEST laugh. Darcie's nickname for her Porsche is Muttley so they put him on the shirts this year. Here is the front.
Here is the back. GSXR is the type of race bike that Steve races.
Well mom I have to now go pack up my suitcase and get everything ready to leave for tommorro. We are leaving at 10 am for the long drive to West Virginia. Thumper the dog is coming along too!! It should be a fantastic adventure!! I will try to do some updates at the track (if the wi fi is working good!) talk to you soon!!
Henry-Bo
Official Pit Crew
Team Clark racing
Posted Aug 28, 2009, 11:34 pm
Today we loaded up the truck and headed off for Summit Point, West Virginia. It is going to take us about 7 hours to arrive at the track. Here we are in the truck ready to go!!! We are getting on interstate 95 which is famous in the USA.... either South to Florida or North to New York City. Here we are getting on 95 to take us up North to West Virginia.
We see lots of familiar signs and we are headed towards the Washington DC area. We are lucky we missed all the horrible everyday traffic on our way to the track!
Here we are with our happy meal that we got from McDonalds.
We pass over a real cool looking bridge in Virginia. It was hard to take a photo but I thought you would like it!
We enjoy the beautiful scenery as we travel through the Shennandoah valley, the area is filled with beautiful horse farms and mountains and pretty trees
There are a lot of National Civil war battlefields and parks that people travel all over the world to come and visit in Virginia. Here we are passing through one of the parks.
We finally arrive in West Virginia, we drive through a lot of old historic tiny towns like this one in the photo. This little town is called Millwood and it was so cute!
Here we are!!! we are finally at the racetrack!!!
We have to wait 15 more minutes before we can go into the Paddock so we wait in line with everyone else till they open up the gate.
Here we are with the signs telling us which way to go to the main Paddock. There are two race courses here at the Sports park.
We find our friends and we start setting up all the pits. We all camp together and have a great time.
Here we are on our friend Jamie's bike. This is a GSXR 600. We like the paint job.
Here we are on our host, Steves bike. Dont we look cool?!
Here we are on our friends Yamaha R1. This is a 1000cc motorcycle and he is in 1st place this year for the WERA club racing Championship.
Here is our friend Kent holding us on our host's Dirt Bike. He thinks it is fun we are visiting!
Here we are hanging out in our pit on the tables against the toy hauler.
We get the tool box out to do some last minute adjustments and get ready for the track day tommmorro!! a track day is a practice day before the races on Saturday and Sunday.
We are tired and it is time for bed!! Thumper the pug dog has also come on the trip and has been having a fun time watching us get our photo taken
Well mom that is what happened on our first day. Mostly just traveling up here and getting everything set up for the track day!! I get to get out on the track tommorro!!! hope you are enjoing the updates. The weather is NICE and cool here
much better then the heat in North Carolina!!!
We are going to watch a movie before bed... I think we are going to watch *The Hangover* for the 10000000000000th time LOL it is sooooooooooo funny!!
Love
Henry-Bo
Posted Aug 29, 2009, 3:08 pm
Here we are cooking.
Yum doesnt it look good?!
We have to get the bike ready for practice so we put the tire warmers on the tires. The tires *stick* better to the race track when they are warmed up. If they are cold it is easy to crash.
Darcie had some friends go water tubing earlier that day and this is a portable cooler that they took down the river. It holds all your drinks and has spaces for your cups around the bottom! pretty cool!
Something that they NEVER have at the races is racing sidecar Motorcycles. We went over and took some photos with them.
This one was our favorite, it looks like a rocket!!
Here we are watching the sidecars do race practice.
Here is the podium that winners will stand on tommorro if they place 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Can you see us way at the bottom?
Here we are on our pit bike. We are going to take it down to the hot pit so we can watch our host do race practice.
Here we are with Steve holding us and his friend Kent before they went out on the track.
Here is Steve coming down the front straight at 150 mph.. we love watching the bikes zoom real fast!!!
Here we are with one of the race officials. He was laughing at the fact we were coming to the hot pit to watch the race. He said he had never held TVs before and posed for a picture with us.
Here we are watching all the bikes come in after a red flag. A red flat is when someone has crashed and they have to go send out the crash truck to pick up the bike and rider.
Here is Steve and his four friends all together waving at you with us in the front!!
If you look hard WE are on the bikes!!!!! HolgiHH and Henry-Bo are on bike number 142 on the right hand side of the intake valve (to the right of the number) they were too little to sit on the windscreen
Here I am tucked in the intake valve of Kents bike. Look down to the right hand side of the 142 and you can see me!! When the practice started again, I got tucked inside his leathers and got to go for a wild ride around the track!!
After a long day we cooked dinner and then had a few Coronas, took a shower and went to bed. Tommorro is race day #1!!! I cant wait to see all the action!!
Love
Henry-Bo
Posted Sep 2, 2009, 2:41 am
Well it is race day here at the track! lots of people have arrived and my host is geared up and ready to go! These photos will cover both Saturday and Sunday
Here we are in our bed waking up and getting ready to go out and cook breakfast.
I get the coffee going and then I decide to cook some pancakes! YUM!!
After breakfast we need to go get a new pair of Pirelli race tires. Tires are the most expensive part of racing and here we are checking out the prices....yikes!!
Darcie asks the Pirelli guy for some Tshirts and hats ect. He says he is totally out of everything but stickers
here we are with the stickers and then we go inside to see all the tires.
It is now race time and we go to the hot pit and watch the races!! We watch from the front straight for a bit, then we go down to turn 6 which is at the bottom of the race track. We take the pit bikes and ride through the beautiful wooded area to get down to the fence line.
Here we are with AMA rider Jeff Wood. Jeff set a new track record of 1 minute 11 seconds while we were watching him race!!! it was so exciting to see him fly around the track like it was nothing! he laughed when we asked if we could take a photo of him with his motorcycle
After the races we get into a bottle of Captain Morgans spiced rum
Here we are with Ava, who is a daughter of one of my host's friends, She did NOT want to give us back lol
Now it is dinner time. We cook New York strip steaks, Garlic mashed potatoes and corn on the cob!!
We get into bed and go to sleep! we leave early the next morning and arrive home and unpack and get ready for our next adventure
Well mom I had a fantastic time and now I want to get my own motorcycle!!! I am sure more adventures will be coming my way soon!!
Love
Henry-Bo
Posted Sep 9, 2009, 1:19 am
Tonight we took Darcie's Spyder down to PTs Grille for a cruise in with a another car club. We had a lot of fun looking at the Dune Buggies!! Here we are with Darcie's Spyder.
Here we are with two of the Dune Buggies
We ordered our dinner and they had the BEST Hamburgers in the world!!!
We had a fun time and enjoyed meeting all of the other people in the car club
well mom tonight we are going to eat hot dogs and watch movies!!! I am having a great time!!
Love
Henry-Bo
Posted Sep 13, 2009, 2:44 pm
Today we went to Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune. The base is about a 30 minute drive from our house. My host Steve works at the other Marine Base which is only 15 minutes away. The base he works at is called New River Air Station, which has all the helicopters! we are going to sneak in and see all of them tommorro!! anyways we went to Camp Lejeune today to go to the hospital. My host was sick and had to go to the Doctor so we went along for the ride!!!
Here we are approaching the entrance to Camp Lejeune.
If you look to the right, you can see the main entrance sign. We could not slow down to take a better photo, but hope you like it!
Here we are approaching the gate guard. You have to have a special military sticker on your car to be able to drive on the base. The Marines look at us funny as we take their photo
The first base sign welcoming us aboard Camp Lejeune!
The second one with the names of the Base Commanders on it.
Here we are at the top of the hospital looking down on the main building.
We sneak inside the emergency room and take a photo before the Doctor arrives
My host hurt his knee during training but the Doctor fixed him up and he is much better now!! Tommorro we are going to the Air Station, Beirut Memorial and Vietnam Memorial. I will take lots of photos of our big day!!
Love
Henry Bo
Posted Sep 15, 2009, 8:01 pm
Here we are at the entrance to my host Steves work. As you can see it is fenced off and you have to have a special clearance to get on the flight line. We sneak through with my host and start exploring!!
We are now inside the compound and we take a photo with the units sign. This is a Helicopter Squadron and we are amazed at what we see!!
First stop we climb up this very interesting staircase!!! Can you see us on the stairs??
We read the signs on the side of the building, these are the battles the Marines have fought in. We learn a lot of history today.
We then go in my hosts office to get a key so we can go out into the helicopter bay... we need top secret clearence for this and we hide in our hosts pocket
Since we will be out in the helicopters we need to grab our safety helmets
WOW look how BIG this first helicopter is!! This is the CH53 helicopter and it can hold 50 Marines and pick up 15,000 pounds of gear!!
Here is a larger view, can you see me?
We climb inside..... this is very special since we are not suppose to be here lol
Here we are up front, look at all the dials!!
I get my honorary flight crew status and now I am FLYING the helicopter!!!! dont I look good!!
This is the view looking out the back................kinda dark but I wanted you to see how big it is!
We peak out the Helicopter bay and see the other bay across the yard.
Here is a view of the CH53 *parking lot*
My host now shows us the V22 Osprey helicopter. This is the ONLY place in the entire world that they are available to see. They are kept here exclusively!
The V22 has a rotor on each side of it. It is unique in that the rotors spin down like a airplane but once up in the air they rotate above the top of the helicopter. Here is a great photo of one.
Here we are posing with the V22
I go inside to see where the pilots sit.. sssshhhhh dont tell anyone I was in here!!!!!
We leave the flight line and go to the Staff NCO club. This is for ranks E6 and above. Here we are outside the club.
Here we are with a pretty view of the New River inlet.
We leave the club and drive to the Aviation outdoor memorial. Here is a view of the flight line from the car.
We arrive at the memorial, which is outdoors and pretty neat!
Here we are with the statues, signs and old helicopters on display.
We leave and go visit the Beirut Memorial
We walk through the beautiful gardens over to the world trade center memorial. This is a actual steal beam from the world trade center tragedy. Since this day was September 11th lots of people were also here.
We walk around the corner and visit the new Vietnam Memorial. this is a beautiful fountain and the panals that you see are made of glass and every single person that died in Vietnam has their name on the glass.
I learned a lot about the Marines today and their past history. I wanted to share my fun day with you and hope you enjoyed the updates.
Love
Henry-Bo
Posted Sep 18, 2009, 1:57 am
Guess where I am?? I am in the state of Virginia at Virginia International Raceway!!! Yep I am at the final Motorcycle race of the year! We just had Brauts for dinner and drank a few Coronas. This is the NICEST race track in the USA!!! It looks like a Country Club! We are camping in the paddock again and we are right next to a small lake. The trees and the mountains are just beautiful!! I will post a lot of photos when we return on Sunday!!! Tommorro is a track day (practice) and racing is on Saturday and Sunday!! Well mom we are going to go inside the trailer and watch a movie and eat some chocolate chip cookies!!
Love
Henry-Bo
Posted Sep 23, 2009, 2:35 pm
I am back and unpacked from VIR. I had a great time at the race track and loved watching the races! We camped out with our host's friends and got to meet a lot of new people. Here are my photos with the other TVs and all the new things we got to see!!
Here we are at our pit area. As you can see there is a pretty lake behind us and we fed the ducks in the evening time!!
Our host rides on Pirelli tires..... we have a big sign on the side of our trailer advertising that he uses Pirelli
Here we are at the top of Turn #4
Here we are watching our host going around turn #2
Here we are overlooking the entire paddock area. The weather was nice and cool but a bit cloudy!
We go in the hot pit area and watch the bikes race down the front straight!! They are going up to speeds of 175 MPH
Our hosts friends son is riding his skateboard and gives us a ride!!
Here we are looking up at the scoring/start/finish tower.
The Porsche club of America was having a track day on the South Course so we went to the Porsche Paddock to take some photos!
We watched the cars practice racing around the track and we were amazed at how fast they went! My host did very well in the races and finished 7th, 8th and 10th. There are usually about 30 bikes in each class so he did well! I had a great time in Virginia and it sure is a beautiful state! I am glad I got to see another race!
Love
HenryBo
Posted Oct 6, 2009, 1:23 am
Today a new TV named Etwas arrived! All of us gathered around to say hello and welcome him to his new home!!
We celebrated his arrival by making Rice Krispie Treats!!
These are soooooooooooo good and soooo easy!!
4 tablespoons of butter
1 bag of Marshmellows
6 cups of Rice Krispie cereal
Melt butter and marshmellows together on low heat. Once melted add Rice Krispie cereal and stir until well coated. Take mixture and press into a baking dish. Let cool and then cut into squares!!
Yummy!!!!
Posted Oct 6, 2009, 1:23 am
Today a new TV named Etwas arrived! All of us gathered around to say hello and welcome him to his new home!!
We celebrated his arrival by making Rice Krispie Treats!!
These are soooooooooooo good and soooo easy!!
4 tablespoons of butter
1 bag of Marshmellows
6 cups of Rice Krispie cereal
Melt butter and marshmellows together on low heat. Once melted add Rice Krispie cereal and stir until well coated. Take mixture and press into a baking dish. Let cool and then cut into squares!!
Yummy!!!!
Posted Oct 26, 2009, 3:55 am
I arrived in Canada last weekend, but smaug was a bit too busy to update my travelog until today. When I came out of my travelling vessel I met all the other TVs staying here: Sully Monster and Hedgie are visiting from Australia, Ronnie comes from Spain, Mortimer_ from Greece, Lysander from Scotland, Nathalie from Germany like me and sammino is a stay-at-home TV. They all gave me a warm welcome as soon as my head popped out of the envelope
.
Yesterday we were hoping to do something, but it was snowing in the morning
,
...so we just spent the day planning future trips.
Eventually today the weather was good, so we went for a quick drive in the morning towards Kananaskis Country
. First we took a picture of Kananaskis Valley...
...then we stopped at this falls...
...and well. The well was really nice, but fully filled with soil so there was really no risk of falling inside
.
On the way back we stopped to take a picture at Barrier Lake. The lake is apparently famous because it served as Alkali Lake in the X-man movies
.
Later in the afternoon smaug had to do some work so we stopped at his office where, to keep us quiet, he damped us at the window with some food
. Nothing ever likely to feature on the Michelin Guide, but it was edible.
When we went home we found out that Monsters, Inc. was on TV. So Sully Monster told us something about his previous life (before becoming a TV) as a movie star
. Wow, I didn’t really expect to meet such a celebrity .
Posted Nov 2, 2009, 4:04 am
Today the weather was wonderful here in Calgary
, so smaug decided to take us out for a trip to the mountains, but as we left the prairies and approached Banff National Park we were greeted by a mix of rain, snow and heavy clouds . Still, as we could see some blue gaps in the sky we headed North hoping that the situation improved. To our supreme disappointment we just entered a thick snowfall with no real sign of improvements on the way. The road conditions were getting actually a bit tricky .
Eventually we just headed back trying to take some wintry picture here and there when the gaps in the clouds allowed it. Here I was at Bow Lake with Crowfoot Mountain in the background...
...and here at Hector Lake.
This is a famous bend just south of Lake Louise were road, railway and river are very close to each other and it is a typical location for a picture. Ideally there would be a train passing by and a sunny view of the mountains...neither of which was really available today
.
Later we just run from the storm and headed back home where we were greeted again by a sunny blue sky and spring-like temperatures
.
Posted Nov 4, 2009, 3:42 am
Today we said goodbye to Sully Monster who is moving to his new host. Last night we all gathered around to wish him a safe trip
...
...and, of course, we ended up spending the whole night chatting
.
Posted Nov 11, 2009, 7:20 pm
today the weather here in Calgary was gorgeous so we thought we were going for some nice trip, but apparently it was snowing on the mountains
, so, to avoid ending up in another blizzard, smaug decided to just have a walk here in town along the Bow River . At one point we found a platform over the river bank where we could take a couple of pictures...looking upstream...
...and downstream.
Later on we found out that the footpath that we were supposed to follow was closed, so we went up an another small road that climbed the hill on the side of the river. It was mainly walking between the trees, but we could occasionally get a glimpse of the river below us and of downtown in the distance.
When we were amost at the top we found another gap from where we could see downtown,
But after that we ended up between some houses and, since it was getting very windy, we just decided to head back home.
Posted Nov 19, 2009, 5:00 am
This week a new guest arrived! Her name is Lucy K and she’s from Germany too...and she brought some sweets for us, how kind of her
!
The rest of the week nothing really happened, but today it was Hedgie’s birthday so we all gathered around to sing Happy Birthday for him
.
Later in the day, instead of getting a big cake for the celebrations
, smaug decided to take us for a walk in the forest in the ElbowValley, not far from Calgary. The trail was wide and not really steep, but it was mostly within the trees.
I crossed a few frozen streams like this one...
...and occasionally had the chance to see the surrounding mountains
.
Later, we found ourselves on a bank of the Elbow River...that gives the name to the valley.
And this is the river again from the shore.
As you can see it was getting dark and we reached the car just before nightfall. I was so tired when we eventually arrived back home
.
Bye
Henry-Bo
Posted Nov 23, 2009, 4:52 am
Today smaug took us out for a walk. We went to Lake Minnewanka, not far from Banff. The lakeshore trail is one of smaug’s favourites in winter as even with the snow it is usually passable and safe. smaug was wondering if the lake had already started freezing...not the case as you can see.
After a bit we crossed this small canyon called Stewart Canyon. And it was frozen up
.
And in the distance you can see the lake.
Here we are back close to the shoreline looking east...
...and west.
The trail follows the lake shore up the easternmost point for more than 20km, but we just followed it for a couple of hours and turned back. We passed again close to the mouth of Stewart Canyon.
This is where the canyon’s ice meets the lake’s water
.
And here is another shot of the lake.
On the way back to the car we noticed that someone built a big inukshuk on a beach, so we took a picture with it and the lake behind us. Well, it desn't look so big in this picture
, but it is just behind my head 
.
And finally, while already nice and warm in the car, we got a final shot of the lake from its westernmost point.
Smaug told us that in few weeks the lake will probably be frozen, but it will take a bit longer before the ice is thick enough to walk on it. Can’t wait to see that
!
Posted Dec 6, 2009, 5:16 am
It’s been a quite boring around here recently
as smaug was a bit busy. We had hope to go somewhere this weekend, but on Friday the weather played funny and during the evening commuting hour Calgary roads turned into a giant ice-rink with cars almost unable to turn or stop even at the slowest speed and pedestrians struggling to stay on their feet on the sidewalks (should have been funny to be out there ). Of course the whole city got stuck in massive gridlock and smaug took more than 2 hours to get home (compared with the usual 15min). So, when he eventually arrived home, he told us that he had already enjoyed enough driving for the whole weekend .
But today he decided that, with the real winter approaching, there were far too many useless clothes still around the wardrobe and it was time to put them away and tidy up a bit around. sammino told us that this meant that the house was going to be a total mess (even worse than the usual one
) in a matter of minutes, so we got really excited . First we helped getting out some boxes.
Then we opened them...hmmm, they looked a bit too full to get other clothes in there.
But, as sammino foretold, soon clothes started coming out of the boxes (instead of going in
) and they got scattered everywhere. We decided that the most interesting items were the cycling and football jerseys, so we started playing with them.
But after a while smaug must have decided that we were not being helpful
, so he suggested that we might had more fun surfing a bit internet and to encourage us out of the way he even offered us some ice-cream .
It sounded a bit as a polite way to get rid of us, but the ice-cream was very good
.
Posted Dec 11, 2009, 4:37 am
Today there was a big snowfall here in Calgary
. It started in the morning and became heavier during the day, with strong winds too, wow . So, since smaug was busy first at work and then trying to make his way back from work , we TVs spent most of the day chatting and looking at the snow from the comfort of the living room . Even the balcony, that is quite well sheltered, was soon white with snow.
Later we decided to rummage in the storage room and found some Christmas lights.
We particularly liked the ice-cubes lights...
...and the snowball ones (very appropriate to the current weather
)
Hopefully smaug will allow us to help him in putting them up
!
Posted Dec 14, 2009, 2:35 am
Today we told smaug that we were bored of staying at home and wanted to go out somewhere. He suggested that maybe we should have a look out of the window first...hmmm, al covered in ice...can’t see anything
.
We wondered if that was supposed to be a subtle message to discourage us, but it takes more than a frozen window to scare off some bored TVs, so out of we went
. Oh my, it was bone-rattling cold, almost -30C , it felt like being Dr Zhivago! Not really weather for a giraffe! But we have a pride, so we went on and walked along the Bow River.
In this section of the river the surface has not completely frozen yet, so the sludgy mix of ice and water is still more than 20C warmer than the surrounding air and causes this strange steamy fog
.
As you can see the footpath wasn’t really crowded... smaug pointed out that few people (unless they needed to) were insane enough to be out and about in this weather
.
A bit further downstream we reached a section of the river that was almost completely frozen.
We also decided to play a bit in the snow
. It was so powdery that even us TVs were almost sinking in it.
Eventually smaug said that his right hand was flirting with frostbite
(due to the fact that operating the camera with a glove on was kind of impossible), so he decided to head back home. About time, my nose was totally frozen and about to fall off !
Posted Dec 22, 2009, 12:00 am
This evening smaug had to be in Banff, so we TVs accompanied him. On the way we stopped to meet this herd of Elks
.
As taking a picture focusing on both us and the elks didn’t work, smaug decided to take a zoomed version of the above photo showing only a part of the herd.
We suggested that we could get closer and meet them
, but smaug explained us that elks get a bit annoyed when people approach them and he didn’t fancy spending a few lively moments being chased down by a deer taller and massively heavier than him .
Since we were a bit early for supper, we went to have a look at Lake Minnewanka. You might rememeber that last time we have been there (about a month ago) it was still a…lake. Well, today, thanks to the cold weather, it was a massive slab of ice
.
Smaug said that the ice would probably support the weight of the TVs, but their host might not be so lucky, so it will be a few more weeks before we can walk on the ice.
On the way down to Banff we stopped taking a picture with another frozen lake and Mt. Rundle in the background.
Unfortunately, once we made it to Banff, we were not allowed to attend the supper, but we found a nice window from where we could look at the mountains while chatting all the evening
.
Posted Jan 2, 2010, 8:56 pm
today a new guest arrived
. His name’s Michel and he is a white bear from Germany. sammino went to pick him up at the airport and then introduced him to us all.
Later, since his trip apparently had been far from smooth, we helped Michel to recover with some Timbits, and, of course, we provided help in eating them
.
Posted Jan 2, 2010, 8:58 pm
Today we took Michel out for his first trip in the Mountains. As it was a bit cold we convinced smaug to take pictures from inside the car
.
Here we were entering the Bow Valley.
While here we were reaching the gate of Banff National Park.
Once in the Park we had a lovely view over Cascade Mountain.
Then we took the road to Lake Minnewanka, but we didn’t meet any elk.
And eventually we reached the Lake.
Later this evening we were allowed to taste a typical Christmas cake from northern Italy, a pandoro. Not sure how smaug managed to find one here in Canada, but it was delicious
.
Posted Jan 2, 2010, 9:38 pm
Today smaug took us out to visit a place not too far from Calgary called Elbow Falls, where the Elbow River forms some nice (guess what!?) falls
.
Here I was just downstream of the falls. (No, there are not ice falls: although it is very well hidden, there is also some “liquid” water coming down
).
And this is the river flowing away in a nice little canyon
.
Later we played a bit in the snow, but it was freezing cold and we soon make our way for the heat of the car
.
Posted Jan 3, 2010, 10:35 pm
Happy New Year
!
Today the weather was fine and it wasn’t even too cold (-15C
), hence smaug decided that it was a good idea to have a walk in the forest to try burning some of the excessive food eaten over the last couple of weeks. So we TVs went too, working as ballast in the rucksack . We spent most of the day under tree cover and it was a bit too dark to take photos, but we still found a couple of points where we could take a few decent shots .
Posted Jan 3, 2010, 11:19 pm
Today is my last day here in Calgary as tomorrow I’ll jump in the post and fly to Hong Kong
. It is actually a group-departure day as Ronnie and Lysander are going home to Spain and UK.
So all the other TVs gathered around to wish us a safe journey
…
...and sammino gave me a big goodbye hug .
Posted Jan 14, 2010, 6:18 am
I arrived here at noon and vi is having her lunch, the last bite of a mini steamed turnip cake (a chinese food, usually for lunar new year).
She told me that dotdog helped her to make it too.
I will let you know more...
Posted Jan 18, 2010, 8:22 am
I passed by a chinese bbq restaurant, you can see that the barbecued pork, chicken, goose are hanging over there. They seems delicious~
Then I came to a unsheltered wet market, you can find various kind of fresh fruits and vegetables here.
And I tried the chinese herbal tea! Wow! It smells so bad that I dare not to try it...
But vi said that though it smells so bad, it really works if you are felling a little bit sick....
Posted Jan 20, 2010, 2:44 am
We went to Yau Ma Tei at Kowloon, one of the most crowded place in Hong Kong.
The restaurants here are famous for "Rice Hot Pot", snacks and roadside dining, so there's long queue everywhere. The left dish is rice hot pot with fish, middle one is vegetables and the right one is rice hot pot with pork. All people are using chopsticks, I will learn it and hope that I can use it one day too.
After dinner, we came to Temple Street, it is well known for its night market and the busiest flea market at night. The market starts at 2 p.m. in the afternoon, but is lively at dusk daily. Traffic is closed on the street at that time, and visitors swarm into the street. There are more than a hundred stalls with colourful lights in the market. You can find anything here, the products are funny and cheap in price.
Posted Jan 20, 2010, 1:33 pm
even the top of the hill!
Both day and night view are beautiful~
photo 1: Hong Kong Island (Wan Chai), view from Kowloon Peninsula (Tsim Sha Tsui),
the building with round shelter is the Hong Kong Conventional Exhibition Centre.
photo 2: Kowloon Peninsula (Tsim Sha Tsui),
view from Hong Kong Island (Central), the pink building is Hong Kong Cultural Centre, and the Clock Tower.
photo 3: Kowloon Peninsula (Tsim Sha Tsui),
view from Hong Kong Island (Central), cruise pier
photo 4: Central night view
photo 5: panorama of part of the harbour view
- left side is Kowloon side , the tall building on the left is ICC, the tallest builging in Hong Kong
- the group of buildings in the middle is Tsim Sha Tsui,
a district full of malls and restaurants, a place where tourists must go.
The brightest spot among the group is Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
- the building right on top of Henry-Bo's head is the Hong Kong Conventional Exhibition Centre.
- the building on the very right side is the second tallest building of Hong Kong, IFC.
From the photos you can see that the distance between Kowloon and Hong Kong is not very far indeed....
but both sides are full of commercial buildings....
Posted Jan 23, 2010, 3:58 am
photo 1&2:
Central in daytime.
The one in the left is tram, you can only find it in Hong Kong Island, and the right one is bus.
photo 3: smae place at night time.
photo 4: random shot in Central
photo 5: 7-11, a 24-hour convenient store, you can find it everywhere.
(it's name, 7-11, is actually means the opening hours, from 7am-11pm,
but many of the branches opens for 24 hours, while some are not.)
photo 6: a famous spot at Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon). It's called 5 flag pole.
Having such name is because there's 5 flag poles over there!
At the time when cell phones are not invented/ uncommon, this is a place where people waiting for there friends.
And now, though everybody has a cell phone, people still prefer to wait there.
photo 7: on the bus, going back home~
Posted Jan 23, 2010, 4:32 am
We travel from Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon) to Sha Tin (New Territories).
From the photos you can see that the train is just next to the residentiaal,
and some houses and buildings were built by the hillside.
Posted Jan 25, 2010, 3:27 pm
I found that almost everyone has a card with them.
Vi told me the card is called "Octopus", (photo 3) a card with money credits for paying the fee, otherwise, you need to buy a ticket.
There's tickets selling machine in every stations (photo 1), a map is shown for choosing the destination. (photo 2)
I went to a shopping mall (photo 7&8) and found that it's very big!
I took two special photos toay.
photo 9: those people are like ants!
photo 10: the "squares" behind me is actually an individual family.
yea, Hong Kong people are live in tiny boxes....
Posted Jan 25, 2010, 3:40 pm
This is a very common kind of bread, it is called "Rocky Bun", however, it has a very funny nickname - "Pineapple Bun",
because the pattern on top look alike to the pineapple~
It's sweet in taste, but no pineapple in it. ha~
Posted Feb 10, 2010, 2:21 pm
Every ferry has their own name, the one I took today is "Night Star".
It's really a nice transportation and I can enjoy my time with the Victoria Harbour relaxingly~
Posted Feb 10, 2010, 2:31 pm
There are Clock Tower, Cultural Centre, Art Museum and Space Museum,
I like the Space Museum most because it looks like an egg~ ha~~
Posted Feb 10, 2010, 2:40 pm
I am very full after having so many delicious food~
Will I become chubby Henry-Bo?
Posted Feb 10, 2010, 2:51 pm
There are a lot of insteresting stuffs in the Ladies' Market!
Though it's called "Ladies' Market", it's selling various things like toys, clothes, souvenirs~
Posted Feb 10, 2010, 3:53 pm
Dessert night~~
Try a few icy fruit with yummy ice cream.... and pancakes too~
So many kinds of food to taste here in Hong Kong~
Posted Feb 10, 2010, 4:15 pm
it uses different colours to differ the stations, usually are some sharp colours,
giving an energetic colours~
MTR is one of the main transportation in Hong Kong, its network covers many places in Hong Kong.
Posted Feb 10, 2010, 4:39 pm
Festive decorations everywhere!
As this year, the Valentine's Day overlaps with the first day of Lunar New Year, hearts and flowers can be seen in the decorations too~
Posted Feb 10, 2010, 4:55 pm
their festive theme this year is the chinese tiger baby,
with sweets and chocolates as props for photo spot~
Especially for those valentines~
Posted Feb 14, 2010, 12:01 pm
and saw an ink writhing on one of the pillar.
It is by Tsang Tsou Choi (1921-2007), who claimed to be the "Emperor of Kowloon",
he used to write at public places in Hong Kong.
Posted Feb 15, 2010, 1:24 pm
Firstly, I followed Vi to Hong Kong Island and travel the unique transportation - tram.
It is by electricity instead of fuel~
And because of this, the speed is relatively slower than others,
and no air conditioner, but I think it's ok, especially for tourists~
I got onto the tram at Central and got off at Wan Chai.
The building behind me was once a pawn shop, but now a protected heritage,
and became a stylish restaurant and furniture store now.
When I walked by, I smelled something very good and found....
a hawker selling braise sweet potatoes! and chestnuts!
Chestnuts are being sauted in the chinese way, and specially with the black sand.
Using black sand helps to heat the every parts of the whole chestnut.
These two are delicious food during winter!
At night, I went to see the multimedia lighting show "A Symphony of Lights"at Victoria Harbour,
Laser lights come out from the landmark buildings.
I had chinese style red bean cake as dessert tonight.
Posted Feb 15, 2010, 3:34 pm
I'm in love with you......
my beloved peach blossom!
Posted Feb 21, 2010, 3:44 pm
On the way I felt a bit thirsty so I chose one of the Taiwan drinks shop to buy a drink.
I chose the apple juice, with some tiny jelly balls.
Behind me shown the kind of drinks they sell, and next to those sampl drinks, it's a shelf full of street snacks.
Actually, when you come to Mongkok,
it's not a matter if you choose not to eat in restaurant,
because you can find a lot of things to eat along the street!
I bet, if you try all these snacks, you will be full for 3 days!!
No kidding!!!
When dinner time, I went to a japanese restaurant to have ramen.
yummy~
I found that there are thousands of neon signs here in Mongkok!
Especially the Nathan Road, it's the longest, busiest street in Kowloon.
Posted Mar 7, 2010, 10:10 am
Breakfast at local restaurant (in cantonese: cha charn ten),
having fried squid as snacks at mongkok.
then dinner at Wang Jia Sha, a chinese restaurant.
There I drink tea and use chopsticks!
(finally I learned how to use it~ heehee~
)
Posted Mar 10, 2010, 5:28 pm
I visited the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens (HKZBG).
[url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/parks/hkzbg/en/index.php][/url]
It's founded in 1871 and occupies an area of 5.6 hectares.
It's very amazing that it's quite crowded and land is limited in Hong Kong,
so the garden is actually surrounded by buildings,
but luckily it's locates on the slope, so the view is still very good!
The Garden is divided into 2 parts by a road, but linked by a subway.
I went there with my friends, Bonishka & PinkyHH
We saw quite a number of animals,
There are lots of animal-shaped rocks as decorations
We saw monkeys, birds, cocrodile, butterflies and flowers,
I love the chimpanzee most, because it showed a funny pose when I took the photo~
Posted Mar 14, 2010, 8:20 am
On my way I found this funny sign.
This is a sign for tourists to let them know their location.
Posted Mar 14, 2010, 8:34 am
there a rock lions decorations, chinese style kiosk,
pools for fish and turtles.
The elderly loves to have "Tai Chi" exercises here every early morning.
And then we travel KCR to Mongkok, the crowded place again~
it's crowded, but it's really having a lot of restaurants & entertainments! And shopping!!!
Tonight I had a banana ice-cream boat~ waha~
Posted Mar 14, 2010, 12:05 pm
I saw a promotional poster of a drama,
and it's about a well-known local comic character - Master Q.
There are various kind of snacks and are imported from all over the world.
Below are the things I bought:
Marbo - a twin-cake in cappuccino flavor
Green packing - green tea flavor biscuit
Grey packing - dried grapes
Panda biscuit - chocolate biscuit
Dove - chocolate bar
Yellow candy - honey candy
Red candy - honey candy with coke flavor
Orange packing - herbal candy which smooth your throat
Wah Yuen - sweet dried pineapple
I had a big chocolate coin as dessert.
One side there's "Kung Hey Fat Choi",
and the other side are the 12 animals symbolizing the Twelve Branches used to designate years (according to lunar calendar).
The order is:
1 - Rat, 2. Ox, 3. Tiger, 4. Rabbit, 5. Dragon, 6. Snake,
7. Horse, 8. Goat, 9. Monkey, 10. Rooster, 11. Dog, 12. Pig
Posted Mar 14, 2010, 5:54 pm
which is known as the chinese valentines' day,
beautiful lanterns are made to celebrate this.
I went to the open space next to the Cultural Centre,
there's a huge lantern setup there.
The whole setting is actually a festive scene:
children are busy sending golds, good-meaning flowers for the celebration,
and different kinds of lucky animals are welcome to enjoy this festival.
And all characters joined and became a parade.
Posted Apr 17, 2010, 11:36 am
the exhibition is interesting, I knew more about the past of Hong Kong.
There are shrimp paste (this thing is in block shape), salty fish,
festive lanterns, Chinese Opera models, a very tall bun tower and old children comics too!
Posted Apr 17, 2010, 11:41 am
it's a gift during the Festival Canda on 24 May, 1991.
Cool~
Posted Apr 17, 2010, 11:52 am
It's absolutely huge in size, and it locates on the hill top,
I have to travel the cable car.
In the cable car, I saw the Hong Kong International Airport,
after I got off, I still have to walk up the long stairs to the hill,
but it worths!
The view is good~ What a good day~
Posted Apr 17, 2010, 12:05 pm
Vi went there for sourcing and I, of couse, went for sight-seeing~
It's by the sea side (in front of it is the Victoria Harbour) and as big as a maze, glad that I didn't lost my way...
I also took a photo of the two skyscrapers.
On the right is the IFC in Central, Hong Kong Island;
on the left, is the ICC in Western Kowloon, Kowloon Peninsula.
Posted Apr 17, 2010, 12:20 pm
- the green letter box of Hong Kong Post, with the bird like logo
- motor bike of Hong Kong Police
- nearly all commercial buildings of Hong Kong has such kind of windows/ surface
- installation art showing the landing of the plane, and it's the real scene before August 1997, when the Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport was still in use.
You can see the plane just right on top of the building, the bottom of the plane is so close to you!
- there are usually huge advertisement board on top of the commercial buildings
Posted Apr 17, 2010, 12:27 pm
outside the restaurant, you can see the chef working in the kitchen.
Some food are hang there as display.
From left:
squid, red sausage, goose, chicken, and the last is roast pork
Posted May 1, 2010, 5:55 pm
it's time to leave~
I will stay at home for a while.
goodbye Hong Kong!
再見! (this is the chinese word of goodbye)
Looking forward to my next trip!
Posted May 17, 2010, 11:21 am
I'm back at Aach now and guess who I met while travelling? Bella-Bo!!! She was missed and I took her back home!! Mommy was very happy to see her again (and I hope she was also happy to see me again).
In the mail was also a new guest: Smooch.
Mommy told me she's looking for a new host for me. And I'm already excited where I'm gonna travelling next!