Travelog for: Ricky the Rat

Well, Mom, this was my last day in Missouri! I had a TON of fun and saw some incredible things along the way! 


This morning, I gave Noelle a hug good-bye.  She's off to see AbbyB in Canada! How cool is that? 


Guess I should start to get comfortable in here! I hope this ride is as short as the last was!

HERE I COME, DARCIE!

Love sooo much,
Ricky

Hi Mom!
I have arrived in North Carolina!! I arrived today and another TV named Stanley was in the mail box with me! We got out of our envelopes and met Darcie and her husband Steve.  We are great friends and love to talk about our travels. I met Thumper the Pug dog and Daisy the Boston Terrier. 

Here I am getting out of my envelope and finally seeing my new host!!




I get out and Stanley another TV that arrived with me is waiting to say hello!!



Here I am with North Carolina Postcards!!!


Here I am with all the Toys that live in the house that do not travel! They tell me I am going to have a
fantastic time here!




I meet the Marine Drill instructor bear that Darcies husband bought for her.  Darcie used to be a Marine and Steve is still on active duty.  Steve is going to sneak me on to the base when he goes into work so I can see what the Marines do!!



Here I am listening to the drill instructor bear as he tells me all about being a new Marine.



Here I am with Thumper the Pug.  Thumper always is very interested in the new TVs and I have to be careful or she will try to pick me up and carry me around




Here I am with Daisy the Boston Terrier.



I unpack my bags and then go outside!! It is BEAUTIFUL today!! 94 degrees so I help Steve do the yard work!! I get on the riding lawn mower with Stanley and go for a spin and cut the grass!





Here we are with Darcies rose bushes, they are all in full bloom right now and they smell so good!



Here I am with wild flowers that grow in the front yard.  They open up when sun hits them and then close up when night time comes.


Next Darcie takes us into the garage and shows us her pride and joy.  This is her 1955 Porsche Spyder and she takes it to car shows on the weekends.  I am proud to be on such a beautiful German car!! Darcie does not let ANYONE (and I mean anyone lol) touch or breathe on the car hahahaha Here I am in the car and on top of it.  The first one is of me in the drivers seat.  I told Stanley to buckle up and we took the Porsche for a spin!!








Here I am on the beautiful banjo steering wheel.  Darcie had this made in Stuttgart, Germany and had to wait eight weeks for it to arrive!! I honk the horn and laugh!!



Next we all jump in the Porsche and go to Sonic Drive in!! Here I am ordering my lunch. I get a Cheeseburger, french fries and a Coke.



We take our lunch and go to the park and eat under the nice cool trees.



Next we go to Darcies's friends house.  We go play on the kids swing set, little house and slide!!







After a short visit we drive back to Darcie's house.  I LOVE riding in the Porsche, it has no top so I get lots of sun today and everyone stares at us as we drive through town.  When we arrive at the house we go in the fridge and get a bottle of Cider beer



After the nice cold cider I go and get my uniform ready for Monday!!!  If you look hard on the pocket is the Marine eagle, globe and anchor which is the Marines symbol





I have been Googling and reading all about NC so I am going to give a history lesson to you about North Carolina!!!








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.[7]




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!!

Love
Private Ricky the Rat

Hi Mom!
Yesterday Darcie took us down to Wilmington for a car show.  The weather was 88 degrees and I got a good tan! We got in the Spyder and drove down in the morning and there were 150 cars at the show.  Here are some of my pictures with my buddy Stanley.

Here we are sitting with Darcies dash plaque for the event.  You get a dash plaque when you enter a show and they are a nice thing to collect.  Darcie has a entire book of them and loves getting them at each event.



Here we are with Darcies Spyder.  We put the sign up on the windshield telling the judges that we had the car ready for its inspection.



Here is a 1931 hot rod truck that was parked next to us.  We are sitting up near the windshield.  We liked looking at all the chrome on the engine.



Here is a 1941 Ford Tudor.  This car was just beautiful!!


Here we are with a 1956 Bel Air Convertible.  This car was in perfect condition.



People like to use decorations for their car display.  This was across from us and it is two little kid dolls hiding up against the bumper! They looked very real.  We are sitting down on the ground by their feet.





Here we are with a 1955 Chevy. 



Here we are with a 1931 model *A*


Here we are with a super hot rod! a 1955 Chevy Bel Air



This is Darcies friend Sheri's car.  This is a 1967 Nova.  We also got to sit inside of it!




This is another car that is in Darcie's car club.  This is the official pace car that was in the Indianapolis 500 back in 1978.



This was Darcie's husbands favorite truck at the show.  The owner calls it *Orange Crush* it had Orange all over including in the engine compartment!



Here we are sitting inside a 1962 Thunderbird.  Look who is inside! Betty Boop!



Here we are with a 1956 Thunderbird, this was Darcie's favorite car at the show (besides the Spyder haha)



At the end of the day Darcie wins Best Foreign car and Best Foreign sports car.  Here we are with her trophies.  We had such a fun day!



Hope you enjoyed all the pictures mom!

Love
Ricky

Hi Mom!!
Today is Memorial Day and everyone has the day off from work.  I found out tommorro I am going with Steve to the Air Station!!! I have been having fun and I really like North Carolina.  On Saturday we drove the Spyder down to Castle Hayne and went to another car show!! I got some great photos!!! All of these old cars belong in Darcie's car club  

This was our favorite car.  This is a 1956 Bel Air and if you look it has the old drive in meal tray with a fake hamburger, french fries, coca Cola and a napkin dispenser that had real Route 66 napkins!! I am also up on the tray!!




Here is another shot of the car with the Betty Boop the Car Hop!!



Here we are with a 1932 Ford hot rod.



Here we are with a 1957 Ford Fairlane!!




Since Darcie knows the owner, she gets permission for us to get inside the Fairlane and take it for a drive   Look at the old tuck and roll leather interior and the old steering wheel.






Here we are with a 1945 truck.



Here is a newer car.  This car is a 2006 special edition Mustang.  A woman owns this car and she comes to every single show that Darcie does.  We are down by the front tire.







Here we are with what is called a Chevrolet Cobalt.  This belongs to Darcie's friend's son.  His mom says he spends all his money on special effects for the car.



Once again because Darcie knows him, we get to sit inside and take it for a drive






We go back and meet *Ascot*  Ascot is a unfinished 1932 buick.  We wander inside of Ascot and meet the TVs that stay permenantley in the back of the car in the window!! They tell us all about the places they have traveled in the car.





Here we are sitting on Ascot's hood.





I really had a good time at the show and I am looking forward to going on the base tommorro!!

Love
Pvt Ricky

Hi Mom!!!!!
I have been super busy!!! I had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend playing Xbox, Cooking on the grill and helping Darcie paint her bathroom!! This update will be from my Memorial Day weekend and last night I went with Steve to the Air Station!!!! I am now a official Marine and I even was out on the Flight Line (NO ONE and I mean NO ONE can access this area unless you work on the flight line)

Anyways I will post my adventure in the order that they happened.

Lots of people had Monday off for Memorial Day so lots of kids were outside.  One little girl had the COOLEST looking wagon that her mom pushed her around in.  Here we are driving it around the neighborhood.



Next Darcie asked if we would help paint the bathroom.  We jumped right on it and had a lot of fun!!





Now we are all finished.. looks really nice!




Next we went out and rode around on Steves dirt bike, Mom I want one now!!


After that we went inside and fired up the Xbox.  We first picked out a game.



Then we put the *Team Speak* headphones on and talk to other people in other states playing the same game.



Next we were really hungry and Darcie always cooks Cheeseburgers for Memorial Day.  This time we took control of the Grill   First we got the Bubba Burgers out of the freezer.  These are sooooooooooo good!



Then we put them on the grill.


Time to flip them!


Yum!!!




We grab a Corona to wash the cheeseburger down!


Last night we left with Steve to go to the Air Station.  Here we are getting ready to get inside the back pack.



Then we head out for the Air Station.



Then we head inside the Quality Assurance building and get ready to help Steve go inspect reports, helicopters and then we work on a jet engine.





This is the *FOD* wall.  Every single day the Marines walk the flight line looking for *FOD* which is short for Foreign Object Debri (trash, wrappers, cigarette butts, small piece of anything) what happens is if *FOD* gets in the engine then the Helicopter will break down.  Here we are doing our *FOD* count.



Here we are out in the shop.  The shop is as tall as a 20 story building and is also a aircraft hanger.  Here we are working on a CH53 jet engine.  This engine costs well over $1,000,000,000 we had no trouble taking it apart (LOL)






Here we are in one of the many tool boxes getting a wrench.



Next we go in the hanger.  This is the CH53 Helicopter.  This helicopter can transport a lot of Marines and also pick up 10,000 pounds of gear.  If you look on the front the helicopter has a tribute to the 9/11 victims.




Here we are in a full view on the same Helicopter, see how big it is?



Here is another CH53 waiting for some service in the hanger.


We then go out onto the flight line.  Photographs are not allowed but we did get to sneak in a few shots

Here is a CH53 ready to go on a mission.



Here is the new V22 helicopter.  The V22 is only located one place in the world and that is here at MCAS New River.  I know it looks just like a airplane.  When the V22 takes off the arms rotate up and the blades spin over the top!! we DID get to go for a ride in this!! Darcie says so sorry no photos could be taken (security regulations) but how many little TVs get to say they got to go for a ride in one of these!! The pilots took us up and over the Atlantic Ocean and then brought us back.  We wore our night vision goggles so we could see what was going on.



I am now a Official United States Marine and I got promoted to Private First Class I had so much fun this weekend and visiting the Air Station!!!

Love
PFC Ricky

Hi Mom!!!!

Today Darcie sat me and Stanley down and told us about the man that covers her walls, fills her bookcase, had the same car she does and made three movies and tons of small parts on TV.  His name is James Dean, and Darcie said if  he were to come back alive she would leave her husband for him LOLOL  James Dean is a American Icon and is sadly missed.  The office is filled with beautiful black and white prints of James Dean.  Some of them did not come out very good on camara., but I still wanted to share a bit about what I learned about *The Rebel* 


Here we are in front of the poster that has James Dean in his Porsche Speedster during a break on the movie set *Rebel without a Cause*


Here we are in front of a photo that photographer Sandford Roth took of James Dean during a photography class.




Here is a photo of him walking down 5th Avenue in Manhatten, New York back in 1954



We go and flip the month on the James Dean calander for June!!





Here we are with a very small portion of Darcie's James Dean book collection.



We flip through the book and look at photos that a lot of people have never seen of him.




Here is the most famous photo of him, taken in 1955 at Time Square in New York City. I bet you have seen it!!!



Here we are with the three movies he made,  *East of Eden*  *Rebel without a Cause* and *Giant* we also are with just a few of the biography dvds that have been made of him.



Darcie picks out her favorite movie of the three *Rebel without a Cause* and we watch it and just love it!!







Look Mom the opening scene Jimmy is talking to a TV Monkey!!!



We spent the rest of the day watching the rest of his movies and learning all about him! Darcie said this is a subject she could talk about for days   Well it is time for dinner! we are going to Subway to get Submarine sandwiches!!

Love
PFC Ricky

Hi Mom!!

I found out that I am moving to Arizona!! That is just pure luck because that way I can still be a Marine because they have a Marine Air Station in Arizona I was sad to have to say goodbye to Darcie and Steve and I will never forget my time I spent here in North Carolina.  Well I need to go pack up my seabag and get ready for my flight.  I will write when I land in Flagstaff!!

Hugs,
Ricky

Hey Mom!
Just checking in to say that I somehow ended up in California. There must have been an mistake with the Postal people. Ashley's Family was very nice to me over the weekend and shared some goodies with me. Today, I am heading back to Arizona to meet up with Ashley.

Hey Mom!
I have safely arrived in Flagstaff Arizona with Ashley.

As you can see I was welcomed by many smiling faces. I got to meet Casanova, Thiele, Roots Bear, and Tiger Lilly. I found out that Casanova and I have a lot in common, we both are friends with Darcie and are honorary Marines! Soon after I arrived, we all hopped in a bag. I wonder where I am off to next!

So we got up very early this morning and watched Ashley pack some clothes. All five of us jumped in and got cozy for the trip.


After a long ride, we finally were able to peep out of the bag. Ashley gave us a piece of paper to hold on to. Between us all we figured out that we were getting on an airplane from Phoenix, Arizona to Houston, Texas.


We thought we were in for a weekend in the Lone Star State, but when we got there we boarded yet another plane. During this flight, Ashley had an empty seat next to her so we got to enjoy the ride outside of the suitcase. We made sure to get our seatbelt on securely.


This flight was not as long as the other and when we arrived Ashley told us to look out the window. We had arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Big Easy!!


After a short taxi ride we arrived at the hotel we were staying the weekend at, The Ritz-Carlton right on Canal Street.


The next day, we took a tour of French Quarter in a horse drawn carriage. Because there were a lot of passengers, it was hard to get pictures of me and all Ashley's other visitors with all the special things we saw. We learned all sorts of history about the area, especially since The entire Quarter is a National Historic Landmark and fortunately the area was relatively unaffected by Hurricane Katrina compared to other surrounding areas. 

We passed the infamous Bourbon St. This is the location of Mardi Gras festivities in the Spring, as well as The French Quarter Festival and Southern Decadence.

The whole tour lasted about 90mins and we went on almost every street of the district. We started and ended in Jackson Square which was also known as Place d'Armes. During the day, many local artists have their work on display and for sale. The park is situated in front of The Cabildo, which is where the Louisiana Purchase was finalized and signed, The St. Louis Cathedral and The Presbytère, which housed the Roman Catholic Priests and authorities in the 18th century.

Originally, the area was used for public execution of disobedient slaves. After the Battle of New Orleans in 1814 the park was renamed for the Unites States President Andrew Jackson and a statue was erected in his honor.


After a long day of walking and sightseeing we went for dinner at Jean Lafitte's Bistro which was above The Old Absinthe House. Jean Lafitte also had a major role in the outcome of the Battle of New Orleans along with Andrew Jackson.
.

After eating lots of yummy food including World Famous New Orleans Blackened Catfish, and Brie and Risotto balls, and many drinks we finally returned to the hotel for a nice relaxing evening before leaving the next day. Even though the trip was short, I look forward to my next adventure with Ashley. She said we might even get to see fireworks because Independence day for the USA is coming up soon!

July 4th is America's Independence Day. More specifically is it the federal holiday celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. On this day, America was officially free from the rule of the Kingdom of Great Britain. During this time of the year, and specifically on the 4th itself, many people celebrate by having events and get togethers such has barbecues, picnics, parades, concerts, carnivals and firework displays. Also, a lot of people wear very patriotic clothing, with flag emblems on them or the colors red, white and blue.

Because Flagstaff is not only a forest, but also technically a desert climate as well, it is very dangerous to have them if it is too dry. We were thinking that we weren't going to see any this year. We spent most of the morning and afternoon at Ashley's companion's house. He let us play some video games with him.


After killing lots of Zombies, Adam told Ashley that this year Flagstaff was actually going to have Fireworks. So we loaded up a blanket and sweaters because it can be quite chilly in Flagstaff at night and headed over to where the show would be taking place. There were lots and lots of people there. The show was very exciting, but because it was nighttime, it was hard to get a picture with me at the fireworks. But here is one of my favorite pictures of the whole show.


Ashley is hoping to get some time this week to show me and the other TV's around Flagstaff and give us a tour. We are hoping to get some good pictures because it is very pretty this time of year.

Today we went on an outdoor adventure. It was very beautiful outside, and the weather was perfect. Casanova, Thiele, Roots Bear, Tiger Lilly and I got to ride in Ashley's backpack. We are all ready to go!

Ashley explained to us that we were going on a hike, as well as geocaching. Geocaching is somewhat like a treasure hunt. People list the coordinates, and clues to a hidden container on the website [url=geocaching.com]geocaching.com[/url]. Sometimes there are trinkets inside the canister, and sometimes it is so small that you just sign the log. Ashley explained that sometimes it can be frustrating, but the excitement from finding the cache is worth the hunt. To get to the trailhead, we had to go off-roading a little. The bumpy road opened up to a small clearing and we spotted some female elk. Elk are one of the largest species of deer, and look almost identical to Red Deer found in Europe. We saw a lot them, but it was hard to get very close.


Soon after the elk sighting, we arrived at the trail. There was no marker her, but as we got closer we found a trail marker that let us know how much further to out destination. After hiking 2 miles we only have a little more than a half of a mile to go.


As we were getting closer, it got very windy so Ashley packed us into the backpack so we didn't fly off. She didn't want to lose any of us. Not too long afterwards, Ashley unzipped the pouch we were resting in and got to see the view.



We took in the view and rested awhile, then got to searching. 15 minutes later, Ashley's friend found something that he thought was the cache, but it was a teaser. It took a little while and just when we were ready to give up, Ashley figured it out, and the cache was found. Inside there were lots of different things including fly paper, bug bite medical swabs, and a travelbug, which Ashley explained was somewhat like a Toyvoyager. Usually, it is a tag or coin that travels to different geocaches. We didn't take anything this time, but we did sign the log and headed back. It was great fun and I can't wait for the next adventure I get to go on!

Hiya Mom!
Just writing to check in. Life has been slow here in Flagstaff. The weather has been quite strange here. The day starts out beautifully and by the early afternoon dark clouds have rolled in and then there are heavy thunderstorms. Ashley explained that these are Summer Monsoons. This time of year is characterized by random downpours of rain and then breaks that can last minutes to days. Due to the highly variable weather getting out is hard to do, especially since Ashley doesn't want any of us to get wet and then sick. At first I was somewhat frightened by all the thunder and lightening, but after spending some time in Ashley's car just watching a storm, I have discovered the storms are quite beautiful.

I have been lucky enough to try some new foods, and Ashley has been kind to satisfy my sweet tooth. Earlier in the week we went to a place called Primo's. They specialize in different kind of hot dogs. One of the regional favorites is the Sonoran dog. It was DELICIOUS all covered with cheese! All together it was a kosher hot dog wrapped with bacon smothered in cheese with a bacon wrapped deep fried pepper on the side. It was great! Also, Ashley introduced me to something called a Pancake Puppy. It is similar to a Hush Puppy which are commonly served in the south. The only difference is instead of a deep fried ball of cornbread batter, pancake batter is used. Then they are rolled in cinnamon sugar and dipped in syrup.

Ashley has promised that this upcoming week she will take me around town for more exploring. We might even bake a cake!

Wow! Today was a long day. Ashley moved into a new apartment today. We spent a lot of time packing and moving boxes. During the move, it started raining so we scrambled as fast as possible to get everything inside. Ashley's new place is very nice, but it is quiet here as we are the only ones here.

I just wanted to check in. Now that the bed is made I am going to take nap. I am sleepy after all the hard work. Ashley was kind enough to make up a pillow bed for me!

There has been ALOT of thunderstorms here lately. Ashley said that it has been the rainiest summer she has seen since living in Flagstaff. We have been unpacking and organizing since we moved and Ashley has been letting us watch movies every day. Today, we watched Juno!


Also, Ashley started her fall semester at the university. She has only been in class for a few days and already has lots of reading today. Ashley is studying all about exercise and how it effects the human body. We got to read about Carbohydrates and Exercise fuel. It was very interesting.