Travelog for: Roderich

Hi Mom!!!

Today I got on the computer and learned all about the state of North Carolina.  I have prepared a history lesson just for you!!!









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
Roderich

Hi Mom!!!

Friday I went to my host's work at the Marine Air Station and they had a fun family day down by the water at the Marina.  They had a big cookout, a DJ playing music, and lots of fun things to do.  The weather was 95 degrees and I was roasting!! I had a great time and here are some photos of me. 

Here is the main sign outside the Air Station.



Here I am at the main gate with a Marine guard.  You have to have a special sticker on your car to be able to come on to the base.  He looked at me a little funny as they are not used to anyone taking their photos haha!




Here I am with my lunch.  A big hamburger, baked beans and a side of North Carolina famous BBQ pork!!



Time for some dessert! The entire table was full of pies, cakes, cupcakes and yummy sweet treats!



Here I am with tiny cupcakes that are Toy Voyager size!!



I went outside and there was a clown that was available to do face painting.  She thought I was so cute and loved posing with me.




Here I am sitting on the Dunk Tank.  The Squadron my host belongs to is raising money for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball that is held every November.  They put their Commanding officers in the dunk tank and you got three balls for a dollar.  You throw the balls at a target and if you hit the target then the person sitting on the platform gets dunked in the water.  It was funny watching everyone try and dunk the boss!!



Here I am outside The Bounce House.  Kids take off their shoes and go inside and jump up and down and have a great time.




Here I am going down to the docks to check out the boats at the Marina.



Here I am with another fun water attraction.  This had a hook you attach to your body and then when you walk to the end it acts like a big bungy cord and it pulls you along the bottom in the water.



Here I am with the MALS 29 Wolverine's sign.  This is the unit my host belongs to.



We stay for a few hours then we go home.  I go out to check the mail and a new TV Mandy Sheep has arrived!!  She will be traveling with me to Las Vegas and we are going to party down!!  Here I am waiting to greet her.



I tell Mandy all about the upcoming trip to Vegas.  I show her our schedule of shows we are going to.



Then I show her our First Class airline tickets! Can you imagine us sitting up in first class like big shot Toy Voyagers!!! lol



Next we have a little party to welcome Mandy and we get down some bottles of drinks.  I chose the Malibu Coconut Rum and it is soooo good!!



Look they even have a small bottle that is Toy Voyager sized!


We grab our drinks and head for the computer.  Darcie wants to show us the beautiful lights that we are going to see on the Las Vegas Strip.  Here is a picture of the Las Vegas sign that has been on the street since 1955. Darcie says she is planning on taking us to the sign and getting our photo taken with it!!



Here is the Las Vegas Blvd strip at night.  I cannot wait to see all the lights!!!



Today Darcie is going to teach us how to play Blackjack.  Darcie says I need to learn how to play and also learn how to stay up late because when they go to the Casino they will often play for 18 hours straight!!! I am also learning how to play Craps and Roulette. I also just found out that we are going to go see the famous Hoover Dam!!  Well mom I need to get back to playing Black Jack.. I just doubled down and won the first hand!! 

Love
Roderich

Hi Mom!!! Today we spent five hours out in the garage getting Darcie's show car ready for a big show tommorro.  Darcie has a 1955 Porsche Spyder that is her pride and joy! She told me that she takes it to a lot of shows.  The shows all have old cars from the 1940s-1960s.  This show is a bit different as it is a all European show.  They have never had one in the area for just all European and people from all over the East Coast are traveling for the big event tommorro.  There will be no American style hot rods at this show but it is still going to be lots of fun!  The show is at Coastal Plains Raceway which is about a five minute drive from here.  Darcie is happy the event is so close as they usually have to drive for about an hour to get to the other shows in the area.

Here I am with the other TVs helping apply one of three coats of wax to the car.



We work hard and start polishing the hood area.



Here we are finished and sitting on the hood.



Here we are sitting in the drivers seat.  When we finished we took the car for a spin around the neighborhood!



Here we are sitting on the beautiful Banjo steering wheel.  Darcie had this handmade in Stuttgart, Germany.



Here we are on the back checking out the license plate.



Here we are sitting on the back so you can see what the car looks like.



Darcie's husband Steve road races motorcycles for a hobby.  To stay in shape for the big road races he takes his dirtbike on dirt tracks to stay in shape.  Here I am with the Dirtbike.



Here we are with the race bike.  This is a GSXR 600 and it goes super fast! Steve takes it to Daytona, Road Atlanta, Summit Point, Virigina International raceway, Jennings, Carolina motorsports park and New Jersey motorsports park.  The bike goes up to 190 mph.  Darcie always gets nervous at the races because it is high speed and easy to crash!  Someday Darcie and Steve would like to travel to the German MOTO GP in Sachsenring!  they have been to Valencia Spain MOTO GP and they had a fantastic time! Valentino Rossi is Darcie's favorite rider.





Today we are relaxing and getting ready for the car show tommorro.  I will take lots of pictures!!

Love
Roderich

Hi Mom!!! Today we got up and ate breakfast then got dressed and took the Porsche to the car show.  Mom it was 102 degrees!!! Thank goodness Steve brought the big EZ UP shade protector to sit under all day long or else I would of gotten a sunburn! we only had a quick drive to get to the show.  The show was called Eurorennan and it was the first all European car show that my host's have attended.  My host's are usually the only ones with a Foreign made car at a show so this was going to be special getting to see other ones!  As soon as we arrrive the director of the show comes up
and asks if we will park the car right in front of the registration booth!! Darcie is surprised and says yes.  They love the car so much they want everyone to see it as they enter the show field.  Here we are after we parked the car in front of the booth.  Lots of people thought we were cute.

Here we are parked and posing for the crowds Me and Roderich got really excited to see our homeland Germany flag hanging to the left of the sign!!




Next we set up the poster display of the Spyder.  The display has lots of photos of the car and also James Dean.  James Dean was a famous actor (and Darcies favorite!) who also owned a Spyder. We are down at the bottom of the sign by a copy of the James Dean California license plate.



Next we go register the car and we see the trophies that will go to the winners.  Darcie says these are the strangest trophie's she has ever seen! They are really cool as they are bottles instead of being shiny and gold.  Darcie hopes to win one and we do too!!



Next we go wander around the grounds of the racetrack.  We see some vendors selling car stuff and we get on the table for a photo.



The National Guard has a big display at the show and one of the things they bring is a rock climbing wall!!



Next we walk over to a table that has paintball guns! Look at all of them!



We see why the paintball guns are there.  The National Guard has brought a HUGE portable paintball gun field to go in and play Paintball wars!



We go back to check on the Spyder and parked to the right of us is a man who has a BEAUTIFUL M3 BMW.  This car was built for the movie Tokyo Drift which was Fast and the Furious part 3.  This car was really tricked out and had a stereo system that sounded like a nightclub! the owner loves us and lets us sit in the car and also turns on the $20,000 stereo system so we can dance!



Here we are in the trunk with all the stereo equipment.



After we finish dancing we all go over to the drag strip.  Besides the car show they also have some racing going on.  Here we are watching the cars getting ready to go down the track.





We get hot sitting in the sun and drink plenty of water.



At the end of the day Darcie's car wins Best Porsche and Best Vintage.  Here we are at home with the cool Bottle trophy!!



Well Mom me and Bunnerton  and Mandy Sheep need to go get our bags packed as we are going to Vegas on Monday!! will write more later!!

Love
Roderich

Hi Mom!!!!,


Well tonight is packing night for Vegas!!! Darcie got us in the Las Vegas spirit by playing Dean Martin music for us!! hahaha Dean Martin was part of the Las Vegas *Rat Pack*.  She played his song called  *Aint that a kick in the head* and the chorus goes *how lucky can one man be*  but she was singing *how lucky can one toy be* LOL Here we are with our bags packed and ready to go on our flight tommorro! we have to drop the dogs off at the kennel and then we will get our bags and head for the airport.  Our plane leaves at 12:30 pm and we will arrive in Las Vegas at 5:00 pm.  We will gain three hours flying to the western part of the USA so that gives us three more hours to gamble    We will leave here on Delta airlines and fly to the busiest airport in the USA which is the Atlanta, Georgia airport then off to VEGAS!!!! wish me luck with winning lots of money!!!!! I expect to get very little sleep and will post all the fun photos when I return!  WOHOOO Vegas here I come!!

Love,
Roderich

Hi Mom!!
I am back from Las Vegas and me, bunnerton and mandy sheep had SOOO much fun! I will back date my trip so you can see what I did and when!  Darcie wants to first say she is sorry more Casino and drinking shots could of been taken.  The Casinos are VERY strict about NO photographs inside the pit area (play area of Casino)  we DID manage to sneak out a few though LOL I am now a expert at playing Black Jack.  Darcie had me at the tables for up to 12 hours at a time!  I had a Margarita in one hand and my cards in the other :0  Ok mom here is my trip!!

We wake up and Steve makes us big fat Mexican style breakfast burritos!! they are soooo good and made with Chorizo, eggs and potatoes and LOTS of hot sauce.  I have started eating a lot of Mexican food since Steve is always cooking it for us!!



We go to the airport and wait for our flight.  Here we are with our first class tickets!!



They call our flight, we are off to Atlanta, Georgia then we will get our plane to Las Vegas.



Here we are getting on our plane to Atlanta.



We get to Atlanta and wait for our next flight.  We go eat lunch at a bar and have a few drinks to get the party started lol



Our Plane is here! time to go!!



We get on the plane and we are sitting in the first class section, here we are in our big comfy seat!!



We get up and go to the cockpit....can you believe Darcie got us permission to get to fly the plane?



We have 8 Vodka and Cranberrie's and we have a great time!



The pilot announces we are flying over the Grand Canyon in Arizona, it is hard to see but if you look hard you can see the Canyon.





WE ARE FINALLY HERE!!!!!!!!!!!! when we take this photo another TV was also taking a photo!! the owner is not on this website and we tell her about it and she is signing up!!



We go pick up the luggage and they have slot machines all over the airport!! after we pick our bags up we go get the rental car.





We head for the strip!! here is Darcie's favorite hotel The Bellagio....we put on a cool radio station and start dancing as we see the big hotels!



Here we are with the Las Vegas Blvd sign as we cruise the strip.



Here is the strip side of the Beautiful Bellagio.



Here is Ceasars Palace.  Mom you need to see the movie *The Hangover* Darcie says you will laugh till you cry! it is ALL about Vegas


We are staying at *The Gold Coast* which is right off the strip.  Darcie loves the big fancy hotels on the strip but this one is just as nice and clean and has cheaper prices to gamble   Here is our view from our room....do you see the strip? we loved staring at it, especially at night!



We get hungry so we go down and eat.  The buffet is CRAZY huge and we eat a wonderful dinner!



We finally sneak over to the Casino.  Here we are playing the slot machines.....Darcie looks around and quickly snaps a photo of us.



Then we head off to play Black Jack.  Here we are at a empty table.  Darcie could not take a photo of us with the dealer or other people but this was just as fun!!



Here we are at a Roulette table.  This is our second favorite game!



We stay up super late and the west coast is three hours behind North Carolina time so we are super tired.  Here we are with our chips we won.



We FINALLY go to bed... look at what time it is!!! and yes that is AM not PM LOL this is what we do every single night and LOVE IT!!



Well mom that was my first day in Sin City and I think I want to buy a vacation house out here!!

Love
Roderich

Hi Mom!!

I just drank some Monster energy drink and I just found out we are going to go to the Hoover Dam in Arizona today!!! Hoover Dam borders Nevada and Arizona.  Here is some information on the area.

Hoover Dam, originally known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. When completed in 1936, it was both the world's largest electric-power generating station and the world's largest concrete structure. It was surpassed in both these respects by the Grand Coulee Dam in 1945. It is currently the world's 35th-largest hydroelectric generating station.[3]

This dam, located 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, is named after Herbert Hoover, who played an instrumental role in its construction, first as the Secretary of Commerce and then later as the President of the United States. Construction began in 1931 and was completed in 1936, more than two years ahead of schedule. The dam and the power plant are operated by the Bureau of Reclamation of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, Hoover Dam was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985.[2][4]

Lake Mead is the reservoir created behind the dam, named after Elwood Mead, who oversaw the construction of the dam.

We enter the Lake Mead area and see the sign and the lake.





Then we get closer to the Hoover Dam!!









See the electric towers? They are SIDEWAYS on the mountains!!



Here we are crossing into the state of Arizona.  The Dam covers Nevada and Arizona.



They are building a new bypass for cars.  This is the bridge and Darcie said it made her stomach spin looking at how high it is!!! Can you imagine climbing up it everyday to build it??






After the Dam we go back to gamble in the casino for six hours  We are going to a really cool dinner show at Planet Hollywood hotel and casino.  The show is called Tony and Tinas Wedding.  We have a hour before the show starts so we go to the bar and get a drink.  We sneak on top for a fast photo.



Here we are upstairs by the theatre looking down on the Casino floor.



Upstairs there was a big exibition.  Darcie wanders over and sees that it is items for AUCTION and cannot believe who they belong too!!  Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.  Here we are in front of a small case of Marilyns shoes, makeup case, jewels. scripts, dresses and photos.  Darcie goes crazy with the beautiful dresses and fur coats hanging around the display 





We go inside the Tony and Tias wedding and here we are with the main cast members the groom and bride!!



We have a great time at the show and then we get in the car and cruise the strip back to the hotel....I LOVE the lights!!



We get to the hotel and RUN to the Black Jack tables LOL we play for five more hours..... there are just not enough hours in the day!!!  well Mom I got to get some sleep, Ill write tommorro!!

Love,
Roderich

Hi Mom!!

This is our third day in Las Vegas.  Today we got up and got the car and went to a fun restaurant called the Egg Place.  Here I am with the other TVs getting ready to eat a big Mexican breakfast (Steve's favorite) Darcie thinks it is not a good thing to eat first thing in the morning    I loved it and really liked the Chorizo and refried Beans.



After Breakfast we go to the tip of the strip and take photos with the famous Las Vegas sign.  The weather is a balmly 102 and I make sure to put lots of sunscreen on so I dont get burned.





After we take photos we get in the car and go on a secret mission.  Steve LOVES anything to do with UFOs and aliens LOL sooo we head out for the top secret Area 51.  Area 51 is supposably where all the *aliens* and *Space ships* that have entered US air space have been captured.  The entire base is Top Secret.  Employees of area 51 fly out everyday from the Las Vegas airport on a white unmarked plane with a big red stripe.  They have their own private terminal at the airport that is VERY hard to see and is often on the Discovery channel.  Darcie is going to try and look for it when we take off on Friday and try to catch a rare photo of it from the air   anyways we take off for area 51 knowing we can get in big trouble if caught trying to enter the compond LOL

If you try to find Area 51 it is a bit hard.  The US Government denies that it exists   We got a few photos but we got scared so we stayed in the back seat so no security guard would snatch us up! Darcie did pull us out and put us on the ground so you can tell everyone that I have been to area 51! Even though Steve is in the military they do not like people coming out and taking photos.

Here it is on a map.  Notice it is not marked.


The long dirt road to the entrance.



This is as close as you can get without getting arrested for trespassing.



Signs like these are all over the place.









While taking photos, a security vehicle arrives.  Darcie takes photos of the vehicle and the guard, they tell her to erase the images or they will take her camara    YIKES!!! we get back in the car and go back to Vegas and get some more Vodka and Red Bulls.

We have a new TV favorite song.  They played this song over and over and over and over on the radio and in the nightclubs.  Imagine me and the others cruising the strip with this blasting out the back speakers in the car. 

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRsx6Z8Qbn0][/url]


Tonight we went to a casino called Paris, Las Vegas to see Anthony Cools.  This show is a hypnosis show and it was sooooooooooooooooooooooooo funny!!  he had volunteers get on the stage and perform all kind of crazy things that I probably should not type here lol anyways we had a blast!!  Here we are outside with the Eiffel tower!!!



Here is what it looks like inside the casino... look at the pretty blue sky!!



The beautiful check in area....



We come outside after the show and it is dark, look at the lights!!





After the show we cruise down the strip again and go back to the hotel... we are TIRED from all the partying!   



Well mom one more day of Vegas!! I want to stay here forever!! hope you and dad can come here sometime!!!! 

Love
Roderich

Hi Mom!!!
Today is June 25th and it is Darcie's birthday!! we wake her up and sing Happy Birthday to her and then head off for breakfast.  We spend the day with one of Darcie's friends named Terryn.  Terryn is a tattoo artist that does permanent makeup on ladies faces.  She is very busy with all the show girls in the city.  Her business is called Girlz Ink and we have fun watching her work on Darcie's eyes!! Yep Darcie got some eyeliner on her upper and lower lids and it turned out fantastic!  Here we are sitting on the tattoo table and on Terryn's supply box!





After that Steve tells us we are going on a surprise trip for dinner at The Bellagio!! we check the car in at Valet parking and cannot believe how beautiful the inside of the lobby is!!



Inside the lobby they have these big beautiful flowers that are up in the ceiling!! they were sooo pretty!!



We sit down at the restaurant and order our yummy dinner!!







For dessert they bring Darcie's favorite cake in the world... Tiramisu!!



We go outside and it is dark, we go stand in front of the spectacular water fountains for the hourly water dancing show.  This is something NOT to be missed if you ever come to Vegas.







After our dinner we go back to the hotel and change into our party clothes and head off for The Luxor.  We are going to go see Criss Angel's *Believe* show!! the show has LOTS of rabbits in it!!

Here is the outside of the hotel.  It was a bit hard to get us in the following photos...Darcie wanted to capture the entire thing for you to see   The hotel is shaped like a pyramid and was all marble inside!



Here is the lobby.





Time for the show!! we sat in the front row!! No photos were allowed inside



Ok Mom you are NOT going to believe what happened!! Darcie took us out of her bag so we could *watch* the show.  Criss Angel saw Bunnerton  in the audience and looked right at Darcie (melt haha) and jumped off the stage and asked if Bunnerton  could be in a trick!!! Bunnerton  got to introduce himself and tell everyone over the microphone that he was a Toy Voyager and was visiting from Manchester, UK . Criss Angel took him in his magical hands and made him dissapear with him!!!  Darcie was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO mad she could not take a photo of this!!!!!!!! Bunnerton was later returned by Criss Angel safely to Darcie before the show was over. We had fun watching our friend and will never forget that night!


Here we are outside the Criss Angel store.



After the show we go to see Carrot Top!! HAHAHA he was soooooooo funny! again no photos in the show.  Here we are outside with the sign.



We laugh hard at how funny Carrot Top is and then it is time to go back to the hotel.  In the morning we have a early flight and will be going back to North Carolina.  I go back and pack my bags and try to sleep but it is HARD after all the excitement that I had tonight!!

Love
Roderich

Hi Mom!!!!
This morning I got up at 5:00am.  We had to take the rental car back and catch a 7:00 am flight to Atlanta.  We didnt want to leave the casino    Steve and Darcie didnt want to leave either and they told me ANYTIME they go back that I am invited! We board the plane and guess what???? we get to fly the plane AGAIN!!!





As we taxi I see lots of planes behind ours! this airport is VERY busy.  I look over my shoulder and I see a big white plane with a red stripe, the plane has no airline name on it, you know why? This plane is going to Area 51!!!!  I couldnt get a good picture but I DID find the special terminal that area 51 uses... I got it in the air!! If you look real close at the planes they are all white with red stripes...



Here are my last two views as we fly up into the clouds.... Goodbye Las Vegas......... hope to come back soon!!!





Love
Roderich

Hi Mom!
Today is a big holiday in the USA.  Today is 4th of July and everyone is off work and celebrating with cookouts and fireworks.  We first went to Dunkin Donuts for some Donuts and Coffee.  We get half a dozen and bring them back home.  I like the Maple bars and the chocolate with sprinkles the best.







After we ate our Donuts we get in the car and go to Walmart! We have stuff to buy for our BBQ! Walmart is HUGE!!!





We get inside and head for McDonalds for a little snack



We shop for Fireworks, here we are checking out the selection.



Here we are picking out lots of snacks! We love Ding Dongs, Twinkies and chocodiles!! these are treats made by a company named Hostess



Now we go to the Candy aisle.  Darcie LOVES candy and could live off of it!!  hahaha we love seeing all the fun candy that we do not have back home.



Here we are helping Steve get some beer.  Look at the huge selection they had!!





We keep wandering around this huge store and seeing all the stuff they have.







We peak into the basic to see if we have everything.






We get back to the house and unpack everthing.  We are in the process of painting the inside of Darcie's bedroom.  Look how hard we are working.





Tonight we are doing something really fun! Steve set up a drive in movie theatre in the backyard!! we brought the flat screen TV out and some Citronella candles to keep the bugs away.  We grilled hot dogs and had potato salad, baked beans and steak fries! we watched Casablanca and East of Eden.  We watched the fireworks from the backyard and had a great time!














I had a great 4th of July!!!!

Love
Roderich

Hi Mom!! I just found out that I am going to Hong Kong!! Darcie helped me pack my bags and say goodbye to everyone.  I sure did have a good time here and even got Voyager of the week!! I know I have made friends for life here in North Carolina!!!

Off to catch my plane,
Roderich

I arrived savely at my host iris' in Hong Kong, but she can't update my travelog because of computer problems, but she did send some photos to my mentor. She took me to Disneyland for Halloween!

I finally made it back home! I can't wait to ge travelling again, though, but I hope that this time I will be able to update more often.

Hi Mummy,
I arrived in Remscheid today! My new host Katja gave me a warm welcome with some delicious cat treats.



Soon I was surrounded by more ToyVoyagers. There are Captain Caramel, Wendy, Ceryni and Diddl-Maus who was a little bit afraid of me.



I  had a look around the apartement. Hmmm ... there is a scratching post ...



... a large scratching ton ...



... a litter pan ...



... but where is the cat?

This is certainly not a cat!



Katja told me that there are two ferrets, Shiva and Brighty. This is Shiva, Brighty is emptying a drawer in the meantime.



It seems like I'll have a lot of fun with my new friends here 

Bye
Roderich