Travel Oracles 50 States: North Carolina
As part of my summer series - Travel Oracles 50 States - I am revisiting each os the fifty American states as an overview on travel culture and history. Today: North Carolina
Joined: On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the United States Constitution. During the civil war, North Carolina contributed to both the Confederate and Union war effort. North Carolina served as one of the largest supplies of manpower sending 130,000 North Carolinians to serve in all branches of the Confederate Army.
Original Indigenous Peoples: Catawba, Cherokee and Creek Indians.
First Settlers: The first European settlement in what is today North Carolina—indeed, the first English settlement in the New World—was the "lost colony of Roanoke," founded by the English explorer and poet Walter Raleigh in 1587.
History moment: In one of the nation’s most intriguing mysteries, a group of around 150 colonists from Plymouth, England, who had landed on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina in July 1587 vanished without a trace, except for the word “Croatoan” scratched on a post that had enclosed the settlement. Although there have been several hypotheses as to what occurred, historians and archaeologists have been unable to find evidence to support any of them. One of the original 13 colonies, North Carolina was the first state to instruct its delegates to vote for independence from the British crown during the Continental Congress. Following the Revolutionary War, North Carolina developed an extensive slave plantation system and became a major exporter of cotton and tobacco, when In 1861 North Carolina became one of 11 states to secede from the United States, beginning the American Civil War. In 1903, the state became the site of the first manned self-propelled airplane flight when the Wright brothers took off from a cliff near Kitty Hawk.
Known for: 'First in Flight' in Kitty Hawk per the Wright Brothers, known as the "Tar Heel State", NASCAR Hall of Fame, Biltmore Estate & Gardens, The Great Smoky Mountains. Outer Banks, home state of former Presidents James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson
Places: Charlotte, Raleigh, Asheville, Durham, Greensboro, Wilmington
Movie setting: Bull Durham, Blue Velvet, Tin Cup, Message in a bottle, Cold Mountain, Cape Fear
Musicians from: John Coltrane, Nina Simone, Ben E. King, George Clinton, Tori Amos, Ben Folds,
Surprising facts: North Carolina is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the nation, North Carolina is the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola
From the Outer Banks’ secluded barrier islands to the Smoky Mountains’ majestic peaks, North Carolina is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. There are championship golf courses, beautiful gardens, scenic drives along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and numerous opportunities for hiking, biking, and fishing. Urban adventures include hip Asheville, host to America's largest privately owned home, Biltmore Estate, and university-centric cities like Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Let’s travel to North Carolina
My Experience: I have had a lot of fun in both the progressive college towns like Raleigh, and the lovely beach towns for some R&R. There are really so many places to visit, and given how fast the sate is growing, I am out of the loop (and need to return). So let’s just start with this general list of things to do in North Carolina
Nature: There are many lovely parks in NC, but perhaps the most well known are the Great Smoky Mountains
Ranking in US: Per the annual US News report, North Carolina is currently ranked #13 out of 50 in 2021 and #18 in 2019.