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Fun Stuff

ncfirst — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 20:46:42 CDT

Paramount's Carowinds is a 105 acre theme park, located on the borderline between North and South Carolina, in Charlotte and Fort Mill, respectively. It opened on March 31, 1973 at a cost of $30 million, after a 4 year planning period spearheaded by Charlotte businessman Earl Patterson Hall, who was inspired to build the park by a trip to Disneyland in 1966, and a dream of bringing the two aforementioned states closer together. The park was purchased by Paramount Communications in 1993 and joined the Paramount Parks family, after ownership bounced from Taft Broadcast Company to Family Leisure Centers (a joint between Taft and Top Value Enterprises), to King Entertainment Company which was the last owner before Paramount's acquisition .
The name "Carowinds" was derived from the park's original theme. Since the park was built around the history and culture of the Carolinas, the name is a combination of "Carolina" and "winds", representing the winds that have blown across the two states. As the park changed ownership over the years, most of the Carolina themes were dropped in favor of more generic television and movie themes.
Paramount's Carowinds opens in late March each year and closes in early November, after the park's Halloween event, Scarowinds. In 2005, a portion of the park reopened during December for the Winterfest Christmas festival. However, the event was not returned for 2006, citing poor attendance. A similar decision was made regarding Kings Island's Winterfest.
Paramount's Carowinds is home to The Borg Assimilator, a flying roller coaster. The ride was originally installed at Paramount's Great America in Santa Clara, California in 2000 under the name Stealth and was considered to be the world's first flying Roller Coaster. The coaster was moved to Carowinds in 2004 and was given a Star Trek theme based on the Borg.

Cool Events

11-02, Fayetteville, NC, Holly Day Fair, The largest gifts and crafts show in Eastern North Carolina!, 800-255-8217

11-02, Concord, NC, 31st Annual Mid-Atlantic Farm Show, Trade Show/Expo for everything from agriculture, landscaping, wineries, equine, FFA programs & more. , 910-795-0292

11-03, Greensboro, NC, 17th Annual Holiday Market, The complete Holiday experience with items from over 350 speciality vendors with food, gifts, decorations, 336-282-5550

11-03, Huntersville, NC, 12th Rural Hill Sheep Dog Trials, 75-100 Border Collies compete, animal exhibits, arts and crafts, 704-875-3113

11-04, Raleigh, NC, International Festival of Raleigh, Festival promoting awareness and appreciation of diverse cultures in Raleigh/Durham NC area., 919-890-3610

11-04, Hendersonville, NC, Foothills Highland Games, Scottish Highland Games, at new venue, Jackson Park, Hendersonville, NC, 828-693-8526

11-04, Hickory, NC, 6th Christmas in the Catawba Valley, Held at CVCC college this event is a Holiday tradition.We sell out months in advance .Limited to 80 vendo, 828-437-5002

11-05, Richlands, NC, Museum Fest: 30th Annual Art & Craft, Celebrating Onslow County\'s Heritage, Talent & Tradition - handcrafted pottery, textiles and woodworking, 910-324-5008

11-07, Outer Banks, NC, Wings Over Water, A birding and nature festival that explores the natural world thru birding, paddling, and natural history, 252-987-1118

11-11, Princeton, NC, Princeton Veterans Day Celebration, Chili Cookoff, Entertainment, Vendors, Parade, Speaker, Memorabilia, 919-936-3042

11-11, Salisbury, NC, Ashley's Antique & yard sale, Regional antique & yard sale items from fine antiques to someone cleaning out their attic & garages, 704-633-9238

11-12, Raeford, NC, Winter Holiday Festival, 1st Annual Arts/Crafts Holiday Festival, 910-904-1191
11-12, Kitty Hawk, NC, OBX Marathon, OBX Marathon Run , 252-475-1500

11-12, Bailey, NC, Dan Finch Pottery Open House, An annual event, more than 60 Finch Studio Potters show & sell their functional pots & artistic creations, 252-235-4664

11-16, Rocky Mount, NC, Simply Shopping, The 6th Annual Simply Shopping will feature shopping, specialty programming, & lite dinner. Need vendors., 252-641-7827

11-17, downtown Mebane, NC, A Hometown Holiday Celebration, Two day downtown Holiday Open House with special music events, shopping & dining specials , door prizes., 919-304-6019

11-18, Winston-Salem, NC, Festival of Trees, Brenner Children’s Hospital Festival of Trees, 336-716-7985

11-24, Raleigh, NC, Christmas Carousel Holiday Festival, The Triangle's Holiday Gift Show, 336-855-0208

11-24, Greensboro, NC, Craftsmen's Christmas Classic, Handmade fine arts & crafts by over 500 juried exhibitors for every style, taste & budget -Thanksgiving, 336-282-5550

11-24, Fayetteville, NC, Eastern Carolina Craftsmen's Christm, this is our 30th year. A true Arts & Craft show., 910-483-2040

11-24, Fayetteville, NC, A Dickens Holiday, Downtown is transformed to Victorian Christmas times. , 800-255-8217

11-24, Fayetteville, NC, Eastern Carolina Christmas Festival, a true arts and crafts show, 910-483-2040

11-24, Salisbury, NC, Lord Salisbury .. Holiday Homecoming, Santa & Grinch arrival, Victorian carolers, Festival of Trees, Celebration of Angels, 704-637-7814

11-24, Concord, NC, Carolina Mistletoe Holiday Market, Holiday Gift Market, 704-658-9383

11-24, Clayton, NC, Lights On The Neuse, A spectacular outdoor Christmas light show enjoyed on a scenic fun-filled hayride!, 919-669-2591

12-02, Charlotte, NC, Mallard Creek Holiday Craft Show, Indoor craft show with 50 vendors, bake sale, santa, and more, 704-548-8234

12-02, Wake Forest, NC, Christmas Historic Home Tour, A self-guided tour of the interior of several historic homes decorated for the holidays. , 919-554-3911

12-02, Wilmington, NC, Old Wilmington by Candlelight Tour, 33rd Annual Historic Home, Site and Church tour, Holiday entertainment, Fruit Cake Contest and More!, 910-762-0492

12-03, Hillsborough, NC, Hillsborough Candlelight Tour, Homes decorated for the holidays, carriage rides, entertainment., 919-732-8156

12-08, High Point, NC, Piedmont New Car Festival, Piedmont New Car Festival - 2007 Car, Trucks, Motorcycles debuts. NASCAR, live music, food, fun., 336-886-4700

12-09, Chapel Hill, NC, Chapel Hill Holiday House Tour, Tour seven historic homes decorated for the holidays., 919-942-7818

12-09, Roanoke Island, NC, Concert Chorale of the Outer Ban, A selection of Christmas music will be offered., 252-475-1500

12-09, Robbinsville, NC, Festival of Trees & Craft Fair, crafts, live singing tree, caroling and music, illuminated christmas parade, tree contest, 828-479-6176

2007-03-10, Fayetteville, NC, Eastern Carolina Craftsmen's Spring, this will be the beginning of 31 years, a true arts and craft show, 910-483-2040

2007-03-23, Mint Hill, NC, Mint Hill Highland Games, A celebration of Highland Heritage including athletics, music, dancing, food & Border Collies!, 704-574-9406

2007-03-31, Fayetteville, NC, Fayetteville NC Doll Show & Sale, Antique to Modern Dolls of all types, furniture & accessories at Holiday Inn I-95 South, 803-783-8049

2007-04-06, Newport, NC, Newport Pig Cookin', BBQ, entertainment, rides and crafts for everyone. , 252-223-5820

2007-04-20, Huntersville, NC, 14th Loch Norman Highland Games, Scottish Heritage and Culture at its Best with Athletic and Music Competitions, 704-875-3113

2007-04-20, wake forest, NC, HerbFest, Sell live herbs and perennials, live remote broadcast by superstation on Saturday morning. Craft booths,, 800-937-3993

2007-04-28, Belville, NC, SpringFest, 2nd Annual: Entertainment, Arts & Crafts, Food, Exhibitors, 2 stages, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., no admission charge, 910-383-2235

2007-05-05, Morehead City, NC, Morehead City Arts & Crafts Festival, Annual event in beautiful downtown City Park and Gazebo on Arendell Street, 610-896-9839

2007-06-02, Lake Toxaway, NC, Smilefest Music Festival, A family friendly festival playing host to over 40 bands representing the best of bluegrass and jam, 843-412-7337

2007-06-11, Holden Beach, NC, Carolina Elvis, ELVISUp Close and personal w/ LVIS, 336-629-6308

2007-06-14, Cherokee, NC, North Carolina State Bluegrass Fest, Featuring many top name bluegrass entertainers. , 706-864-7203

Thanks For Visiting

ncfirst — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 20:26:06 CDT

We hope you get alot of encouragment from this website. Please if you don't mind, after visiting leave us a comment and we will surely appreciate it.

Thanks for visiting!
Sincerely,
the creators of this website
Joelee Provens and Gladys Mclean

Exhilerating Attractions in The Piedmonet

ncfirst — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 20:52:04 CDT

One of the Peidmonts most loved attractions is it's golf courses.North Carolina has a variety of golf courses other countries would be envious of. Our more-than 600 courses wind their way across some of the most picturesque landscapes in the world. It's no wonder that Pinehurst Resort tops Travel + Leisure Golf's list of World's Best Golf Resorts, and that Golf Digest selected the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area of North Carolina as one of the top three golfing destinations in the world! This is a place where legends come to design courses that will crown their careers. Donald Ross, Ellis Maples, Rees Jones, Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus have all worked their magic here, creating some of the most outstanding golf courses in the country. It’s a locale steeped in the history of the sport — the place where the first driving range opened for business. Even mini golf got its start here. No wonder golf aficionados consider the area The Home of American Golf. And, keeping with tradition, the 2005 U.S. Open Championship was held at Pinehurst Resort on Pinehurst No. 2 to rave reviews. In 2007, the U.S. Women's Open Championship will return to Pine Needles for the third time. Now is a great time to visit and enjoy NC golf.

Another great attraction,especially for the kids, is Paramount's Carowinds.Carowinds, with its exciting water parks, thrilling rides, and hilarious cartoon characters, is the perfect spot to take your family for a great time. With over 30 restuarants and snack stands you can have a whole days worth of fun! They have something for everyone including a splash pad and a wave pool.If you dont know where else in NC to go Carowinds is definately the place.

What's in the Piedmont?

ncfirst — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 20:06:37 CDT

For all the "city slickers" the Piedmont is definately your place.From its wondrous golf courses to its wild theme parks the Piedmont is North Carolinas Most loved region.

The Historic Sites of The Mountain Region

ncfirst — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 20:02:16 CDT

One of the mountains most famous historic sites is the Biltmore House located in Ashville.The world famous Biltmore House and Gardens was built by George Vanderbilt in 1895.Most of the original furnishings are being faithfully preserved and give the unique feeling that the family is still in residence. Filled with the art treasures Mr. Vanderbilt collected throughout his world travels the mansion is a museum in itself. Biltmore House took 6 years and 1,000 men to build. With just over 4 acres of floor space it contains 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, 43 bathrooms, 34 bedrooms, and 3 kitchens. The massive stone spiral staircase has 102 steps and in its center suspended by a single bolt is an iron chandelier containing 72 electric light bulbs. TheBanquet Hall is 74 feet by 42 feet and the dinner table could seat as many as 64 guests. The meals served there were usually 8 courses and required 15 utensils per person to eat.

In these rugged, convoluted mountains(The Great Smoky Mountains) you'll find 900 miles of superlative trails, tracts of old-growth forest, views of undulating mountain ridges draped in hazy-blue, "smoky" tendrils of fog, and vivid reminders of the folkways of the Appalachians' early pioneers.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park protects one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, a place that supports more than 4,000 species of plants, 130 trees, 65 mammals, 230 birds, and more species of salamanders than are found anywhere else on earth.
Congress established the park in 1934, and its importance is now recognized around the world as an International Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site. The "Great Smokies" are great for skiing, hiking,canoeing,white river rafting, and many other exhilerating activities.

Historic Sites & Landmarks

ncfirst — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 17:42:40 CDT

North Carolina hosts many historical sites, it has 9 historic lighthouses, of which 6 are active, plus 2 offshore light towers and 2 recently-completed replicas. The state is famous for the five tall brick lighthouses of the Outer Banks. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest in the nation and famous symbol of North Carolina.The beacon from the light can be seen some 20-miles out to sea and has warned sailors for more than 100 years of the treacherous Diamond Shoals, the shallow sandbars which extend some 14 miles out into the ocean off Cape Hatteras.It is said that the engineer who was originally assigned the task of painting North Carolina's lighthouses, got the plans mixed up and the diamond-shaped figures, suitable for warning traffic away from Diamond Shoals, went to Cape Lookout and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse received the spiral striping, thereby forever gaining the nickname ''The Big Barber Pole.''In the summer of 1999, as the ever-encroaching waters of the Atlantic Ocean threaten this stalwart structure, the Cape Hatteras Light was moved from its original location.The lighthouse is open to the public from early April until mid-October and visitors are welcome to climb the 268 steps for a spectacular view of the national seashore. Near the lighthouse, the frame buildings that served as quarters to the keepers of the light are still standing. One such building has been restored by the U. S. Park Service and serves as a visitor center and museum with a gift shop. It is open every day of the year except Christmas.Cape Hatteras is a great place to go for a family vacation, historic and education, it's also enjoyable for everyone!

North Carolina was also the first in flight, thats right , here Wilbur and Orville Wright, two unassuming brothers with a passion for advancing aeronautical knowledge, and the willingness to undertake a scientific adventure, made the world's first successful flight of a man-carrying, power-driven, heavier-than-air machine. December 17, 1903, was the day man first flew in this machine. It was a cold and windy day when Orville Wright climbed aboard their plane at 10:35 a.m. His first power-driven flight of 120 feet lasted just 12 seconds when he flew over a wind-swept stretch of level sand now preserved at Wright Brothers National Memorial. From those moments the science of aeronautics has borne the impress of the Wright's' achievements. The visitor center represents the focal point in the interpretation of the area(Kitty Hawk). In addition to an extensive series of modern museum exhibits telling the story of the memorial, the center also houses an information desk, where literature is available, and the administrative offices of the memorial. From the exhibition rooms, there is a sweeping panoramic view of the reconstructed Wright brothers' 1903 camp, the first flight grounds where markers designate the take-off and landing points of the first flights, and the Wright memorial shaft atop Kill Devil Hill.

What's in the Coastal Plains?

ncfirst — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 14:27:43 CDT

The Coastal Plains, North Carolina's largest region, host 46 of North Carolina's counties.The coastal plains also host beautiful islands and beaches.There are aproxamaitely 7 beaches and 4 historic lighthouses.The plain is cut by many rivers, including such navigable streams as the Cape Fear, Neuse, Tar, and Roanoke. A great producer of fruits and truck crops, the Coastal Plain is becoming an industrial area as well.

What's in the Mountains?

ncfirst — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:43:24 CDT

The Great Smoky Mountains in southwestern North Carolina are one of the country's top natural destinations, and visitors can enjoy the world-famous Blue Ridge Parkway winding through North Carolina's mountains. Mount Mitchell is the highest peak in the state, it is also the tallest mountain in the eastern United States. There are also many historic sites such as the Biltmore House

Home

ncfirst — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 15:12:15 CDT

Over the last couple of years, the tourism in North Carolina has started to drop. We want to change this vision completely. We want to point out to you the historic sites, landmarks, and GREAT vacation spots of NC that you might not know about. We want to change your perspective of and actually get you to consider visiting, or maybe even living in North Carolina. Take a moment to look at our different Navigation pages and hopefully we might see you here (in NC) soon.