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Come fall in love with the Carolinas - insider tips on what to do, see & enjoy. |
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On newsstands now!
CarolinaLiving.com
Subscribe to CarolinaLiving.com Guide and enjoy a new issue with
six Carolina Adventures and six more ways to spend a glorious Carolina
sunshine day outdoors. Plus, new towns to explore for a day or a
lifetime. And tips on moving here with ease.
Subscribe today.
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Who’s moving?
Where are they going?
Allied Van Lines knows who’s moving and where they’re going. That’s why their 44th annual magnet states report is always a fascinating quick glance at the stats. Top three inbound states: Texas, Florida and South Carolina (Colorado and Oregon round out the top five). Top outbound states (losing residents): Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey and New York.
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In This Issue – January 2012
Hello!
Check out some adventure tips that will amuse and entertain … no matter where you’re from or why you love the Carolina lifestyle.
Suggestions to churn creative juices: Fun times and memorable discoveries.
 36-hours in Historic Beaufort, one of the three colonial sisters (along with Savannah and Charleston),
Monkshrooms from Mepkin Abbey,
America’s renaissance thinker,
Travel tips from bad-boy, Anthony Bourdain.
It’s the value season across the Carolinas … golf is great, museums are brimming, beaches inviting, fishing a blast and Blue Ridge skiing spectacular. So expect to pay less and get more, touring the land of "smiling faces" and “beautiful places.”
Check out the abundance of fresh info at CarolinaLiving.com. New adventure fun, plus 85-town profiles, Retirement Living & Real Estate Tips & Tax Facts … all guaranteed to making good decisions.
Wishing you happy travels and just maybe, a new Carolina slice of heaven to call your own!
Co-Founders, Center For Carolina Living
P.S. As you make travel plans for your next stage of life, the 325+ pages of information at CarolinaLiving.com will assist! Order a free CarolinaLiving Guide or request one at a Carolina Interstate Welcome Centers. Find them in your bookstore for $6.95.
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DAY TRIPPIN' ...
36 Hours in Beaufort, SC
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 One of the South’s favorite towns
Beaufort has it all – history, battle sites from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, great shopping, museums, outdoor recreation, tours, nature preserves, swimming, kayaking, biking,magnificent accommodations and food that brings tears to your eyes (in a good way). Let’s take an insider’s look at Beaufort, starting with Old Sheldon Church Ruins.
A majestic sanctuary in its day, the building was burned and destroyed in 1779 by British troops. It was rebuilt, only to be burned again by General Sherman's army during the Civil War. All that remains are its stately columns and the building shell but it’s still a favorite destination for special occasions and worth a side trip to see a piece of history. Read more about Beaufort.
Photography courtesy of beaufortsc.org
Top: Beaufort Inn
Bottom: Old Sheldon Church Ruins
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Anthony Bourdain's
Top Five Tips to make travel more fun!
Eat like a local. Wherever you are, eat what the locals are good at or famous for, and eat where those locals like to eat it. Do not rely on your concierge for dining tips. He’s in the business of making tourists happy. You want the places that make locals happy. Seek out places crowded with locals. Avoid places where others of your kind are present. Four more tips.
Editor's note: Although we mildly disagree with the suggestion to always avoid touristy restaurants, it's a good idea to seek out local food. In the Carolinas, that means pastured pork, shrimp and oysters in season, lowcountry boils, barbecue, mountain trout and so much more. |
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Where in the world is this?
For some, a visit here is worth a trip to the Queen City all on its own. Others will find it an interesting curiosity – an interactive entertainment attraction that will provide hours of fun for kids of all ages. Let your imagination run wild in 150,000 square feet that pays homage to one of the South’s favorite pastimes. Where are you?
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 Maya Angelou | POET
Sing, Bird, Sing
Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and was raised there and in Stamps, Arkansas. Hers was a difficult life and she became a single mother at an early age. And then, she won a scholarship to study in San Francisco, toured Europe in a production of Porgy and Bess, studied dance with Martha Graham, danced with Alvin Ailey, and moved to New York, then Egypt, and later, Ghana.
How can the Carolinas claim her as one of our own? Since 1991, she’s been Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and has a lovely home in this appealing Southern town.
She’s called a global renaissance woman, and with good reason. In 1991, she was chosen to write and read a poem in honor of President Clinton’s inauguration.
You can listen and watch on YouTube, and be as enthralled now as 20 years ago. Read more about Dr. Angelou and enjoy videos spanning her career at MayaAngelou.com.
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“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” Maya Angelou |
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 Civil War enthusiasts,
beach lovers, history
aficionados ...
Anniversary of the Battle for
Fort Fisher
January 21-22, 2012
As part of the state’s observance of the NC Civil War Sesquicentennial, Fort Fisher State Historic Site will host “The Lights of the Great Armada: the 147thAnniversary of the Battle of Fort Fisher” on January 21-22, 2012. This two-day event will highlight the largest amphibious assault of the Civil War with a Navy and Marine living history program that will include small arms and artillery demonstrations throughout the weekend, a period torpedo exhibit, as well as special presentations focusing on the Union and Confederate sailors and marines who fought at Fort Fisher in January, 1865.
The program is free both days (although donations are appreciated) and hours are 10 am - 4 pm on Saturday and 11 am - 4 pm on Sunday.
Illustration courtesy of www.nchistoricsites.org
Federal Infantry Attack Fort Fisher, January 15, 1865, Harper's Weekly
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Not your average dancers …
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If you’re planning a trip near Durham, put this on your calendar and
order tickets today. The Durham-based contemporary dance company, Gaspardanddancers, will have its third annual performances at Duke
University's Reynolds Industries Theater, March 13 and 15, 2012. Three
completely different artists will collaborate on a special program for
this remarkable dance event.
Gaspard Louis is a former Pilobus dancer who started "Gaspardanddancers"
two years ago in Durham. Two North Carolina natives will support the
company by each providing a piece for the dancers. Amanda K. Miller is a
former William Forsyth principal dancer in Germany and founder of
"Pretty Ugly Dance Company" and Mark Dendy had his own company, "Dendy
and Dancers" and also choreographed for several Broadway and
off-Broadway shows. It will be an amazing collaboration of talent.
Photography: Robin Gallant
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 Green Building
There are 380 Energy Star building Partners in the Carolinas.
To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20%–30% more efficient than standard homes.
Want to learn more? We thought so. Go to www.energystar.gov and find Carolina builders who understand the benefits of energy efficiency and will work with you to build a home that gives you a healthier lifestyle that saves money. It’s good to be green!
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Classic Winter
Comfort Food ... Soup!
Some recipes are worth the time and effort. Here in the middle of January, comes a superb homemade chicken soup with hand-cut pasta.
Forget those red cans. This is the real deal. Your entire family will agree and beg for leftovers the next day.
Recipe courtesy of food blogger
Kim Byer and the Paper Apron.
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 Monkshrooms at Mepkin
It’s a Carolina Adventure designed to feed your body and soul. Mepkin Abbey is a community of Roman Catholic monks which was founded in 1949 on the site of the historic Mepkin Plantation. Beautifully sited along the Cooper River, north of Charleston, SC, the brothers of Mepkin are Trappists who welcome visitors to their home for an hour or up to seven days.
Casual visitors like to tour the remarkably manicured grounds, which include walking paths, formal gardens, native gardens and a labyrinth. They also come to buy white oyster mushrooms, grown by the monks to support themselves. (If you’re in Charleston, a number of fine restaurants use these “monkshrooms,” including McCrady’s, High Cotton and Slightly North of Broad.)
At the Abbey, the gift shop also sells garden compost and concoctions from other Trappist Abbeys. As we said, feeding the body is part of the plan. Read more.
 Where would you like to visit in the Carolinas?
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