Click for travel news & deals! In this Issue: Featured Towns: Charleston, SC Charlotte, NC Columbia, SC Currituck – Outer Banks, NC Greensboro, NC Greenville, SC Hunting Island, SC Mount Airy, NC Newberry, SC Spartanburg, SC Sumter, SC Beaufort Stew Recipe Corolla Wild Horse Fund Edward R. Murrow Fall Color Forecast Florida Housing Markets Living Green Military Families NC Breweries Off Our Bookshelf Retirees’ Favorite Destination Top Colleges

Hello! We hope all's well with you and your family these cooler days in your town. You are invited to join us in the fall for some fun and relaxation. Carolina weather from now to January is our favorite for viewing, experiencing and getting inspired. The festival season is upon on us, which is perfect for family outings … beach walks, parades galore, wine and regional food fests and the arts. The best part is that Carolina accommodations and festivities are priced for great value.  So you will pay less and get more! Click here for links to Festivals, Inns, Hotels and B&Bs, Mega Shopping Deals and Winery Tours. Happy travels!   Leyla and Patrick Mason Co-Founders CarolinaLiving.com   P.S. As you think about your next stage of life here, we can help. Subscribe to CarolinaLiving.com!       CAROLINA'S WHO'S WHO   "Good night, and good luck."   This is Greensboro, North Carolina ... birthplace of pioneering broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow.  He was born just outside of town, in Guilford County, and today the city remembers its famous son with a "Murrow Boulevard" and statue of the longtime CBS journalist at the Greensboro Historical Museum, among other tributes.    Explore this thriving business and cultural community:  Greensboro, NC

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DAY TRIPPIN' Got just 36 hours in Newberry, SC? Consider these FUN-filled possibilities.   Drive to Newberry on I-26.  It’s about 45 minutes west of Columbia, and about an hour east of Greenville.  Once you arrive, choose your accommodation.    We suggest the DeWalt House,  an elegant home built in 1832 and extensively renovated.  You’ll feel as if Scarlet O’Hara will be rounding the corner at any minute.  Read more ...

ADVENTURE DESTINATION Mount Airy, NC When you think of small towns, Mount Airy is one that often comes to mind as a symbol of the friendly, simple life we remember from the 1950s.    It's the hometown of actor Andy Griffith, and was the inspiration for his long-running TV series.  You can step back in time and visit the famous landmarks mentioned on the show, order a pork chop sandwich from Snappy Lunch on North Main, or stop by Floyd's Barbershop next door to get a haircut and catch the latest local news. Read more … And more about Mt. Airy in … The 50 Best Small Southern Towns by Gerald Sweitzer and Kathy Fields

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NC Tourism’s Fall Color Prediction:  Brilliant!       VisitNC.com Offering Giveaways, Tempting Travelers One of the best things about North Carolina is that the highest altitudes in the state often see peak color the first two weeks in October, then altitudes such as Boone come into play during the middle of the month, and Asheville and the foothills follow. Then the color literally sweeps down the mountains to the Piedmont, offering color in Chapel Hill and coastal regions through Thanksgiving.  You’ll think you’ve stepped into a Crayola® box. Up-to-the minute fall color reports begin Sept. 29 on VisitNC.com, Twitter  and on  www.facebook.com/northcarolina Photo courtesy Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau

OFF OUR BOOKSHELF Beautiful Places: The Timeless Beauty of South Carolina State Parks By Chad Prosser & Cal Harrison, Photography by jon o. holloway   Celebrating the 75th anniversary of South Carolina State Parks, this beautiful new photographic tribute to South Carolina's land and wildlife is yearning for a home on your coffee table.  Order the hardcover today, and you'll be inspired to plan a trip tomorrow.

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LIVING GREEN!     Energy Bill = $0 Earlier this month, the innovators behind Ridge at Chukker Creek in Aiken, SC, broke ground on the nation's first Net Zero Energy Home to be powered by solar energy and a hydrogen fuel cell.    This revolutionary home will produce all the energy it needs.  Talk about breaking new ground!  Learn more about this amazing green community.   Coming Out on Top Just in – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ranked the Top 25 Cities with the Most ENERGY STAR Qualified Buildings in 2008, and Charlotte, NC, finished #18 on the list!  With 45 new ENERGY STAR qualified buildings last year, the Queen City has seen an additional $4.6 million in energy savings.  That's not pocket change!		Pop Quiz! Test your GREEN living knowledge… True or False? Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) use approximately 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs.  Find out here.   Keep them Wild and Free That's the motto of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.   Adopt a Spanish Mustang, take a wild horse tour, or simply read about these remarkable horses who live on the Outer Banks. Photo courtesy of Currituck County Travel & Tourism.

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SEEN & HEARD

Raise a glass.  You may be surprised that North Carolina is known for superlative brews as well as wonderful wine.   Florida’s population is dropping as folks opt for the more affordable, four-season Carolinas. Check out what Business Week says about the sunshine state’s newest phenomenon.    Bet you didn’t know this: Eight Carolina Southern Baccalaureate colleges ranked in the Top 20 by US News and World Report.   #3  Erskine College,          Due West, SC   #5  High Point University,          High Point, NC #10  Lenoir-Rhyne University,          Hickory, NC #12  Claflin University,          Orangeburg, SC #14  Catawba College,          Salisbury, NC #15  Coker College,         Hartsville, SC #17  University of          South Carolina/Aiken,          Aiken, SC #19  Elizabeth City State University,          Elizabeth City, NC   Favorite destination for retirees? North Carolina, says Kiplinger Kiplinger.com, online arm of the Washington-based personal finance publication, looked at the tax policies of each of the 50 states to determine whether they are “senior” friendly. NC came out ahead.  Read more ... SC makes list of top 30 housing markets Spartanburg, Greenville, and Sumter make BusinessWeek’s list.  Check ‘em out.  In NC, Fayetteville, Burlington, Jacksonville, Durham, and Greensboro also made the grade. Hunting Island, SC Lighthouse Turns 150! Friends of Hunting Island and the Hunting Island State Park staff are conducting a weekend celebration October 16-18 commemorating the 150th birthday of the island’s historic and beautiful lighthouse.   Events staged both in Beaufort, SC, and on Hunting Island include an original historical play, student artist exhibition, kayak race, 5K run/walk, lighthouse tours, sand sculpture contest, oyster roast, a Grand Ceremony, and much more. Check it out! Military families love to retire in the Carolinas.  Read about Columbia’s strengthening ties to Fort Jackson in this issue.  Next month, look for more on North Carolina military retirees’ favorites.

CAROLINA CUISINE If the Carolina Lowcountry could be served up on a platter, it would be in the form of Beaufort Stew (also known as Frogmore Stew). It’s where the land meets the sea, with robust flavors and casual sophistication.   And with summer waning into the autumn shrimping season, it’s the perfect time for this crowd favorite.  Kim Byer, local foodie blogger of The Paper Apron, invites you to gather ‘round her steamy dish – just be sure to bring extra napkins! TASTE OF CHARLESTON October 9-11  •  Charleston, SC A three-day celebration of Lowcountry cuisine.  Don't miss the Main Event, held on Sunday, October 11, at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant. The event showcases a sampling of the taste-tempting delights served at more than 40 of Charleston’s finest restaurants. Fabulous food and a preview of cuisine from some of the nation's finest chefs.  What could be better? Tickets for all events may be purchased online.