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Hope you are taking advantage of every one of these gorgeous days of May!
You just can’t keep us indoors this time of year when there’s the enticement of long walks, boat rides and garden parties. A glass of wine on the front porch with friends cannot be beat.
But with summer just around the corner, the calendar is quickly filling up as we look forward to numerous fun and family-friendly events, from creative family video contests to mountain garden festivals.
We’re exploring Day Trippin’ in South Carolina’s “famously hot” capital city, and heading to the North Carolina coast to discover the historic waterfront town of Southport.
The Carolinas are primed to fulfill all your summer vacation wishes. Where do you want to go?
 Southport, NC
Reminiscent of an old New England fishing village, the historic waterfront town of Southport overlooks the Cape Fear River where it merges into the Atlantic Ocean. Oak trees draped with Spanish moss line the streets of enticing neighborhoods marked by a Victorian influence.
The town of 2,700 is a virtual treasure chest of seacoast life, antiques and photogenic scenery. Several movies have been filmed here and it's a major stop on the Intracoastal Waterway for yachts moving from northern ports to Florida. Read more …
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ST. JAMES PLANTATION • SOUTHPORT, NC
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Come, experience our unique coastal lifestyle and find out why we’ve been the Number One-Selling Community in the Coastal Carolinas Since 1995!
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THE CLUB AT LONGVIEW • CHARLOTTE, NC
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Experience The Club at Longview, with its picturesque, manor-style luxury estates, in the Charlotte-area’s only gated residential community with a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.
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DAY TRIPPIN' • COLUMBIA, SC
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 If you have only 36 hours in South Carolina’s capital city, you’ll need to narrow down your options. Main Street, Five Points, the Vista and the University are very close together, with lots to do and enjoy in this “Famously Hot – Surprisingly Cool” city. Read more …
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SCOTCH HALL PRESERVE • MERRY HILL, NC
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Visit Scotch Hall Preserve and stay 3 days and 2 nights
at one of three charming local bed & breakfasts.
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WOODSIDE PLANTATION • AIKEN, SC
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To truly appreciate the beauty of Woodside and everything the premier community has to offer, you have to experience it in person!
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Build a Better Mousetrap (or a Home)
 Discovery Place is the site of Project Build, which encourages want-to-be architects to explore the concept of shelter and why humans build it. (Here at CarolinaLiving.com, we’ve got a few ideas on the subject as well.) Construction takes on new form as visitors build forts, create building sketches, develop floor plans and design functional buildings through the magic of multimedia.
Calling All Outdoor
Adventure & Nature Lovers
Gaston County, in the western Piedmont of North Carolina (and 20 minutes west of Charlotte) offers more attractions than you can possibly imagine, including the U.S. National Whitewater Center, a public-private venture jointly funded by Gaston County. If you’re there on a Thursday, check out River Jam, a late spring-summer free concert series from 7-10 pm on Thursdays only. Otherwise, prepare to get wet and wild while having the time of your life.
These Hills are Alive with Beauty!
 The 2010 Mountains in Bloom Garden Festival in Highlands will be held July 8-11. This garden festival features tours of magnificent mountain gardens, a flower and photography competition, home and garden market and lectures and demonstrations. Plus you get the beauty and history of Highlands, which has attracted devotees for more than a century.
Wherever You Are …
… in North Carolina, on these dates: June 12, July 10 and August 14, find a museum (37 are participating) and enjoy 2nd Saturdays: History, Heritage, Arts & Fun. Different themes, a variety of artists, and lots of fun for all ages. Check it out.
A Big Salute to Dad – and the Military
 On June 20th, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, SC
is teaming up with Operation Military Kids to offer free admission to
children of deployed military personnel. Bring a copy of deployment
orders to receive free admission.
P.S. All fathers get free admission to the zoo on Father’s Day.
It’s happening again – but only until June 15.
Charleston, SC is presenting their popular Rediscover the Family Vacation contest.
Submit a video explaining why you love Charleston (and who doesn’t?)
and five prizes will be awarded to families submitting the funniest,
silliest or most creative videos. Before you pull out the camera, check
out the rules here.
Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie …
If you’re planning to be along the Grand Strand on June 12th, consider the American Pie Oldies Music Fest at La Belle Amie Vineyard in North Myrtle Beach.
The site of an old tobacco farm, the area has been lovingly transformed and is now the happening place for visitors and locals when monthly festivals are held. 12 noon until 5 pm, on the grounds. Trust us, this is fun!
What to Bring: lawn chairs and good friends. Leave the coolers at home. Food and wine, plus other beverages, will be plentiful. Hint: Bring two cans of food and receive $3 off the $8 admission.
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I-40 Reopens
 After being closed
for six months after a major rockslide, this visitor-friendly portion
of I-40 in Western North Carolina is open again. “Where the sun rises
on the Smokies” is welcoming folks just in time for summer. Beautiful
mountains and valleys throughout Haywood County include the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, Pisgah National Forest and 43 miles of the
Blue Ridge Parkway.
Get Hooked on
Fly Fishing!
 The nation’s only Fly Fishing Trail, in Jackson County, NC provides directions and access to 15 prime locations to catch trout in the Great Smoky Mountains. Launched in 2009, more than 14,000 trail maps have been distributed, and 21,000 folks have visited their Website. The fishing locations include all sized waters. Accessibility varies from beside your parked car, to down the trail a couple of miles.
What is the
Freshwater Coast?
Find out at the Freshwater Coast Discovery Center, a part of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor.
Plan your visit to the area, and learn how important Abbeville,
Edgefield, Greenwood and McKormick counties are to history. (The gift
shop is pretty nifty, too.)
Carolina Gold
Carolina
Gold Rice is explored in this interactive discussion led by a costumed
interpreter at the demonstration rice field overlook at Middleton Place,
near Charleston. Visitors will discover the African origins of rice
and its importance to colonial and antebellum South Carolina. Fun for
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Modular & Prefabulous
 Throw out all of your pre-conceived notions about systems-built homes.
Today, using the method of prefabricating a home in a climate-controlled warehouse and assembling it permanently on a homesite can result in a beautiful, expertly-crafted and customized home – and one that’s greener, too.
Learn more about this growing industry, its benefits and design flexibility, in our latest green living article. You just might be surprised how far this technology has come. Read more …
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Pop Quiz!
Test your GREEN living knowledge…
Have you visited all of the great farmers markets in your area? Find out here:
NC Markets | SC Markets |
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 In My Mind I’m Goin’ to Carolina …
Singer-Songwriter James Taylor has his roots firmly planted in the Carolinas, where he moved to at the tender age of three when his father accepted a position at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. His family made their home in Carrboro, North Carolina, near Chapel Hill, where he learned to play the cello as a child before later switching to the guitar. Today, his memorable “Carolina In My Mind” is an anthem here. “Can’t you see the sunshine?” Why yes, we do. |
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And more about Southport in …
Looking for a little sweet delight that’s quick, healthy and oh so versatile? 
phone 803.782.7466 