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Come See What's New in North Carolina For 2009
Raleigh, NC (March 1, 2009) - From outdoor recreation and unique lodging to arts and culture and fine dining, the charming small towns and vibrant urban locations of North Carolina offer something for everyone. Explore the highest peaks in the eastern United States and 300 miles of pristine coastline at VisitNC.com or call 1-800 VISIT NC (847-4862). Visit our new media center at Media.VisitNC.com
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Celebrates 75th Anniversary Throughout 2009
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has unveiled a new website (www.greatsmokies75th.org) providing viewers a virtual tour of activities planned to celebrate the park’s diamond anniversary. With 276,000 acres in North Carolina, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the largest protected land area east of the Rocky Mountains. The park preserves historical structures of early European settlements and is America’s most-visited national park. Several N.C. areas are offering special deals and activities in conjunction with the anniversary.
www.visitsmokies.org; www.greatsmokies.com; www.mountainlovers.com; 800-867-9246
Proximity Is Nation’s “Greenest” Hotel
Greensboro’s Proximity Hotel and Print Works Bistro have been awarded LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is the USGBC’s rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings. Opened in late 2007, the Proximity is the first hotel to obtain the USGBC’s top level of certification. The hotel uses 41% less energy and 33% less water without compromising comfort or luxury. Among other features, the AAA Four Diamond hotel has 100 solar rooftop panels that heat water for the property and restaurant. The Proximity features 147 guest rooms and 4,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. It is a new structure that was designed to look like an old converted factory.
www.proximityhotel.com; 336-379-8200
Blue Ridge Parkway Turns 75,
Offers New Destination Center
The Parkway celebrates its 75th Anniversary in 2010 and now features a 12,800-square-foot, $9.8 million destination visitor center with exhibits highlighting the natural and cultural diversity, traditions and recreational opportunities found on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The center, opened in April 2008 and built to the latest energy-saving standards, has a 70-seat auditorium with an HD film, an I-Wall interactive map of the entire Parkway and space for groups. Also on the Parkway is the new “Go Blue Ridge Card” multi-attraction pass featuring one-price admission to more than 20 attractions. The Federal Highway Administration recently named the Parkway an All-American Road.
www.blueridgeparkway.org or 828-298-5330; www.blueridgeheritage.com or 828-271-4779.
New UNC Basketball Museum For Tar Heels’ 100th Year
Located on campus in Chapel Hill, the new Carolina Basketball Museum features artifacts, videos, photos, statistical and historical panels that highlight the history of the University of North Carolina basketball program. The museum features a “Game Day” theme where visitors enter a theater for pre-game, then into the main museum space where they can visit interactive displays and view memorabilia and more than 450 artifacts from Carolina’s storied program. UNC will celebrate 100 years of basketball during the 2009-2010 season.
www.visitchapelhill.org; 888-968-2060
North Carolina Preserves Grandfather Mountain
The state of North Carolina purchased Grandfather Mountain in late 2008, one of the state’s signature landmarks. The $12 million purchase will make Grandfather Mountain North Carolina’s 34th state park. The Morton family will continue operating the Grandfather Mountain travel attraction, which includes a nature center, seven wildlife habitats and the signature swinging bridge. Grandfather Mountain has been a wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve for decades. The mountain was the only private park designated by the United Nations as an International Biosphere Reserve. Hugh Morton inherited the mountain in 1952 and is credited with developing the park as a tourist destination and endowing it with a strong conservation ethic.
www.grandfather.com; 800-468-7325 or 828-733-2013
Live The Movies In The Outer Banks
Relive the romance of the recent major motion picture “Nights in Rodanthe” starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, based on the bestselling novel by author Nicholas Sparks. Shot on location in the title Hatteras Island village of Rodanthe, you can now immerse yourself in the movie and visit the actual places on The Outer Banks of North Carolina that you see in the film, such as the real oceanfront cottage that is portrayed as the fictional Inn at Rodanthe. Discover what Hollywood found on Hatteras Island, and step into the big screen Outer Banks for real.
www.outerbanks.org; 252-473-2138
Readers Say Pinehurst Is #1; Package Offers Unlimited Golf
For an unprecedented third time, Travel + Leisure Golf readers voted Pinehurst Resort as their top pick to take their next golf trip above any other in North America in its September/October 2008 edition. The 2,000-acre resort has consistently ranked higher than such well-known locations as Pebble Beach and Kiawah Island. Pinehurst Resort is challenging avid golfers with an unprecedented sweepstakes. Through May 31, golfers from around the globe can enter the resort’s Spring sweepstakes to win unlimited golf for a year at any of Pinehurst’s eight golf courses including the famed No. 2, site of the 2014 U.S. Open. The sweepstakes celebrates the launch of Pinehurst’s Spring Unlimited Golf Package, in which golfers are automatically upgraded to unlimited golf at normal one-round-per-day rates through May 30.
www.pinehurst.com; 800-487-4653
Conservancy To Create Barrier Island Study Center
The Bald Head Island Conservancy, an independent non-profit organization, is creating the world’s first Barrier Island Study Center in response to growing global concern about barrier island sustainability. The objective is to identify worldwide solutions to save and maintain these environments. Bald Head’s unique environment, which includes beach, marshland and maritime forest in 12,000 acres, offers researchers both pristine and developed habitats to study.
www.baldheadisland.com; 910-256-9742
Brand Names, Quality And Below-Market Prices Abound
At Hickory Furniture Mart
With 500,000 visitors each year and averaging visitors from 38 states each week, Hickory Furniture Mart has helped put North Carolina in the national spotlight and cemented the region’s reputation as one of the country’s premier furniture shopping destinations. Hickory Furniture Mart will host a number of sale events beginning Feb. 13 and lasting through early November. Mart tours are available on request. The Mart also features personal shoppers, girlfriend getaway packages and hotel packages.
www.hickoryfurniture.com; 800-462-MART
North Carolina Birding Trail Continues Statewide Expansion
The final stretch of the North Carolina Birding Trail that spans from the coast to the mountains will open in summer 2009. The trail was initiated in 2003 to provide a scenic avenue for bird watching. North Carolina has 460 of the 900 to 1,000 species of birds found across the country and 93 species of special concern, making the trail the perfect place to view rare and endangered birds.
www.ncbirdingtrail.org; 919-604-5183
Chimney Rock Offers Climbing
Chimney Rock has teamed up with Fox Mountain Guides to allow visitors to scale the park’s rocks with ropes and harnesses. All guides are certified by the American Mountain Guides Association. Climbing is offered for everyone age six years old and up, no experience is necessary and all equipment is included. Try a 15-minute “taster,” a two-hour clinic, a half- or whole-day adventure and experience the thrill of rock climbing on ancient cliff faces.
www.chimneyrockpark.com; 828-243-2019
Museum Of Mountain Bike Art & Technology
Celebrates 30th Anniversary Of Mountain Biking
The sport of mountain biking celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2009, and leading the celebration is the new Museum of Mountain Bike Art & Technology (MOMBAT) in Statesville. The recently opened museum preserves and chronicles the evolution of the sport, its personalities and products. The museum's collection contains more than 400 bicycles, including more than 250 mountain bikes. Displayed alongside the bicycles at MOMBAT are hundreds of vintage parts and accessories and thousands of pieces of literature, including period catalogs and magazines that follow the evolution of the sport. MOMBAT is located within First Flight Bicycles. The museum also sponsors the Cackalacky Cup, an increasingly popular vintage-themed mountain bike festival that takes place each summer.
www.mombat.org; 704-878-9683
Diving For Blackbeard’s Treasure
A new book touts the idea that history’s most famous pirate, Blackbeard, was a native son of North Carolina. While historians debate just who Blackbeard was, there is no doubt that visitors can retrace his steps at several sites in North Carolina. The book, “The Last Days of Black Beard The Pirate” (www.thelostlight.com) discusses how he met his demise off Ocracoke Island and may be buried there. For a limited time, visitors can dive on Blackbeard’s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge. The North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Branch offers recreational divers with a unique, exciting, and historic diving experience of exploring the remains of what is believed to be the Queen Anne’s Revenge. With a limited number of spaces available before the full excavation begins, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Dives are available for a limited time in the summer.
www.qaronline.org; 252-528-0026
Cheoah Offers Class IV+ Rapids
Extreme adventure in whitewater rafting is now available in Graham County. For more than 70 years the Cheoah River has been a dry river. High flow releases are now scheduled for 18 days each year. The river provides World Class IV/IV+ rapids. Not for the beginner, these rapids are among the longest and steepest in the Southeast. The Cheoah is rapidly becoming one of the top whitewater runs in the country thrilling paddlers with fast-paced action, blind horizon lines, and big flushy holes.
www.grahamcountytravel.com; 828-479-3790
“Race City USA” To Unveil Walk Of Fame In May 2009
Mooresville, North Carolina, perhaps better known to race fans as “Race City USA,” will introduce a new Walk of Fame attraction opening in mid-May. It is designed to honor inductees of the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame. The star-studded attraction will adorn the sidewalks of historic downtown Mooresville in front of the Charles Mack Citizen Center.
www.racecityusa.org; 704-799-2400.
Charlotte’s Center City:
New Nightlife, Dining, Shopping & Luxury Accommodations
Charlotte has transformed into a vibrant urban center with a growing roster of entertainment venues, sports teams, restaurants and hotels - all made easily accessible through the City’s light rail system. And there’s much more on the way. Here’s an overview:
Three hot hotels including a Ritz-Carlton, W Hotel’s boutique brand, Aloft and the all-suite Hotel Sierra, will add sparkle to the Queen City in 2009 and 2010.- Center City adds venues such as the 267,000-square-foot EpiCentre. EpiCentre is the hottest destination in Charlotte right now. It is a one-stop, mixed-use labyrinth and features an upscale steakhouse, Irish pub, bowling alley, Italian bistro, movie theatre, dueling piano bar, burger joint and breakfast diner.
- New destination BlackFinn Restaurant and Saloon, an NYC import, boasts 32 large screen TVs - a perfect haven for visiting sports fans. Favorite fast food franchises are also found near Strike City Lanes. Anything but a typical bowling alley, it will offer 18 lanes with a stylish vibe, a 4,700-square-foot Libretto’s Pizzeria, and two private rooms for group functions.
- As for nightlife, there’s Howl at the Moon, where entertainers man baby grand pianos, saxophones, guitars, and drums and rock out to just about any request an audience member can throw at them. Then there’s Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s Whisky River. Not a typical country bar, its “Top 40” tunes attract Charlotte’s who’s who along with a chic interior complemented by a belt buckle-trimmed bar and sassy mechanical bull.
www.charlottecentercity.org or www.charlottesgotalot.com; 704-331-2715
Carowinds To Debut New Coaster
There’s a new species coming to the Carolinas, but this is no animal. The Carolina Cobra will debut as Carowinds’ 12th roller coaster in early spring of 2009. The 125-foot-tall steel coaster will stand as the park’s second tallest coaster. Hovering near the entrance of Boomerang Bay, it coincidentally happens to be a “boomerang” coaster, meaning it will travel the same track with plunging drops, a 360-degree loop and cobra roll both backwards and forwards.
www.carowinds.com; 704-587-9050.
True Story Of Bats At The NC Arboretum
The mythic tales of bats might be intriguing, but a new traveling exhibit at the North Carolina Arboretum sheds light on the true story of bats and how these fascinating creatures are helpful to plants and the environment. Open until May 10, 2009, “Masters of the Night, the True Story of Bats” dispels popular misconceptions about bats, describes their ecological importance and gives visitors an appreciation of the true wonders of the bat world. Special effects, multi-sensory interactive displays, a Gothic castle and environmentally lifelike settings such as caves and rain forests present bats in mythic and real-life settings.
www.ncarboretum.org; 828-665-2492
Three Times The Zip Line Screams
Scream Time Zip Line now has the first three-person wide, 2,000 foot-long zip lines in the nation. Harness up with friends or family and take turns racing down the line. Zippers travel at speeds up to 48 miles per hour. Scream time opened in 2008 just north of Boone offering some of the world’s longest and fastest zip lines. Scream Time provides the thrill of zipping 60 to 130 feet above the ground in a secure harness attached to an incline cable (also called a canopy tour). Riders can weave their way down the mountain on lines ranging from 400 to 800 feet or they can take the super zip, which goes 2,000 feet down the mountain and can reach speeds of 60-70 mph.
www.screamtimezipline.com; 828-898-5404
Albemarle Features Art DuckO
The coastal traditions of duck hunting and decoy making are brought to life at the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City in a new exhibit, “Art DuckO: Waterfowl Culture in North Carolina.” More than 100 decoys by noted carvers, unique feathered fashions and interactive activities are featured in the exhibit. Admission to the museum is free. The exhibition will be displayed through March 2010.
www.museumofthealbemarle.com; 252-335-1453
Beech Mountain Takes Visitors Over The Rainbow
Many places offer venues for celebrations, but only Beech Mountain transports a special occasion to “somewhere over the rainbow.” New in 2009, the former Land of Oz theme park atop Beech Mountain is available for private functions including birthdays, weddings, reunions or corporate retreats. From 1970-80, Land of Oz was a popular theme park with rides, games and an Emerald City. Although the rides, games and city are gone, enough vestiges of the park remain to draw thousands each October for the annual Autumn at Oz celebration. Visitors who rent the Land of Oz have access to the Fountain of Youth, Judy Garland Memorial Overlook Gazebo, a patio area, Uncle Henry’s Barn, Dorothy’s house, a small Oz museum, and the 44,000-brick Yellow Brick Road. Dorothy’s house is also available for overnight stays.
www.emeraldmtn.com; 828-387-2000
Roanoke Canal Museum Expands
Phase II of the Roanoke Canal Museum & Trail opened in January 2009 in Halifax doubling the museum’s exhibit space. The 7.5-mile hiking, biking & nature trail that was once the bed and tow path of the Roanoke Navigation Canal also has several new interpretive signs describing the native flora and fauna, as well as historical structures along the trail. A prominent feature of Phase II is a walkway through the old penstock leading visitors into the canal bed where they may view a replica batteau up close.
www.visithalifax.com; 252-535-1687
New Lodging
$100 Million Great Wolf Lodge To Open
Great Wolf Resorts will open a more than $100 million, 36-acre northwoods-themed Great Wolf Lodge in April 2009, offering one of the largest indoor waterparks in America. The four-story, 475,000 square-foot resort and conference center will feature an 80,000 square-foot indoor waterpark plus additional outdoor waterpark; more than 400 guest suites with nine different configurations; 20,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space; an outdoor pool area; an Aveda Concept Spa plus ice cream-themed kid spa; technology center for teens; MagiQuest, a live action fantasy adventure game; 100-game arcade with ticket redemption center; themed 18-hole miniature golf course and more. The lodge will be located near Lowes Motor Speedway.
www.greatwolf.com/concord/lodge; 866-925-9653
New Condo Rentals In Outer Banks
First Flight Retreat opened in July as the Outer Banks’ first new oceanfront condominium in nearly 20 years. Every condo in First Flight has an ocean view. Each condo offers new, premium finishes, new furnishings, and the amenities of a first-class beach resort. First Flight Rentals offers weekly and three-night condo rentals, subject to minimum stay requirements.
www.firstflightrentals.com; 866-595-1893
Asheville Gets Bohemian
With New Boutique Hotel
The Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville opens in April 2009 and will position guests just steps away from the gates of The Biltmore Estate. Old world charm provides a unique atmosphere for the Tudor-inspired boutique hotel where guests will have a contemporary Kessler Collection hotel experience. Despite its rustic ambiance, the hotel will feature modern luxuries, 104 well-appointed guest rooms and suites with a Poseidon Spa and more than 5,700 square feet of event space.
www.bohemianhotelasheville.com; 828-505-2949
Culinary Interests
Calling All Foodies: News From North Carolina
Here’s the latest on a few of the state’s most acclaimed and interesting restaurants and wineries
- For the traditional palette, Black Water Grille, located in historic downtown Lumberton offers steaks, seafood, ribs, pastas and lowcountry cuisine. Housed in a century-old mule stable with exposed brick walls, timber beams and 20-foot ceilings, Black Water Grille exemplifies “down east” style. The restaurant earned the N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council’s 2008 North Carolina Beef Backer Award for Independent Restaurants. www.blackwatergrille.com; 910-738-5566
Another great (and socially responsible) North Carolina dining spot is The Second Fret, an independent coffee shop in historic downtown Statesville. In addition to serving fresh food, this hot spot offers Bird Friendly coffee - grown in conditions that protect migratory birds. In addition to helping protect birds through patronage of The Second Fret, guests can shake their own tail feathers with live entertainment featured every Friday and Saturday night. www.thesecondfret.com; 704-878-9889- For a bit of the French countryside in North Carolina, visit La Farm Bakery in Cary, which introduced a new café in February 2009. The European-style café offers patrons handcrafted artisanal breads, pastries, tartines (morning sandwiches), soups, salads, cheese and pizzas in a setting featuring a communal farmhouse table for 10 as well as café-style seating both indoors and out. La Farm Bakery has earned accolades from national media Food & Wine, Country Home and O Magazine. www.lafarmbakery.com; 919-657-0657
Uwharrie Mountains Wine Trail Open Now
The Uwharrie Mountains are a remnant of a volcanic island chain that emerged from the ocean floor more than 500 million years ago. Once 20,000 feet in elevation, the Uwharries are believed to be the oldest mountain range in North America. Today four wineries including Dennis Vineyards, Uwharrie Vineyards, Stony Mountain Vineyards and Rocky River Vineyards reap the benefits of this ancient, mineral-laden soil, creating wines of exceptional quality. Each stop along the Uwharrie Mountains Wine Trail offers wine enthusiasts a glimpse of the winemaking process and a variety of wine selections for virtually every palette.
www.uwharriemountainswinetrail.com
Fearrington House Named A Certified Green Restaurant
Fearrington House, a 2009 AAA Five Diamond award-winning restaurant, was named a Certified Green Restaurant by the national, not-for-profit organization, The Green Restaurant Association. Fearrington has long embraced environmentally responsible practices, including actively sourcing with local farmers and farmers’ markets (including the growers-only Fearrington Farmers’ Market, now in its 19th year) for organic produce, meats and fish; harvesting vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs from its own gardens and greenhouses; on-site bee pollination; conversion of cooking oil to fuel; and a comprehensive recycling program.
www.fearrington.com; 919-542-2121
Southern Supreme Celebrates Silver Anniversary
Southern Supreme Gourmet Specialties, known for their nutty fruitcakes (their signature item), jams, jellies, chocolates, cookies and more, celebrates their 25th anniversary in 2009. Watching the staff at the cooking stations brings back memories of Lucy and Ethel gobbling chocolates as they came off the conveyer. Visit their Holiday Open House every October.
www.southernsupreme.com; 336-581-3141
Looking Ahead: 2010-2011
Discovery Place Undergoes $31.6 Million Renovation
Charlotte’s Discovery Place is in the midst of a $31.6 million renovation to provide new science and technology exhibits, interactive displays, better traffic flow, improved infrastructure and the ability to rotate exhibitions frequently and to more regularly host world-class exhibitions such as Body Worlds and The Dead Sea Scrolls. The renovations are scheduled for completion by June 2010. During the 17-month renovation period, significant parts of Discovery Place and The Charlotte Observer IMAX Dome Theatre will remain open.
www.discoveryplace.org; 704-372-6261
N.C. Museum Of Art Expansion To Feature Rodin, Open With Rockwell
The NC Museum of Art is opening a new 127,000-square-foot, $138 million building designed by New York architect Thomas Phifer. In April 2010, the museum will host a grand opening of its new gallery building, which will be commemorated by the unveiling of a Rodin gift to the museum along with other exciting acquisitions. Later in the year, the museum will open a new exhibit, “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell.”
www.ncartmuseum.org; 919-839-6262
Biltmore To Open Antler Hill Village
The Biltmore Company, which operates the National Historic Landmark Biltmore in Asheville, has announced that it will break ground on a new guest attraction, Antler Hill Village. Located adjacent to the Winery and River Bend Farm on its grounds, the area will be open to guests as part of daily admission to Biltmore. This pedestrian-friendly village, opening Spring 2010, will become a center of activity that joins two historically significant and popular attractions at Biltmore. Antler Hill Village will expand current guest offerings at the estate and include a new exhibition space, village green with live entertainment, dining, shopping and a new outdoor adventure center. As part of this project, Biltmore Winery will be enhanced to offer a newly designed tour and tasting areas. The existing interpretive farm area with historic barn, kitchen garden and farmyard will be incorporated as well. Estimated cost of this project is $18.6 million.
www.biltmore.com; 877-BILTMORE or 828-225-1333
N.C. Aquariums Plan Construction Of Educational Ocean Fishing Piers
Beginning in 2010 and extending through 2012, the North Carolina Aquariums plan to build and operate three storm-resistant ocean fishing piers – one near each of the state’s aquariums -- Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island. The proposed piers will extend 1,000 feet into the Atlantic. The design will employ green building principles and stormwater treatment methods. Among the many programs planned will be fishing conservation workshops, beach walks, sleepovers, science camps, school programs, kayak excursions and surfing classes.
www.ncaquariums.org; 800-832-3474
Riverfront Wilmington Convention Center Construction Underway
Scheduled open in spring/summer 2010, the Wilmington Convention Center is now under construction and will feature approximately 50,000 square feet of meeting space. The 95,000-square-foot convention center will include green space along the river and a 581-space parking deck. A privately funded full-service hotel will be located adjacent to the center as well as a high-end, full-service marina. The marina will feature 200 slips and is the first phase of a long-range project that will include restaurants, commercial and residential development.
Wachovia First Street Project Continues To Rise Skyward
Through collaboration between the Charlotte business and cultural arts communities, the Queen City is adding another landmark to its ever-expanding skyline. The Wachovia First Street Project will feature a variety of museums, studios and performance spaces in uptown. Bechtler Museum of Contemporary Art, an $18 million, 35,000-square-foot museum featuring contemporary art is planned to open in early 2010. The development also includes the Afro-American Cultural Center that will include approximately 50,000 square feet with galleries, classrooms and a gift shop. www.aacc-charlotte.org; 704-374-1565. If all goes according to plan, the Mint Museum of Art’s new Center City building will be complete and open in early 2010. www.mintmuseums.org; 704-337-2000
Wildwater Rafting Celebrates 40th Anniversary In 2010
Almond, N.C.-based Wildwater Rafting, widely recognized as one of the finest whitewater rafting outfitters in the country, is planning a 40th Anniversary Celebration Weekend that will take place in May 2010.
www.wildwaterrafting.com; 828-488-0252
NASCAR Hall Of Fame “On Track” For 2010 Grand Opening In Charlotte
The facade of the NASCAR Plaza and the Hall of Fame, which also will house NASCAR and NASCAR Media Group offices, has risen 19 sleek stories accenting Charlotte’s growing skyline. A new 40,000 square foot ballroom will connect to the Charlotte Convention Center, offering even more event possibilities for meetings and conventions. The facility will capture the spirit of the sport with vibrant exhibit areas for novices and die-hards. Features include a 250-seat theater, rotating displays and a large jumbo-tron, historic cars and state-of-the-art racing simulators for guests.
Media Contacts:
Susan Dosier
704-953-9408 (mobile)
sdosier@visitnc.com
Wit Tuttell
919-733-7420 (office)
wit@visitnc.com
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