Showing posts with label North Carolina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label North Carolina. Show all posts
21 August 2014
10 December 2012
Driving Through The Hunger Games' District 12
Shortly after coming back from the Pacific Northwest, I attended a conference in Asheville. On the drive to Asheville from Raleigh, my colleague and I decided to check out one of the locations where The Hunger Games movie was filmed. We are both fans of the books and thought it was so cool that the movie was filmed entirely in North Carolina. Unfortunately, most sites were too far for us to drive and visit, but "District 12" is literally a mile off the highway.
Halfway between Winston-Salem and Asheville, we got off I-40 and drove the mile south to the deserted town called Henry River Mill Village. There, we saw the small, run-down houses filmed in the movie and Peeta's home (the bakery). I took a few pictures of my own, but there are a few websites that show more pictures and provide greater details.
The bakery was the only distinct building I could recall from the movie, but it was cool to be in a place that was likely swarming with film production staff and actors not that long ago.
Halfway between Winston-Salem and Asheville, we got off I-40 and drove the mile south to the deserted town called Henry River Mill Village. There, we saw the small, run-down houses filmed in the movie and Peeta's home (the bakery). I took a few pictures of my own, but there are a few websites that show more pictures and provide greater details.
The bakery was the only distinct building I could recall from the movie, but it was cool to be in a place that was likely swarming with film production staff and actors not that long ago.
Peeta's home - the bakery scene
The sign tells people who are on a Hunger Games tour to stay away
I wouldn't really think of North Carolina as being a hub for movies, but I was recently directed to a casting company on Facebook that is constantly looking for extras in the Charlotte, Raleigh, and Wilmington areas. The group filmed The Hunger Games and Iron Man 3, and films the TV shows Banshee, Homeland, and a new show called The Witches of East End. I haven't submitted myself to be an extra, but maybe I will one day. I don't have the patience to wait in line for auditions, but maybe I'll get a big break by submitting a picture during a call for extras. For those of you that remember, I was the face for United Way of NYC for awhile! The image below was on the back of UWNYC folders, on the sides of phone booths in the city, and on lots of our brochures. Someone once told me it was on a billboard, but I never found it.
Have you ever been an extra in a movie or TV show?
Where have you seen famous actors/actresses?
02 August 2011
Day trip to Topsail Beach (July)
Our journey to find the best beach in North Carolina brought us to Surf City on a hot mid-July Saturday. After running some errands near home, we packed the car for a possible overnight camping trip and drove the 2-2.5 hours to this beach just north of Wilmington. Friends of ours had recommended the area, and more specifically, the southern-most beach called Topsail. We decided to stay in Surf City because it was the first beach we arrived to early afternoon and we were ready for the ocean!
One of my biggest frustrations with North Carolina beaches: I have yet to find one with easily accessible bathrooms and changing areas. After drinking so much water in the car, I had to walk 10 minutes to find a bathroom at the pier shop that housed everything from bait to water toys to a restaurant. Walking into a shop with the sole intention of using the bathroom always makes me feel uncomfortable, and it didn't help that the staff stared at me as I walked in and out.
After taking care of my own business and not that of the business where I did my business, I was able to enjoy a great beach day. Colin and I convinced Darwin to swim for a bit. He preferred the areas where he was not overcome by the waves - a preference I can understand. The three of us ran and splashed, and splashed and ran through the shallow water for a while. Once he was all tuckered out, he found Colin's beach blanket to be a suitable place to relax and dry off. The Sandman, a friend of dogs too, found Darwin quickly. Darwin slept so heavily, I doubt he noticed when we left him alone while we went for a swim in the deeper part of the ocean!
Darwin and I enjoying an afternoon siesta in the shade
We spent the entire afternoon and evening at the beach and it was just delightful. The air was pleasantly in the upper 80s with water temperature comfortably in the low to mid 70s. As evening drew near and the crowds dissipated, we thoroughly enjoyed the serenity of cool and quiet beach. Even Darwin kept his yapper shut.
When the last bit of sun dipped below the horizon, we decided to make the 2-2.5 hour drive back to enjoy a restful night's sleep in our own bed.
I love the beach at all times of the day and in all seasons. While summer is my favorite because I can sunbathe, cool off in the water, or relax under the beach umbrella, I feel nostalgic on an empty beach with a sweatshirt or jacket on. Perhaps it brings back great memories of growing up in Rhode Island and having the beach a mere 30 - 40 minutes away. Or, maybe it reminds me of times Colin and I would ride out to Long Island and walk or run on the empty beach. Either way, sitting on the beach hearing only the waves crash on shore and seeing a vibrant red sunset is one of my favorite ways to end a day.
Tell me about the best beach you've been to in the U.S.
When is your favorite time of year to visit the beach?
18 April 2011
Greenville and Greensboro, NC work travel March 22-25
The month of March was filled with travel. As the previous two posts indicate, I spent the week of my birthday at the Outer Banks (OBX). When I returned to work, I traveled each of the last two weeks of the month.
The first week, March 22-25, involved traveling for 2 days to Greenville, NC and a day trip to Greensboro, NC.
Greenville is about 85 miles east of Raleigh - about halfway to the beach. I had been to Greenville twice before this trip. The first time I went with Colin to visit our friend Leora, who was doing an occupational therapy internship rotation at the hospital there. Leora is our friend from the University of Vermont who currently lives in Massachusetts. Her internship brought her to Greenville from January through March. The second time I went to Greenville to visit a program I oversee in that county.
This trip brought me to Greenville for a conference of North Carolina Cooperative Extension staff. It was nice to meet other staff from the eastern part of the state and to interact with other NCSU Extension staff from Raleigh. My coworker and I left on Tuesday and attended the conference on Wednesday and Thursday. We had dinner at the City Bistro Cafe, which is the restaurant in the hotel where the conference was located and where we stayed. The best part of the dinner was this amazing chocolate cake we shared.
The conference was enjoyable and the meals provided were okay. On Wednesday night, I was able to celebrate Leora's last night in Greenville with her. She had a small get together at a Mexican restaurant called La Cabana. Leora loves margaritas and, at $2.50 each, you couldn't find a better deal. It was great to see her one last time before she went back to Massachusetts.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to explore Greenville because the conference was an all day event both days. The first time I was there, Leora took us to River Park North for some hiking through the woods with her dog. It was a pretty small park, but did provide a place to enjoy the outdoors. We also got to eat at Sup Dogs, an eatery that offers meat and vegetarian hot dogs. My impression of the city is that there isn't much that would draw me there in the future.
We got back from Greenville late on Thursday and I had to travel again on Friday. This time I headed 80 miles in the opposite direction, to Greensboro, NC. This was just a day trip to meet with a colleague from outside of Charlotte. The library where we worked for most of the morning was one of the nicest libraries I've seen in awhile (Hemphill Public Library). There was a small private room that was perfect for us to work undisturbed.
In the afternoon we took our meeting to Panera, where we got lunch and continued to work. I have come to really enjoy lunch and working at Panera. While they do not appear to offer sustainable meat, they do have some pretty good vegetarian options - like the black bean soup, the tomato and mozzarella sandwich, and the Mediterranean veggie sandwich. Their salads are also pretty good and you can get an apple with your meal. I do find the food to taste very salty every time I eat there though. When I go there to work and have already had a meal, I typically enjoy their chai latte or ginger-peach tea.
I don't know much about Greensboro and will have to save a post about the area for a time I actually get to spend some time exploring.
The first week, March 22-25, involved traveling for 2 days to Greenville, NC and a day trip to Greensboro, NC.
Greenville is about 85 miles east of Raleigh - about halfway to the beach. I had been to Greenville twice before this trip. The first time I went with Colin to visit our friend Leora, who was doing an occupational therapy internship rotation at the hospital there. Leora is our friend from the University of Vermont who currently lives in Massachusetts. Her internship brought her to Greenville from January through March. The second time I went to Greenville to visit a program I oversee in that county.
This trip brought me to Greenville for a conference of North Carolina Cooperative Extension staff. It was nice to meet other staff from the eastern part of the state and to interact with other NCSU Extension staff from Raleigh. My coworker and I left on Tuesday and attended the conference on Wednesday and Thursday. We had dinner at the City Bistro Cafe, which is the restaurant in the hotel where the conference was located and where we stayed. The best part of the dinner was this amazing chocolate cake we shared.
The conference was enjoyable and the meals provided were okay. On Wednesday night, I was able to celebrate Leora's last night in Greenville with her. She had a small get together at a Mexican restaurant called La Cabana. Leora loves margaritas and, at $2.50 each, you couldn't find a better deal. It was great to see her one last time before she went back to Massachusetts.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to explore Greenville because the conference was an all day event both days. The first time I was there, Leora took us to River Park North for some hiking through the woods with her dog. It was a pretty small park, but did provide a place to enjoy the outdoors. We also got to eat at Sup Dogs, an eatery that offers meat and vegetarian hot dogs. My impression of the city is that there isn't much that would draw me there in the future.
We got back from Greenville late on Thursday and I had to travel again on Friday. This time I headed 80 miles in the opposite direction, to Greensboro, NC. This was just a day trip to meet with a colleague from outside of Charlotte. The library where we worked for most of the morning was one of the nicest libraries I've seen in awhile (Hemphill Public Library). There was a small private room that was perfect for us to work undisturbed.
In the afternoon we took our meeting to Panera, where we got lunch and continued to work. I have come to really enjoy lunch and working at Panera. While they do not appear to offer sustainable meat, they do have some pretty good vegetarian options - like the black bean soup, the tomato and mozzarella sandwich, and the Mediterranean veggie sandwich. Their salads are also pretty good and you can get an apple with your meal. I do find the food to taste very salty every time I eat there though. When I go there to work and have already had a meal, I typically enjoy their chai latte or ginger-peach tea.
I don't know much about Greensboro and will have to save a post about the area for a time I actually get to spend some time exploring.
11 April 2011
Exploring part of the Outer Banks
The week I spent in the Outer Banks with my mom was nice and relaxing. Without a car at our disposal, my mom and I used what Colin likes to call "hamburger power" to get around. With the car, we decided Saturday would be the day of exploration.
The day started out at the Wright Brothers National Memorial (http://www.nps.gov/wrbr/index.htm) in Kill Devil Hills. Kill Devil Hills is the town just south of Kitty Hawk and our vacation rental. It was interesting to read about Orville and Wilbur Wright, who chose Kill Devil Hills because they needed wind and sand to test their flights. I am fascinated that it took at least 2000 years of civilization for man to sustain flight, but only took about 50 years for humans to escape the earth's atmosphere once sustained flight was achieved.
The memorial boasts few interactive displays, but the story is not lost. There is one exhibit that was interesting. It showed the 100 year celebration, where people tried unsuccessfully to replicate those first flights. Outside, there is a monument on top of a large hill dedicated to the two brothers from Ohio. On the grounds you can walk the distance each of the four first flights traveled (which was not very far). I am reminded of the first flight every day when I look at North Carolina license plates!
The park entrance fee is a mere $4 and you can get a year's pass for $20. In my opinion, the best value is the $80 "America the Beautiful" National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. This pass is good for a year and gets you into all the National Parks throughout the U.S. We bought this pass in 2008 when we did a west coast trip to The Grand Canyon and California. The pass is a great incentive to travel and visit the U.S. Parks, which have been preserved for us to enjoy. It is sad to hear that many of our parks are limiting their service. Millers on the Road have enjoyed some and hope to see many more!
After visiting the Memorial, we visited Jockey's Ridge State Park (http://www.jockeysridgestatepark.com/), just south of Kill Devil Hills, in Nag's Head. Jockey's Ridge is the tallest natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States. It reminded me a little bit of our exploration of Frasier Island in Australia, which is considered to be the largest sand island in the world at 720 square miles.
At Jockey's Ridge, we stopped at the information center to grab a map and set out to explore the dunes. We started along the boardwalk from the information center and reached an area where everyone left their shoes. We did the same and it felt great to walk barefoot in the cool, soft sand.
There were hang gliding kites laying in the sand, but we didn't see anyone hang gliding. We also saw some people carrying cardboard boxes for sand-boarding, but didn't see anyone actually boarding.
The view from the top of the dunes was good and mimicked the view from the Wright Brother's Memorial. One nice feature at Jockey's Ridge was getting to see the bay up close. I have a feeling the sunset from the dunes would be amazing.
We opted for continuing to explore and left Jockey's Ridge to drive north along route 12. The drive through Duck showed us a really cute beach town that had some Newport, RI-like characteristics. While it seemed like we drove forever past Kitty Hawk (maybe 30 minutes), we still didn't reach the northern-most part of the Outer Banks - Corolla. As the sun dipped lower in the sky, we decided to head back to Duck to catch a sunset on the bay.
The houses between Duck and Corolla were enormous! It was fun to imagine who owned them and what kind of parties they hosted there. My guess is that they are corporate owned. I think someone said a former governor of North Carolina owns a house out there. Pop Quiz beloved readership: Anyone know who owns some of the mansion-looking houses out there??
We reached Duck just in time to see the sun dip below the horizon. It seemed like a perfect ending to our last day in the Outer Banks.
The day started out at the Wright Brothers National Memorial (http://www.nps.gov/wrbr/index.htm) in Kill Devil Hills. Kill Devil Hills is the town just south of Kitty Hawk and our vacation rental. It was interesting to read about Orville and Wilbur Wright, who chose Kill Devil Hills because they needed wind and sand to test their flights. I am fascinated that it took at least 2000 years of civilization for man to sustain flight, but only took about 50 years for humans to escape the earth's atmosphere once sustained flight was achieved.
The memorial boasts few interactive displays, but the story is not lost. There is one exhibit that was interesting. It showed the 100 year celebration, where people tried unsuccessfully to replicate those first flights. Outside, there is a monument on top of a large hill dedicated to the two brothers from Ohio. On the grounds you can walk the distance each of the four first flights traveled (which was not very far). I am reminded of the first flight every day when I look at North Carolina license plates!
The park entrance fee is a mere $4 and you can get a year's pass for $20. In my opinion, the best value is the $80 "America the Beautiful" National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. This pass is good for a year and gets you into all the National Parks throughout the U.S. We bought this pass in 2008 when we did a west coast trip to The Grand Canyon and California. The pass is a great incentive to travel and visit the U.S. Parks, which have been preserved for us to enjoy. It is sad to hear that many of our parks are limiting their service. Millers on the Road have enjoyed some and hope to see many more!
After visiting the Memorial, we visited Jockey's Ridge State Park (http://www.jockeysridgestatepark.com/), just south of Kill Devil Hills, in Nag's Head. Jockey's Ridge is the tallest natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States. It reminded me a little bit of our exploration of Frasier Island in Australia, which is considered to be the largest sand island in the world at 720 square miles.
At Jockey's Ridge, we stopped at the information center to grab a map and set out to explore the dunes. We started along the boardwalk from the information center and reached an area where everyone left their shoes. We did the same and it felt great to walk barefoot in the cool, soft sand.
There were hang gliding kites laying in the sand, but we didn't see anyone hang gliding. We also saw some people carrying cardboard boxes for sand-boarding, but didn't see anyone actually boarding.
The view from the top of the dunes was good and mimicked the view from the Wright Brother's Memorial. One nice feature at Jockey's Ridge was getting to see the bay up close. I have a feeling the sunset from the dunes would be amazing.
We opted for continuing to explore and left Jockey's Ridge to drive north along route 12. The drive through Duck showed us a really cute beach town that had some Newport, RI-like characteristics. While it seemed like we drove forever past Kitty Hawk (maybe 30 minutes), we still didn't reach the northern-most part of the Outer Banks - Corolla. As the sun dipped lower in the sky, we decided to head back to Duck to catch a sunset on the bay.
The houses between Duck and Corolla were enormous! It was fun to imagine who owned them and what kind of parties they hosted there. My guess is that they are corporate owned. I think someone said a former governor of North Carolina owns a house out there. Pop Quiz beloved readership: Anyone know who owns some of the mansion-looking houses out there??
We reached Duck just in time to see the sun dip below the horizon. It seemed like a perfect ending to our last day in the Outer Banks.
05 April 2011
The Outer Banks aka OBX
Those of you that know me know that I love travel deals. When travelzoo (www.travelzoo.com) listed a deal on the Outer Banks through Endless Vacation Rentals (http://www.endless-vacation-rentals.com/) I jumped right on it. The deal was actually pretty awesome - $250 for a 1 bedroom vacation rental for the week or $275 for a 2 bedroom rental. The pictures looked decent and the property was within walking distance to the beach.
There were options for weeks in March, April, and May. I knew April and May would be much warmer, but my big 30th birthday was in March, so I decided to book that week. I did debate reserving a second week in May, but Colin kept me in check. Since he did start a job here in North Carolina back in January, he doesn't have much vacation time built up yet.
Luckily, my mom was on board to come down and visit and spend the week at the beach with me. Colin joined us for each of the weekends. I tried invited people I know who were off of work and were relatively close, but no one else could join us.
The beach rental was called Barrier Island Station and was located in Kitty Hawk. Because we were without a car for the week, we didn't explore much of the area until the weekend. We did however, do a lot of exercise. The rental property was actually a timeshare resort and had an indoor pool, fitness center, steam room, and walking trails. I usually ran in the mornings before lunch and walked to the beach with mom after lunch. I logged my miles on daily mile (www.dailymile.com) and the weeks total came out to 38 miles of walking and running. That's the entire length of the state of Rhode Island!! My mom probably logged pretty close to 20 miles herself. There was an outdoor pool, but we did not dare attempt to swim in it.
I will admit that I did take water aerobics and my mom was the second youngest person in the class with me!
The weather was a mix of good and bad. When we arrived, it was beautiful and sunny with temperatures in the 60-70's. Unfortunately, the weather changed to low 40's on Monday. That was the day we kept to the pool and indoor gym. Each day got progressively warmer and we were able to walk to the beach each of the subsequent days.
Wednesday was my birthday and the day was in the 50's and cloudy. We kept to our normal routine, having a good breakfast, going to exercise, having a nice lunch, and walking to the beach. We did manage to take a few photos for the occasion.
On the way back, my mom insisted on getting birthday cake to go along with the delicious fish dinner she had planned for me.
Thursday and Friday were gorgeous days. On Thursday, I ran 11 miles (training for a half marathon) and we went for a nice long walk on the beach.
Friday, we spent the whole day basking in the 70-80 degree sun. The only downside of the day was trying to find a bathroom near the beach!!
Once Colin joined us and brought the car, we were able to explore more of the area. I'll save the details for the next post.
There were options for weeks in March, April, and May. I knew April and May would be much warmer, but my big 30th birthday was in March, so I decided to book that week. I did debate reserving a second week in May, but Colin kept me in check. Since he did start a job here in North Carolina back in January, he doesn't have much vacation time built up yet.
Luckily, my mom was on board to come down and visit and spend the week at the beach with me. Colin joined us for each of the weekends. I tried invited people I know who were off of work and were relatively close, but no one else could join us.
The beach rental was called Barrier Island Station and was located in Kitty Hawk. Because we were without a car for the week, we didn't explore much of the area until the weekend. We did however, do a lot of exercise. The rental property was actually a timeshare resort and had an indoor pool, fitness center, steam room, and walking trails. I usually ran in the mornings before lunch and walked to the beach with mom after lunch. I logged my miles on daily mile (www.dailymile.com) and the weeks total came out to 38 miles of walking and running. That's the entire length of the state of Rhode Island!! My mom probably logged pretty close to 20 miles herself. There was an outdoor pool, but we did not dare attempt to swim in it.
The weather was a mix of good and bad. When we arrived, it was beautiful and sunny with temperatures in the 60-70's. Unfortunately, the weather changed to low 40's on Monday. That was the day we kept to the pool and indoor gym. Each day got progressively warmer and we were able to walk to the beach each of the subsequent days.
Wednesday was my birthday and the day was in the 50's and cloudy. We kept to our normal routine, having a good breakfast, going to exercise, having a nice lunch, and walking to the beach. We did manage to take a few photos for the occasion.
On the way back, my mom insisted on getting birthday cake to go along with the delicious fish dinner she had planned for me.
Thursday and Friday were gorgeous days. On Thursday, I ran 11 miles (training for a half marathon) and we went for a nice long walk on the beach.
Friday, we spent the whole day basking in the 70-80 degree sun. The only downside of the day was trying to find a bathroom near the beach!!
16 August 2010
North Carolina Mountains
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| View from the Blue Ridge Parkway |
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| The area is a large producer of Christmas Trees |
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| My picnic in the park in Blowing Rock, NC |
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| Dessert at Kilwin's Ice Cream |
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| Cows grazing |
While the trip overall was enjoyable, it is always nice to be back in the comfort of your own home. Traveling for work is not the same as for pleasure, especially when you have to drive 8 hours in two days by yourself! Seeing new things is exciting, but it is always much better to experience these new things with others.
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