RALEIGH, NC (Oct. 12, 2008) From distinctive destinations to spectacular celebrations, North Carolina is making news in 2008. For the whole story, go to VisitNC.com or call 1-800-VISIT NC.
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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.336-379-8200; www.proximityhotel.com
Great Smoky Mountains Celebrates 75 in 2009
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has unveiled an interactive website (www.greatsmokies75th.org) giving viewers a virtual tour of activities planned to celebrate the park’s 75th anniversary in 2009. With 276,000 acres in North Carolina, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the largest protected land area east of the Rocky Mountains. This national treasure is home to variety of plant and animal life, recreational opportunities, hiking and cultural history. The park preserves historical structures of early European settlements. It is America’s most-visited national park.800-432-4678; www.visitsmokies.org; or 800-867-9246; www.GreatSmokies.com
North Carolina Preserves Grandfather Mountain
The state of North Carolina has agreed to purchase Grandfather Mountain, one of the state’s signature landmarks. Grandfather Mountain will be North Carolina’s 34th state park. The $12 purchase includes the 2,601-acre undeveloped portion of the tourist destination as well as a conservation easement on the remaining 604 acres. 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, boasting 16 distinct habitats and 73 rare species. 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. Morton died in 2006.
800-468-7325 or 828-733-2013; www.grandfather.com
Warhol Colors The Mint
The iconic works of Andy Warhol, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, are on display at Charlotte’s Mint Museum of Art through Feb. 15, 2009. The landmark exhibition Andy Warhol Portfolios: Life & Legends presents rarely seen selections from Bank of America’s prized Warhol collection. The exhibition spans the artist’s career from the 1950s through 1986, and features key early works from landmark series such as Endangered Species, Flowers, Jews, Myths, Muhammad Ali and Space Fruits. Using mass production techniques to create works, Warhol erased traditional distinctions between fine art and pop culture. From household objects to Hollywood starlets, Warhol’s subjects captured the essence of American culture.704-337-2009; www.mintmuseum.org
Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, (near Asheville)
This 12,800-square-foot, $9.8 million facility opened in April 2008 with exhibits highlighting the natural and cultural diversity, traditions and recreational opportunities found on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The center, 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. The Parkway celebrates its 75th Anniversary in 2010. 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. 828-298-5330;www.blueridgeheritage.com or 828-271-4779; www.blueridgeparkway.org
Outer Banks Beaches Make the Lists
The beaches of the Outer Banks received several awards in 2008. Buxton Beach at Cape Hatteras was named in the Top Ten “America’s Best Beaches” list by beach expert Dr. Stephen Leatherman. Known as “Dr. Beach,” Leatherman rated the Buxton area of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore #8 of the nation’s top ten beaches. Leatherman judges more than 650 U.S. beaches each year on a list of 50 criteria. Cape Hatteras National Seashore also has been named by USA Today as one of 10 “Great National Parks That Will Engage Your Kids.” Cape Hatteras National Seashore stretches for more than 70 miles from south Nags Head to Ocracoke with 30,000 acres of natural beaches and maritime wilderness.252-473-2138 www.outerbanks.org
Readers Say Pinehurst is #1
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. The 2,000-acre resort has consistently ranked higher than such well-known locations as Pebble Beach and Kiawah Island. Pinehurst was also given the #1 designation for “Best Resort for a Buddy Trip” in the Southeast. Pinehurst recently launched its Buddy Trip of a Lifetime program, which features unlimited golf, including a round on No. 2 with a caddie; a Putter Boy Trophy; group photos; private tips with a golf pro and more.800-487-4653; www.pinehurst.com
NC Zoo Opens $8.5 Million Elephant Expansion
The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro in April opened an $8.5 million expansion of its elephant and rhinoceros facilities called the Watani Grasslands Reserve. The project was developed in support of a nationwide effort by zoos to improve the captive care and breeding of both species. The N.C. Zoo is the nation’s largest walk-through natural-habitat zoo.800-488-0444; www.nczoo.org
Cobra Strikes at Carowinds
Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte debuts a new roller coaster named the Carolina Cobra in early spring 2009. This rebellious 125-foot-tall steel coaster will stand as the second tallest of the 12 coasters in the park. This new addition is a “boomerang” coaster, meaning that it will travel the same track forward and backward. The coaster features a 120-foot drop and maximum speed of 48 mph.704-587-9050; www.Carowinds.com
Cultural Corridors of Winston-Salem
Visit Winston-Salem has created “Cultural Corridors,” recorded drive tours of Winston-Salem and surrounding areas that are the next best thing to having a friend in the car. Dare to Dream is a journey through Winston-Salem’s African American heritage from 1766 to the present. Fingerprint Friendly features family-friendly attractions where touching is never discouraged and fingerprints are welcome. The Reynolda Mile showcases the legacy of the area’s founding families: the Reynolds, the Hanes and the Grays. The Great Wagon Road to Wachovia guides visitors through 250 years of history. Finally, drink local wines and sip local views, The Wine Trails of the Yadkin Valley offers spectacular views of the Yadkin Valley.336-728-4211; www.CulturalCorridors.com
Scream The Zip Line
Scream Time Zip Line opened in 2008 just north of Boone in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains 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. The ride usually takes about two hours to do the main tour or an hour to do the super zip. Prices range from $48-118 and can accommodate riders ranging in age from three to 71.828-898-5404; www.screamtimezipline.com
Night hikes conjure up history and spirits
Just in time for the Halloween season, two companies are leading guided hikes that will get your hair to stand on end. Although available at any time, the Ghost & Legends Hike offered by American Hikes and the Ghost Tour led by guides with Fontana Village are the perfect match for the fall season. The areas of Swain and Graham county are a rich in mystery and intrigue and what better way to emphasize these legends than at night, walking through tunnels and under the canopy of old growth forest. Hear the legends of Native American heroes, mysterious tales of things that go bump in the night, and local stories of myths and old wives’ tales. Some are mysterious, others frightening, but all are entertaining. Take a walk into the unknown. The woods are a very different place after dark.828-488-0252; www.wildwaterrafting.com or www.americanhikes.com or www.fontanavillage.com
Emissaries Return to Cherokee
After a five-month run at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Emissaries of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations returned to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in January 2008. The exhibit chronicles the 1762 trip of Cherokee leaders to London to meet King George III. It explores the role of the Cherokee in colonial life and changes due to interaction with Europeans. Artifacts include peace pipes, weapons, uniforms, jewelry and artwork. The exhibit also features videos, interactive displays and dioramas.828-497-3481; www.cherokeemuseum.org
Chimney Rock Offers Climbing
Chimney Rock has teamed up with Fox Mountain Guides to allow visitors to scale the parks’ rocks with ropes and harnesses. All guides are certified by the American Mountain Guides Association. For 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.828-243-2019; www.chimneyrockpark.com
Lenoir Is Next Great Adventure Spot
In its September 2008 issue, National Geographic Adventure magazine included Lenoir among the “The 50 Next Great Adventure Towns.” Just minutes from Lenoir opportunities can be found in Pisgah National Forest and the remote and rugged area of Wilson Creek, a federally designated “Wild and Scenic River.”828-322-1335; www.hickorymetro.com
Full Throttle Fun Kit
The Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau has a new cost-savings program to help combat the high price of gasoline. Included are a “Feel the Thrill” tour of Lowe’s Motor Speedway, lunch at the exclusive members-only Speedway Club overlooking the track, a premium gift bag at Sam Bass Gallery, maps to race shops and the Dale Trail, Dale Trail T-shirt, Concord Mills coupon book with meal voucher and more – all for $59 each for adults and $37 for children. The Full Throttle Fun Kit provides suggested itineraries that group activities by region to help families find their way around easily and take advantage of entertainment and dining opportunities. Lodging must be booked separately.704-260-8114; www.visitcabarrus.com
New UNC Basketball Museum
Located on campus in Chapel Hill, the 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. The museum, which opened in late January 2008, has already attracted nearly 40,000 visitors. It’s free and is open Tuesday through Saturday. UNC will celebrate 100 years of basketball during the 2009-2010 season.888-968-2060; www.visitchapelhill.org
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.910-256-9742; www.baldheadisland.com
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 occur 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.828-479-3790; www.grahamcountytravel.com
New developments in Charlotte’s Center City
EpiCentre, a groundbreaking mixed-use development, has launched phase one on Trade Street in Charlotte’s Center City. Highlights include an open-air 25,000-square-foot rooftop bar called Pavilion as well as the dueling piano bar, Howl at the Moon and Superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s bar and live music venue called Whisky River complete with a mechanical bull and belt buckle-trimmed bar.704-331-2715; www.charlottesgotalot.com
Statewide Wine Industry Flows
North Carolina is home to nearly 80 wineries, a number that has more than tripled since 2001. The industry has two focuses – muscadine grapes and vinifera grapes. Scuppernong, a muscadine, was the first grape cultivated in the United States and is the official fruit of North Carolina. North Carolina’s Mothervine, a 400-year old Scuppernong vine, is the oldest known cultivated grapevine in the nation. Wine news includes a new wine from cultivated clippings from the Mothervine, the state gained a second American Viticultural Area in Swan Creek, and Villa Raffaldini, a 5,600-square-foot tasting room opened in March for wine tasting, private parties and special events. Panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains are enjoyed from inside and outside balconies in a setting that can accommodate up to 250 people.919-715-9463; www.visitncwine.com
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 Blackbeard’s flagship, 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 each the summer.877-206-0929; www.crystalcoastnc.org
New Site Offers Self-Driving Trails, Fayetteville
Fayetteville’s CVB created 10 packaged self-driving trails allowing visitors to explore the area’s rich heritage. The trails explore 10 themes including the Civil War, African-American Heritage, American Independence and Religious Freedom. Maps with detailed history, site descriptions and detailed site-to-site driving directions are available on the Cultural Heritage Trails section of CVB’s website. Visitors are also able to design custom trails including downloadable audio files.910-483-5311; www.visitfayettevillenc.com
NC Literary Trails
The North Carolina Arts Council has created a Literary Trails Guide that connects the lives and work of 170 of North Carolina’s visiting and native writers with destinations across the 25 counties of the state’s mountain region. The guide comprises eighteen half-day and one-day tour itineraries which take travelers through the landscapes of Sequoyah, Thomas Wolfe and others. The guide offers a glimpse into North Carolina literary history, from the William Bartram Trail followed by Inman, the protagonist of Charles Frazier’s novel Cold Mountain, to the Toe River Lodge, in Plumtree, where the film version of John Ehle’s novel, The Winter People, starring Kurt Russell and Kelly McGillis, was shot. Travelers can also spend a night at the Nu-Wray Inn in Burnsville, known for its country cooking, where both Mark Twain and Elvis are reported to have stayed.919-807-6520; www.ncliterarytrails.org
The North Carolina Birding Trail
The second part of this statewide trail opened in May 2008 featuring 103 parks, wildlife areas and private properties across the North Carolina the Piedmont, which extends across central North Carolina from Interstate 95 to Interstate 77 near Statesville. The Coastal leg opened in 2007 featuring 120 birding sites across the coast. North Carolina has 460 of the 900 to 1,000 species found across the country and 93 species of special concern. The North Carolina Birding Trail will expand across the state in mid-2009 with the opening of the Mountains trail.800-359-6971; www.lumberton-nc.com or 919-604-5183; www.ncbirdingtrail.org
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Ritz Comes to Charlotte
The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte at Bank of America Center, located in the heart of Uptown at College and Trade Streets, is scheduled for completion in fall 2009. The 147-room, 17-story boutique hotel, planned as Charlotte’s first five-star luxury amenity, features more than 12,000 square feet of function space, a bi-level penthouse spa and pool, and a streetside BLT Steak restaurant. The Charlotte property will be North Carolina’s first Ritz-Carlton.704-549-4177; www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Charlotte/Default.htm
Landmark Carolina Hotel Gets Makeover, Pinehurst
More than 100 years after it was built, the grand Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst—once known once as the Queen of the South—has received a tiara-to-glass slipper makeover. An $8 million renovation of its guest rooms, as well as upgrades to the main dining room, the addition of a new Presidential Suite and more have made the resort new again, without losing its Southern Belle charm.800-487-4653; www.pinehurst.com
Fearrington Adds Suites
Three luxurious Grand Suites have recently been added to The Fearrington House Country Inn. Each suite features king-size beds, fireplace, flat-screen TVs, spacious living rooms and large bathrooms with walk-in tile showers and hydro-therapy tubs. The inn’s other 32 guest rooms all received a complete upgrade in 2007. The inn remains to be North Carolina’s only AAA Five Diamond and Mobil Five Star recipient.919-545-5704; www.fearrington.com
New Nightly Condo Rentals in Outer Banks
The First Flight Retreat opened in July as the Outer Banks’ first new oceanfront condominium in nearly 20 years. First Flight Retreat Condominium is oceanfront with every condo having 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 nightly condo rentals, subject to minimum stay requirements.866-595-1893; www.FirstFlightRentals.com
Raleigh Marriott City Center
Raleigh’s newest hotel, the Marriott City Center, opened late this summer. The Marriott City Center is a 400-room, four-star hotel with more than 20,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Adjacent to the new Raleigh Convention Center, the hotel also includes convenience to much of Raleigh’s businesses, recreation and nightlife.919-833-1120; www.marriottraleigh.com
LOOKING AHEAD:
Great Wolf Lodge, Concord Open 2009
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. announced it will build a 402-suite, four-story, northwoods-themed indoor water park in Concord (near Charlotte). The park will provide a comprehensive package of family entertainment and amenities, including a kid’s spa with ice cream-themed products, a spa featuring Aveda products, a 100-game arcade and more.North Carolina Museum of Art Rodin Exhibit and Expansion, Raleigh Open 2009
This permanent collection of 23 works by sculptor Auguste Rodin includes casts of The Thinker and The Kiss. The museum will display the work in a new gallery, part of its $75-million expansion. This remarkable collection will make the Museum one of the world’s top Rodin repositories.919-839-6262; www.ncartmuseum.org
Charlotte Center City Opening through 2010
Three hot hotels including a Ritz-Carlton, W Hotel’s boutique brand – aloft, and the all-suite Hotel Sierra, will make a big debut in 2009 and 2010. Meanwhile, cranes pepper the Center City skyline, a sign of multiple residential high-rise towers to come. Key developments like a Center City baseball stadium for the AAA Charlotte Knights in addition to the EpiCentre, a mixed-use project featuring a movie theater, 20 restaurants and retailers, a bowling alley and Charlotte’s most exciting nightlife hotspots, are making the area increasingly viable. And taking a page from efficient public transit systems in Denver and Portland, Charlotte’s new light rail connects entertainment, retail, museums, dining and more.704-331-2715; www.visitcharlotte.com
NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte Open spring 2010
The NASCAR Hall of Fame, a state-of-the-art facility capturing the spirit of racing will create an enduring tribute to the industry’s drivers, crewmembers and team owners. Plans include extensive exhibit space, interactive entertainment, restaurants, retail outlets and a world-class media center. Currently 82 percent of NASCAR Nextel Cup teams, 72 percent of NASCAR Busch Series teams and 55 percent of NASCAR Craftsman Truck teams are based in Charlotte, a hub of the NASCAR industry.704-331-2737; www.belongshere.com
Parkway Celebrates 75th in 2010
Construction of the Parkway began in 1935 during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Seventy-five years after the dream began, the Parkway region will host a year-long celebration and commemoration of the Parkway – highlighting the past, but more importantly focused on the future through a wide range of Parkway oriented events, initiatives and investments. The 2010 commemoration is designed to have a long term impact on the Parkway and its adjacent communities. A planning committee is hard at work to deliver an exciting and memorable year. The project will launch in October of 2008.828- 271-4779 ext. 224; www.blueridgeparkway.org
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Media Contacts:
Wit Tuttell
919-733-7420
wit@visitnc.com
Susan Dosier
704-364-8969
sdosier@visitnc.com
