Archive for June, 2009

Events at Tryon Palace

June 28th, 2009

If you are the kind of parent who likes his children to learn in a fun way, there is a great series of events you should know about. On Thursdays, July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, August 6, 13 and 20, Tryon Palace will host the “Tryon’s Tales for Tots” where stories and craft demonstrations will teach the little ones about how our ancestors lived. The sessions are for pre-schoolers (ages 3-5), so of course Mom or Dad has to go too. The fee is $4 per child, but the adults are free.

 

Bring your kids to learn about life in the past, and maybe learn a little yourself! The sessions are Thursdays from 10:00am-11:00am. Register at the Tryon Palace Visitors’s Center, 610 Pollack St., New Bern.

River Dunes’ Art by the Harbor

June 21st, 2009

For a fun day near the water, visit the “Art by the Harbor” sidewalk art show at RiverDunes on June 27. It will feature the works of over 20 artists from Craven and Pamlico Counties, working in various media such as painting, sculpture, wood-carving, jewelry-making and more.  The show has my absolutely favorite price tag, FREE!

 

River Dunes, near Oriental, is just a lovely place to visit anyway, even if they weren’t offering a great art show. Visit the Idea House if you like to look at great decorating concepts, or just wander around and enjoy the beautiful homes built in North Carolina Low Country style, from adorable cottages all the way to stately Charleston style mansions.

 

The art show is from 10:00 to 3:00, and you can get more info at 252-249-0253.

Beautiful Downtown New Bern

June 21st, 2009

Sometimes we get caught up in all the fun and interesting things to do in and around New Bern that we forget how nice it is even when nothing is going on. Took a nice stroll along Front Street from the Farmer’s Market to Union Point Park and it was just such a pleasant, sunny summer day in a small town that it really struck me. I picked up some fresh vegetables at the Farmer’s Market (and checked out the doings for Refugee Day) but left the veggies in the car right in the FM parking lot so I wouldn’t have to drag them around. I wanted to see what was up with Bernaroo, and thought I might have a problem parking close to Union Point Park.

 

It was early, so it wasn’t too hot yet, but lots of people were out, just strolling like me, or pushing baby carriages, and that’s when it struck me. Even without all the celebrations and festivities New Bern is known for, what a nice place to just “meander”. All the great restaurants on Middle Street, some, like Cow Café and Port Java, perfect for grabbing a coffee and muffin and people watching. Find a spot on a bench in Bear Plaza; it always stays cool there.  Then just stroll some more.

 

As the shops open, you can browse to your heart’s content. There are so many unique shops like Mitchell’s Hardware (a real experience), Late Bloomers for one of a kind house and garden items, the Boat House for nautical paraphernalia, two fascinating shops, Treasures on the Trent and Bear Essentials and so many, many more. For a taste of the old world, where all of this started, stop in Bern Bear Gifts for items from Switzerland, Germany and of course, souvenirs of New Bern.

 

For an area only a few square blocks in size, the art world is well represented in downtown New Bern. Stop at the Accidental Artist, Carolina Creations, and Framing Fox, among others. Don’t even get me started on antiques!

 

If all this browsing and shopping has made you hungry, you are in the right place. The only problem will be deciding on which great restaurant for lunch!

African-American History Shared at The Flame in New Bern on June 20th

June 16th, 2009

An interesting bit of American history is being compiled by the African-American Voices Between Two Rivers. Twenty-five members of the New Bern area African-American community have shared their views and the public is invited to share this experience at a luncheon at the Flame on June 20.

 

Dr. David Cecelski, a Duke University scholar and historian, will be the keynote speaker, and attendees will be entertained by the New Diamond Jubilee Gospel Singers. Tickets are only $10. For more information about this interesting event, call 639-7582.

Bored? Go pick some Blueberries and Strawberries!

June 12th, 2009

There aren’t a lot of events going on in the New Bern area this weekend, probably because of all the school graduations. Or maybe everybody knew it was going to be 99 ° today and just wanted to stay inside?  If you don’t mind the heat, this is the time of year to do your own pickin’. Strawberries and blueberries are in season and it is great fun to pick your own. Kids love running around trying to spot the perfect berry.

 

Blueberries can be picked at Morris Bros on Highway 17, New Bern or Nelson Blueberry Farm in Bridgeton. White farms on Rt 17 in Vanceboro (the strawberry capital) is a great place to pick a bucket or two. The kids can make their own strawberry shortcake with their own strawberries!

 

Speaking of kids, don’t forget there are a lot more little ones out an about now that school is out, so drive carefully.

Family Fun in Havelock NC and New Bern NC

June 11th, 2009

I’m always talking about upcoming events in eastern North Carolina, but it is really good to know that there are some really good standing events that are fun for the family, interesting and (you know me) usually a bargain.

 

That’s why I wanted to mention a few things that are really great for the kids now that the summer months are beginning.

 

The Children’s Summer Workshop, presented by the New Bern Civic Theater is a theater workshop for children aged 9 to 15. It takes place from June 15 to June 26, and the children will receive training in dance, voice and acting. They will also audition, but that is just for the experience, since every participant will become a member of the cast of one of the plays put on by the Theater.  What a great way to have fun and build confidence! (252-633-0567)

 

World Refugee day is being presented by the Farmer’s Market in downtown New Bern on June 20. Information, music, crafts and the food from various regions will be the highlight of the day. The Farmers Market always has free admission! (252-633-9009)

 

The Haunted Evening Tour, is once again being presented by the New Bern Historical Society. This event features ghosts, paranormal events and funeral customs but in a FUN way???? (252-638-8558)

 

Just for the kids:

 

Check out A Day at the Farm in Cove City. This historic farm features hayrides and talks on how things were done on a farm in the old days. We loved making our own cheese.

 

Don’t forget about the wonderful Kidsville, a really special park on Pine Tree Drive in New Bern. The climbing frames and monkey bars are incredible. I’ve never seen kids have this much fun without electricity! Totally free, and bring your lunch to share on the picnic tables. (252-636-4060)

 

The Havelock Tourist Center has an exciting aviation exhibit that focuses on the history of aviation in this area. (That’s a lot of history!) Kids will love the full sized aircraft as well as the scale models on display. (252-444-4348)

 

The New Bern/Craven County Library presents storytime at the library on Johnson Street. Different dates and times for different age groups, so call 252-638-7805 for details.

 

Now you’re well armed when the kids say they’re bored.

Cherry Point, NC

June 7th, 2009

MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina

“RRROOOOAAARRRR!” Welcome to MCAS Cherry Point and the Sound of Freedom! Cherry Point was constructed in 1941, commissioned in 1942, and is currently home of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Located in and around Havelock, North Carolina, Cherry Point is home to one of the best all-weather fighter plane bases in the world and runways long enough to be alternative sites for the Space Shuttle to land in an emergency. MCAS Cherry Point was named for the local post office, which was situated in a grove of cherry trees.

Cherry Point has a long and storied history in United States Military history. Planes and pilots from Cherry Point have served our nation continuously since World War II, where it was a training center for the United States Marine Corps and also served as an anti-submarine warfare center, sinking 2 German “U-boats” off the coast of North Carolina in 1943. During the Korean and Vietnam wars, Cherry Point sent thousands of trained aviators and servicemen overseas to fight in the air and jungles of Southeast Asia. More recently, Cherry Point was a vital part of the nation’s Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom campaigns against Iraq and Afghanistan, providing first-strike capable aircraft and crewmen and follow-up strikes for both operations.

As with all military bases, Cherry Point recognizes the value of its servicemen and women, and goes out of its way to provide a community based lifestyle for its personnel. Partnered with the city of Havelock, North Carolina, Cherry Point has several upcoming activities planned for base residents and the community. The Cherry Point Air Show will be held on May 15th through the 17th this year. This annual event has fun and games for the young and young-at-heart, as well as an area for local businesses to showcase their wares.  Several aerial demonstrations and stunt flying take place over the 3 day weekend, with a huge fireworks display scheduled for 9:00 Friday night.

Cherry Point is located in Craven County, North Carolina, which is home to some of the finest hunting and fishing areas in the state. Other activities available for Cherry Point personnel include some of North Carolina’s best golf courses such as River Bend and Quaker Neck, as well as paintball ranges located just north of the base near Trenton, North Carolina. Havelock and surrounding areas offer fine dining, movie theaters, and several clubs and organizations for active duty and retired Cherry Point personnel. The city of New Bern is full of historical sites and Tryon Palace, which has tours available on a regular basis, as well as several excellent restaurants and local shops. The Crystal Coast beaches at Atlantic Beach and Emerald Isle are just a short 20 minute car ride down US Highway 70. Being stationed at Cherry Point MCAS is definitely one of the prime postings for any United States Marine.

For people living in and around Cherry Point, Newport, James City, Maysville, Pollocksville, and Morehead City there is no easier way to sell your unwanted items than using eastcarolinayardsales.com. No getting out of bed at 5am, no dragging everything out in the yard for passerby to gawk at, and you don’t have to give up your Saturday morning just to make a few dollars. Classified ads are free, and absolutely nothing is better for the economy than locals buying local. And if you are looking for something for the house or automobile, click on eastcarolinayardsales.com and find one down the street instead of across the country. No more driving to Black Mountain or Myrtle Beach to find that one of a kind freestanding Tiffany lamp or that 18th century Revolutionary War era dueling pistol that you have been searching for. Eastcarolinayardsales.com has what you want, right down the street, and it is just a click away.

Havelock, NC

June 7th, 2009

Havelock, North Carolina

Howdy from Havelock!  The City of Havelock started off as an area of small settlements, plantations, and mosquito infested swampland along the Neuse River downstream from New Bern. In the late 1850’s, the railroad finally came to Eastern North Carolina and a depot was built to serve the local tar and turpentine manufacturers of the area. The depot was named Havelock Station, in honor of General Henry Havelock, a British General whose bravery during the Indian Mutiny in 1857 inspired the local populace to name the depot after him. With the advent of the steamboat, wood ships began to disappear and with it the local economy of tar and turpentine manufacture. Several local families branched out into the moonshine business to make ends meet, and some of the finest sour mash whiskey in the South was produced on the farms and woods around Havelock Station.

Havelock was a sportsman’s paradise at the turn of the century, with some of the best hunting and fishing available on the East Coast located in and around Havelock. Babe Ruth, Christy Matheswon, and Theodore Roosevelt went hunting and fishing here, as long with other prominent sports figures of the time. Havelock is still a great place for hunting and fishing today, with the Neuse River and several small creeks such as Hadnot, Brice’s, Hunter’s, Holsten, and Cahookie providing water and cover for several game species. The Croatan National Forest is located around Havelock and boasts the largest collection of carnivorous plants of any National Forest. The swamp land around Havelock is also the northern range limit for the American Alligator, and is home to several varieties of reptiles such as the eastern diamondback rattler, pygmy rattler, water moccasin, and canebrake rattlesnake.

In 1941, the United States Government purchased 8 thousand acres of land to build Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. The $14,990,000 allocated was to clear and drain the swamp land, to eradicate malaria in the area, and to build the airfield.  Construction began on November 20, 1941 just 17 days before Pearl Harbor and Cunningham Field was commissioned on May 20, 1942. From a census population of 100 in 1950, Havelock has grown to over 22,000 people dedicated to serving the needs of the Cherry Point Air Station community.

Havelock today is a thriving community of small manufacturing and service industries. As coastal property becomes more costly and scarce, more and more people are moving 20 minutes inland to the small communities along Highway 70. Havelock and Newport have both seen beach related growth since the 1980’s, and are gearing up for more of the same in the 21st century. Havelock has an energetic young population and the city’s activities reflect the energy of its inhabitants. Locally, the Havelock Chili Festival is one of the areas prime attractions in the fall with hundreds of chili cooking experts and amateurs filling the air with the aroma of hot peppers, tomatoes and beans. Also, the Freedom Festival and July 4th celebration is a prime midsummer attraction, with quite possibly the best fireworks display in North Carolina. Havelock is also a great place to get out of the beach traffic on Friday and Sunday with wonderful chain and local restaurants catering to the car weary. In Havelock, the roar of Marine fighter planes often fills the air with a defiant roar, and the locals smile when they hear it. After all, it is the”Sound of Freedom.”

For people living in and around Havelock, Newport, James City, Beaufort, and Morehead City there is no easier way to sell your unwanted items than using eastcarolinayardsales.com. No getting out of bed at 5am, no dragging everything out in the yard for passerby to gawk at, and you don’t have to give up your Saturday morning just to make a few dollars. Classified ads are free, and absolutely nothing is better for the economy than locals buying local. And if you are looking for something for the house or automobile, click on eastcarolinayardsales.com and find one down the street instead of across the country. No more driving to Asheville or Greensboro to find that good used fishing boat or 18th century antique whale oil lamp that you have been searching for. Eastcarolinayardsales.com has what you want, right down the street, and it is just a click away.

Greenville, NC

June 7th, 2009

Greenville, North Carolina

Greetings from Greenville, North Carolina! Greenville began as a settlement on the Tar River known as Martinsborough, named after Royal Governor Josiah Martin.  In 1787, the North Carolina General Assembly renamed the town Greensville, after Revolutionary War hero Nathaniel Greene. The name was later shortened to Greenville. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the town of Greenville was primarily a tar and turpentine manufacturer (George Washington watched tar being made in Greenville in 1791 during his Southern Tour), as well as the county seat of Pitt County. After a bridge was built over the Tar River around 1830, Greenville became a manufacturing center, with a cotton gin and several small industries making carriages, guns, and other products.  During the Civil War, the town served as a Confederate hospital and endured several skirmishes between Confederate and Union troops. After the Civil War ended, Greenville suffered like many small southern towns under the rule of Reconstruction.

At the turn of the Century, Greenville was primarily known as a sleepy town on the Tar River and home to East Carolina Teacher’s Training College, a small school primarily for young women focusing primarily on instructing new grade school teachers. The name changed to East Carolina Teachers College, and a few years later became East Carolina College, and in 1967, East Carolina University. With a current enrollment of over 27,000 students, East Carolina University is the second largest University in the 16 member University of North Carolina system. The East Carolina School of Medicine, a world-class medical school partnered with Pitt County Memorial Hospital is a center of internationally recognized medical research and consistently wins awards and certificates for its excellent patient care. The East Carolina Heart Center is one of the most advanced treatment centers of heart disease in the world.

Greenville is more than East Carolina University. Greenville North Carolina exploded into prominence in the 1970’s with international manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries locating in and around the city limits. It is a thriving metropolis with over 75,000 citizens and a regional center for manufacturing, transportation, wholesale and retail services, and over 100 restaurants and 200 small businesses and a center for professional services of all types.  Greenville is the largest city in Eastern North Carolina, and it is not served by an interstate highway which gives it a nice local feel.

One of the best things about Greenville is a constant flow of things to do and activities for all ages. There are art museums, several recreational parks, bike trails, a thriving youth sports program (2006 Babe Ruth World Series Champions), a sizeable arts community that sponsors book signings and poetry readings by prominent authors, and several local organizations that have diverse interests such as car shows and Equestrian riding. When you add the East Carolina Pirates baseball, basketball, softball, soccer, and football sports programs into the mix, and combine this with the East Carolina Summer Concert series and the productions at Wright Auditorium on the ECU campus, Greenville is certainly a wonderful place to learn, have fun, and experience everything that Eastern North Carolina has to offer.

For people living in and around Greenville, Ayden, Winterville, Farmville, and Bethel there is no easier way to sell your unwanted items than using eastcarolinayardsales.com. No getting out of bed at 5am, no dragging everything out in the yard for passerby to gawk at, and you don’t have to give up your Saturday morning just to make a few dollars. Classified ads are free, and absolutely nothing is better for the economy than locals buying local. And if you are looking for something for the house or automobile, click on eastcarolinayardsales.com and find one down the street instead of across the country. No more driving to Charlotte or High Point to find that perfect antique armoire or inexpensive computer that you have been searching for. Eastcarolinayardsales.com has what you want, right down the street, and it is just a click away.

Upcoming Tryon Palace Events

June 7th, 2009

If you are on East Carolina Yard Sales, then you probably LOVE a bargain. Well, you can’t beat the bargain price of….free! On Monday June 8th, the 2nd Marine

Aircraft Wing Band will give a free concert at Tryon Palace in New Bern. (No, they do not play on an aircraft wing.)

 

The concert is part of a series of the Palace’s South Lawn Series. The next one will be the North Carolina Symphony, also a free concert, on June 22. You guessed it, the concerts take place on the south lawn. The gates open at 5:00 and the concert starts at 7:00. Many people bring their picnic dinners when the gates open and then stay right where they are to enjoy the concert. You have to bring your own lawn chairs or blankets, and pets are not allowed. If you want to see a complete list of the free to very inexpensive things to do at the Palace, check out the events calendar at www.tryonpalace.org. For example, their architectural walking tours of Historic New Bern are only $2 for adults and $1 for students.

 

Another great bargain in New Bern, especially during this patriotic time of year (June 14 is flag day, and July 4th is just around the corner) is the RiverTowne Repertory Players’ production of Let Freedom Sing…Again! This presentation of patriotic music is being held at the Masonic Theatre on June 12, 13 and 14. Tickets are only $10 if purchased in advance at the Bank of the Arts on Middle Street (252-638-2577). But even for $12 at the door, if you’re the spur of the moment type, it’s a great, inexpensive way to kick off this patriotic holiday season!