Tag Archives: Southern Culture

Permalink to Awash in History: Yates Mill Historic Park

Awash in History: Yates Mill Historic Park

by WanderSouth|on November 13, 2011 |in Afternoon Culture, Attractions, Life in the South, North Carolina, Raleigh |tagged , , , , , , |Leave a comment
Awash in History: Yates Mill Historic Park

It was a crisp autumn day with leaves fluttering to the ground when we went to the Historic Yates Mill County Park in Wake County, NC. This beautiful millpond and nature park is home to the stately gristmill named the Queen of North Carolina because it is one of the few left in the region. For just $5 an adult you can get a hour-long tour of the grounds and the mill.

There has been a mill on the grounds since 1750 – yes, that is colonial times. The land was purchased by NC State in the 1960s and turning into a public park in 2006.

The best part of the tour was seeing the mill in action. The creaks, groans and grind of the water turning the giant wheel was a magical sound. It’s a sound of times long since past.

This is an amazing spot for photographs for the whole family. We saw numerous families and couples with professional photographers. Wonderful fall backgrounds and so Southern! See all the fabulous photos here and here from our trip!

We were just a weekend early for the last corn grinding day of the season, so if you are looking for a fun autumn adventure head out on November 19 & 20 to see the Queen hard at work. On corn grinding weekends, tours will start every 20 minutes and volunteers will be in historic dress. Can we say fun?!

Distance from Raleigh: 6 miles ’round about 15 minutes – See the map

Tickets: Tours of the Mill are on the weekends at 2:00 during the spring, summer and fall. $5 for adults – even cheaper for kids, seniors and students.

Wander Well Tips:

  • Beautiful spot for a picnic – bring a basket and then go on the tour
  • Bring your camera – lots of great photo vistas
  • They take cash or checks for the tours – no credit cards

 

Permalink to My Fair Ladies – Vol. 1 – Fairly Fun Nite

My Fair Ladies – Vol. 1 – Fairly Fun Nite

by WanderSouth|on October 16, 2011 |in Attractions, Foodie, Life in the South, North Carolina, Raleigh |tagged , , , , , , , , |3 Comments
My Fair Ladies - Vol. 1 - Fairly Fun Nite

While we didn’t win the NC State Fair Deep Fried Ambassador blogger contest, that won’t stop us from sharing our fabulous adventures at the Fair! We are taking 2 trips to the Fair this year – one for the night-time adventures and once for the day time animal cuteness. These are our escapades after dark!
Ready to do some damage

Kamikaze (AKA Rebecca) and I, plus our beaus Matt & B, and the omnipresent Ellen Lynch went to the Triangle Deep Fried Tweetup preview night at the Fair. For just $5 a person you get to attend an exclusive tweetup event, get a sweet swag bag and catchup with all your social media buddies. Always a great event. We even got to sample the deep fried kool-aid (sweet, gooey and very red) and a deep fried bubblegum (deep fried marshmallow with bubblegum sauce and Chiclets = delicious!). You can read some of my embarrassingly awesome tweets.

Hooray for Trees!

Free Trees from Smokey the Bear!

My Brian bear with Smokey the Bear!!!!

B Bear with S Bear

Cutest item in the @NCStateFair #deepfried tweetup gift bags? This tiny @ncpig!!!!

Cute NC Pig (Twitter: @NCPig) from the swag bags!

Part of the Tweetup was a SCVNGR hunt, a handy iPhone app. So I’m a pretty competitive girl when it comes to brainy or puzzle challenges and I dragged the ladies and gents all over the Fair trying to complete challenges as Team CarnieVores (name supplied by the Aslaksens). We got 17 out of 20 challenges, but didn’t win the night. Sad face!

Modern Scooby Crew

Finding the clues with the Scooby Crew

BCDC

One of the challenges was finding your initials so I made one on PicFrame

Hoof bump with @ncpig #ncstatefair

Hoof bump with @NCPig

My buds helping me spell out NCSF at the #ncstatefair ... yes i know my S is backwards

Another challenge complete - spell out NCSF - Bec is a lowercase n and my s is backwards. I PROMISE we were sober...

Weaved into all this craziness was lots of food and fun. In the 4.5 hours we tromped around the Fair we:

Dawn Eating a Krispy Kreme Burger

Devoured a Krispy Kreme Goober Burger (PB&J on a burger on 2 donuts - for reals)

Corndog Zombies

Relished a jumbo corn dog - which I won in a bet with Matt that it wouldn't rain

Seriously yummy #deepfried candy apples at the #ncstatefair

Tried the delicious deep fried candy apple! Try it with cinnamon and sugar!

We're all kangaroos

All jumped like kangaroos at the UNC-TV booth

Psychedelic Ferris Wheel

Got a little trippy with the Ferris wheel

Becca & Ellen ride the Future

Becca & Ellen got scrambled!

Spinny, swingy ride

Watched the pretty lights - which Bec reminded us a ride in Zombieland - kick ass

Pickle Down

Mocked Bec for dropping her deep fried pickles, mushrooms AND onions on the ground

But the best part about the Fair was sharing it with such great friends!
I heart my @bcwritr      Great friends & a fun night - heart y'all @RDUgonnaeat #ncstatefairThe always fun, friendly and sports-formative @ellenlynch! #ncstatefair

Permalink to Make Us the Deep Fried Ambassadors – My Fair Ladies: Fairly Odd Edition

Make Us the Deep Fried Ambassadors – My Fair Ladies: Fairly Odd Edition

by WanderSouth|on September 25, 2011 |in Attractions, Life in the South, North Carolina, Raleigh |tagged , , , , , , , , , |8 Comments

If one NC State Fair Deep Fried Ambassador is good, imagine how tasty 3 would be! Introducing the blogging trio “My Fair Ladies.”

Giving you three unique perspectives on the 2011 NC State Fair, we three fabulous ladies will cover the full gamut of food, rides, entertainment, competitions, exhibits and fun “only at the Fair” odd bits. Telling the story through photos, videos and, of course, wildly entertaining words, this gaggle of gals is sure to make everyone want to come out to the Fair.

  • The Kamikaze – aka Rebecca Aslaksen - Nothing stops this Fair enthusiast. No food will be left uneaten, no ride unridden. Put a plate before her and she will devour it. Beat: Food & Rides
  • Fairly Odd – aka ME! – Fun just got a little funky at the State Fair. Get a backstage look at the music, the best of our state’s produce and livestock and side-shows. Exploring the entertaining, wacky and downright odd parts of the Fair. Beat: Competitions & Entertainment
  • The Wrangler – aka Valentina Garcia Gerdes - Armed with sunscreen, family meet-up points and a purse of non-sugary snacks, this mom knows how to make the Fair fun for all ages. Beat: Family Activities & Exhibits

And here is my story of why I want to be a Deep Fried Ambassador:

I seriously heart the Fair! I went to the Deep Fried Tweet-Up last year and I still have the poster on my wall. That night at the Fair was one of my happiest, most memorable nights of the year.

I love everything classic about the fair. I love the rivalry of producing the best pie. I adore the beaming pride of bringing a blue ribbon hog. I seek the thrill of seeing good, live music at the Coliseum. I happily fork over a few bucks to see a side show oddity. I have a love affair with it all.

As part of the My Fair Ladies blogging trifecta, I want to share all that is timeless about the Fair. My co-bloggers will be covering the food, the rides, and the family fanfare. I want to show the Fair’s roots. I want to dust off what makes the Fair THE fall destination for North Carolina.

I want to dig into the stories of the competitors. I want to shine a light on people who’ve spent hours making the best dang sweet potato dish in the STATE! It’s time to meet the winner of the pygmy goat costume contest. That is real pride in doing good work. These are stories that need to be shared.

And then, well, there are the shows. There are the free shows like the awesome King Action Sports Stunt Show or the just hilarious Steve Brogan and his dummies. Then there are the concerts at Dorothy Arena – sultry Tift Merritt alongside superstars like Dionne Warwick and Kansas. Who wouldn’t want to finish off a tough Friday at the office with a good old Demolition Derby? Me! Who else is with me?!

Come on now, there is some fabulously funky stuff at the Fair! Where else can you pay a couple of bucks to see the world’s smallest horse?  Where else can you meet Santa at a frozen banana stand? Well, my friend, it’s all at the Fair.

So why should you pick all three of the My Fair Lady bloggers to be the Deep Fried Ambassadors? It’s because you will get this level of passion and fun for each blog post.  We’ll bring the most honest, fun and happy perspective to all things NC State Fair.

There are is just so many wonderful, wacky and fun things to discover at the Fair. As your Deep Fried Ambassador, I will serve it all up with a lot of Southern pride and a little wicked little smile.

See all the BUZZ we’re creating to earn our spots as Deep Fried Ambassadors, BUT we need YOUR help! Leave a comment about why YOU think we’d be great Ambassadors this year.
UPDATE: We didn’t win, but we’re blogging anyway! Thanks for all your support and tweet!

Permalink to Buy Local: Slippin’ Southern

Buy Local: Slippin’ Southern

by WanderSouth|on May 18, 2011 |in Artists, Buy Local, Eastern NC, North Carolina, Shopping |tagged , , , , , , , , |Leave a comment
Buy Local: Slippin' Southern

Buy Local is a profile series of Southern artists and shops that deserve your attention. The style, passion and love of the South comes through in every piece they sell. Peruse these wonderful local purveyors and you’ll be supporting a Southern dream to get along with what ya got. Make sure to click on the photos to purchase the items in this post!

In the North, it's very common to see a "welcome" mat at the entrance to a home. In the South, folks just come right out and say "hey y'all" no matter where you're going. (Hey Y'all Southern Slang Sign $50)

Slippin’ Southern is a shop that celebrates all things Southern by creating decorative items that highlight the South’s rich culture and homespun lifestyle.

The over-sized wooden decor items in this Etsy store are bold and graphic with a certain weathered, worn sensibility that fits into any home. Pieces range of Southern phrases to coastal critters like whales and crabs, and beautiful giant letters to make the perfect monogram. Each piece of Slippin’ Southern’s work is steeped in the South’s care for detail and culture. Available in a range of bright colors you can go modern or classic to fit your design ascetic.

Artist Gregory Morris grew up in Milton, Florida and now lives in eastern North Carolina. While he wandered far from the South with a tour in the military, then studying graphic design at the Art Institute of Chicago and surviving a 25 year stint in advertising and design, he’s always been a Southern at heart. “I think in a true Southerner’s mind they always live in the South and they are just visiting anywhere else they find themselves on the planet.”

The call of the South whispered through a sweet dream on the internet. “For a couple of years we had our eye on a large historic farm house in North Carolina on the internet and had been thinking of purchasing it and moving South to restore it. Once my job ended at my last ad agency we kind of both looked at each other and said ‘Now’s the time.’ So we went for it,” Gregory tells.

This filly is at full trot, she's reminiscent of those old weathervanes that you see atop old barns or houses. (Horse Trot Wooden Sign $79)

Everything about the South inspires Gregory’s work. “It predicts what pieces I’ll create next. So many little sayings that just rolled off of everyone’s tongue like Shug, Darlin’, Hey Y’all and I’m Fixin’ to… are still being said by the new folks we are meeting here in NC everyday,” Gregory muses. “I even have subconsciously started using some of them again. I now call all of the local girls at the stores “shug.” That’s how the name Slippin’ Southern came about. One of us will ‘slip’ and say something Southern like “bless your heart” and the other will say ‘Hey, you’re Slippin’ Southern!’”

Gregory also draws from the locals  in his new hometown Snow Hill for inspiration. “These are people that have survived for generations and still do the same work their parents and grandparents did. Farmers, carpenters and other tradesmen. Their language and values have not changed for generations.”

These super fun over-sized letters look great just setting around the house. (Really Big Letters $59)

It’s the unique antiquity of the South that Gregory wishes Yankees would take a spell to appreciate. It’s this naturally deconstructed look that comes through in his art. “Living in the South has always been all about getting by, making ends meet. As you travel around you’ll find so many things that are frozen in time. Houses that are s  l  o  w  l  y deteriorating, as if the are falling down in slow motion. In the North, people would just tear it down and rebuild. But here, many can’t afford to do that. Families grow up and move away so the house just sits…. and sits… until it’s a pile of lumber.”

Gregory hopes that others will come to the South to experience the rich history and culture that is untapped and often under appreciated. “All of it’s rich traditions and quirky ways of doing things will be around for generations to continue to discover.”

Gregory Morris of Slippin’ Southern

Buy His Work: http://www.slippinsouthern.etsy.com

Twitter: @SlippinSouthern

Facebook: “Like” Him

Website: www.SlippinSouthern.com

Permalink to It’s Scary Down Here, Y’All

It’s Scary Down Here, Y’All

by Dawn A Crawford|on October 28, 2010 |in Humor, Life in the South, Movies, North Carolina |tagged , , , , |Leave a comment

IMG_3061I love scary movies. The more spooky, gory and frightening the better. Now, with my cultivated taste for horror movies comes a little paranoia. I know how to kill a zombie (blunt objects and head shots are key) and I have a repertoire of ways to defend myself against crazed killers. You’ll never see me doing drugs and then having sex because that equals death for sure.

On our first trip to the South, I was a little freaked out. The thick woods, still black swamps and elegant Spanish moss only reminded me of my favorite movies. I mean, come on, if you breakdown on a back road that means you’ll be eaten by some crazy cannibals guaranteed, right?!

In Colorado we do not have these mysterious woods. It is very open, when you crest a hill you can see for miles around. Not in the South. There are mysteries shrouded in the thick forests and shanty houses at the end of deserted roads.

Okay all joking aside, I don’t really think I’m going to die a fantastical death in my own backyard. I know I’m just as safe here as anywhere else, but it is fun to think about. I like the thrill of imagining all that could be happening deep in the woods without anyone knowing.

It’s obvious that the South has been an inspiration for horror writers and directors for years. There is an amazing collection of movies that were filmed in or set in the South.

Photo credit: Moviemobsters.com

One of my favorite examples is Deliverance. The psychological thriller is set in Arkansas then filmed in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. My home state is the location of “dilapidated town” Sylva. I’m sure that the town is lovely, but when I visit there I’ll be hearing this.

The diversity, heat, weird sounds, and mystery of the South is what makes it great. It also kick-starts the imagination to create great story lines about its residence and the struggle to survive.

If you are looking for a Halloween weekend wander or a sample of southern chillers to rent, check out this list.

And a little tip for wanderers this weekend, make sure you have a baseball bat in the trunk of your car. It is by far my favorite horror movie weapon. It can help you fend off zombies, crazed killers and wild animals. It works wet, never runs out of bullets, and can get you out of the trunk if need be. Happy haunting!

Horror Movies/TV Shows Shot in the South:

Set in the South (But Sadly Shot Else Where)

Did I leave off any of your favorite southern chillers? Let me know and I’ll add them with a credit to you.

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