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LIFESTYLES
NC sandhills offer a variety
BY ALAN HODGE
Staff Writer
Layout by Shelley Campbell
There's something special
about the Carolina Sandhills.
Besides having some of the most
unique topography in our state,
the sandhills offers an amazing
variety of sights and activities to
visitors of the region. Combine
that with a mild climate, and
you've got a prescription for
year round fun. :
Lying in the area between the
coastal plain and the Piedmont,
the Carolina Sandhills landscape
is characterized by plenty of pine
forests and loamy soil. Highway
access is via U.S. 1, N.C. 24/27,
and U.S. 15/501. Interstate 95
also passes along the eastern
edge of the Sandhills.
When many folks think of the
Sandhills region, their minds
turn to golf. Considered the golf-
ing capital of North Carolina, the
towns of Pinehurst and Southern
Pines in southwestern Moore
County is home to some of the
best and most revered courses in
the world. Besides quality, there's
also golf quantity in the Sandhills
with more than 40 courses avail-
able.
Golf in the Sandhills dates
back to the late 1890s when
developer James Walker Tufts
and course designer Donald
Ross brought the game to
Pinehurst. Still a gem of a desti-
nation, the Four-Diamond
Pinehurst Resort takes patrons
back to days of elegant splendor.
Besides the championship cours-
es, luxurious lodging, and fine
dining, The Pinehurst/Southern
Pines area is also home to the
PGA Hall of Fame.
People who fancy plants can
see a wide variety of species at
the Sandhills Horticultural
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Gardens at Sandhills Community
College in Pinehurst. Featuring 10
distinctive gardens on 27 acres,
the site is a showcase of the col-
lege’s Landscape Gardening
‘School. A stroll can include the
formal Sir Walter Raleigh Garden,
the Atkins Hillside Garden with
rock-filled stream, a Fruit and
Vegetable Garden, Ebersole
Holly Garden and more.
About a half hour drive north-
east of Southern Pines on U.S, 1,
the village of Cameron is an
antique shopper's paradise. Once
known as the “Dewberry Capital
of the World,” Cameron was so
famous for, this blackberry-like
product that a special railway
was built to carry the fresh com-
modity to Raleigh.
After the dewberry craze died
out, Cameron went downhill for
a period. Looking for a way to
save their town, locals hit upon
the idea of turning abandoned:
storefronts into antique shops.
The concept was a hit from the
word go. In addition to buying or
looking at antiques of every
description, callers to Cameron
can also have a treat at a restored
soda shop.
Near Pinehurst, but in many
ways a world away, Weymouth
Woods /Sandhills Nature
Preserve takes its name from the
village of Weymouth in England.
Containing over 500 acres of lon-
gleaf pine forest, the preserve is’
home to many interesting species
of plants and animals. Besides
wilderness, the area has a nature
study museum 4.5 miles of trails,
and guided tours.
The town of Aberdeen in
southern Moore County has a
nice historical site in the Malcolm
Blue Farm and Museum. This
restored 1825 farmhouse also fea-
tures a gristmill and barns.
During the Civil War, the farm
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‘Whigs and Tories fought it out
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of sights and activities
was used as headquarters by
Union General Jordan. The battle
of Monroe's Crossroads was
fought nearby:
The Sandhills area has a nice
State Park at Raven Rock near
Lillington. Situated near the
Cape Fear River, the park has 11
miles of hiking trails as well as
seven miles of trails where folks
can bring their horses and ride.
Camping out is a favorite activity
at Raven Rock State Park with an
area reserved for primitive sites.
Natural features include rock
outcrops and a steep bluff over-
looking the river.
Sanford in Lee County is spe-
cial for its House in.the Horsehoe
State Historic Site. This circa 1772
dwelling was the spot where
on August 5, 1781. Musketball
holes from the fight can still be
seen in the walls. The house was
also the dwelling place of four-
time Tar Heel governor Benjamin
Williams. He lived there from
1798 until 1814.
Yet another Sandhills historic
home is the Bryant House and
McClendon Cabin near Carthage.
Dating back to 1760, the
McClendon Cabin is the oldest
structure in its original location
in Moore County. Bryant House
has been around since 1820 and
is also in its original spot.
Taking a huge bite out of the
Sandhills is Fort Bragg. Home of
the 82nd Airborne, Fort Bragg is
named after Confederate general
Braxton Bragg. It was said by his
troops that Bragg could “create
defeat from the jaws of victory.”
A trip to Fort Bragg can
include a tour of the 82nd
Airborne War Memorial
Museum and the John FE.
Kennedy Special Warfare
Museum. Both offer a glimpse
into the world of our fighting
history.
Last stop on a Sandhills
sojourn is Bentonville
Battleground State Historic Site
battle ever fought on North
Carolina soil, Bentonville saw
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action in March, 1865 between
Confederates led by Joseph
Johnston and Union troops led
by William “Uncle Billy’
Sherman. Today, the restored
Harper House is on the actual
battlefield. Visitors can also tour
a a a
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Once known as the “pine bar-
rens,” the North Carolina
Sandhills are anything but that in
terms of history, culture, and
travel richness.
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