——
oh:
| BEE
BY ALAN HODGE
Staff Writer
tinations in the North Carolina
mountains draws children and
their parents by the tens of thou-
sands to Bryson City and
Dillsboro each year. A unique
and exciting way to see the hills,
the Great Smoky Mountain
Railway offers rides on an old
time train pulled by a steam or
diesel locomotive. Passengers
can ride either in an-enclosed
coach or on open air cars. The
GSMR opens in April and oper-
ates through December.
Another venerable railway
attraction that has delighted chil-
dren of all ages for decades is
Tweetsie Railroad on Highway
321 near Blowing Rock. Tweetsie
runs from mid-May through
October and besides the train ride
also has an Old West village and
petting zoo. The three-mile train
ride is full of action with “ban-
dits” around every bend.
. Cheap and fun is a good way
to describe the inner tube action
at Deep Creek campground near
Bryson City. After all, where else
can you and the kids rent huge
inner tubes for just a few bucks
each and float down the crystal
clear (and cold) waters of Deep
Creek all day. Besides the inner
tubes, Deep Creek also has sever-
al outfitters, snack bars; and of
course the campground.
The North Carolina Piedmont
is a treasure trove of places to
take the chaps for a day of fun,
adventure, or learning. One
unique stop is the Angela
Pearson Doll and Miniature
Museum at 101 W. Green Drive in
High Point. The museum has
more than 1,600 dolls and doll
artifacts. Some of the dolls on dis-
play date back to the 19th centu-
ry. Modern dolls like Barbie are
also part of the collection.
In Greensboro, the Natural
Science Center has a zoo, plane-
With springtime just around
the corner, it’s not too soon to
start thinking about road trips in
North Carolina. Since bringing
the kids along is the norm in
most families, thinking of places
to go that will keep them enter-
tained has to figure into the
equation. Actually, there’s no
need to fear in this respect since
our state is liberally dotted with
kid-friendly attractions.
The mountains of North
Carolina are full of fun things for
both adults and children to do.
The town of Franklin in Macon
County has several attractions to
keep the kids busy. Besides being
the home of the Franklin Gem
and Mineral Museum, the area
also features several gem mines
where customers of all ages can
try their hand at ‘finding a natu-
ral gemstone. If the thought of
finding a ruby or sapphire strikes
your fancy, then Franklin is a
great place to go.
Mountain scenery, a majestic
lake, and the highest dam east of
_the Mississippi River all combine
to make Fontana Village a place
where the kids won't get bored.
Located north of Robbinsville on
“1Highway 28, Fontana Village is
near the lake and dam that also
bears the name Fontana.
An observation deck and
broad sidewalk across 480-foot
tall Fontana Dam gives a thrilling
look at the 10,600 acre lake as
well as the tailrace far below.
Fontana Marina rents boats by
the hour or day. Cruises are also
available. Another attraction in
the Fontana area that kids enjoy
is Great Smoky Mountains
Stables. Ponies are available for
rent and trail rides are available.
One of the most popular des-
RECLINA-ROCKER”
CHAISE RECLINER
“Avenger”
Leather-Finesse®
, Reclina-Rocker”
"Chaise Recliner
£1
Leather-Finesse’...
leather wherever your body touches
with perfectly matched vinyl on the
back and side panels.
Over 300
Recliners in Stock! <
any Styles and Fabric =
fo heats N
“Embassy”
La-Z-Touch*Chaise
Massage Recliner
tol)
ANTES
"UNBEATABLE PRICES ON THE BEST QUALITY"
LA-Z-BOY
« LUNCOLNTON
+ STANLEY + MT. HOLLY
HWY. 321
+ DALLAS
Zz
+ GASTONIA
704-263-4747
+ CHARLOTTE
Stanley, NC
LEN DR UR ALL LL {1
more comfort!
genuine top grain -
Clippard’s
914 N. Main St., Hwy. 27N Sul Bel 38: ETL
tarium, and hands-on exhibit.
The petting zoo features don-
keys, rabbits and goats. The
museum also has a dinosaur
exhibit and herpetarium.
Greensboro can give kids and
adults a good lesson in U.S. his-
tory at Guilford County
Courthouse National Military
Park. Site of a major battle dur-
ing the American Revolution, the
park has 200 acres of trails mon-
uments, and markers There's
also a nice visitor center with dis-
plays.
If a trip with the kids to
Charlotte is in the works, why
not stop at Discovery Place at 301
N. Tryon Street downtown to see
the world’s largest eyeball.
Actually an exhibit where folks
can see how the human eye
operates. The big eye would fit a
person nearly 100-feet tall. Other
attractions at Discovery Place
include the Omni-Max Theater, a
tidal pool, and tropical rain forest
room complete with birds and a
boa.
Located near Freedom Park,
the Charlotte Nature Museum is
an especially good place to intro-
duce children to the world
around them. Displays explain
flora and fauna of the region.
There's also a butterfly room.
Live animals in the museum
include raccoons, several species
of snakes, and birds. Nature
trails weave their way around
the museum and over to
Freedom Park.
Moving along to the southern
plain in our state, the town of
Hamlet has an interesting attrac-
tion that everyone will enjoy in
the National Railroad Museum.
Located in the old Hamlet rail-
way station, scale models of
trains and lpads of rail memora-
bilia are on view. Further down
U.S. 74 at Laurinburg, the Indian
MASSAGE
& HEAT
£ \\
i #
<2
SWIVEL
BASE
GENUINE
LEATHER
more Styles!
more Options!
There's never been a better
time fo bring home genuine
La-Z-Boy* comfort. Choose
from our exciting selection
of the latest styles and
a near endless list
of features for a
La-Z-Boy® recliner
that's personalized
just for you. And with
savings this spectacular )
you don't have to settle LAPTOP
for anything less than the COMPUTER
superior quality JACK
craftsmanship
and comfort only a La-Z-
Boy*®
recliner will give you. Come
in and see how pampered
0 you can be.
With approved credit
See store for details
FURNITURE &
INTERIORS
Sat. 9am-4pm
E « KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE * KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE « KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE » KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE + KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE « KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE * KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE « KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE + KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE
Kings Mountain Herald February 8, 2001
Discovery Place, Charlotte, North Carolina
Photo courtesy of NC Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development
some waterfront dining and
shopping. A good place to catch
the paddle wheeler Henrietta II
is at Riverfront Park on the cor-
ner of Market and Water streets.
A ride on the Henrietta II will
go about eight miles along the
adventure is a long one.
A must-see for families is the
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in its
new location. Recently moved
back from the encroaching ocean,
the 208-foot structure is the
tallest lighthouse on the East
“Museum of the Carolinas has a
large collection of Native
American artifacts and lore.
A trip to the beach with the
kids has been a Tar Heel tradi-
tion for generations. Though the
North Carolina shore offers sand
"and surf, many coastal locations ~~ Cape Fear and gives riders a Coast.
offer more. Even if the weather great view of historic homes * The town of Manteo rounds
is dreary, there’s always some- and sites. out a trip to the Outer Banks.
thing to do Down East. Down the coast from Home to the outdoor drama
The city of Wilmington and Wilmington, the North Carolina “The Lost' Colony” Manteo also
its immediate area is literally Aquarium at Kure Beach has a features a full size replica of the
brimming over with neat things huge shark tank, exhibits of Elizabeth II sailing ship that
brought some of the first pio-
neers to America.
Even if there are still a few
weeks to go’ before spring offi-
cially arrives, there’s no need to
sit at home cooped up in front of
the TV. For a great read on what
our state offers in the way of
for kids to see and do. One-of
the top attractions in
Wilmington is the USS North
Carolina battleship: Literally
hours can be spent exploring
this restored veteran of World
War II. Boys of all ages especial-
ly enjoy manning the anti-air-
many other live fish species, a
coastal marsh walkway, and an
alligator pond. Field trips, films,
and lectures are also part of the
N.C. Aquarium experience.
The North Carolina Outer
Banks has as many great things
to do with the kids as a pirate’s
craft guns : chest full of treasure. From the family day trips, look through a
Its location on the Cape Fear ~~ Wright Memorial at Kill Devil copy of “Fun With the Family in
River. makes Wilmington a great = Hills to a ride on the Ocracoke North Carolina” by James
place to go for a boat ride or for ~~ ferry, the Outer Banks’ list of Hoffman.
«KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE * KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE + KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE « KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE « KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE+ KEETER FORD OF CHERRYVILLE
All For Less Than
419,000"
2001 ESCAPE
XLS 4X2
Plus
9%
Special
Rate**
Fi TE
i Vo, cosmos
oS
«AM/FM/CD
& Cassette
~*Side Step Bars
15 in. Polished
Aluminum Wheels
Speed Control
*Cargo Cover
ePerimeter Alarm
°Floor Mats
NTO01018
ERX] [YE] EE 3TTIAAHYIHO JO QHO4 H3133) + ITTNAAYIHO 40 QHOH YILIIN + ITNAAYYIHO 40 GHOH HIL3 IN + I1TNAAHEIHO 40 QHOS HILIIN « ITUAAYHIHO 30 AHO HILIIN « ITTAAEHIHO JO GHOS HILIIN + ITTAAEYIHO 40 QHOS H3LIIN « ITTAAHHIHO 40 QHOH HILIIN + ITTAAHHIHO 40 QHO4 H3LIIN
hi 2 ik di
KEETER 2 rr ET