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In this newest edition of the perennially popular travel guides, Berman updates crucial information like phone numbers, hours, and locations. Driving directions and listings of restaurants and accommodations for every budget are also included along with icons marking which destinations are great for kids and which make a perfect long weekend. This book is a dream come true for anyone who has ever wanted to get away from it all -- without going too far.
| Acknowledgments | vii | ||||
| Introduction | ix | ||||
| State Tourist Information | xiii | ||||
| State Parks | xiii | ||||
| Bed-and-Breakfast Listings | xiv | ||||
| SPRING | |||||
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21 | (6) | |||
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47 | (6) | |||
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53 | (7) | |||
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60 | (4) | |||
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64 | (11) | |||
| SUMMER | |||||
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75 | (4) | |||
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79 | (6) | |||
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108 | (6) | |||
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114 | (5) | |||
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119 | (5) | |||
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124 | (5) | |||
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129 | (8) | |||
| FALL | |||||
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137 | (6) | |||
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143 | (4) | |||
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153 | (5) | |||
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158 | (5) | |||
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163 | (6) | |||
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175 | (6) | |||
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181 | (6) | |||
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187 | (7) | |||
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194 | (8) | |||
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202 | (11) | |||
| WINTER | |||||
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213 | (4) | |||
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217 | (6) | |||
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223 | (6) | |||
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229 | (6) | |||
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235 | (6) | |||
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241 | (6) | |||
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247 | (6) | |||
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253 | (5) | |||
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258 | (6) | |||
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264 | (7) | |||
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271 | (8) | |||
| THE LAST ROUNDUP | |||||
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279 | (8) | |||
| Maps | 287 | (6) | |||
| Index | 293 |
The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.
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Excerpt
SPRING
Making the Pilgrimage to Eufaula
It was noon on a sunny April day in 1865 when a messenger came racing over the hill. Though the Civil War had officially ended two weeks earlier at Appomattox, General Benjamin H. Grierson was demanding further "truce," and a regiment of Union cavalry was on the way to Eufaula, Alabama.
Knowing the fate of other towns that had been burned down by the enemy, the mayor and other local dignitaries rode out personally to escort the general and his staff into town and entertain them at dinner. Southern charm prevailed, and Eufaula was spared.
Today it is a showcase of "high cotton days," the good years before the war, when the "white gold" of the Old South enriched this small town on the Chattahoochee River with a treasury of lovely homes. The Seth Lore and Irwinton Historic District includes more than 700 architecturally significant structures dating back as early as 1836. Set among tall trees draped with Spanish moss, they make for a pretty picture.
The annual spring Eufaula Pilgrimage draws hundreds for the chance to tour some of these homes, many still furnished with family heirlooms. This is Alabama's oldest house tour and one of its finest, a tradition since 1966. Favorite features are the evening candlelight tours, each led off by a wine-and-cheese party at the town's showplace Shorter Mansion. The weekend also includes a prestigious annual antiques show and an outdoor art exhibit.
Add the color of azaleas and dogwoods in the early spring, and the beauty of the Southern belles in period hoop skirts serving as hostesses at the homes and gardens on the tour, and there's every good reason to plan a Eufaula visit.
For a change of pace, spend some time at a neighboring state resort park on Lake Eufaula, the body of water formed by the construction of the Walter F. George Lock and Dam on the Chattahoochee River. Or do some bird-watching at the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, a haven for waterfowl.
The name Eufaula comes from one of the Indian tribes found living beside the river when early settlers arrived in 1823. The streets of the oldest part of town were laid out by Captain Seth Lore, and the initial letters of their names spell out his surname-Livingston, Orange, Randolph, and Eufaula. The town changed its name briefly to Irwinton in the 1830s to honor General William Irwin, the largest slaveholder and landowner in the state, who used his influence in the legislature to create a steamboat landing in town. His name remains in the title of the historic district, along with Lore's.
Eufaula prospered, both from its cotton plantations and from the commerce brought by the boats that steamed into the dock to take on bales of cotton. The walking-driving tour of the historic district, available from the Chamber of Commerce or at the Shorter Mansion, leads down streets such as North Eufaula, lined with stately, pillared Greek Revival homes such as the 1863 Conner-Taylor house, the 1854 Couric-Smith House, and the 1848 Drewry-Moorer house with its fancier Italianate columns.
Fendall Hall, built in 1856-60 and renovated in the 1880s, is one of the most beautiful of the Italianate structures, with fine marble floors and stenciled walls. It offers the chance to see a restoration in progress, a look at what it takes to return a historic home to its original state.
Another town showplace is the Tavern, Eufaula's oldest frame structure, built in 1836 on the bluffs as a riverside inn amid ancient, moss-draped trees. Now a private home and photographer's studio, it is often included on Pilgrimage tours.
Some of the old homes have new uses. The Historic Chattahoochee Commission has quarters in the Greek Revival-style Hart House, built in the early 1800s. Visitors are welcome on weekdays, free of charge.
The Shorter Mansion, headquarters of the Eufaula Heritage Association, is also open for tours. Built in 1894 by a wealthy cotton planter and remodeled in 1906, when 17 Corinthian columns were added, the home is lavishly furnished with period pieces, thanks to an appropriation from the Alabama legislature. It includes a "Governor's Parlor," honoring six Alabama governors who came from Barbour County.
Eufaula has several fine early churches as well as homes, and a stroll down Broad Street, the commercial center of town, reveals more history, since many current businesses are housed in nineteenth-century buildings. Broad Street rates its own printed walking tour guide. On this street also is Kendall Manor, an Italianate home with a cupola; the house is now a spectacular bed-and-breakfast inn.
Eufaula's Pilgrimage events can easily fill a weekend, but you might choose to save Sunday for the out-of-doors and Lakepoint Resort State Park. The 85-mile lake, on the Alabama-Georgia border, is famous for its large catches of bass, but the park offers more than fishing. The grounds include a lakeside beach, a marina, an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, picnic grounds, and, in season, a pool for guests who stay in the park's modern motel rooms or cabins. The attractive lodge dining room offers lake views.
Even if you're not a fisherman, you'll likely enjoy a visit to Tom Mann's Fish World Aquarium, a 38,000-gallon tank filled with bass and other native fish. Phone to find out hours when the fish are fed; the mad rush for food is a sight to behold. There's a monument here to the late Leroy Brown, the fish that Mann swore by as a tester for his lures. If Leroy bit, Tom knew he had a winner. The aquarium is located on Route 431 north of Eufaula, on the way to the state park.
If you have still more time, you can cross the Georgia border to Lumpkin and see the restored village of Westville and the amazing formations of Providence Canyon State Park (see page 152).
There's plenty to do and see in the area, but none of it compares to the simple pleasure of a stroll through Eufaula, a return to the best of the Old South.
Area Code: 334
DRIVING DIRECTIONS Eufaula is located on US Routes 431 and 82 in southeast Alabama, near the Georgia border. From Atlanta, follow I-85 to I-185 south to US 431, about 167 miles. From Birmingham, take I-65 south to Montgomery, then US 82 east to US 431 south, about 169 miles.
ACCOMMODATIONS Kendall Manor, 534 West Broad Street, 36072, 687-8847, M-E, CP. Lakepoint Resort State Park, P.O. Box 267, 36072, 687-8011 or (800) 544-LAKE, central reservation service (800) ALA-PARK; 101 motel rooms, I; 29 cabins, I-E. Jameson Inn, 136 Towne Center Boulevard, 36072, 687-7747 or (800) 541-3268, pleasant choice among local motels, pool, some whirlpools, I, CP. Best Western Eufaula Inn, 1337 South Eufaula Avenue, 36072, 687-9300, pool, I, CP. Ramada Inn, East Barbour Street, 36072, 687-2021, pool, I.
DINING Lakepoint Resort State Park (see above), I-M. Adijan Diner, 325 Copeland Street, 687-5848, country cooking, I.
SIGHT-SEEING Eufaula Pilgrimage, Eufaula Heritage Association, P.O. Box 486, 36072, 687-3793 or (800) EUF-AULA. Three days of tours by day and by candlelight, held in April. Phone for current rates. Shorter Mansion, 340 North Eufaula Avenue, 687-3793. Hours: Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday from 1 p.m. $$. Fendall Hall, 917 West Barbour Street, 687-8469. Hours: Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $$. Tom Mann's Fish World, US 431 north, 687-7044. Hours: Daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. $$. Lakepoint Resort State Park, off US 431, 7 miles north of Eufaula, P.O. Box 267, 36072, 687-6676. Daylight hours, park is free, fees for golf and other activities. Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, off State Road 165, Box 97-B, 36072, 687-4065. Hours: Daily during daylight hours.
INFORMATION EufaulaBarbour County Chamber of Commerce, 102 North Orange Avenue, Eufaula, AL 36072, 687-6664 or (800) 524-7529, www.ebcchamber.org.
Welcoming Spring in Wilmington
Azaleas light up the spring landscape all over the South, but nowhere are they more bountiful or beautiful than in Wilmington, the home of the annual North Carolina Azalea Festival. Not only do billions of blossoms turn the whole city into a garden, the many plantations nearby are also in their glory.
It's the state's premier celebration of spring, and a perfect time to discover a delightful Colonial port city enjoying a lively renaissance. To make things even nicer, April is warm along the Cape Fear coast, and the white sands of Wrightsville and other local beaches are just 15 miles away.
Saturday is the big day for the festival, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 1997. The Azalea Queen's parade is in the morning, followed by the opening of a lavish two-day street fair along River Front Park.
Saturday evening brings a free street dance downtown, or you can attend the Queen's gala Coronation Pageant. The Azalea Queen each year is a popular entertainer, her court a retinue of local beauties. Big-name entertainment is also a traditional feature of the weekend.
In between the hoopla, take time for a walk through Wilmington's historic district, armed with the free guide map available from the Visitors Bureau. The main sights on the map are near the center of town. If you can join the Wilmington Adventure walking tour, you'll not only learn a lot of history from Bob Jenkins, the colorful guide with the hat and cane, but have a very good time sharing his knowledge. Among the tidbits, you'll find out why North Carolinians are known as Tarheels.
The town's wide streets remain as they were laid out in 1734. The city was incorporated in 1739, named for the royal governor, the Duke of Wilmington. Prosperity came quickly from two sources, the Cape Fear River and the pine tree.
The river was the deepest in the colony, and the only one leading directly into the Atlantic Ocean. It helped Wilmington thrive as an export center for cotton and for the rice that was grown on dozens of area plantations.
The name Fear (from fere, Middle English for "danger") was inspired by the tricky shoals offshore, easy for the natives to maneuver but perilous for any ship whose pilot was unfamiliar with local tides and currents. Local pilots helped blockade-runners evade the Union navy during the Civil War. Fort Fisher, which guarded the entrance to the river, held out against Union assault until a major sea battle in 1865.
The pine forests found in abundance in the area were a valuable source of the desirable products known as naval stores. Tough heart of pine could be used for shipbuilding, and pine resin could be reduced to the pine tar necessary to coat ships' bottoms and ropes. With a rich supply of pine and an easy route for shipping, this region was America's largest supplier of naval stores until the twentieth century. It was pine tar that inspired the nickname "Tarheels."
Like many early ports, Wilmington languished over time, until a strong preservation movement began in the 1960s. A town survey identified more than 200 historic blocks. Many of these sites are now occupied by businesses and offices; some still have the original brick and heart-of-pine walls erected in the 1840s.
The spirit of revival has transformed the waterfront and turned old waterfront warehouses such as Chandler's Wharf and the Cotton Exchange into atmospheric shopping and dining enclaves. These changes have attracted many new young residents to Wilmington, a number of them living in apartments over shops in the downtown area, just as merchants did in Colonial times.
Another new facet of the town is its emergence as a film production center. EUEScreen Gems Studio is the largest movie production facility east of Hollywood, and it can be toured on weekends. The city also holds several film festivals each year; check the Visitors Bureau for the current schedules.
Many of the city's earliest buildings were lost to a fire in 1840, so most of those still standing were built after that year, and many of the loveliest Victorians are now bed-and-breakfast inns. An exception is the Burgwin-Wright House, circa 1770, a Colonial gentleman's town house with lovely parterre gardens and a three-story outside kitchen. General Cornwallis used it as his headquarters during the American Revolution. The triple-tier porches are typical of the early coastal Carolina building style, showing the Caribbean influence of early settlers from Barbados. The finest room in the house is the upstairs drawing room, rich with elaborate paneling.
Look carefully at the foundation stones of buildings as you stroll and you will notice another legacy from the Caribbean. The angular stones came as ballast from Barbados, the regular shapes came from England.
Watch also for plaques marking buildings that were lost before the preservation movement took hold. Among them is the home of Whistler's mother, the subject of the famous painting by James Whistler.
The columned Zebulon Latimer House, Wilmington's second showplace, was built in stately Italianate in 1852 by a wealthy merchant and remained in the Latimer family until 1963, when it was restored as the headquarters for the local historical society.
Wilmington is known as the city of churches, and many are well worth noting. The standout is St. James Episcopal Church at
1 South Third Street, a Gothic Revival building erected in 1840 for a congregation dating to 1781. Among the many fine details are the carved wooden ceiling and the rose window.
St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, at 603 Market Street, has stained-glass windows thought to have been created by Tiffany. The Moorish-style Temple of Israel, at 1 South Fourth, is the oldest Jewish house of worship in the state, completed in 1876.
Downtown museums also merit a visit. The Cape Fear Museum tells of the area' s history and heritage with life-size dioramas and interactive displays. When you try to stir a paddle through sticky pine tar, you'll understand why it was so valuable as protection for ships.
St. John's Museum of Art, a complex of three restored buildings, has a major collection of the work of Mary Cassatt and a big selection of Jugtown pottery, one of North Carolina's time-honored crafts. The museum also shows work by many state artists.
Railroad buffs will want to look in on the Wilmington Railroad Museum, with articles dating from the original Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, circa 1840, to today. Outside the building are a steam locomotive and caboose that can be boarded.
The final historic attraction not to be missed is Thalian Hall, part of the 1855-58 City Hall Building. This theater, built when Wilmington was the largest city in the state, was grand and a major stop on the traveling theatrical circuit. In the years following the Civil War, it played host to the likes of Lillian Russell, "Buffalo Bill" Cody, and John Philip Sousa. Recently restored and expanded, the elegant hall now hosts more than 600 performances every year in three theater spaces. Check for the current offerings.
One of Wilmington's most popular attractions is the battleship North Carolina. Board the river taxi shuttle for a chance to tour the ship that took part in every major Pacific naval battle during World War II. Sight-seeing cruises on the water are also available via riverboat.
Antiquers should pick up the current shopping guide. There are more than two dozen antiques shops in town, many located on Front Street, with more clustered north of town on Market Street. A second guide highlights the proliferating crafts galleries found downtown, more than a dozen at last count.
No spring stay in Wilmington is complete without a tour of nearby plantations and gardens. Orton Plantation is an example of the eighteenth-century rice plantations that were once common in the area. The rice fields and marshes are now a wildfowl refuge. The 1725 main house is private, but 20 acres of beautiful gardens are open to the public from spring through fall.
History buffs may want to make a detour from Orton to the nearby Brunswick TownFort Anderson State Historic Site, the excavated remains of the oldest Colonial settlement on the Cape Fear coast.
Poplar Grove, once a peanut plantation, is the place to tour an antebellum mansion. The plantation house now features demonstrations of old-time crafts such as weaving and blacksmithing and includes a restaurant for a lunchtime break.
Airlie Gardens, famous for its 50 acres of scenic gardens, is open to the public on weekends. The estate's serene lakes, rare plantings, majestic moss-draped live oaks, and views of Wrightsville Sound are an unforgettable backdrop for the brilliant color of the azaleas in spring.
Greenfield Gardens is another spring spectacle, with a five-mile scenic drive surrounding a lake. It was to raise funds for this city park that the Azalea Festival was born.
When you've had your fill of festivals and flowers, the beaches beckon. Though hard hit by hurricanes in 1996 and 1999, they have quickly rebuilt. The closest is Wrightsville Beach, only about 15 minutes east via US 74. This small island community is a longtime family resort with miles of sand for sunning and quiet walks. There are lodgings such as the Blockade Runner and the Holiday Inn Sunspree right on the beach, making for a nice counterpoint to the attractions of Wilmington. If the weather is right, Wrightsville may well tempt you to extend your stay.
Area Code: 910
DRIVING DIRECTIONS US Routes 74, 421, 17, and 117 all lead into Wilmington. From Raleigh, take I-40 to US 17 west, 123 miles. From Charlotte, follow US 74 east to Route 17, 203 miles. From Atlanta, take I-20 east to I-95 north, then US 74 east, approximately 413 miles.
ACCOMMODATIONS Graystone Inn, 100 South Third Street, 28401, 763-2000, or (888) 763-4773, grand 1905 mansion, E-EE, CP. Rose Hill Inn, 114 South Third Street, 28401, 815-0250 or (800) 815-0250, 1848 home once owned by the Lincoln Memorial architect, M-E, CP. The Verandas, 202 Nun Street, 28401, 251-2212, award-winning restoration of 1853 Victorian, M-E, CP. Catherine's Inn, 410 South Front Street, 28401, 251-0863 or (800) 476-0723, handsome home with river view, M, CP. Front Street Inn, 215 South Front Street, 28401, 762-6442, art-filled, eclectic, appealing, M-E, CP. Curran House, 312 South Third Street, 28401, 763-6603 or (800) 763-6603, 1837 Victorian, M, CP. Taylor House, 14 North Seventh Street, 28401, 763-7581 or (800) 382-9982, M, CP. Worth House, 412 South Third Street, 28401, 762-8562 or (800) 340-8559, cozy 1883 Queen Anne Victorian, M, CP. The Inn at St. Thomas Court, 101 South Second Street, 28401, 343-1800 or (800) 525-0909, luxury suites with balconies, modern amenities, E, CP. Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 North Water Street, 28401, 763-5900, E. Wrightsville Beach (rates go down off-season): Blockade Runner, 275 Waynick Boulevard, 28480, 256-2251 or (800) 541-1161, oceanfront hotel and adjoining cottage-style inn, E-EE. Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort, 1706 North Lumina Avenue, 28480, 256-2231 or (800) 532- 5362, M-EE.
DINING Caffe Phoenix, 9 South Front Street, 343-1396, casual, sophisticated, much-praised Italian, M-E. Pilot House, 2 Ann Street, Chandler's Wharf, 343-0200, restored 1870 quarters on the river, M-E. Elijah's, 2 Ann Street, Chandler's Wharf, 343-1448, nautical decor, river view, informal, seafood specialties, M. Deluxe, 114 Market Street, 251-0333, arty, eclectic menu, M. Wrightsville Beach: Oceanic, 703 South Lumina Avenue, Wrightsville Beach, 256-5551, seafood, outside pier, M. Ocean Terrace, Blockade Runner (see above), romantic setting, live jazz, M-E. Bridge Tender, Airlie Road at Wrightsville Beach Bridge, 256-4519, seafood, view of Intracoastal Waterway, M-E.
SIGHT-SEEING North Carolina Azalea Festival, P.O. Box 51, Wilmington 28402, 763-0905. Three-day weekend held in early April; check for current dates and events. Wilmington Adventure Tour Company, 763-1785. Hours: Walking tours meet at the foot of Market Street daily April through October at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. $$$. Battleship North Carolina, junction of US 7476, 17, and also reachable by ferry from Wilmington, 251-5797. Hours: Daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to 8 p.m. mid-May to mid-September. $$$$. Cape Fear Museum, 814 Market Street, 341-4350. Hours: Memorial Day to Labor Day, Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.; rest of year closed Monday. $$. St. John's Museum of Art, 114 Orange Street, 763-0281. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 noon to 4 p.m. $. Wilmington Railroad Museum, Red Cross and Water Streets, 763-2634. Hours: Memorial Day to Labor Day, Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.; rest of year to 4 p.m. and closed Wednesday. $$. Burgwin-Wright House, 224 Market Street, 762-0570. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $$. Zebulon Latimer House, 126 South Third Street, 762-0492. Hours: Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. $$. Screen Gems Studios, 1223 North 23rd Street, 343-3433. Hours: Tours Saturday and Sunday noon to 2 p.m. $$$$.
Boat rides: Phone all for current schedules and rates. Cape Fear Riverboats, P.O. Box 1881, Wilmington, 28402, 343-1661 or (800) 676-0162: riverboat cruises on the Henrietta III, river taxi to Battleship Memorial, sight-seeing tours. Guided Kayak Nature Tours: Cape Fear Outfitters, 256-1258; Carolina Kayaks, 458-9111.
Plantations and gardens: Orton Plantation Gardens, 9149 Orton Road, Southeast, Winnabow, reached via N.C. Route 133, 18 miles south of Wilmington, 371-6851. Hours: March through August; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; September through November, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $$$$.
Poplar Grove Historic Plantation, US 17, 14 miles north of Wilmington, 686-4868. Open February through December, Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 noon to 5 p.m. $$$. Airlie Gardens, Airlie Road, 7 miles east on US 7476, 793-7531. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. $$$. Greenfield Park and Gardens, US 421, 2.5 miles south, 341-7855. 5 mile scenic drive. Hours: Daily, daylight hours. Free
INFORMATION Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, 24 North Third Street, Wilmington, NC 28401, 341-4030 or (800) 222-4757; www.cape-fear.nc.us.
Excerpted from Away for the Weekend, Southeast by Eleanor Davidson Berman. Copyright © 2001 by Eleanor Berman. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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