Travel & Vacation Guide, North Carolina

By Stephen Morgan

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park has been described as “The most magical national park in the United States of America”.

The Smoky Mountains or “Smokies” are part of the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States and the whole area is steeped in history, folklore and is incredibly beautiful to boot!

The Smoky Mountain section of the Appalachians was called “Shaconage” or “Place of Smoke” (hence the name) by the native American Indians.

Like most places on the planet however the Smokies are not without the risk and threat of environmental damage (some of it caused by humans in the strangest of ways*) caused by either industrial Pollution drifting in the from the Industrial eastern seaboard of the United States and at some times of the year exacerbated by the pollution arising from the vast numbers of cars that drive through the National Park on a regular basis.

It has been said that one of the dangers threatening the Smokies is that they could be “loved to death”

*The Park has a problem with Wild Boars and even this was caused by man. In 1920, it was alleged that more than 100 wild boars escaped from a private game reserve in Murphy, North Carolina and they have been causing havoc and tearing up the park ever since. In the early years of the 21st Century nearly 100 years later and the problem of the wild boars still has to be solved!

The National Park Service claim the Smokies attracts nearly 10 Million visitors a year and this makes it the most popular national park in the US.

The most popular time of the year and the busiest is the fall when hundreds of thousands of people drive up through the park to view the spectacular autumnal colours. Though not quite as high profile as “New England in the fall”, the Smokies probably (in fact they do) attracts more visitors.

After the fall, the next busiest part of the year is the springtime. Thanks to the mild mountain air, the wildflowers and other warm weather attractions come into their own. The months of late April and early May are the best times for viewing the wild flowers.

For those wishing to view the spectacular blossoming of the vast amounts of Rhododendrons, then June and July is the time for you. July is statistically the wettest month of the year with sudden and torrential thunderstorms being quite common.

The range of temperatures experienced by visitors to the park is quite wide and it is well worth remembering that the higher you go (you can travel to an altitude of in excess of 6,000 ft) it can get quite cool whilst at the same time lower down (below 3-4,000 ft) the temperatures can regularly reach in excess of 90 degrees.

The park is open all year round and if you plan carefully and well ahead of the busiest weekends then a great and magical experience can be had by everyone.

Stephen Morgan is an independent journalist writing about a number of matters. A diagnosis of acute High Blood Pressure lead him to start exploring a whole number of ways to maintain good health. One of which is the great outdoors. Further information on this article can be found at http://www.smokymountain.name and at Smoky Mountain Cabins Online http://www.smokymountaincabinsonline.us Further information about High Blood Pressure can be found at his own site Living with High Blood Pressure Net http://www.livingwithhighbloodpressure.net
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By Matthew Keegan

Durham, North Carolina prides itself as being a well rounded, diverse community. This diversity is reflected wonderfully in Durham’s burgeoning arts community in the form of sculptures, murals, galleries, and public artworks located throughout the city. Please read on to learn about some key stops for you to make when visiting eclectic Durham.

Funeral art you say? Yes, Durham has some noteable and exceptional examples of funeral art, if that is something that meets your desire. Two cemeteries, Beechwood and Geer, feature graves of important early African-American business and cultural leaders, while the Maplewood Cemetery contains Italian marble figures and Victorian “funereal” art. Incidentally, Maplewood features the graves of confederate war veterans and tobacco magnates.

Of course, not everyone likes visiting graveyards, but art museums do abound in Durham.

The Nasher Museum of Art is located at Duke University and it houses a fine collection of Russian, European, African, and pre-Columbian artwork. Nearby at North Carolina Central University is an art museum containing African art objects, 19th and 20th century African-American collections, and works submitted by students of this historically black institution.

A stroll through downtown Durham will reveal many murals not easily appreciated by the driving public. Check out the Locomotive mural over at the Amtrak station; The Killer Tomato mural on Foster Street; the Here Comes the Sun mural on the Wee Shop Building; and the untitled mural on the Durham County Social Services building.

Foster Street is an arts-lovers paradise as the venerable thoroughfare contains a half dozen studios. Not to be outdone, the Durham County Public Library on Roxboro Street has paintings, drawings, tapestries, and sculptures while the Sarah P. Duke Gardens features a lovely metalwork fountain and many sculptures.

Fans of vintage art will not be disappointed in their visit to Durham. In the American Tobacco Historic District the Lucky Strike Smokestack and Water Tower hold prominence there. Over on East Parrish Street are signs for Chiclets, Double Mint, and Pepsi-Cola, while on West Main Street the famed Bull Durham Tobacco sign can be observed.

Finally, if the performing arts grabs your attention, then Duke University has five theaters and auditoriums to meet your needs.

Many galleries and studios hold planned exhibits throughout the year. One of the biggest is held in December — the Durham Art Walk — featuring over one hundred working visual artists, many of whom have their own studios downtown.

So, next time you visit Durham, plan on spending some time getting to know the city’ unique tapestry of artists. There is something for you no matter how eclectic your tastes may be.

Matt Keegan is The Article Writer covering subjects as diverse as business, education, health, the arts, travel, and advocacy. Please visit http://www.thearticlewriter.com for samples of some of his work.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Keegan