Charlotte and Environs

[scifan57]

Wells Fargo History Museum

Wells Fargo is our current bank after their buyout of Wachovia Bank, which originated in Winston-Salem and was our bank for many years - a sad lost for us and the community. Wells Fargo has a number of museums throughout the United States (history and time table HERE) - so, after visiting the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Susan was tired and headed back to the hotel, and I went to the Wells Fargo History Museum, just across the street. Entrance was free and the museum is small but well done - an excellent historic documentary film is available. Exhibits concentrate on the origins of Wells Fargo and also Wachovia in Salem, gold mining in North Carolina, and the stage coach history of the company, which was rather amazing before the expansion of railroads after the first intercontinental connection in 1869 - pics below show much of the museum. Dave


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Last time I was in San Francisco I visited a Wells Fargo bank. They had a restored Concord Coach in the lobby.

 

[giradman]

Last time I was in San Francisco I visited a Wells Fargo bank. They had a restored Concord Coach in the lobby.

Wells Fargo has about a dozen museums in a number of the larger cities in the USA, including San Francisco, so assume the stagecoach was in the museum there? More history HERE and quoted below (Source).

Apparently, the 'suspension system' using leather straps, in part, provided a smoother, swaying ride but I imagine still not too comfortable from our modern standards. We've never been on a Wells Fargo stagecoach, but did do a short ride years ago during a visit to Tombstone, Arizona (of Boot Hill & the O.K. Corral fame) - probably similar to the one shown in the last pic below? Dave

Concord stagecoaches are horse-drawn stagecoaches which employ a style of suspension and construction particularly suited to North America's early 19th century roads. Leather thoroughbraces suspend passengers who are in constant motion while the stagecoach is moving. The swaying is accepted by passengers for the shock absorbing action of the leather straps and for the way the special motion eases the stagecoach over very rough patches of roadway. The coaches were first developed and built by coachbuilder J Stephen Abbott and wheelwright Lewis Downing of Concord, New Hampshire. The expense of the high quality of the vehicle's construction had to be set against its structure's good lasting qualities improved by the relative smoothness of its thoroughbrace suspension system. These features attracted passengers.

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[giradman]

Bernardin's and Fin & Fino Restaurants - Our Dinner Selections

Well, the reasons we stayed at the Charlotte Westin Hotel (vs. the Ritz-Carlton further uptown) were for a 'new' selection of restaurants w/i walking distance and the closeness to the museums, just discussed - their locations are again circled on the previous map.

For our first night, we ate at Bernardin's Restaurant, which has a Winston-Salem location in the historic Zevely House - as expected, the menu is eclectic with Asian influences from our previous experiences eating there in our home town. Susan started w/ the egg rolls and had the grilled Australian lamb chops which were quite savory (as is most Australian and New Zealand lamb). I started w/ the tuna combination and had the Kangaroo loin, a new experience for me - the meat was dark red, flavorful, and tender - would certainly try again - plus a 'healthy' choice if a red meat is desired (LINK) - for me, a couple of glasses of Oregon Pinot Noir. Susan was presented w/ a free birthday dessert, strawberry shortcake which was well done and delicious (also one of her favorites!) - see pics below for more details.

On our second night, we dined at the Fin & Fino Restaurant (next to the Mint Museum Uptown) - famous for having a dozen or so oysters every night from both coasts (see pic) - we shared the entire meal starting w/ 18 oysters, i.e. a half dozen of 3 types (Massachusetts, British Columbia, & Washington State); then shared two 'hot' small plates (octopus and lobster dishes). For dessert, we had another dozen oysters, 2 types (Prince Edward Island & Washington State, a different one) - sorry, but except for the Kumamoto, I cannot recall the specific names of the four others. We will DEFINITELY return to this place! Dave
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[scifan57]

Wells Fargo has about a dozen museums in a number of the larger cities in the USA, including San Francisco, so assume the stagecoach was in the museum there? More history HERE and quoted below (Source).

Apparently, the 'suspension system' using leather straps, in part, provided a smoother, swaying ride but I imagine still not too comfortable from our modern standards. We've never been on a Wells Fargo stagecoach, but did do a short ride years ago during a visit to Tombstone, Arizona (of Boot Hill & the O.K. Corral fame) - probably similar to the one shown in the last pic below? Dave


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It was the history museum in the Wells Fargo corporate headquarters. https://www.wellsfargohistory.com/museums/san-francisco/

 

[giradman]

Kannapolis - Curb Museum for Music and Motorsports - North Carolina Music Hall of Fame

On the way home via I-85 and about 40 minutes from uptown Charlotte is the town of Kannapolis, home of the Dale Earnhardt (1951-2001) racing family - at 600 Dale Earnhardt Blvd is a long single story modest building that contains three museums: 1) Curb Museum for Music; 2) Curb Museum for Motorsports; and the 3) North Carolina Music Hall of Fame - this was our first visit.

Curb Records is a major American record label founded in 1963 by Mike Curb (who also owned NASCAR cars); its roster of mainly country stars is huge and the company has won numerous awards - more below and in the links; the Motorsports museum contains dozens of well maintained racing cars and much information - Susan & I have never been stock car racing fans but the vehicles shown were beautiful to admire, and certainly a place to visit for a real fan. Pics below show just some of the cars in the building. Dave

Curb Museum for Music and Motorsports is a museum about music and NASCAR racing, both reflecting the business interests and passions of owner Mike Curb. The museum is located at 600 Dale Earnhardt Blvd in Kannapolis, North Carolina. A long-time motorsports enthusiast, Curb is the owner and founder of Curb Records, a country music record label with such notable artists as Wynonna Judd, Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes, Hank Williams, Jr. and Lyle Lovett. Over the years, Mike Curb has owned cars driven by NASCAR legends including Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Dale Jarrett, Ron Bouchard and Johnny Sauter. (Source)

The museum showcases NASCAR, IndyCar and modified race cars, as well as LeAnn Rimes’ very first car, a 1995 black Dodge Viper. The museum features the #2 car that Dale Earnhardt drove in his first Winston Cup Championship and the #43 car Richard Petty drove in his 199th Winston Cup win – sister-car to the one Petty drove in his 200th Winston Cup win that now resides at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. Images of popular recording artists cover the museum’s walls, stand on life-sized cardboard cut-outs and also appear on the hoods of a few race cars. Displayed among the auto racing memorabilia are gold record awards, autographed posters from country and pop superstars and of photos of recording artists. (Source)

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[giradman]

North Carolina Music Hall of Fame

The NC Music HOF was founded in 1994 in Thomasville, NC, but relocated to Kannapolis, first in an historic jail, then into the much larger building containing the Curb Music and Motorsports museums in 2014. Induction criteria are broad and include musicians, singers, producers, and other non-musical related professions. Much more information given in the last three quotes below.

With the new 2018 inductees, there are just over 100 members in the NCMHOF - many are not known to me, but there are dozens of famous and important country and bluegrass musicians, country and popular singers, and a number of important jazz musicians - the first quote below is my modest list from the Wiki link of those members who others likely know - I own recordings of most. The pics simply highlight some of these major performers (of course, in my mind) - I was not expecting much driving in to park but was pleasantly surprised - this set of museums is worth a visit! Dave

Country Singers & Instrumentalists (including Bluegrass): Charlie Daniels, Don Gibson, Ronnie Milsap, Earl Scruggs, Arthur Smith, Steep Canyon Rangers, Randy Travis, Doc Watson
Singers, Guitarists, Popular Entertainers: Etta Baker, Donna Fargo, Roberta Flack, Andy Griffith, Nina Simone, Kate Smith, James Taylor
Jazz Musicians: John Coltrane, Percy Heath, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Billy Taylor

The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization and museum in Kannapolis, North Carolina that was created to honor musicians, composers and artists with ties to North Carolina that have made significant impact in the music industry. The museum serves as a clearinghouse for North Carolina musicians from all time periods, and preserves a number of memorabilia artifacts for public display. In December 2014, the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame relocated to a new home within the Curb Museum for Music and Motorsports at 600 Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. (Source)

The organization was founded in 1994 and originally located in Thomasville, North Carolina, the group inducted seven people in 1999 and one in 2002. Due to lack of space, a historic city jail in Kannapolis was chosen as the new location. Much of the renewed interest in the NC Music Hall of Fame was driven by music mogul Mike Curb who has ties to Kannapolis and is friends with David Murdock who was building the Kannapolis-based North Carolina Research Campus. Curb also has his close friend and North Carolina native, music executive Eddie Ray, become operations director to oversee the day-to-day for the organization. (Source)

Mike Curb and Eddie Ray were both inducted into the Hall in 2009. Mike Curb for his contribution and support of the Hall of Fame and Eddie Ray for his lifetime achievement in the music non-performer category. In 2012, the organization hosted its third induction ceremony which was open to the public. Musicians that were either born in North Carolina or have made it their home are eligible for induction 10 years after their entry into the music industry. Inductees are not limited to music performers, and producers, industry executives and educators are also eligible for induction. (Source)

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[giradman]

Levine Museum - NASCAR HOF - Discovery Place

After leaving the Kannapolis Museum, we stopped at Childress Vineyards on the way home for a light lunch - although our brief Charlotte trip ended, there are a LOT of other attractions both in the city and the surrounding areas. In uptown there are 3 other museums worth visiting if in the city: 1) Levine Museum of the New South; 2) NASCAR Hall of Fame; and 3) Discovery Place; also, the Mint Museum on Randolph Road and the Charlotte History Museum should be mentioned (and there are others).

The Levine Museum of the New South is described in the quote below - we've been there a number of times and always enjoy the 'Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers....' exhibit. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is a beautiful building - not being fans we've made just one visit - but recommended if a racing aficionado! See next two quotes for more information.

Discovery Place is also described below and recently renovated w/ a LARGE IMAX theater - in addition to the permanent exhibits and attractions, traveling shows are excellent - we've probably seen a half dozen, including ones on Pompeii, Norman Rockwell, and the amazing Body Worlds, i.e. actual human cadavers that have been 'plastinated' by a unique process (check the link, if interested) - just some pics below of each place. Dave

The Levine Museum of the New South, is a history museum located in Charlotte, North Carolina whose exhibits focus on life in the North Carolina Piedmont after the American Civil War. The museum includes temporary and permanent exhibits on a range of Southern-related topics.The museum's permanent exhibit is called "Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers: Charlotte and the Carolina Piedmont in the New South", and features period displays that reflect regional history. The displays include a one-room tenant farmer's house, a cotton mill and mill house, an African-American hospital, an early Belk department store, and a civil-rights era lunch counter. Changing exhibits focus on local culture, art and history. (Source)

The NASCAR Hall of Fame honors drivers who have shown exceptional skill at NASCAR driving, all-time great crew chiefs and owners, broadcasters and other major contributors to competition within the sanctioning body. NASCAR committed to building a Hall of Fame and on March 6, 2006, the City of Charlotte was selected as the location. Ground was broken for the $160 million facility on January 26, 2007, and it officially opened on May 11, 2010, with the inaugural class inducted the day following the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXVI. (Source)

The NASCAR building contains the following:

• First Floor:
  • Belk High Octane Theater – A screening room below ground level which shows videos to guests, including a primer video for first-time visitors.
• Second Floor:
  • Ceremonial Plaza – An outdoor "patio" with a video screen.
  • Glory Road – A 33-degree banked ramp (matching that of Talladega Superspeedway) featuring 18 different cars and saluting 46 past and current tracks.
  • The Great Hall – Dubbed as the Times Square of the hall, a 14 feet (4.3 m)-by-18 feet (5.5 m) video screen and rotating exhibits will be staged here.
  • "Studio 43" – Named in honor of Richard Petty's car number – used for television production.
• Third Floor:
  • Hall of Honor – A 360-degree wall with the honorees enshrined serves as the centerpiece of the building with each enshrinee with their own exhibit.
  • Transporter and Racecar Simulators – Simulators provided by iRacing.com.
  • Race Week Experience – Simulates an actual week in a NASCAR team, from race prep through inspection, practice, time trials and the race.
• Fourth Floor:
  • Heritage Speedway – The six decade history of NASCAR is focused here, including a glass-enclosed section with historic artifacts from the history of stock car racing. (Source)

Discovery Place Science is a science and technology museum for visitors of all ages located in the Uptown area. Discovery Place Science brings science to life through hands-on interactive exhibits, thrilling activities and experiments, an IMAX Dome Theatre, and boundless other educational opportunities and programs. The Museum, which first opened in 1981, underwent an 18-month, $31.6 million renovation in 2010 that transformed it into a reimagined state-of-the-art science and technology museum. Discovery Place Science also operates an IMAX Dome Theatre. Discovery Place's Charlotte Observer IMAX Dome Theatre offers an immersive, up-close movie experience in the largest IMAX Dome Theatre in the Carolinas. (Source

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[giradman]

Latta Plantation & Carolina Raptor Center

About a 15 minute drive or so from Charlotte is the Latta Plantation Reserve and the Carolina Raptor Center, both worth a visit (see map) - more below in the quotes and also the pics gathered from the web. P.S. this and any additional posts about the 'Charlotte Environs' are from numerous previous trips to the area, but may interest those planning to visit the area.

Historic Latta Plantation "is a circa 1800 cotton plantation and living history farm located within the 1,343 acre Latta Nature Preserve in Huntersville, NC. In addition to guided tours of the plantation home, eleven outbuildings give visitors a glimpse of life in North Carolina from 1800 to 1865 during self-guided grounds tours." We've done the house tour just once and the guide was excellent (would consider a repeat!) - the outbuildings are also fun to visit.

The Carolina Raptor Center is just a wonderful place for learning about these birds - see quote below and links - many of the animals are injured and being rehabilitated, often not being functional enough to be released back into nature - we've made three visits there and will likely return. The Center is currently in a major fund raising campaign which is $8+ million into a goal of $11.6 million - more HERE - Dave

The Latta Plantation, also known as Latta House, is a historic house located near Charlotte. Built in about 1800 in a Federal style, the plantation also contains some elements of Georgian design, including the house's main staircase. The house and its environs are currently used as a living history exhibit and museum dedicated to exhibiting the facets of daily life in the antebellum North Carolina Piedmont. Historic Latta Plantation hosts a variety of living history events throughout the year, including battle reenactments. The site is operated by a nonprofit corporation, but the land is owned by Mecklenburg County, and maintained by the Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation department. The property also houses the Ezekiel Alexander Log Home, a log building built between 1760 and 1790, that formerly sat in nearby Charlotte. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. (Source)

Take a Walk on the Wild Side at Carolina Raptor Center’s Raptor Trail. Our Eagles, Hawks, Vultures, Falcons and Owls are Waiting to Meet You. Carolina Raptor Center is located on 57 acres inside Latta Nature Preserve. For over 30 years, CRC has partnered with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation to provide environmental education opportunities for visitors. The Raptor Trail and the Edna S. Moretti Environmental Education Center are open most of the year. The Raptor Trail is designed to connect visitors to our birds and the natural world by featuring our over 30 species of birds. Humans have been fascinated by birds and flight for thousands of years from Leonardo daVinci to the Wright Brothers to today’s Boeing engineers. (Source)

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[giradman]

North Carolina, Moonshining, Car Racing & NASCAR

Charlotte was chosen for the NASCAR HOF (NASCAR = National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) for a reason(s) - see quotes below. Moonshining dates back to colonial times, but the most infamous period was in the 1920s-30s during Prohibition. The illegal production of bootleg whiskey (White Lightning, i.e. made by the 'light of the moon') and its peddling in the mountainous areas of Appalachia depended on altered cars that were fast and maneuverable - North Carolina's tradition of auto racing developed in the garages of bootleggers, particularly on the roads between North Wilkesboro and Charlotte. Auto Racing in the state evolved from this relationship - if interested, check the links - short and recommended.

The pics are just a sampling - a handful of some of the more famous NASCAR drivers, including the legendary Junior Johnson, a former bootleg driver from Wilkesboro, NC (we pass through the town on our way to Blowing Rock and incoming HW 421 is named in his honor). Numerous books have been written on this topic and its interrelationships, and a number of movies made on the subject - one of the early ones released in 1958 was Thunder Road w/ Robert Mitchum - "Most of the scenes were filmed in Woodfin, North Carolina, along Highway 19 and others at Lake Lure. Some scenes were filmed in Beech, east of Weaverville. Scenes include Reems Creek Road, Sugar Creek Road, and the Beech Community Center. Some scenes were actual local moonshine drivers shot with a camera mounted on a pickup tailgate" (from the LINK). Dave

Thanks to the Charlotte area’s Piedmont red clay, a natural surface that suited the needs of car racing, auto racing popped up in the area. These early tracks led first to the Charlotte Speedway, which hosted the first-ever professional stock car race in 1949. Ten years later, the Charlotte Motor Speedway was built and quickly earned acclaim for being the only speedway in the U.S. to have an all-concrete, four-lane drag strip.The importance of Prohibition in Charlotte’s roots as a racing town must also be mentioned. Bootleggers would soup up Ford coupes for their runs across the state delivering moonshine. These early bootleg runners shared the same need for speed as modern day race car drivers, earning the nickname whiskey trippers. (Source)

As the site of several major NASCAR races each year – including the Coca-Cola 600, Bank of America 500, and the All-Star Open – Charlotte has become the home base for 90% of auto racing teams. In fact, many famous drivers own homes on Lake Norman. Charlotte was also selected as the site of NASCAR’s Hall of Fame, which opened its doors in 2010 and was designed by the same architectural firm that built the Grand Louvre in Paris. The state-of-the-art, interactive museum greets guests with a row of retired cars and their history and also has a 200-item timeline exhibit dubbed the Heritage Speedway as it divides the sports 71-year history into decades. And the sport’s importance to the state is also celebrated as its been dubbed the city’s official state sport. (Source)

- Almost all of the NASCAR teams are based in North Carolina, and most of those are based near Charlotte.
- The origins of stock car racing are in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. During Prohibition, drivers modified their vehicles to be lighter and faster, and to handle better at high speeds on twisty mountain roads. After Prohibition ended, careers made of evading the law transferred to generations of racing vehicles on tracks.
- Some of the most recognizable names in NASCAR all hail from North Carolina: Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Dale Jarrett, Richard Petty, Kyle Petty, Junior Johnson, Scott Riggs, and Rick Hendrick all hail from North Carolina.
- Charlotte is the home of the NASCAR HOF. (Source)

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[scifan57]

North Carolina, Moonshining, Car Racing & NASCAR

Charlotte was chosen for the NASCAR HOF (NASCAR = National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) for a reason(s) - see quotes below. Moonshining dates back to colonial times, but the most infamous period was in the 1920s-30s during Prohibition. The illegal production of bootleg whiskey (White Lightning, i.e. made by the 'light of the moon') and its peddling in the mountainous areas of Appalachia depended on altered cars that were fast and maneuverable - North Carolina's tradition of auto racing developed in the garages of bootleggers, particularly on the roads between North Wilkesboro and Charlotte. Auto Racing in the state evolved from this relationship - if interested, check the links - short and recommended.

The pics are just a sampling - a handful of some of the more famous NASCAR drivers, including the legendary Junior Johnson, a former bootleg driver from Wilkesboro, NC (we pass through the town on our way to Blowing Rock and incoming HW 421 is named in his honor). Numerous books have been written on this topic and its interrelationships, and a number of movies made on the subject - one of the early ones released in 1958 was Thunder Road w/ Robert Mitchum - "Most of the scenes were filmed in Woodfin, North Carolina, along Highway 19 and others at Lake Lure. Some scenes were filmed in Beech, east of Weaverville. Scenes include Reems Creek Road, Sugar Creek Road, and the Beech Community Center. Some scenes were actual local moonshine drivers shot with a camera mounted on a pickup tailgate" (from the LINK). Dave






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I've got a copy of Thunder Road and enjoyed watching it.

 

[giradman]

I've got a copy of Thunder Road and enjoyed watching it.

Hi Scifan.. - thanks for 'chiming in' - with the views the tread has received, I was hoping some 'locals' would respond w/ comments, suggestions, and other recommendations?

Now, I've not watched Thunder Road in years - just released on Blu-ray but w/ mediocre reviews HERE, so likely not a purchase for me; plus, not a rental on Amazon at the moment. Before reading the Wiki article on the film, I was under the impression that some of the scenes were filmed near Mt. Airy (about 40 mins north of us near the VA border - home town of Andy Griffith and 'model' for Mayberry), but most were done near Asheville, some around Lake Lure (a recent trip for us w/ our son & DIL). Regardless, the history of moonshining and race car driving remains interesting. Dave
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[giradman]

James K. Polk, 11th President of the USA - Born in Pineville, NC near Charlotte

North Carolina was the birthplace of two US Presidents, James Polk and Andrew Johnson, and possibly a third, i.e. Andrew Jackson (born near the current NC-SC border - both states claim him!) - the James K. Knox State Historic Site is just south of Charlotte (see map below) in Pineville, his birthplace presumably in a log cabin (reconstructed on the site) - the small museum is instructive and worth a visit. Polk was an Andrew Jackson protege (both had moved to Tennessee in their early years) and a one-term President (his promise) - he died shortly after leaving office. His main 'claim to fame' is that during his 4 years in Office, he expanded the size of the USA more than any other President w/ the annexation of Texas as a state, the territory acquired from the Mexican-American War (which he may have helped to start!), and the settlement of the Oregon Territory. Dave

James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States (1845–1849). He previously was speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and governor of Tennessee (1839–1841). A protégé of Andrew Jackson, he was a member of the Democratic Party and an advocate of Jacksonian democracy. During Polk's presidency, the United States expanded significantly with the annexation of the Republic of Texas, the Oregon Territory, and the Mexican Cession following the American victory in the Mexican–American War. (Source)

Polk is considered by many the most effective president of the pre–Civil War era, having met during his four-year term every major domestic and foreign policy goal he had set. After a negotiation fraught with risk of war, he reached a settlement with the United Kingdom over the disputed Oregon Country, the territory for the most part being divided along the 49th parallel. Polk achieved a sweeping victory in the Mexican–American War, which resulted in the cession by Mexico of nearly all the American Southwest. The same year, he achieved his other major goal, re-establishment of the Independent Treasury system. True to his campaign pledge to serve only one term, Polk left office in 1849 and returned to Tennessee; he died in Nashville, most likely of cholera, three months after leaving the White House. (Source)

Scholars have ranked Polk favorably for his ability to promote and achieve the major items on his presidential agenda, but he has been criticized for leading the country into war against Mexico and for exacerbating sectional divides. A slaveholder for most of his adult life, he owned a plantation in Mississippi and bought slaves while President. A major legacy of Polk's presidency is territorial expansion, as the United States reached the Pacific coast and became poised to be a world power. (Source)

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[scifan57]

James K. Polk, 11th President of the USA - Born in Pineville, NC near Charlotte

North Carolina was the birthplace of two US Presidents, James Polk and Andrew Johnson, and possibly a third, i.e. Andrew Jackson (born near the current NC-SC border - both states claim him!) - the James K. Knox State Historic Site is just south of Charlotte (see map below) in Pineville, his birthplace presumably in a log cabin (reconstructed on the site) - the small museum is instructive and worth a visit. Polk was an Andrew Jackson protege (both had moved to Tennessee in their early years) and a one-term President (his promise) - he died shortly after leaving office. His main 'claim to fame' is that during his 4 years in Office, he expanded the size of the USA more than any other President w/ the annexation of Texas as a state, the territory acquired from the Mexican-American War (which he may have helped to start!), and the settlement of the Oregon Territory. Dave






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James K. Polk, 11th President of the USA - Born in Pineville, NC near Charlotte

North Carolina was the birthplace of two US Presidents, James Polk and Andrew Johnson, and possibly a third, i.e. Andrew Jackson (born near the current NC-SC border - both states claim him!) - the James K. Knox State Historic Site is just south of Charlotte (see map below) in Pineville, his birthplace presumably in a log cabin (reconstructed on the site) - the small museum is instructive and worth a visit. Polk was an Andrew Jackson protege (both had moved to Tennessee in their early years) and a one-term President (his promise) - he died shortly after leaving office. His main 'claim to fame' is that during his 4 years in Office, he expanded the size of the USA more than any other President w/ the annexation of Texas as a state, the territory acquired from the Mexican-American War (which he may have helped to start!), and the settlement of the Oregon Territory. Dave






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Thanks for another very entertaining history lesson.

 

[giradman]

Thanks for another very entertaining history lesson.

Thanks Scifan.. - maybe back then, being born in a log cabin was a good beginning - Thinking also of Abe Lincoln - but Polk's single term seemed to be destined for the concept of 'Manifest Destiny', i.e. the extension of the United States from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans - Dave

 

[giradman]

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

For a nice half-day trip from Charlotte, just a 45-minute drive, a visit to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a pleasant diversion from the 'hustle and bustle' of a large city. The garden is located on a peninsula near Lake Wylie (see maps). The Pavilion welcomes visitors and is a beautiful building w/ a magnificent dome and a Garden Shop - believe a restaurant is planned for the future. The grounds are beautifully landscaped w/ plenty of sites to see and a wide variety of plants (see overviews and diagrams). The Conservatory is a must visit - and weddings are popular. There is an admission fee, so check the rates on the previous link given. We've made just one visit and not during the best time of the year, SO a must return for us - more information in the quotes. Dave

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located on 380 acres of rolling meadows, woodlands and lakefront property in Belmont, North Carolina. Founded by Daniel J. Stowe, a retired textile executive from Belmont, it includes large manicured gardens, natural surrounding areas, including a woodland trail, sparkling fountains, and an Orchid Conservatory. The appealing garden site has a long history of use by its inhabitants. Originally, Native Americans of the Catawba and Cherokee tribes trapped, fished, hunted and raised families here. Later, the area served as home to early European settlers. (Source)

Although a relatively new facility, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden has an old historical connection. The French botanist André Michaux rode and walked across the garden property in 1795. Michaux found new plants near the current garden, including the Bigleaf Magnolia. More than 200 years later, the garden hosted the grand opening of 110 acres developed on October 9, 1999. Today, standing sentinel over the new area is the Robert Lee Stowe Visitor Pavilion, fronted by 20 white Tuscan columns and topped with a copper roof. Outside, guests find 10 acres complete with lush gardens, 12 sparkling fountains plus a ½ mile (800 m) woodland trail. HGTV named it one of the nation’s "20 Great Gardens", and USA Today proclaimed it one of the nation's top 10 places to "welcome fall with a flourish". (Source)

Future plans for the garden include a home demonstration garden, a boat water entrance with lakeside visitor center, a children's garden, a rose garden, a restaurant, and an Asian garden. The Orchid Conservatory is the region’s only public conservatory devoted to the display of tropical plants. Opened in January 2008, it features a wide range of plants reflecting tropical ecosystems around the world. Year-round the display will include a selection of orchids. Each winter, the garden presents its Orchid Spectacular. The orchid conservatory makes the garden a true year-round facility, to serve not only the general public but schoolchildren around the region.The garden also offers year-round special events and classes ranging from gardening and landscape to pottery and cooking with herbs. (Source)

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