Love pottery crafts? Looking for exquisite Christmas gifts? Then drive to Seagrove, NC the pottery capital of the world!

Join the 28th Annual Seagrove Pottery Festival on November 21 and 22 at Seagrove Elementary School.

Native Americans, the First Potters(data from NC Pottery Center exhibits)

Native Americans in the Carolina have been making utilitarian and ceremonial vessels for more than 4,500 years. The first pots were carved from soapstone. About 3,000 years ago indigenous tribes across the Southeast started to transform the clay into fired pottery.

• Women were the primary potters, digging the clay, mixing it with sand, crushed rocks or mussel shells to give the vessel strength and firing it in simple pits.

Pinching, coiling and hand-working techniques were passed from generation to generation.

• The fire pit model on display at the NC Pottery Center contains vessels with surfaces textured by beating with carved paddles, impressing textiles or burnishing with a polishing stone. Vessels were warmed around the edges then gently rolled into the coals to continue hardening.

• Native Americans did not use a wheel to make pottery. Instead they created wares by a process called coiling. Pots were built from a pinched base by stacking coils one on the other, or the reverse upside-down from a large coil on the rim to the pointed bottom. The smoke created black patterns as seen on the ones in the exhibit.

The European Influence

• At the time of European settlement, the most prominent tribes were the Tuscarora in the coastal plains, the Siouan in Eastern Piedmont, the Catawba in Western Piedmont and the Cherokees in the mountains. The Cherokees and the Catawba tribes are still active potters today.

• The earliest European wheel-turned and chambered fired pottery was found at the Santa Elena archaeological site on Parris Island, a Spanish fort established in the 16th century.

• During the 1700s potters of English and German descend emigrated to North Carolina where they set up shops which produced lead-glazed earthenware.

• In 1800s they transitioned to higher fired stoneware and alkaline and salt glazes.

A taste of local flavor…

The 19th century shop on display at the Pottery Center (including the tools and glaze mill), are an exact replica of the one used by Harvey Rienhardt and Burlon Craig in Henry, NC.

• Potters referred to themselves as “turners”

• Wheels are “lathes” (pronounced “lays”)

• Kilns (pronounced “kills”) are “burned”, not fired.

The NC Pottery Center, located downtown Seagrove, is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10AM to 4PM. Admission is $2 adults, free for kids 12 and under and for NCPC members. Every Saturday come enjoy Free pottery making demos with a local artist.

Just half an hour away is the NC Zoo, one of the best zoological parks in the country.

The Children’s Museum is finally open! Downtown Greenville is now sizzling with another fun family friendly attraction.

Lights, Camera, Action!

The museum is open Monday – Saturday 9AM to 5PM and Sunday 1 – 5PM. Admission is $12 (free for kids 1 and under).

TIP! Get in for just $2 on following Tuesdays evenings (from 5 to 7PM): September 17th, October 15th, November 19th and December 17th.

Tickets will be sold in advance on a first-come, first-served basis beginning the Monday prior to each “Two for $2 event”.

Fun things to do

Kids can be pop stars in a live recording studio, land a space shuttle airplane, race a Formula One car, climb a mind-boggling 2 stories high structure, shop in a real supermarket, play doctor, scientist, architect, environmentalist and much, much more…

Here’s an exciting sneak peak of the exhibits:

Be wild, be free at the North Carolina Zoo, home to most amazing creatures you will ever see!

Gorgeous Elephant Habitat at NC Zoo

The Zoo is open daily from 9AM to 5PM (4PM November through March) and admission is $10 adults, $8 seniors and $6 children 2-12.

TIP! Save $3 with a combo ticket and get 2 tickets to either 4D Theater or the Carousel. Riverbanks Zoo members get in for half price.

Admire over 1,100 animals and 40,000 plants native to Africa and North America spread along 5 miles of shaded pathways.

Just for kids fun things to do

• Buckle up for an exhilarating safari in Kenya! In the Wild Earth Africa 4-D ride you can literally feel the elephants stomping, get showered by rhinos and tagged with a veterinary dart (Junction Plaza, $3 admission, open 10AM – 3PM daily March 1 – November 30).

• While at Junction Plaza, climb aboard the popular Carousel ($2 per ride)

• Be Spider-Man at the Garden Friends Playground, best place for young children to run wild.

• Build a fort, dig in the garden and draw with chalk at KidZone. Enjoy live animal presentations Thursday – Sunday at 1:30PM (near Garden Friends Playground. Open April 6 – November 1 from 9AM to 4:30PM).

• Feed Giraffes at the new Acacia Station (daily from 10AM to 2PM)

• See how honey is made watching a live bee hive at the Honey Bee Garden

Take advantage of reduced admission ($7 through November 22) and come see rats play ball at Discovery Place downtown Charlotte.

Get ready for the game!

This is serious business: there is a pre-game warm up presentation of Nacho the Rat Queen, referees, cheerleaders and non stop action basketball. The rats know their stuff!

Here’s a preview…

While at Discovery embark on an deep-ocean treasure hunt adventure courtesy of the new blockbuster exhibit SHIPWRECK! Pirates and Treasure (free with museum admission)!

Uncover the mysteries of the world’s most-famous shipwrecks, like the SS Republic®, the greatest Civil War lost treasure (hint: 51,000 gold and silver coins are involved…)

If time permits go to Freedom Park to enjoy an outdoor oasis and the fun Charlotte Nature Museum.

Freedom Park is an oasis of natural beauty, peace and healthy relaxation in the heart of the Queen City. Charlotte’s “Central Park” has indulged, pampered and energized, in a rite of passage, entire families for generations.

Freedom Park duck pond

Fun things to do

(Freedom Park parking and activities map)

• Hike, jog or bike on miles of trails along the lake and Little Sugar Creek Greenway.

Beware it gets crowded in the weekend as roller bladders and skaters take control of the many paved trails.

• Play tennis, soccer, baseball, volleyball or basketball. Cheer for the Dilworth baseball and softball teams, little league heroes since 1951!

• Bring your little ones to the 2 playgrounds where there is even an antique locomotive replica to climb on!

• Get the family together for an outdoor picnic at one of the five grill-equipped shelters.

• Enjoy music and art performances at the Mahlon Adams Pavilion throughout the summer.

Bridge over Little Sugar Creek

• Learn about the abundant and colorful flora and fauna of the Carolinas at the Charlotte Nature Museum ($6 admission)

Upcoming events at Freedom Park

• Amphitheater at Sunset – bring chairs, blankets and a high spirit for free movie nights under the sky on July 10 and August 14

• Annual Festival in the Park, September 24 – 27. Join tens of thousands of music and art lovers and enjoy one of the best festivals in the South.

Hundreds of craft artists, entertainers and music bands will perform for free every day (remember Friday, September 25 is Kids’ Day!)

The park is open year around form dawn to dusk. For more info, tennis classes and facility rentals check the parks and recreation website or call (704) 432-4280.

Feeling artsy? Short drive from the park is the incredible Charlotte Museum of Art Museum now featuring fancy platform shoes and haute couture fashion collections!

Summer is best enjoyed in Freedom Park, Charlotte NC!

With a flap of its wings a butterfly can change the world.

Come to Edventure children museum downtown Columbia to see the incredible life journey of one of the most beloved creature on Earth! The butterfly exhibit is open daily May through October from 9:30AM to 4:30PM (Sundays from 12:30PM). Admission is free for members and and $3 for non-members (on top of the normal museum admission of $6.95 for kids and $8.95 for adults).

Monarch and Tiger Swallowtail, the most popular butterflies in the exhibit

Tips and Things to Know Before You Go
• Go on sunny days, that’s when butterflies are most active
• Best time to visit is weekdays early morning or late in the afternoon.
• Shutterbugs come alone (or have extra hands to keep an eye on kids). As you all know you need patience, luck and determination to catch that Nat Geo-like wildlife photo.
• Moms and grannies here’s your golden opportunity to get a photo of the year postcard perfect with the little ones. Nothing is cuter than a butterfly sitting on top of your kid nose!
• Get the free butterfly brochure and have your children do a “scavenger hunt” trying to correctly identify the butterflies in the exhibit. Currently they have: Monarch, Tiger and Black Swallowtail, Queen, Julia, Zebra Longwing, Buckeye, and Cabbage White. New species are added every month.
• Save $2 by not reserving your tickets online, you’ll get a spot anytime of the day assuming your group is less than 10 persons. Keep in mind only 30 people at a time are admitted in the exhibit.

Kids love being surrounded by colorful butterflies

Exhibit Rules
• You can’t touch the butterflies as it damages their wings. If they voluntarily land on you that’s OK.
• Food, drinks and strollers are not allowed inside. There’s a coat area across the exhibit entrance where you can park the stroller.
• Each admission has a stamp time (9:30, 10, 10:30 etc) and you’re allowed 30 minutes per admission. You can go in and out during this half an hour.

Frequently asked questions and butterfly trivia

How and what do butterflies eat?
They use their front feet to taste and the proboscis to suck nectar from the flower. The Longwing species can also eat pollen.

Black Swallowtail beauty using its proboscis to eat nectar

How long do butterflies live once they hatch out?
About 2-3 weeks. The Monarch and the Longwing can live for months.

How can you tell a boy from a girl?
It’s hard as most look the same. For the Monarch the male butterfly has black spots on the lower side of its wings. The Longwing males are thinner than the females and have claspers on the end to grip the female during mating.

What plants are most likely to attract butterflies?
Some of the plants they love to eat from are the butterfly bush, cone flower, lantana, salvia, hydrangea, verbena, black-eyed Susan, sage, hibiscus. As a host plant for laying their eggs butterflies (and especially the Longwing) use the passion vine (locally referred to as “May pops”)

What’s in the purple bowls and what’s their purpose?
Gatorade! The staff at Edventure is very keen on keeping their butterflies in shape! The bowls are drinking stations meant to supplement the natural feeding process. Butterflies can safely land on suck Gatorade though the sponges similar to drinking nectar from the flowers.

What’s in the little back shed?
That’s the “Blue Room” the staff uses to bring and attach new pupa to the window display, and once hatched out from their chrysalis, to release the butterflies into the exhibit.

While visiting Edventure make sure to check out the newest traveling exhibit Let’s Team Up! filled with fun sports games, real locker dress up and interesting facts.

Let the sun shine in at Edventure Children Museum!

All aboard! Looking for something special to do with kids this coming weekend? Then come Saturday, April 11 from 9:30 AM to 4PM to the SC Railroad Museum in Winnsboro for the second Easter Bunny Eggspress Train day. Fares are $15 first class and $10 for coach ($10 kids 1 – 11 years).

SC Railroad Museum Trivia
The tracks were built in 1883 to transport granite stone to Winnsboro. The tracks and museum are privately owned and the entire train crew is made of volunteers. Our guide was a self-described “Yankee from Brooklyn, NY”, a very nice and knowledgeable guy. Unfortunately you could barely hear him speak over the loud squeaking train wheels.

Hampton designed locomotive

Noteworthy artifacts:
• Hampton and Branchville steam locomotive
• Authentic Norfolk dining and bedroom cars
• Pullman passenger car
• US Postal Service train
• Seabord and Nickel Place red cabooses

What to expect on the train ride
1. Wear something comfortable, avoid sandals and flip-flops. It’s dusty and rusty inside the coaches and on the grounds.

2. The ride is 5 miles each way, takes about 1 hour, and you come back on the same line. If you can, sit on the 1st or 3rd coaches on the way in and on the 2nd coach on the way back. This way you’re always facing forward. Riding backwards for half an hour is not that fun, trust me. My advice is to purchase First Class tickets.

The Coach ride experience

3. The coach windows may be difficult to manipulate. Pay close attention on little kids so they don’t get their fingers caught.

4. The scenery it’s not very spectacular. Expect lots of wooded areas and run down buildings along the way. The ride highlights are:
• Old Greenbrier School
• Mini canyon, reminiscent of the famous Winnsboro blue granite stone
• Depot ruins and junk railroad yard
• Stopping to let the volunteers signal the train arrival to ongoing car traffic.

5. The Easter Bunny makes his entrance on the way back home. This is by far the best part of the ride. Kids for once stay seated waiting to shake hands and hug the fluffy character.

Photo with Easter Bunny

6. The kids’ most popular thing to do was to jump up and down the rock pile sitting on the grounds outside.

Rockton Rion and Western R.R. 2009 Season
• Summer Schedule (June 6 -August 29)
Saturdays from 9:30AM to 3:30PM. Train departure at 10AM, 1PM, and 2:30PM.

• Fall Schedule (September 5 and 19, October 3 and 17 (Caboose Days))
Saturdays from 9:30AM to 3:30PM. Train departure at 10AM, 1PM, and 2:30PM

• Special Event Days:
- Easter Bunny Eggspress trains on April 4 and 11. Trains depart at 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM. Caboose tickets are not available on these days.
- Santa trains on November 28, December 5 and 12.

Onboard Norfolk passenger car

Location and Train Rides Prices:
The SC Railroad Museum is located on the corner of SC Hwy 34 and Industrial Park Road, in Winnsboro SC. From I-77, take exit 34, then SC Hwy 34 towards Winnsboro about 5 miles. From I-20, take exit 70, then US 321 towards Winnsboro. Turn left on SC Hwy 34.

Fares Info:
- Coach $10 adult , $7 children
(ages 1 to 11)
- First Class $15 (all ages – includes light refreshment and snack in relaxed atmosphere comfort)
- Caboose $12 (all ages, if available)

The Red Caboose

Musgrove Mill State Historic Site’s was the scene of a bloody American Revolution battle. “On Aug. 19, 1780, 200 Patriots rode to strike what they thought was an equal number of Loyalists at Musgrove Mill.

Musgrove Mill State Park - free admission

Musgrove Mill State Historic Site regularly holds special events, including encampments and living history programs. Here are some exciting events coming up this fall and over the Holidays:

Archaeology Day at Musgrove’s Mill – October 18, 2008, 10 AM – 4:00 PM
Have you ever wondered how archaeologists find and identify artifacts from American Revolutionary War battlefields like Musgrove’s Mill? Visit Musgrove Mill State Historic Site to learn about the methods used and what studies have been done at the site to shed light on this important battle. Project archaeologists will be on-site showing and discussing how they found and identified artifacts. Archaeological tours will be offered throughout the day and kids will be “digging” for artifacts.

Tales of Union County at Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site – October 24 and 25, 2008, 7 PM – 10 PM
Journey into the spooky past with the “Tales of Union County”! Enjoy local ghostly tales and spine-chilling legends in a family setting with marshmallow and wiener roasts, apple bobbing, and other fall festival activities. Sip a cup of hot chocolate, or hot apple cider by the flickering light of the campfire listening to folklore and legends of the Upstate. There may even be a ghost or two…

Battle Of Blackstock’s Anniversary Celebration at Blackstock Battlefield Historic Site – November 22, 2008, 1 PM – 3 PM

Revolutionary War rifles replicas

The Battle By Candlelight - December 13, 2008, 6 PM – 8 PM $4 adults, $3 seniors (65 and older), children 15 and under FREE
Experience Musgrove Mill State Historic Site in the dark! The event will feature candle-lit tours of the Musgrove Mill battlefield and historic presentations of the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill from the Patriot and British point of view.

Horse-shoe Robinson illustration by E.O.C. Darley

Christmas at Rose Hill Plantation – December 12-14, 2008, 6 PM – 8:30 PM, $5 per person
Come experience what Christmas was really like in the years before the Civil War. Enjoy the Rose Hill Plantation as it might have been in the antebellum era. The mansion will be decorated for the holiday season during the month of December, and there will be a special Evening Open House the weekend before Christmas: December 21 and 22 from 5 PM until 8 PM, and December 23 from 4 PM until 6 PM

Where
Musgrove Mill State Park is located off I-26 near Clinton, less than half an hour drive from Greenville. Admission to the park is FREE. Operation hours: Park 9 AM – 6 PM daily; Visitor Center 10 AM – 4 PM Monday through Friday, 10 AM – 5 PM Saturday and Sunday. More information at (864) 938-0100. Here is the custom Google Map with some incredibly fun and mostly free family attractions in the Upstate.

Experience the extraordinary American Revolution battles at Musgrove Mill State Historic Site!

No wonder the Little Einstein’s corner is one of the most popular exhibits at the awesome Discovery Place museum. Crowds gather quickly and are not shy to cheer on the volunteers as they perform “explosive” and even magical science experiments.

Tips to know before you go:
1. Go early morning, and if possible, during the week. The weekend is really crowded especially this month due to the new exhibit “The Day in Pompeii”. The Dinosaurs exhibit runs through August 10 so go see it while you can. Once this is over it’s worth paying the extra $10 to go see The Day in Pompeii; by then most of the excitement should have cooled off and you can enjoy it in peace at your own pace.

2. Reserve 2-3 hours to enjoy the museum. Plan ahead which exhibits you must attend and go there first. Be realistic, you can’t see and enjoy it all in just one visit.

• Toddlers and young kids: KidsPlace room, Puppet Show Theater (currently featuring Dinosaurs play with shows at 11 AM, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:45 PM), playing with shadows near Virtual Reality exhibit
• School age kids: All the dinosaurs exhibits (including digging for fossils for extra $2), Virtual Reality games, Little Einstein science, The Shop Machine exhibits

3. Parking – Use the museum garage parking ($7 day flat rate fee) and walk straight into the museum. Alternatively, you can park in the garage across the street from the museum ($5 day flat rate fee Fri and Sat)

Take your kids canopy zip-line, ATV, motocross and Black Ops riding at Carolina Adventure World, only 45 minutes drive from Charlotte.

“The Force is With You” at the fun-packed Discovery Place, a wonderful children museum downtown Charlotte (309 N Tryon near intersection of W. Trade and 6th streets).

For $10 admission ticket ($8 for kids) you can roar with the dinosaurs, dig up fossils, blow-up stuff at the Little Einstein exhibit, be Leonardo Da Vinci for a day at the Machine Shop, watch little rats play basketball and try your skills inside the Virtual Reality room.

Big kids can even see the adrenaline pumping The Dark Knight movie on the IMAX screen (extra $11, shows on Thursday at midnight and Friday at 1, 4:50, 7:40 and 10:30 PM)

That’s sounds like guaranteed weekend fun worth shouting about!

Want more adventure for your family? Then go ATV riding and canopy zipping at Carolina Adventure World!