Exploring North Carolina with KathieyV

I wanted to take a walking tour while in New Bern and one tour that piqued my interest was  "New Bern Area Bear Town Bears".   There are over 50 bears in the to be found in the New Bern area, I decided to search for the "Downtown Bear Town Bears." Why are there bears in New Bern you may ask?  Here is a quote from the brochure that explains everything. "New Bern was settled in 1710 by Swiss and Palatine German immigrants led by Baron Christoph DeGraffenried. The new colonists named the settlement Bern, the capital of Switzerland and hometown of their leader.   Many years before New Bern was settled, Bern, Switzerland was founded by a group of hunters who named the city after the first animal they came upon on their hunting expedition ... A bear.  "Bern" is the old Germanic word for bear and the bear came to be the symbol of the city." After enjoying a delicious breakfast at the Aerie Bed and Breakfast I headed out map and camera in hand ...

On this particular day, I have walked up and down the lovely streets of historic New Bern.  I have photographed churches, Victorian-style homes, and the occasional New Bern Bear.  After all that walking in the hot sun the big question is where I should go to enjoy a nice lunch and cold glass of wine?  I wanted to be on the water, and I had heard the food was good at Persimmons Waterfront Restaurant, so I decided to give it a try. Here is a quote from their website, "Opened in August of 2010, Persimmons is a locally-owned waterfront restaurant located on the shores of the Neuse River in New Bern, NC. We feature an elegant yet casual atmosphere and three distinct dining venues: our downstairs great room, our private upstairs dining room, and our picturesque outdoor waterfront dining area. Persimmons focuses on modern cuisine made from locally-sourced ingredients by our award-winning chef and hosting a variety of special events with waterfront dining, fresh food...

Museum Park a the  North Carolina Museum of Art  in Raleigh NC. When you drive past the NCMA in Raleigh you can see several sculptures from the roadway.  I decided it was high time I checked out The Museum Park. Quote from the  NCMA  website... "The Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park connects art, nature, and people to encourage creative experiences and human interactions. It features temporary and permanent public art installations by international artists, environmentally sustainable landscapes, colorful and contemporary gardens, miles of recreational trails, and a terraced pond." According to the park brochure, there are 28 works of art in this park.  I viewed 15.  I will have to go back and find the sculptures that I missed. The park itself is lovely.  There are walking trails, areas to picnic, and of course artwork.  It made for a pleasant stroll on this beautiful spring day. I saw folks relaxing on bench...

Caleb spent most of the week with me during his spring break last week.  The big question was what to do to get out of the house each day.   We decided to take local adventures.  We visited three museums in three days one of which was  Kudzu Children's Museum  at University Mall in Chapel Hill.  What a great place! Here is a quote from their website... "At Kidzu —make, build, explore and learn— an adventurous expanded Museum experience for age infant to tween. Kidzu’s new 8,500 square foot space is multi-sensory, play-centered, and focused on providing area children and their families, teachers, and caregivers an ever-changing menu of exhibits and programs that inspire creativity, collaboration and community. Kids Children’s Museum is a hands-on museum dedicated to inspiring young children and the adults in their lives to learn through purposeful play. " Caleb enjoying the Tree House. I like the artwork on display ...

UNC opened it doors to students on February 12, 1795. Wikipedia As I was researching this I found two other universities that claim this title.. The University of Georgia received its charter in 1785 but did not admit students until 1801. and The College of William and Mary ranks up there as one of the oldest schools. UNC does hold the distinction that it was the first to hold classes as a State University. All good to know. I hope they ask you this question at your next trivia game. KathieyV:-)

I have heard about the Art in Bloom event held at the  NCMA  in Raleigh NC, but I have never attended.  Until now, one of my Meetup groups was going, and I jumped at the chance to go with them. I met up with my group at the museum entrance.  Then with camera in hand, I began my exploration. Here is how the website describes the event... "Art in Bloom features more than 50 floral masterpieces created by world-class designers  inspired by art in the Museum’s collection."  NCMA This was one of my favorites.   The inspiration was the falcon, I think it is a falcon, could be a hawk, I don't know,  let's say it's a bird, in the right-hand corner of the photo.  I did not get photos of all the lovely arrangements but below are some that I captured.  Enjoy:-) I liked the interpretation below.  The box used for the arrangement was much like the wagon in the painting.  I also could appreciate the flowing ora...

Several months ago Stephanie, Caleb, Maggie and ventured to  Videri Chocolate Factor y in Raleigh NC.  I had heard good things so I could not wait to experience it myself.   So off we went... I love the interior all the old wood and brick. Below is a quote from  their website... "Videri Chocolate Factory began as the shared dream of three chocolate lovers: Sam, Starr, and Chris. From the moment  Sam  first sunk his hands into a bag of cocoa beans, he knew he had a love for making delicious gourmet chocolate, and the talent to match."  They have several items for sale in their showroom. Below is another quote from their website.  I left the links for you to check out. Explore the three parts of our factory: The  retail space , where you're able to shop for chocolate or sip on a freshly brewed coffee. The  factory floor , where you can witness all the chocolate making magic from start to finish. The  outdoor pat...