Located south of Richlands, this marker points out the site of a church that dates back to the…read moreColonial times. It is on the side of the road and easy to stop here. The marker reads, "Richlands of New River Chapel. Site of three successive Protestant congregations: Anglican until about 1758; Baptist until 1877; and Disciples of Christ since." Online, there is more information. "The church, designated as St. John's Parish in 1741 by Governor Gabriel Johnston, was served by Anglican preachers. Paul Palmer, who brought the Baptist faith to North Carolina in 1727, organized the church as a General Baptist congregation in 1743. At that time, it became known as New River Chapel; it was called Chapel Run from 1808 to 1842; from 1843 to 1850 it was Richlands Chapel; and in 1851 the congregation adopted the present name of Union Chapel." "On December 2, 1877, J. L. Burns organized Union Chapel as a Christian Church with forty-three members. The Disciples of Christ congregation is still active today. The chapel constructed in the late 1800s is still on the property of the present, modern brick church, about one mile north of the location of the original eighteenth century chapel." [Review 15577 overall - 3074 in North Carolina - 1081 of 2021.]

Along a rather unremarkable stretch of US-258 between Jacksonville and Richlands, this roadside…read moremarker points out some of the Colonial era history of the era. The marker reads, "Lot Ballard House. Bishop Francis Asbury stopped there many times between 1799 and 1815 on visits to New River Chapel. House was 3/4 miles west." Online, there is more information. "Francis Asbury, pioneer of Methodism, arrived in America in 1771. For the next forty-five years he traveled about 6,000 miles per year, extending the Methodist faith from Maine to Georgia and west to Ohio. Asbury's first visit to North Carolina was in 1780. He is believed to have traveled to the state seventy-two times. During his journeys, the renowned circuit rider was welcomed into the homes of followers. Asbury visited Onslow County twelve times, each time taking respite in the home of Lot Ballard." "Lot Ballard has been described as the first Methodist in Onslow County. He undoubtedly was involved with the church prior to Asbury's first visit. By 1802 Lot Ballard had moved his home "out among the woods," having apparently moved his house and joined it with his father's "old mansion."" Friendly and welcoming folks in this part of North Carolina. I hope that hasn't changed. [Review 15629 overall - 3077 in North Carolina - 1133 of 2021.]

I went to the Christmas lights festival tonight? It was beautiful for $10/person. There was a lot…read moreto do and it was decorate beautifully. You were able to tour the main house, too. They did a really great job for this! Food trucks, bar, photo ops, etc. beautiful place!

I had a nice visit at the Poplar Grove Plantation after figuring out where to park. What was…read morewritten on the ticket in great detail was not correct. They changed the parking to the next street and you aren't to enter at the flags like the ticket directions told you. I took a guided tour and learned about the Foy family that had a peanut and sweet potato farm. But the more important part of the story was about the Gullah Geechee people. I had first learned about them when I was in Beaufort SC. But there is a corridor that goes from Wilmington to St. Augustine, FL to protect the Gullah Geechee culture. Poplar Grove was built by the Gullah slaves who were very skilled. 59 lived on the property. They took care of the construction; lumber milling; brick making; tending to the livestock and crops as well as domestic chores. They need to be the focus of the tour.

Fort Macon is a great spot for a free and historic activity to take a break from the beach. The…read moreplace is very informative and touches on the for various purposes throughout the years as well as local wildlife. There's an inside museum and when you walk the floor, you can go into different rooms to view different exhibits. There's some things that could use renovations as far as the exhibits go, but overall it's very informative. They have an on-site tour guide that will give you a free tour or answer any kind of questions you may have, she was very informative. The ocean view at the top of the fort is breathtaking. Bonus: there's a souvenir penny roller machine with various designs to choose from

Worth a visit. Beach, views, walking trails. We had a good…read moreafternoon wandering and shelling

Yes, I drove an hour round trip to take a picture of a sign but this one is special. It denotes the…read moretime that the United States bombed North Carolina, nearly a hundred years after the end of the Civil War. The marker reads, "Nuclear Mishap. B-52 transporting two nuclear bombs crashed, Jan. 1961. Widespread disaster averted; three crewmen died 3 miles south." Okay, all kidding aside. Three Air Force crew died and in the process, prevented what would have been an unspeakable tragedy. It is a serious matter. During the height of the Cold War, the United States had a policy of keeping armed aircraft in the air at all times in the event of a conflict. Nuclear deterrence and all that. Well, this B-52G Stratofortress took some structural damage during an air refueling and while preparing to land at nearby Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, it experienced a major failure of the right wing. The plane broke up and exploded at 8000 feet. "As a result of the breakup of the plane, two MK39 nuclear weapons were released at a height of between 10,000 and 2,000 feet. Seven of eight arming, fusing, and firing switches and devices in one bomb automatically actuated. Only a crew-controlled switch prevented a nuclear detonation. Since its parachute deployed, one bomb had only minor damage when it fell about a mile from the crash site. The second bomb fell free, without its parachute deploying, and broke apart on impact." "Components of the bomb were sought for several weeks. The decision was made to leave remaining portions of the weapon containing uranium, believed to have entered the water table, in the ground. As a precaution, the government purchased part of the site and still maintains an easement in order to prevent digging in the vicinity. Periodic groundwater tests, still conducted by the state, have revealed no contamination." As the sign mentions, the actual crash is three miles away and the grounds are secured. Here in downtown Eureka, there isn't much. A small sandwich shop is near the sign if you're hungry. [Review 15486 overall, 990 of 2021, number 3029 in North Carolina.]

What a unique experience I had finding this place…read more I had posted on Facebook that I was in town from LA and a friend from 30 years ago, then at first met at my first job in California randomly responded about the Old Burying Ground and said I should visit it. We were downtown and hitting a couple spots, and I was mentioning to my friend that lives locally about her response and it came right at the same exact moment that we were passing the cemetery and she pointed it out, so we quickly stopped and backed up and parked, and took a venture inside, mainly to see the girl that was buried in a barrel of rum, holy cow when you see the age of some of these graves and realize how extremely old they are, and you really quickly getting a sense of the magnitude of the history of the place. It is well worth your time to visit and explore.

Beautiful , historic graveyard . If you love history this burying ground is definitely worth a stop…read more. Plan to spend around 30 minutes here , maybe longer if you take your time to read the tombstones . It's a well kept graveyard but be sure to watch your step as the terrain is uneven in some areas . If you really want to learn more about the town's oldest graveyard , you can take a tour offered by the Beaufort Historical Association . Go to the website or visit the Beaufort Historical Center on Turner Street for more info . It's a peaceful final resting place for hundreds of notable people , soldiers , seaman and most notably , the Rum Girl .

The World's Largest Frying Pan can be found in Rose Hill Town Square, in Rose Hill, NC. (next to…read morethe fire department) It is located under a gazebo to protect it from the elements. There was plenty of street parking, making this an easy stop. The frying pan is 15 feet wide and weighs two tons. It was built in 1963 by employees of the Ramsey Feed Company to pay tribute to the town's poultry industry. The handle is six feet, but it is not functional. It makes it look like a skillet, though. The frying pan, on the other hand, actually works and can hold 365 chickens at a time for the North Carolina Poultry Jubilee, held in November. It has eight pie-shaped wedges and holds 200 gallons of cooking oil. 40 propane burners heat the surface, and volunteer firefighters use pitchforks to turn the chicken. Besides the Jubilee, they sometimes use the frying pan for their fundraisers. I might need to make a return trip to see the frying pan in use and enjoy some chicken. It is a short drive from the World's Largest Adirondack Chair, if you are looking for another roadside attraction. The Duplin Winery is close by, too.

We stopped by while traveling through the area. I wasn't aware that the pan was still used…read moreoccasionally. I'm sure that is a sight to see. When not in use, it's a little underwhelming but a fun stop.

The Battle of Newport Barracks Civil War Memorial in Downtown Newport represents the life at a…read moremilitary barracks during the Civil War. Admission is free but they do accept donations. A parking lot is available as well. The Newport Barracks was a Civil War Outpost that guarded a railroad trestle bridge. The railroad was used as a supply line to get supplies and equipment to New Bern. 900 Union soldiers tried to hold off 2500 Confederate soldiers who were there from Wilmington trying to regain control over New Bern. They fought for over ten hours before retreating but set fire to the depot and the railroad and bridges to destroy equipment and supplies. .

This is a great representation of a Civil War Confederate Camp. They have a cannon, several tents…read moreand other items from camp life. I especially like the cooking examples as well as the wash area and blacksmith shop. They have buildings there made of local materials and with craftmanship which has withstood the test of time. I will take some of these ideas home to put into practice in my own yard. The demonstration camp is a sobering reminder of the hard work and ultimate sacrifice Americans gave during this turbulent time in our history. Remembering is important. This camp provides and opportunity for Americans and visitors of all ages to see back in time and reflect. Well worth the time while in Newport, whose old town has other treasures to discover!