The Elizabeth Cotten Mural honors the Blues legend. Scott Nurkin painted the mural as part of the…read moreNorth Carolina Musicians Mural Trail. This mural grabbed my attention right away. I see Cotten and her guitar, but the closer I look I see how remarkable this mural is with all the windows and the window AC units. This mural was not on a solid wall so that was likely more challenging. So who is Elizabeth Cotten? She was born in Chapel Hill back in 1893. She taught herself how to sing and play her brother's banjo. She was left-handed, and the guitar was for someone right-handed, so she learned to play the guitar upside down. The distinct sound of the guitar playing became her trademark, known as "Cotten Picking" She wrote "Freight Train" back when she was 11 or 12 years old as she could see and hear the railroad from her home. Her musical talents were not discovered until the 1940s when she was living in Washington, DC. Mike Seegar recorded some of her songs, and she started singing her own. She released her first album at age 65 back in 1958. Her songs are about her early life in NC. In 1984, she won a Grammy Award at 91 years of age for her album "Elizabeth Cotten Live!". She was inducted into the North Carolina Musical Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, both posthumously. It is a shame they didn't do this while she was alive, but at least she got the recognition she deserved..

Scott Nurkin used his talents again for a mural for Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray. This mural is in…read moreHillsborough on the side of the side of the Orange County Sportscomplex. There is plenty of parking but the sports complex is busy so be mindful of the traffic. Murray was born in Baltimore but later moved to Durham, NC. She was denied access to getting a Ph.D in Sociology at University of North Carolina because of her race. But that didn't stop her, from becoming a Civil Rights Activist, advocate, legal scholar, author and priest. She was first in her class at Howard Law School. The first African American to earn a JSD from Yale. She co-founded the National Organization for Women. She also was the first African American woman to be ordained as an Episcopal priest. Murray was ahead of her time and wanted the 14th Amendment to protect everyone and include women. Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Murray was one of her heroes and was influenced by Murray's work with Jane Crow to Ginsburg's Reed v. Reed at the Supreme Court in 1971. Make sure you stop here while in Hillsborough, NC as the Rev. Pauli Murray is an activist to learn about.

The Danny Mason Mural was painted by Scott Nurkin and is in Chapel Hill. I don't think this one is…read morepart of the Mural Trail. It is located off Granham Street on the side of Lapin Bleu and behind Local 506. This mural is another done in color rather than black and white. This mural is also different in that there are three in the mural and Dex and Sara Romweber are in black and white but Danny Mason is in color. I'm not sure what the connection is between Danny Mason and the Romweber Duo. Mason was a Chapel Hill legend. He played the drums, guitar and piano. It was hard to find any details about Danny Mason or his music.

Retail owners pockets are janglin' And Barbie's bright red…read moreheels are danglin' So then it must be Xmas And this year's most fun sex was After walking up and down West Franklin! What? This is the heart of Chapel Hill North Carolina which is my favourite town in the whole Deep South. It's a beautiful college town which includes the massive University of North Carolina - it's most famous Campus. You'll spot tons of young people, provocative outfits, expect warm weather most of the year, lots of amazing looking College people running up and down this road, being trendy, judgy, chill, hyper, young and fun, and lots of great times to be had by all. I mean you can have almost as much fun here on Franklin Street if you like college towns as I'm having scratching the head of my little kitten right now, and that is she is having climbing all over me and trying to scratch and permanently scar my face. The highlights are definitely Cha House, which is the best boba in the south, and Buns which has pretty good hot dogs. They have a Waffle House right here on the strip and lots of clothing stores. Nearby, the life-changing Sunrise Biscuit Company which is actually not on the Strip but about half a mile down, has amazing chicken biscuits. And then Meritt's for a Pimento BLT but that's about a half a mile away from Franklin as well. A few old legendary diners along here you need to try! Lots of late night bars and some cute coffee shops and more Boba, and all kinds of other great things, so come and check it out for yourself!

Can you find these three public art exhibits in Durham? We did! They were designed by artist Mary…read moreCarter Taub after she was chosen from 27 applicants for a city sponsored art project. It's a blend of Art Deco and Pop Art inspired by Rice Krispies! Parking was a major challenge to take pictures at each location but we didn't get any tickets! Just be bold and be safe! The locations are at the corner of Blackwell and Vivian, near the Marriott City Center and The Bull Statue, and at the Durham Central Park on Foster Street. Life is good with unique local art!

This is not named after the rice crispy treats. This is the snap crackle and pop public art…read moredisplay. We are walking around and I came across this and thought it was pretty cool.

I cannot stop laughing at the viral videos on YouTube of trucks and other overheight vehicles…read morecrashing into the bridge. I don't know whether the driver are dumb or if they are inexperienced or if they just don't care. Lowering the road is not possible because of the water pipes that run under the street, and since it is obviously a railroad bridge, raising it isn't possible either.

Years and years ago, I saw a magic video of an indestructible bridge. In the video, a series of…read moretoo-tall trucks attempt to clear this too-short bridge. And while these trucks got their tops sheared off, air conditioning units ripped off, loads of hale bales shoved off, the theme song from the Rocky movieis played. Hilarious. The bridge is indestructible. I didn't think that I would ever get a chance to visit this magic place for myself and yet... here it is. An honest to goodness real place that I'd seen first on the Internets. The Strongest Bridge in the World. Or, as the locals call it, The Can Opener. Seriously, watch the video for yourself and tell me... you want to see this place for yourself. https://youtu.be/JsAlzV4qSD8 I did stick around for about ten minutes. No trucks hit the bridge. Was it wrong that I was disappointed?

The American Tobacco Campus was established in 1890 as an industrial center. When the tobacco…read moreindustry left, the campus had to change. The Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the Durham Center for Performing Arts brought new life to the campus. The Old Bull Building is where Lucky Strike was made. Tobacco was a large employer in Durham so when it shut down in 1987 the property started to fall apart and people moved away. Capitol Broadcasting decided in 2004 to purchase the campus and turn these historic buildings into something unique and special. The ATC has offices, apartments, shops and restaurants. There is a courtyard, water features, outside seating and even a train car. It is an easy place to visit with three parking garages nearby and street parking. Then it is fun to walk around and see the remnants of what used to be there.

The limited number of shops and restaurants might not be a bad thing considering how commercial and…read moregeneric many of them felt. Rather than showcasing Durham's unique personality, much of the campus seemed geared toward being a polished mixed-use development that could exist almost anywhere. The bright spots were the nearby home of the Durham Bulls and the iconic Lucky Strike smokestack and water tower, both of which provide a strong sense of place and serve as reminders of the site's history. They were far more memorable than anything I found inside the campus itself. Overall, I found the American Tobacco Campus more interesting as a piece of architecture and historic preservation than as a destination. It's worth a brief stroll to admire the buildings and snap a few photos, but I wouldn't go out of my way to spend much time here.

Where can you find a well-concealed sculpture garden in the woods of the Duke campus? Hidden behind…read morethe college of law! The parking lot required a pass of some kind that I did not possess. But, I can't be stopped! I parked out on the street and just walked to the back of the building and found my way! The labeled sculptures are found along a circular path that meanders in a vague circle through the woods. Each is definitely unique and worth seeing! Life is good with a unique sculpture garden in the woods!