Tweetsie Railroad - 50 Years Of Fun

Nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, a place for old-fashioned fun still thrives in our high-tech world. Tweetsie Railroad, opened in 1957, remains one of North Carolina’s favorite family destinations.

The theme park features historic Tweetsie No. 12, the last surviving engine from the 50-mile Eastern Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad that ran through the mountains from Boone, NC to Johnson City, TN, beginning in the late 19th century. Area residents named the train "Tweetsie," after the sound that the shrill steam whistle made as it echoed throughout the hills. Visitors can hop aboard the locomotive for a 3-mile Wild West journey through the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition to the train ride, Tweetsie offers amusement rides and live entertainment. Guests can also visit the animals in the Deer Park and pan for gold.

Park officials expect around 250,000 visitors this year. Three carnival rides and one pirate-theme ride have been recently added, and several special events are planned for this 50th aniversary season.

Tweetsie Railroad is located in western North Carolina between Boone and Blowing Rock along U.S. 321.

Carolina Panthers - Rift Needs To Be Resolved

The Carolina Panthers are unhappy with the failure of DT Kris Jenkins to participate in the team's offseason program. There appears to be hard feelings on both sides, since the team had Jenkins on the trading block before the draft. If the team is not able to go ahead and complete a trade, Jenkins needs to commit himself to the necessary preparation for the upcoming season. His status does not need to become a distraction for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

NASCAR - The King Turns 70

NASCAR King Richard Petty is trying something new as he celebrates his 70th birthday today. He's going to be at home in Randleman, N.C.

"I can't remember the last time I've been home to celebrate my birthday," Petty said. "I've always been in Daytona. That's fine, too. We won a lot of races there, but it will be nice to be around the family. It's just the way the date landed this year."

A Touch Of Paris In Mayberry?

With all the hysteria over Paris Hilton, I couldn't help but wonder what her stay in the Mayberry Jail might be like. I'm thinking Barney would implement maximum security measures. This means, of course, that the key would be removed from the peg beside the cell and placed in the desk drawer.

Ocracoke Ranked #1

North Carolina’s coast is famous for its history, scenic beauty, water activities, and relaxation. The Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach has been named the number one beach on the America’s Best Beaches List for 2007. The designation was made by international beach expert Stephen Leatherman, who is known as "Dr. Beach." He is identified as one of the foremost authorities on beach quality and has gained international notoriety for his annual list of the best beaches in America, which he has compiled since 1991. For the first time, a beach outside of Hawaii or Florida claimed the top spot on Dr. Beach’s celebrated list.

TOP 10 BEACHES – 2007
1. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach - Outer Banks, North Carolina
2. Caladesi Island State Park - Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
3. Coopers Beach - Southampton, New York
4. Hanalei Beach - Kauai, Hawaii
5. Coast Guard Beach - Cape Cod, Massachusetts
6. Hamoa Beach - Maui, Hawaii
7. Main Beach - East Hampton, New York
8. Coronado Beach - San Diego, California
9. Lighthouse Point Park - Daytona Beach, Florida
10. Siesta Beach - Sarasota, Florida

Ocracoke is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Area that visitors enjoy as a respite from hectic, everyday life. Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean surround the island, making it accessible only by boat, ferry, or air. This remote location is inviting to visitors looking for a quiet place to swim, fish, surf, or explore. Ocracoke was once a favorite haunt of Blackbeard the Pirate and the location of his demise.

ACC Basketball

I am a lifelong, diehard Duke Basketball fan. However, I will try to be fair and unbiased as I post tidbits about ACC basketball (it'a a way of life here in N.C.) that may not have made the headlines. Here's one for example...Well, what do you know? It just happens to contain good news for us Dukies! :-)

Duke PG Greg Paulus has been cleared to begin full workouts. He suffered a broken foot last season, but played the full schedule before having surgery after the season.

Mayberry Hangman

Let's begin with a game of Hangman from the classic TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. The puzzle may be a name, place, memorable quote, or anything associated with the show. Please guess only consonants before beginning with vowels. A slash in the puzzle indicates a space between words in order to make the puzzle easier to read. Simply use the Comments option to guess a letter or solve the puzzle.

Puzzle #1:

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