Randolph County, North Carolina

 On April 20, I visited Randolph County, just a little over an hour from home. I didn't get to see everything I wanted to, but I really enjoyed my visit! It helped that it was a lovely spring day, weather-wise.

Randolph County was formed in 1779, and named for Peyton Randolph, who served as president of the First Continental Congress. Before European settlers arrived, the area was inhabited Siouan Native Americans.

Since it was a beautiful Saturday morning in April, I decided to start my day trip at the North Carolina Zoo in the county seat of Asheboro. I'd been to the NC Zoo before, so I didn't do any research before arriving (other than checking on opening time and looking at the weather forecast). It was fun being spontaneous, but a little more pre-trip research might've been good. I still had a fun time, and would recommend it! It costs $15 to get in (a good deal, in my book), and parking is free. I enjoyed exploring the North America and Africa areas, and look forward to the Asia area opening (ETA 2026). My advice--get there early! I arrived about 10am, and the wait at the Ticket Office was short. On my way out around midday, the line was maybe a football-field long! Whoa! 

I could've spent all day at the North Carolina Zoo, but I wanted to see more of the county! Next on my list was the Randolph County Courthouse in Asheboro. It was closed, being Saturday, but it was nice to find. Afterward, I decided to find a local place for lunch. I found a parking spot in downtown Asheboro, and stumbled upon The Flying Pig. I enjoyed a Turkey Reuben sandwich with a side of broccoli slaw before heading on. It was a nice stop, and I'd return!

My next stop was the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove. Seagrove is a quaint small town, known for the many potteries in the area. The two-lane roads in the area are spotted with local potteries, so charming! The North Carolina Pottery Center was an excellent stop, part-visitor-center, part-museum, part-store.

After leaving the Pottery Center, I found a geocache nearby, a fun way to end my day in Randolph County. I gave a nod to the lovely Pisgah Covered Bridge, near Asheboro, one of two remaining covered bridges in the whole state! I didn't visit that day, but George and I had a fun time finding it during the COVID-19 pandemic. I'd recommend checking

it out, if you're in the area!

Famous people from Randolph County include Richard, Lee, Adam and Kyle Petty of NASCAR fame, Braxton Craven (second president of Duke University), and author and current resident Jerry Bledsoe.

The rest of my Randolph County photos are on Flickr, and can be viewed here.

Cabarrus County, North Carolina

George and Lesley 

On December 4, 2021, George and I visited Cabarrus County, North Carolina, for my birthday. You're probably wondering why Cabarrus County, of all places, for my birthday! Well, it was a great choice, and we had a fun day! About two hours from home, it made for a good day trip, to boot. We didn't catch everything in Cabarrus County, but we got a solid snapshot of this interesting area.

 

Our first stop was the Reed Gold Mine, an NC State Historic Site in Midland. The first documented gold find in the United States was at the Reed Gold Mine in 1799, so it's also a National Historic Landmark. It has a nice Visitor Center, which was decorated for the holidays early in December. From the Visitor Center, we took a self-guided underground tour. (There are also guided tours for a fee, but we missed the timing.) The underground mine tour was very informative, with stops along the way. You can also pan for gold there from April through October, but we missed out on that. I hear that Reed Gold Mine is a popular field trip for schools in the area.

Downtown Concord

Our next stop was Concord, the county seat. Concord was settled around 1750 by Scots-Irish and German immigrants, and incorporated in 1806. The area was once known for its cotton farms, owned by white men and worked by enslaved African-Americans. Cotton mills became an important part of Cabarrus County's industrial growth. Coleman Manufacturing Company, in operation from 1897 to 1904, is believed to be the first cotton mill in the US that was owned and operated by African-Americans. Eventually, it became known as Franklin Cotton Mills, and later was a Fieldcrest Cannon plant. Now it's called Coleman-Franklin-Cannon Mill, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Old Cabarrus Co. Courthouse

In Concord, we found the old and current Cabarrus County Courthouses. I especially like the original courthouse, and am glad they've repurposed it. We had lunch at the yummy Village Corner Comfort Kitchen & Bar, which had nice outdoor seating. Our final stop in Cabarrus County was at the Southern Strain Brewing Company, which offered a nice brew and outdoor seating in the crisp late afternoon air.

On our way out, we drove by large and impressive Charlotte Motor Speedway. If following NASCAR is your thing, the Charlotte Motor Speedway seems like a place to visit. I don't follow car racing, myself, but it still intrigues me as an experience to take in at some point.

The rest of my Cabarrus County photos are uploaded onto Flickr, and are here.