Slipcover Summit in Hickory, North Carolina

What a cool travel idea! Head to Hickory, North Carolina June 26-29 and attend the 13th Annual Slipcover Summit. Not only do you get to explore the furniture-filled Hickory Furniture Mart, but you get to learn how to make slip covers for your own furniture. Part shopping extravaganza, part educational travel.

Devoted to the art and profession of making slip covers, this is the only event of its type in the country. You actually learn how to make slipcovers to protect or revive your old furniture or to simply make seasonal decorative changes.

Due to limited class sizes, you must register in advance if you want to attend. But the 100 factory outlets,stores,shops and galleries, representing over 1000 premier furniture manufacturers in Hickory Furniture Mart is unlimited (and priceless!).

NC Competition Dining Series Headed to Raleigh

The Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series continues it's trek around the state with Fire in the Triangle June 11-July 31. The goal of the culinary competition, founded by Jimmy Crippen of Crippen's Country Inn & Restaurant in Blowing Rock is to showcase North Carolina culinary talent and to bring chefs together to celebrate our local bounty. Previous events this year have included Fire on the Rock in Blowing Rock and Fire on the Dock in Wrightsville Beach. Proceeds from all of the events will be donated to the NC Office of the State Fire Marshall to support local fire fighters as cooking is the number one cause of house fires.


As part of Fire in the Triangle, 15 dinners will be hosted at 1705 Prime, Raleigh's premier private event space owned by rock Top Catering. Sixteen chefs from across the region will prepare three courses using a local "secret" ingredient in an Iron Chef-style format. Guests will then sample and judge each course in a blind tasting, along with a panel of culinary and celebrity judges, and decide who moves on to the next round. The winner will receive a grand prize of $2,000 and a coveted Fire in the Trianlge "Red Chef Jacket".


The culinary contenders from the Triangle include Four Square (Durham); The Twisted Fork (Raleigh); Il Palio Ristorante at the Sienna Hotel (Chapel Hill); Jujube Restaurant (Chapel Hill); Weathervane Restaurant at A Southern Season (Chapel Hill); Fork and Barrel (Raleigh); The Midtown Grille (Raleigh); Ashten's Restaurant & Pub (Southern Pines); Herons at the Umstead Hotel & Spa (Cary); Market Restaurant (Raleigh); Mia Francesca Trattoria (Raleigh); 518 West Italian Cafe (Raleigh); Sono Japanese Restaurant (Raleigh); Flights at the Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel (Raleigh); The Oxford (Raleigh); and Chapel Hill Country Club (Chapel Hill).


Tickets for the dinners cost $49 excluding beverage, tax and tip, with the semis and finals costing $59. All dinners will be held at 1705 Prime in Raleigh and diners can attend as many dinners as they like. Tickets are on sale now. But hurry....seats go fast!

Trifecta of Myrtle Beach Summer Golf

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has it all when it comes to summer family vacations. Miles of beach and ocean fun, tons of adventurous amusements, outlet and boutique shopping, top-notch entertainment, award-wining dining and, of course, world-class golf (more than 100 public golf courses and counting). And Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the granddaddy of of the area's thriving golf market, has put together a trio of stay-and-play packages that will please any foursome (or buddies, families and couples).

Four "Big Cats" for the Price of Three -- Enjoy three rounds on the "Big Cats" -- Lions Paw, Panthers Run and Tigers Eye -- at Ocean Ridge Plantation in the North Strand and play a complimentary fourth 18 on Leopard's Chase. Starting at $223, stay three nights in a two-bedroom luxury villa at Brunswick Plantation and enjoy a full slate of superb, "wild" championship golf. 

Mystical Golf's Summer Stay-and-Play from Myrtle Beach Golf Directors -- Known for its attention to gracious customer service and high-quality course maintenance, Mystical Golf offers three acclaimed Dan Maples-designed Central Strand layouts all rated from 4 to 4-1/2 stars by Golf Digest. Through August 31, this package is $249 per person (quad occupancy, taxes included) with three rounds, three nights' accommodations in its well-appointed condos and many extras.

Sizzlin' Summer Special from Caledonia Golf Vacations -- This premier package in the antebellum atmosphere of the South Strand runs from June 4 - Sept. 5. It includes three rounds on celebrated Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Golf Plantation with a free two-night stay at The True Blue Resort. Based on quad occupancy, the offer is $299 per golfer.

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Oceans on Dwellable

Trail Planned for Hitchcock Creek in Rockingham, North Carolina

A dam on Hitchcock Creek in Rockingham, North Carolina has been a nuisance for environmentalists, migrating fish, and fans of the great outdoors. But that appears to be a thing of the past. The dam has recently been removed and plans are underway to create a 12-mile blue trail for water enthusiasts and landlubbers alike.

Located in south Central North Carolina, about 70 east of Charlotte, Rockingham already provides significant scenic and natural areas due to its unique location along the Pee Dee River & National Wildlife Refuge. Now, with the help of American Rivers, local elected officials, fishing and boating groups, landowners, and other interested parties have begun planning for the blue trail. By creating a community asset that will appeal to canoeists, kayakers, boaters and fisherman, the Hitchcock Creek Blue Trail will also act as a model of how other communities can repurpose a natural habitat to create both an economic driver as well as a sustainable recreational resource.

Learn more in a story written by Jeffrey Cheatham in Paddling Life and stay tuned to Carolina Travel Planner as we keep you abreast of the latest developments of the Hitchcock Creek Blue Trail.

Calling all Cheeseheads to Raleigh

Best of Show Cheese 2011 - Photo by Uriah Carpenter

What could be better than a cheese rally in Raleigh? Besides the fact that it's got such a great ring, the Cheese Rally in Raleigh is actually the American Cheese Society's 29th Annual Conference and Competition. And it will be held this August 1-4 in our very own Raleigh, North Carolina.

For true cheeseheads, the rally features education and networking opportunities for cheese industry professionals and cheese lovers alike. Highlights of the conference include:
*Keynote address by renowned authro and humane livestock handling expert, Temple Grandin
*Down home "Rally in Raleigh" opening reception
*Tours of local cheesemaking facilities, retailers and breweries
*Meet the Cheesemaker sessions with producers from around North America sampling their products
*Educational sessions on today's issues including regulation, food safety, and tasting and pairing trends
*Cheese evaluations and the Annual American Cheese Society Judging & Competition
*Festival of Cheese featuring 1.700 cheeses, gourmet foods, wine and beers from around the world
*Annual cheese sale to score a bargain on the weekend's winning cheeses.

Cheeseheads unite!

The Bachelorette Travels to Charlotte

The ABC reality TV show, "The Bachelorette", debuting it's new season tonight at 9:30pm, has been filming this season's show in Charlotte. North Carolina native Emily Maynard, a 26-year-old single mother, preferred to shoot the upcoming series in the Queen City so she didn't have to uproot her 6-year-old daughter for the filming.

The show is being filmed in a six-bedroom, 8.5-bath European-style mansion in Charlotte and Maynard and her prospective beaus have visited several area attractions including the Mint Museum and the N.C. Music Factory, in addition to several local restaurants. The new locale will certainly help to spice up the show and will give millions of viewers a glimpse into why Charlotte's got a lot!

Make Plans Now for Asheville Wine & Food Festival

I know, I know.....we should just change our name to Carolina Wine & Food Planner. But it's just that the Carolinas have such an amazing selection of Wine & Food Festivals and they make such great excuses to travel. I mean, isn't food one of your favorite reasons to travel? Sampling local delicacies, trying new restaurants, experiencing the culture of where you are through the food? It definitely ranks up there. And what better way to combine all those things than by traveling to a wine & food festival.

And the Asheville Wine & Food Festival (August 23-25) has greatly expanded this year making it a must for our ongoing Festivalooza circuit. And what better city than Asheville? Home of Foodtopia and a red-hot culinary destination, Asheville is the perfect locale to celebrate and showcase the chefs, wineries, farmers and food products of the Blue Ridge.

One of the highlights of the festival is the culmination of the WNC Chefs Challenge that is currently underway. A Chopped-like competition pitting local chefs from around the region in weekly battles built around a secret ingredient, the WNC Chefs Challenge gives the audience and a panel of professional judges, journalists, and culinary experts the right to determine whose cuisine reigns supreme. The two chefs left standing will battle it out at the grand finale during the Wine & Food Festival.

The Festival's newest event, Sweet, is a decadent after-dinner dessert and champagne feast for the senses at The Grove Arcade. The evening will feature locally created delectable desserts, creative cocktails and specialty spirits, bodacious bubbly, live music and even some after-hours shopping at the Arcade.

And the finale to the weekend is the Grand Tasting on Saturday afternoon at the newly renovated U.S. Cellular Center. Sip, savor and swirl hundreds of wines, sample tasty treats by local restaurants, watch culinary demonstrations by regional food professionals and chefs, take a cooking classes or listen to Q&A sessions with food and beverage experts.

So we've given you lots of notice. Get out your calendars and make your plans now to attend the Ashville Wine & Food Festival August 23-25.

Celebrate the US at the North Carolina 4th of July Celebration

Who doesn't love the traditions of the 4th of July? Parades, fireworks, barbecues, and apple pie? But there is another tradition on the 4th in North Carolina. And that's celebrating our nation's independence in the charming river town of Southport, part of North Carolina's Brunswick Islands that stretch from south of Wilmington and the Cape Fear River to the South Carolina border.

And Southport knows a thing or two about putting on a 4th of July celebration. They have been the home to the North Carolina 4th of July Festival since 1795 and today, it is one of the oldest, largest  and most historic celebrations of any small town in America. This year's festival will run from June 29 to July 4 and will feature a Freedom Run/Walk, a regional art show, live music, a classic car show, the venerable Festival Parade, tons of festival and local fare, children's activities, and, of course, a fireworks extravaganza over the water front. A complete list of activities, attractions, and events can be found at www.nc4thofjuly.com.

And while you are in Southport, be sure to check out the beaches of Brunswick County. Whether you prefer ocean swims, walks on the beach, visiting lighthouses, boating, fishing or golf, the beaches of Brunswick County can turn your 4th of July celebration into a perfect family summer vacation.