The State We’re In
Blue Ridge Parkway
Celebrates 60 Years
Driving has never been quite the
same since the nation’s first rural
Scenic roadway was built here in
North Carolina in 1935.
Rather than just motoring down the
highway to get to a destination, visitors
use the Blue Ridge Parkway to stop at all
points in between. Liking in the beauty of
our mountains.
The Blue Ridge Parkway, which cele¬
brates its 60th birthday this month, has
become a model for other parkways in
the United States and throughout the
world.
Visitors can celebrate the anniversary
on September 10 at the Cumberland
Knob Picnic Area near the
Virginia/ North Carolina state line at
milepost 217.5 on the Parkway. This is
the site where construction for the
Parkway first began on September 1 1 .
1935.
From I to 5 pan., the public is invited
to enjoy traditional mountain craft
demonstrations, music, dancing and an
antique car display. Food and (leverages
vvill be available, but visitors are invited to
bring their own picnic lunches, lawn
chairs and blankets. The official recogni¬
tion ceremony is set for 2 pan.
For many years, the Blue Ridge
Parkway has been one of the most popu-
lar of the 368 units in the National Park
system. The Parkway, which winds
through the Blue Ridge Mountains in
North Carolina and Virginia, attracted its
500-millionth visitor in January 1990.
More than 20 million visits per year were
made on average to the scenic mountain
road during the last five years, says Ina
Parr, coordinator for the anniversary cel¬
ebration.
"I think the beauty of mountains and
the leisurely scenic drive is the reason the
Blue Ridge Parkway is so popular,” Parr
says.
Not only does the Parkway provide vis¬
itors with an escape from the rigors and
concerns of everyday life, but it has also
contributed significantly to the Blue
Ridge economy.
Perhaps the most special part about
the Parkway is that, despite its si/e, the
natural landscape has been virtually
uninterrupted.
For many people, memories of the
Parkway span beyond just those who
have come to visit or passed through.
The labor force for its construction was
coui|M>scd primarily of local residents
recruited from the unemployment rolls
of the counties in which construction
projects were located during the
Depression. Thousands «if those workers
still live in the region and stories are
passed down from generation to genera¬
tion about the Parkway.
The 470-mile-long highway's route
takes it through two states, six congres¬
sional districts. 29 counties. 185 miles of
National Forests and 1 1 miles «if the
Qualla Boundary Cherokee Indian
Reservation.
- H/ulltirl I MU (In II
Jordan Gallery' Debuts
At Cape Fear Museum
Kids «if all ages in the Wilmington-
Cape Fear area are now eager to see the
latest tribute to their favorite basketball
hero.
They’ve seen his name grace prod¬
ucts all over the world, from Nike sneak¬
ers to Hanes underwear, but this time
his hometown of Wilmington will get to
keep the latest product Michael Jordan
has endorsed.
It’s called the Michael Jordan
Discovery Gallery at the Cape Fear
Museum in Wilmington.
I he new natural history gallery
ojicncdjune 25 on the first floor «if the
S-year-old wing of the museum.
The gallery has been a glimmer in
the museum’s eve ever since a bond
issue passed in 1987 to expand the
museum and to upgrade die facility.
But with the focus «m setting up its
main exhibit, plans for the gallery were
put on the back burner until now, says
Jamie Credle, historian for the Cape
Fear Museum.
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Air Jordan al his gallery's rihhon-culling.
The Jordan family gave the lead gift
for the Discovery Gallery and allowed
use of Michael's name for the gallery to
make a positive impact on children in
the Wilmington area, Credle says.
Delons Jordan, Michael’s mother and
a longtime supporter «if the museum,
even loaned the
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Fear Museum
some unusual memorabilia of her son.
including a college term paper, ID tags
from the 1984 Summer Olympics and
the stub of his first paycheck at Whitey’s
Restaurant in Wilmington. These items
and others arc in the Michael Jordan
display case, which shows Jordan as a
typical child growing up in North
Carolina. Michael Jordan also narrated
the introductory video for the gallery.
The other major contributor t«i the
gallery is the Junior League of
Wilmington.
The Discovery Gallery was created to
teach children ages 4 through 12 alxuit
the natural history of southeastern
North Carolina. It focuses on the three
coastal ecosystems in the area: the
upland forest, the bottomland and the
maritime forest.
Credle says the new gallery is unique
because it offers children the opportu¬
nity to leant in a hands-on fashion. "It
provides active learning that involves
the whole family." she says. "There is
nothing like that in the area that
involves all three ecosystems."
The Michael Jordan Discovery
Gallery is on the first Moor of the
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Fear Museum at 814 Market Street in
downtown Wilmington. The museum is
open to die public Tuesday through
Saturday from 9 a.nt. to 5 p.m. and
Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m.
— Rachael Landau
The Slate/Septcmber 1995
3