I have just passed rounds one and two to be selected to go to Northern Carolina next year for a month as part of a Rotary Study Group. I have the final round where I’m interviewed by a panel on 30 August. So, tell me about it! If I’m successful, I’ll be there in April. What do I pack? eat? drink? wear?
Is that Northern North Carolina or Northern South Carolina? 
And also we have to know which part of ‘Northern Carolina’. There’s a big difference between Eastern North Carolina, the Piedmont, the Triangle, the mountains, etc.
Be sure to get some Carolina barbecue while you’re there. It should have no tomato products in it, True Scotsman debates notwithstanding. If you’re getting a BBQ sandwich, they might put coleslaw on top of it if you don’t tell them otherwise.
If you refer to it as “Narth Cackalakey”, 25% of North Carolinians will smile and nod; the others will be very confused.
Under no circumstances should you refer to anyone there as a “Yank” or “Yankee”. Them’s fightin’ words.
In the Piedmont (central) region of NC, it snows 2 times a year – once in February, and once in April. No telling which day in April it will snow next year, and it’s otherwise temperate, so be on top of the weather reports before you pack to go. If it does snow, it will be a light dusting and everything in the region will shut down. I’m not familiar with the weather in the Mountain (western) or Down East.
That’s Eastern North Carolina. Western North Carolina (Lexington-style) BBQ usually has tomato in the sauce in the form of ketchup. (Although I suspect you know this and are making your preferences known.)
Ah, but Lexington-style is, by definition, not Scottish-style. Er, Carolina-style. QED.
Dare I broach the topic of the mustard-based (South) Carolina sauce?
(My personal preference is the simple cider vinegar & hot pepper-based finishing sauce, but I like to mix it up with Lexington and South Carolina sauces. Last time I made pulled pork I had examples of each of the three Carolina sauces. The crowd favorite was the Lexington sauce, followed closely by the South Carolina sauce. Almost nobody except me used the straight-forward vinegar finishing sauce. Heathens.)
Should I get through the gruelling interview round on the 30th I will be far better informed. Are you taking the piss about it snowing in April? Because it would be sorta cool if I could book it to snow on the 22nd - cos it’s my birthday and (hangs head) I’ve never seen snow. Also, from my 20 second research on the area, there are these big pointy things - I think they’re called mountains. Another cool thing to see, as where I live is as flat as a bloody billiard table. (takes notes … ‘no yankees’).
NC mountains are rarely pointy but often stunning. If you aren’t going to be living among them, make a point of getting to them in September. You will never forget it. The central piedmont area is rolling terrain. The eastern end of the state is flat as a griddle but close to the beach.
As for the weather, it may not snow much but learn to enjoy icy roads. It’s very liberating to sit in a car going down the road sideways. You have no need to steer, apply brakes or hit the gas as it is not possible for any of these things to have an effect on your trajectory. The Piedmont is especially fun in this regard.
As noted here, BBQ is important and polarized. Be prepared to be proselytized by both the eastern and western camps. The other important thing is basketball. WHATEVER your opinion of basketball or choice of team to root for, someone will hate you for it.
My little part of North Carolina (the coastal plain) is that flat, too, unless you count the cypress trees in the swamps.
April is early spring, so you can expect daytime temperatures to be in 50-70 degrees Amurrkin, except for that one day of snow as mentioned. We reserve the right to swap the snow for an ice storm without notice.
I hope you like eating pork. Pigs are the state farm animal. The state bird is the mosquito.
The people are nice, but tend to be a bit on the conservative side. My little corner is very poor, but that’s not the rule for the rest of the state
North Carolina is great and I do hope you get to visit!
One great thing about the state is that it has both beach and mountains. The Outer Banks barrier islands are also a beautiful thing to see, including lighthouses and wild horses.
It is really unlikely to snow in April. It may have happened, but it’s not at all the norm. April is actually a really beautiful time to be here. Warm but not overly hot. You can mostly wear shorts and t-shirts and be comfortable.
If you’re here in early April, the men’s college basketball tournament will just be wrapping up. People will be unlikely to notice that we have a visitor from Australia until that has reached its conclusion, especially if any local teams are still in contention.
Late April will be when university students finish up classes for the summer, with finals and graduations into early May. Still, that usually provides some opportunities for lively social life.
Regarding the political conservativism, the Research Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) area is not especially conservative, but the outlying parts of the state generally are. It is “the South,” so watch some movies and/or read some books set in the South to prepare. If you like mystery novels, the Deborah Knott books by Margaret Maron have a very good NC flavor. Sarah Shaber’s mysteries are also good. For more of a historical perspective and an excellent read, Cold Mountain was written by a NC author, Charles Frazier. The movie and book are both good, but as is typical the book conveys more nuances about culture. Here is the NC Museum of History website if you want to prep a bit for your interview http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/
Good luck with your interview!
Although one would do well to note that they are approximately 10 hours apart by interstate. Twelve if you have to go through anything like a city anywhere near rush hour.
What are you talking about? It’s a little over 5 hours from Wilmington to Asheville.
:smack:
Sorry, I only ever think of the Outer Banks when I think of NC beaches. I always forget about that little part that peaks out at Bermuda from behind the veil.
Well, the OP is from Australia, not Europe, so I assume she has the gist of distances in a large country. From the midsection of the state, it is about 3 hours to either the beach or the mountains. 10 hours? *Maybe * from tip to tail if one makes the unfortunate decision to cross one of the main metros in rush hour or travel with the pack on a 3-day weekend.
Just as an FYI, that isn’t just a little part. The section from the SC border to Morehead City is about as big as the OB section of the North Carolina Coast, and all of it is about the same driving distance from Greensboro (or Asheville). That’s where the vast majority of NC residents go to the beach.
Closer to 6, really, per Google maps. Used to be a lot further before they built I-40 (that was completed after we moved away).
DellieM, do you know what city / town you’ll be in? The state has widely varied terrain and culture as noted. I used to live in Chapel Hill, which is roughly the center. Very very different from the mountainous western part and also from the flat eastern part. Also the most liberal part of the state, politically, though Asheville attracts a lot of out-of-staters and is supposed to be surprisingly gay-friendly also.
No dispute, Labrador Deceiver. Now is as good a time as any to mention that I’m a Sandlapper, not a Tar Heel. I just live here.
And I’m not much for the beach anyway.
Google maps always sandbags. I grew up about 20 miles from CH, and my grandparents lived in Wilmington. That trip down 40 is pretty darn sweet these days. With I-40 now going around Winston, it’s a pretty easy drive to the mountains.
That’s okay. You’re much closer to the mountains from Charlotte anyhow. There are so many of them that are practically in your backyard there.