The World's Largest Frying Pan can be found in Rose Hill Town Square, in Rose Hill, NC. (next to…read morethe fire department) It is located under a gazebo to protect it from the elements. There was plenty of street parking, making this an easy stop. The frying pan is 15 feet wide and weighs two tons. It was built in 1963 by employees of the Ramsey Feed Company to pay tribute to the town's poultry industry. The handle is six feet, but it is not functional. It makes it look like a skillet, though. The frying pan, on the other hand, actually works and can hold 365 chickens at a time for the North Carolina Poultry Jubilee, held in November. It has eight pie-shaped wedges and holds 200 gallons of cooking oil. 40 propane burners heat the surface, and volunteer firefighters use pitchforks to turn the chicken. Besides the Jubilee, they sometimes use the frying pan for their fundraisers. I might need to make a return trip to see the frying pan in use and enjoy some chicken. It is a short drive from the World's Largest Adirondack Chair, if you are looking for another roadside attraction. The Duplin Winery is close by, too.

We stopped by while traveling through the area. I wasn't aware that the pan was still used…read moreoccasionally. I'm sure that is a sight to see. When not in use, it's a little underwhelming but a fun stop.

The Poe House is next door to the Museum of Cape Fear and that is where to sign up for your tour…read moreand where the tour starts. A volunteer takes you through the house of E. A. and Josephine Poe. Mr. Poe owned Poe Brick Company. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is currently getting some much needed maintenance and painting done so make sure to check in advance if it will be open the day you want to visit. The guided tour takes about an hour. The house is a Victorian Style and built from a kit. The wrap around porch and the intricate detailing outside is impressive. The inside of the house is in great condition and has tall ceilings; wide doors and the woodwork is very impressive. It gives a glimpse into early 20th century life. The house has two staircases one for the family and another for the servants. The servants were provided living quarters. The kitchen is detached from the house as the oven was on all day. I highly recommend visiting this beautiful house.

We visited the Poe house yesterday, and really enjoyed it. The house was beautiful, our tour guide…read morewas great even dressed the part. She was very knowledgeable. It was nice to learn how they lived and the family. Next door we visited the gift shop but didn't have time to visit the museum part. (Will have to come back) Also it was free, with donations welcome.

I felt serene and accomplished that I could find this mailbox tucked away in a part of the…read morebeautiful Sunset beach just like it was featured in the Nicholas Sparks book 'Every Breath'. It was on my bucket list for 5 years and I finally made it :) The walk to the mailbox from the 40th street was surely not a short one, roughly 3 miles to & fro but was worth it every minute. I went on a chilly December morning, so wasn't surrounded by a lot of folks which I sort of liked as it gave me some alone time with my thoughts. The abundance of shells everywhere on the sand made me a child once again, making me happily collect a whole lot of them as souvenirs. Finally the mailbox - Reading through countless pages of beautifully penned words by people who were there before me, gave me an undescribable connect to them. So many emotions - happiness, grief, thankfulness, separation among others. When I think about that spot, I could still hear the sounds of the waves crashing and a light, cool breeze blowing. It's a memory I'll cherish for years to come. You need to visit it at least once in your lifetime. It is definitely something being there. Note: Parking is very tight so try going early. And, the notebooks are archived at UNCW Archives @ Wilmington. Call them to read years of previous entries.

A bit of a walk but so worth it! Nothing better than a walk on the beach all to The Kindred Spirit…read moreMailbox. There is no sign or directions....just a mailbox on beach. A neat experience. Inside the mailbox you will find notebooks where you can write your own personal message. A message of your own can be whatever you like. A must see and do in my book. Facing the Sunset Beach Pier walk right about a mile or so. Walking the beach on the right high up on dune you will see a small hill of sand leading to the mailbox and a couple benches. Keep walking! You will find it.

Located just a quarter mile south of I-95 on South Carolina Highway 38, this marker has a small…read morespace for parking and a view. There is a "historical marker ahead" sign and you shouldn't miss the hulking shape of the machinery it points out. The marker reads, "This cotton press, built in 1798 according to tradition, is thought by many to be the oldest in existence. It was first owned and used by John Bethea, III, and later by Henry Berry. Powered by oxen or mules rotating the beam to tighten the press, it was rendered obsolete by modern machinery. A Berry descendant moved it to this site about 1948 to preserve it." The marker was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It had been built in 1798 for bailing ginned cotton and is made of pegged and doweled oak. Turning the screw (powered by mules) compressed the cotton into a wooden frame to form a bale. A very clever piece of machinery, all built by hand well prior to modern power tools. Except for minor repairs of the base and roof, it is still the original materials and is the only press of this era in South Carolina. [Review 14328 overall, 1652 of 2020, number 706 in South Carolina.]

This cotton press, built in 1798 according to tradition, is thought by many to be the oldest in…read moreexistence. It was first owned and used by John Bethea, III, and later by Henry Berry. Powered by oxen or mules rotating the beam to tighten the press, it was rendered obsolete by modem machinery. A Berry descendant moved it to this site about 1948 to preserve it. Erected by Dillon County Historical Society - 1974

I went to the Christmas lights festival tonight? It was beautiful for $10/person. There was a lot…read moreto do and it was decorate beautifully. You were able to tour the main house, too. They did a really great job for this! Food trucks, bar, photo ops, etc. beautiful place!

I had a nice visit at the Poplar Grove Plantation after figuring out where to park. What was…read morewritten on the ticket in great detail was not correct. They changed the parking to the next street and you aren't to enter at the flags like the ticket directions told you. I took a guided tour and learned about the Foy family that had a peanut and sweet potato farm. But the more important part of the story was about the Gullah Geechee people. I had first learned about them when I was in Beaufort SC. But there is a corridor that goes from Wilmington to St. Augustine, FL to protect the Gullah Geechee culture. Poplar Grove was built by the Gullah slaves who were very skilled. 59 lived on the property. They took care of the construction; lumber milling; brick making; tending to the livestock and crops as well as domestic chores. They need to be the focus of the tour.

Yes, I drove an hour round trip to take a picture of a sign but this one is special. It denotes the…read moretime that the United States bombed North Carolina, nearly a hundred years after the end of the Civil War. The marker reads, "Nuclear Mishap. B-52 transporting two nuclear bombs crashed, Jan. 1961. Widespread disaster averted; three crewmen died 3 miles south." Okay, all kidding aside. Three Air Force crew died and in the process, prevented what would have been an unspeakable tragedy. It is a serious matter. During the height of the Cold War, the United States had a policy of keeping armed aircraft in the air at all times in the event of a conflict. Nuclear deterrence and all that. Well, this B-52G Stratofortress took some structural damage during an air refueling and while preparing to land at nearby Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, it experienced a major failure of the right wing. The plane broke up and exploded at 8000 feet. "As a result of the breakup of the plane, two MK39 nuclear weapons were released at a height of between 10,000 and 2,000 feet. Seven of eight arming, fusing, and firing switches and devices in one bomb automatically actuated. Only a crew-controlled switch prevented a nuclear detonation. Since its parachute deployed, one bomb had only minor damage when it fell about a mile from the crash site. The second bomb fell free, without its parachute deploying, and broke apart on impact." "Components of the bomb were sought for several weeks. The decision was made to leave remaining portions of the weapon containing uranium, believed to have entered the water table, in the ground. As a precaution, the government purchased part of the site and still maintains an easement in order to prevent digging in the vicinity. Periodic groundwater tests, still conducted by the state, have revealed no contamination." As the sign mentions, the actual crash is three miles away and the grounds are secured. Here in downtown Eureka, there isn't much. A small sandwich shop is near the sign if you're hungry. [Review 15486 overall, 990 of 2021, number 3029 in North Carolina.]

This place feels wonderfully remote, so a little heads up that cell service is spotty and it's…read moreworth being mindful as you arrive. Once you're there, the quiet really sets in, with wildlife sounds all around and very few cars passing by. The atmosphere is incredibly relaxing and peaceful, perfect for slowing down and taking a breath . Picnic benches are scattered nearby, along with trash receptacles, which makes it easy to linger responsibly . The bridge itself is beautiful and well maintained, showing only moderate signs of wear that add character rather than distraction . During our mid autumn visit, the waterway and surrounding landscape were bursting with color , making the views especially memorable. I later realized there was a walking trail close by that I missed, so that's something I'd definitely suggest checking out when you visit ‍. Parking isn't clearly marked or abundant ‍, but with a bit of patience, you'll manage just fine. Overall, it's a quiet, scenic spot that feels refreshingly untouched and worth the effort to find .

Fantastic little country roadside find! This historic bridge, one of the two remaining covered…read morebridges in the state of NC and designated a local/federal historical landmark, was built in 1911 at a whopping cost of $40. It was built to span the west fork of the Little River when horse & carriages were the main mode of transportation. There is a great little loop trail that circumvents this section of the Little River w/a little footbridge on the other side and a couple of off-shoots to go down to the water's edge and even rock hop to the middle (do so at your own risk ). Fantastic hues at Golden Hour and the soothing sound of the babbling waters make you quickly forget civilization is right there. I had the place to myself when I went, so the solitude was welcome. Definitely worth a visit when the weather is as gorgeous as it has been!

Nice place to take the Grand kiddos for a walk...run down the trails. Throw rocks (pinecones) in…read morethe pond, look for tad poles. Have a pic nic. Great for a few hours of killing boredom with littles.

Not the most exciting trail, but worth doing if you have some down time and want to see some…read moreRockefeller History. The Carver Creek State Park is broken into two different sections: Long Valley Farm Access (with the historic Rockefeller Retreat House) and the Sandhill Access (just flat trails for hikers/horses). They are about 20 minutes apart. Between the two, I'd go to the Long Valley Farm Access since the history component whereas the other is just trails. Overall, there is really not much else here and you can complete it within an hour an a half or so. The loop is 2 miles long, but if you go straight back then it's about 1.5 miles total.

First POTUS and hero of the Revolutionary War, George Washington resolved to tour the United…read moreStates. Part to observe the political climate and park to instill unity in the new country. He passed through here in 1791 and this official marker recalls that event. It reads, "Washington's Southern Tour. President Washington, on April 27, 1791, was a guest at the home of William Gause, Jr., which stood four miles south." Online there is more information, "After spending two nights in Wilmington, Washington made his way toward the South Carolina line in Brunswick County. On April 27, he was a breakfast guest in the home of William Gause Jr., about ten miles from the state line. The Gause house was located near Gause's Landing on the west and sound side of Shallotte Inlet. Gause was a war veteran, having lost a leg in the Revolution, and had served in the North Carolina House of Commons in 1778." Four miles south of the marker along Ocean Isle Beach Blvd is to the Intracoastal Waterway and is likely where "Gause Landing Creek" gets its name. [Review 13990 overall, 1312 of 2020, number 2630 in North Carolina.]

Connecting the cities of North Myrtle Beach and Little River, carrying Sea Mountain Highway over…read morethe Intracoastal Waterway, the Little River Swing Bridge was built in 1935 and restored in 1980. It is a simple two-lane roadway but what's neat about this is that unlike the usual "bascule" style drawbridges that lift one or two sides like leaves, this is a swing bridge. When it opens, it twists 90 degrees to the side to allow waterway traffic to pass. Swing bridges are rare, but I managed to cross the Fort Denaud swing bridge last month in Central Florida https://www.yelp.com/biz/fort-denaud-bridge-labelle?hrid=U_pLy3N4EMHOlZebymMMLA. There are some other swing bridges in South Carolina including the Harbor River Bridge at Saint Helena Island, the Wappoo Creek Bridge and the Ben Sawyer Bridge near Charleston, the Woods Memorial Bridge in Beaufort and nearby, the Socastee Swing Bridge here in Myrtle Beach. The bridge is easy to drive over and there is no toll. If you're fortunate, you'll get to see this marvel open. [Review 19376 overall - 950 in South Carolina - 346 of 2023.]