Tobacco Farm Life Museum and Bentonville
The morning started off with a low temperature of 39 degrees, which was a good incentive to sleep in a little later than usual. After breakfast, we took advantage of the RV Resort laundry - nice facility, about half the cost of a typical laundromat, and no one else up that early.
Spent the rest of the morning socializing with other Roadtrekers. Just before lunch, we set off to take in some more of the local attractions. On our way to the first stop, we stopped off at Shirley’s in Kenly, NC for lunch. Sort of an accidental stop as the place was formerly the Seafood Station which a reviewer had positively commented on their shrimp po-boy. Darrell had shrimp po-boy on the brain, only to find that the location was now Shirley’s serving comfort food, and no shrimp po-boy. Electing to stick with the plan vice heading for a typical fast food joint, we ate there. Simple inexpensive food.
Our first attraction was the Tobacco Farm Life Museum. The museum began in 1983 with on-farm tours and small displays in an effort to preserve the heritage and history of the small, rural farmer in North Carolina. Tobacco was the main crop and economy of North Carolina after the Civil War. Even today, it is an $8 billion segment of the North Carolina economy. The museum today has a 6,000 square foot gallery as well as traditional and reproduction buildings. The more than 30 exhibits feature period artifacts that include farm tools, textiles, leisure items, household implements, doctor’s tools, and much more.
After watching a short film that explained the kiln-dried tobacco process used in North Carolina, we toured the exhibits.
Then on to the next point of interest, the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site. Bentonville was the site of the South’s last major offensive and the largest Civil War battle in North Carolina. After General Sherman marched to the sea through Georgia, taking Savannah on 22 Dec 1864, he turned north and worked his way through South Carolina. His objective in North Carolina was Goldsboro where two major railroad lines intersected. At Bentonville, the South under General Johnston, tried to halt Sherman’s advance 19-22 March 1865.
At the Visitor Center, there was a short film about the events that lead up to Bentonville, and what happened there. There were some exhibits in the Visitor Center, but a highlight was the guided tour of the Harper House a few hundred feet from the Visitor Center. The Harper family built the house in 1855, and the Union Army used it as a field hospital for the Bentonville Battle. The house was used as a home until the late 1950s. Once the state of North Carolina bought it, it was restored to what it probably looked like in March 1865, including period furniture and field hospital artifacts. Our guide was very knowledgeable and shared a lot about what they knew about the house, the Harper family, as well as things they were still learning.
We then returned to the campground in time for the social. Dinner was catered by Golden Corral (the rally host used to work for Holden Corral). We continued our effort to try and sit with people we had just met so as to learn more about friends we had just met. After dinner, we had show-and-tell, where everyone was encouraged to share some great trip they had done, some great place they had visited, some gadget they used in their Roadtrek or a modification they had done to their Roadtrek. It was a great opportunity to learn of some places to go, some things we need that we did not know we needed, or tweaks to make Sprinty an even better traveling companion than he already is. Great fun.
We really enjoyed catching up with the Roadtrek friends we met at previous rallys, and meeting new friends to see at future rallys. Lots of exchanging information and contact info.
Spent the rest of the morning socializing with other Roadtrekers. Just before lunch, we set off to take in some more of the local attractions. On our way to the first stop, we stopped off at Shirley’s in Kenly, NC for lunch. Sort of an accidental stop as the place was formerly the Seafood Station which a reviewer had positively commented on their shrimp po-boy. Darrell had shrimp po-boy on the brain, only to find that the location was now Shirley’s serving comfort food, and no shrimp po-boy. Electing to stick with the plan vice heading for a typical fast food joint, we ate there. Simple inexpensive food.
Our first attraction was the Tobacco Farm Life Museum. The museum began in 1983 with on-farm tours and small displays in an effort to preserve the heritage and history of the small, rural farmer in North Carolina. Tobacco was the main crop and economy of North Carolina after the Civil War. Even today, it is an $8 billion segment of the North Carolina economy. The museum today has a 6,000 square foot gallery as well as traditional and reproduction buildings. The more than 30 exhibits feature period artifacts that include farm tools, textiles, leisure items, household implements, doctor’s tools, and much more.
After watching a short film that explained the kiln-dried tobacco process used in North Carolina, we toured the exhibits.
Then on to the next point of interest, the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site. Bentonville was the site of the South’s last major offensive and the largest Civil War battle in North Carolina. After General Sherman marched to the sea through Georgia, taking Savannah on 22 Dec 1864, he turned north and worked his way through South Carolina. His objective in North Carolina was Goldsboro where two major railroad lines intersected. At Bentonville, the South under General Johnston, tried to halt Sherman’s advance 19-22 March 1865.
At the Visitor Center, there was a short film about the events that lead up to Bentonville, and what happened there. There were some exhibits in the Visitor Center, but a highlight was the guided tour of the Harper House a few hundred feet from the Visitor Center. The Harper family built the house in 1855, and the Union Army used it as a field hospital for the Bentonville Battle. The house was used as a home until the late 1950s. Once the state of North Carolina bought it, it was restored to what it probably looked like in March 1865, including period furniture and field hospital artifacts. Our guide was very knowledgeable and shared a lot about what they knew about the house, the Harper family, as well as things they were still learning.
We then returned to the campground in time for the social. Dinner was catered by Golden Corral (the rally host used to work for Holden Corral). We continued our effort to try and sit with people we had just met so as to learn more about friends we had just met. After dinner, we had show-and-tell, where everyone was encouraged to share some great trip they had done, some great place they had visited, some gadget they used in their Roadtrek or a modification they had done to their Roadtrek. It was a great opportunity to learn of some places to go, some things we need that we did not know we needed, or tweaks to make Sprinty an even better traveling companion than he already is. Great fun.
We really enjoyed catching up with the Roadtrek friends we met at previous rallys, and meeting new friends to see at future rallys. Lots of exchanging information and contact info.
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