Tar Heel Traveler

A blend of oral history and memoir with a good dose of quirky humor, Tar Heel Traveler: New Journeys Across North Carolina is a celebratory look at the people and places of North Carolina. WRAL-TV reporter Scott Mason—the Tar Heel Traveler—profiles colorful characters and out-of-the-way places. The sequel consists of all new material and showcases twenty-five of Mason’s most memorable television stories along with the amusing stories behind each.

Scott Mason is the Tar Heel Traveler and he loves to eat hot dogs, cheeseburgers, barbecue, biscuits, and ice cream served in crumbling cinder-block buildings and ramshackle dives along the back roads of North Carolina. As a full-time feature reporter for WRAL-TV in Raleigh since 2007, Scott has discovered that North Carolina is filled with many amusing characters and out-of-the-way places, all of which are part of his Tar Heel Traveler television segment that airs Monday through Thursday on WRAL’s 5:30 pm newscast. The most popular stories are always about the hole-in-the-wall hot dog dives, cheeseburger joints, barbecue places, and ice cream parlors he has visited. He has featured dozens of such places on TV and now on paper he expands each story. Each chapter of Tar Heel Traveler Eats focuses on a particular restaurant as seen through the eyes the reporter who stumbles upon these classic dives. He peppers each chapter with dialogue and descriptive detail that includes the often inspiring stories of how these places began. These stories are not only about the nothin’-fancy kind of places that are close to people’s hearts, but also about the culture, tradition, and heritage of North Carolina.

As WRAL-TV’s full-time feature reporter, Scott Mason—the Tar Heel Traveler—has profiled over one hundred food establishments across North Carolina and now he is sharing those wonderful places in his first portable travel guide offering readers an easy way to know where to grab a memorable bite while on their own travels across the state. Mason captures the essence of each eatery and highlights favorite dishes. Some places are famous for barbecue and others for hot dogs. Still others are known for steak, seafood, fried chicken, biscuits, doughnuts and ice cream. For the most part, they are longtime, loveable joints full of tradition and loyal customers who are more like friends and family. May these places live forever! Happy travels…and good eatin’!

Are you considered a "dingbatter," or outsider, when you visit the Outer Banks? Have you ever noticed a picture in your house hanging a little "sigogglin," or crooked? Do you enjoy spending time with your "buddyrow," or close friend? Drawing on over two decades of research and 3,000 recorded interviews from every corner of the state, Walt Wolfram and Jeffrey Reaser's lively book introduces readers to the unique regional, social, and ethnic dialects of North Carolina, as well as its major languages, including American Indian languages and Spanish. Considering how we speak as a reflection of our past and present, Wolfram and Reaser show how languages and dialects are a fascinating way to understand our state's rich and diverse cultural heritage. The book is enhanced by maps and illustrations and augmented by more than 100 audio and video recordings, which can be found online at talkintarheel.com.

D. G. Martin is back with a fully updated edition of his beloved guide, North Carolina's Roadside Eateries, ready to help Tar Heels and visitors alike find the places locals love to eat. D.G. is your personal tour guide, and he takes you to more than 120 notable roadway haunts, including over 30 new restaurants, that aren't just great places to eat but fixtures of their communities as well. What's included: *Features locally owned and community favorites *Covers a range of food tastes from BBQ and traditional southern fare to Mexican food and Laotian cuisine *Introduces the restaurant owners and locals who make these places unique *Includes current contact information, hours, and directions *Recommends nearby points of interest to explore after eating A trusted companion to thousands of North Carolinians, this book not only offers new and exciting ways to get a good meal but will also help folks learn about and appreciate the rich local history of the Tar Heel State.

This new edition of Bruce Hunt's popular guide reveals the real, old-time Florida still to be found on the back roads of the Sunshine state in little towns that lure you in with their quaintness and keep you there for a spell with their friendly occupants. The towns featured all have a population of less than 10,000. There is an introduction with each town’s history. Included are museums, galleries, antiques shops, local eateries, local fishing holes, and unusual and endearing local characters. This travelogue and guidebook lets you experience the flavor of Florida's back-road burgs and provides directions, addresses, phone numbers, and websites.

Landmarks are the Touchstones of the Meandering Traveler From the sites where American democracy was born, to unique archive collections, art galleries, and architectural must-sees in the middle of this bustling city, Washington, DC is home to 75 National Historic Landmarks. Tour the Capital City and travel back in time to discover the unique stories of its history. Carefully curated by a local historian, Historic Washington, DC: A Tour of the District’s Top 50 National Landmarks is the essential guide to the most memorable historic sites in our nation’s capital. Whether you are a history enthusiast, a local visitor, or a tourist, there is something for everyone in this guide to Washington, DC’s past.