Sullenberger Aviation Museum, the premier aviation museum of the Southeast, announced today it will officially open its doors to the public on Saturday, June 1, at 10 a.m. Capt. C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger, who, along with his crew, maneuvered the famed "Miracle on the Hudson" landing – and for whom the Museum is named – will be in Charlotte to celebrate during a week of opening activities.
The Museum will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4:30 p.m., except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. A limited number of tickets for opening day (June 1) are now available for purchase at a special rate of $5 per ticket. Tickets for all other dates through Labor Day have also been released for sale. Regular admission prices are $24 for adults; $20 for seniors, veterans, military, and educators; and $18 for students (ages 5 to 17). Members and children under five are always free. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.sullenbergeraviation.org/buy-tickets/.
In addition, memberships for the Museum's Frequent Flyer Program are now available. Annual membership costs range from $75 for an Individual membership to $200 for a Family Plus package, which includes free admission for two adults, a caregiver, and up to six children. Perks of membership include free admission for 12 months, free parking, early registration for camps and workshops, and discounts on select events, programs, and merchandise.
The Museum will also offer a Welcome program designed for individuals receiving SNAP/EBT benefits. After opening day, tickets will be available for advance or onsite purchase for $3 per person. A valid SNAP/EBT card will be required for entry. A reduced-price membership is also available through the website for $30 for a Family Plus Welcome membership good for 12 months. Welcome Members will be asked to show a valid SNAP/EBT card the first time they use their membership.
"Charter Members," those who purchase any level of membership before April 30, 2024, will receive six additional months of membership and an invitation to a sneak peek event at the Museum before the doors open to the public.
When it opens, Sullenberger Aviation Museum will be one of the world's leading institutions honoring and exploring the wonder of flight. But it's more than just a collection of historic aircraft. Through its expanded mission, the Museum will serve as a vehicle of opportunity to inspire, educate, and elevate the next generation of innovators. Equitable access to career exploration in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are critical to driving innovation and economic growth in the Charlotte region. A primary focus of the Museum will be providing transformative experiences and opportunities to communities who have traditionally been underrepresented in the aviation industry, especially women and people of color.
"After years of hard work and dedication from our incredible staff and Board of Directors, as well as an unwavering belief in our mission from generous corporate donors, individual donors, and elected officials, we could not be more excited to open the doors to Sullenberger Aviation Museum," said Museum Board Chair Tim Miller. "This project would not have been possible without the support of our volunteers, especially our Board Chair Emeritus Marc Oken, who cast a new vision, assembled an amazing team, and led the Museum's $34 million fundraising effort."
Museum President Stephen Saucier added, "Our reimagined galleries and immersive storytelling encompass much more than a new facility, as we now have the privilege to serve as a convener of opportunity, advancing equity and access to careers in aviation throughout the Carolinas and beyond. We look forward to welcoming curious lifelong learners of all ages through our doors in just a few short months."
Sullenberger Aviation Museum is especially committed to accessibility and will offer wheelchair-accessible exhibits and sensory-friendly backpacks so that everyone can explore the wonder of flight. The Museum will also foster access through its Flight Forward program, a consortium of North Carolina aviation industry and educational professionals, several colleges and universities, trade schools, and workforce development groups. This workforce collaborative will work together to create strategic opportunities for student training, networking, and recruitment across STEM-based fields.
From an exhibition standpoint, the Museum will feature three thematic areas:
-- Innovation Nation will explore the risks, failures, and triumphs that have advanced aviation. This area features replicas of the Wright Brothers' Flyer and Glider planes, a Vietnam-era F-4S Phantom II, one of only two manufactured Skystreak planes used to test breaking the sound barrier, and a P-80 (TV-1 Shooting Star), one of the first jet fighters used during combat, to name a few.
Innovation Nation will also house the A320 from US Airways Flight 1549, better known as the "Miracle on the Hudson," and a corresponding exhibit. Flight 1549 has been part of the Museum's collection since 2011, but when the Museum reopens it will include new artifacts and mementos, including letters from passengers to Capt. Sullenberger.
-- In the Aviation Society exhibition, guests will be introduced to the diverse group of people who contribute to the aviation industry locally and globally. In addition to these personal narratives, the area features an F-14 that is rumored to have made an appearance on the tarmac in "Top Gun," an ERCO Ercoupe, an American Champion Citabria, and more iconic aircraft.
-- The Museum will open its final thematic area, called Aviation City, later this fall. Aviation City will live in the Museum's historic WPA/Douglas hangar and will survey the economic and cultural development of Charlotte and the Carolinas' past, present and future. This area features an F-84 Thunderjet, a Stearman biplane, and a Lockheed T-33, among others.
Each thematic area will feature hands-on, interactive activities like flight simulators, wind tunnels, photobooths, and games appropriate for guests of all ages. The Museum also features a makerspace where visitors can explore, design, and problem-solve via hands-on learning experiences and tools, including a paper airplane launcher and target, 3D printers, cardboard engineering, and snap circuits.
For more information and to sign up for museum updates, visit www.sullenbergeraviation.org.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Despite Republican assurances that North Carolina's "bathroom bill" isn't hurting the economy, the law limiting LGBT protections will cost the state more than $3.76 billion in lost business over a dozen years, according to an Associated Press analysis.
Over the past year, North Carolina has suffered financial hits ranging from scuttled plans for a PayPal facility that would have added an estimated $2.66 billion to the state's economy to a canceled Ringo Starr concert that deprived a town's amphitheater of about $33,000 in revenue. The blows have landed in the state's biggest cities as well as towns surrounding its flagship university, and from the mountains to the coast.
North Carolina could lose hundreds of millions more because the NCAA is avoiding the state, usually a favored host. The group is set to announce sites for various championships through 2022, and North
Your browser does not support the video tag. The Associated Press used dozens of interviews and multiple public records requests to compile an analysis that shows North Carolina’s “bathroom bill”
Carolina won't be among them as long as the law is on the books. The NAACP also has initiated a national economic boycott.
The AP analysis (http://apne.ws/2n9GSjE ) — compiled through interviews and public records requests — represents the largest reckoning yet of how much the law, passed one year ago, could cost the state. The law excludes gender identity and sexual orientation from statewide anti discrimination protections, and requires transgender people to use restrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates in many public buildings.
Still, AP's tally ( http://bit.ly/2o9Dzdd ) is likely an underestimation of the law's true costs. The count includes only data obtained from businesses and state or local officials regarding projects that canceled or relocated because of HB2. A business project was counted only if AP determined through public records or interviews that HB2 was why it pulled out.
Some projects that left, such as a Lionsgate television production that backed out of plans in Charlotte, weren't included because of a lack of data on their economic impact.
The AP also tallied the losses of dozens of conventions, sporting events and concerts through figures from local officials. The AP didn't attempt to quantify anecdotal reports that lacked hard numbers, or to forecast the loss of future conventions.
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan — who leads the largest company based in North Carolina — said he's spoken privately to business leaders who went elsewhere with projects or events because of the controversy, and he fears more decisions like that are being made quietly.
"Companies are moving to other places because they don't face an issue that they face here," he told a World Affairs Council of Charlotte luncheon last month. "What's going on that you don't know about? What convention decided to take you off the list? What location for a distribution facility took you off the list? What corporate headquarters consideration for a foreign company — there's a lot of them out there ̵
Brian Moynihan, Chairman and CEO of Bank of America, speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
2; just took you off the list because they just didn't want to be bothered with the controversy? That's what eats you up."
Other measures show the country's ninth most populous state has a healthy economy. By quarterly gross domestic product, the federal government said, North Carolina had the nation's 10th fastest-growing economy six months after the law passed. The vast majority of large companies with existing operations in the state — such as American Airlines, with its second-largest hub in Charlotte — made no public moves to financially penalize North Carolina.
Shortly after he signed the law, Republican then-Gov. Pat McCrory issued a statement assuring residents it wouldn't affect North Carolina's status as "one of the top states to do business in the country."
HB2 supporters say its costs have been tiny compared with an economy estimated at more than $500 billion a year, roughly the size of Sweden's. They say they're willing to absorb those costs if the law prevents sexual predators posing as transgender people from entering private spaces to molest women and girls — acts the law's detractors say are imagined.
Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, one of the strongest supporters, accused news organizations of creating a false picture of economic upheaval. A global equestrian competition that's coming to North Carolina in 2018 despite HB2 is projected to have an economic impact bigger than the sporting events that have canceled, Forest said. The Swiss-based group behind the event estimated its spending poured about $250 million into the French region of Normandy the last time it was held — 2014. The organization said the figure came from a study by consulting and accounting firm Deloitte, but the Federation Equestre Internationale declined to release the report.
Forest declined a request for an interview based on AP's analysis.
"The effect is minimal to the state," Forest told Texas legislators considering a similar law. "Our economy is doing well. Don't be fooled by the media. T
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, left, center, talks about his state's "bathroom bill," at the Capitol in Austin, Texas. (Deborah Cannon, Austin American-Statesman, File)
his issue is not about the economy. This issue is about privacy, safety and security in the most vulnerable places we go."
But AP's analysis shows the economy could be growing faster if not for projects that have already canceled.
Those include PayPal canceling a 400-job project in Charlotte, CoStar backing out of negotiations to bring 700-plus jobs to the same area, and Deutsche Bank scuttling a plan for 250 jobs in the Raleigh area. Other companies that backed out include Adidas, which is building its first U.S. sports shoe factory employing 160 near Atlanta rather than a High Point site, and Voxpro, which opted to hire hundreds of customer support workers in Athens, Georgia, rather than the Raleigh area.
"We couldn't set up operations in a state that was discriminating against LGBT" people, Dan Kiely, Voxpro founder and CEO, said in an interview.
All told, the state has missed out on more than 2,900 direct jobs that went elsewhere.
Supporters are hard-pressed to point to economic benefits from the law, said James Kleckley, of East Carolina University's business college.
"I don't know of any examples where somebody located here because of HB2," he said. "If you look at a law, whether or not you agree with it or don't agree with it, there are going to be positive effects and negative effects. Virtually everything we know about (HB2) are the negative effects. Even anecdotally I don't know any positive effects."
An analysis by the state Commerce Department shortly before HB2 was enacted shows state officials expected the PayPal expansion to contribute more than $200 million annually to North Carolina's gross domestic product — an overall measure of the economy. By the end of 2028, the state expected PayPal to have added $2.66 billion to the state economy.
The same analysis of the Deutsche Bank project estimated a total impact of about $543 million by the end of 2027. The economic model has been used for more than a decade — with some updates along the way — when the state offers major discretionary tax breaks to attract jobs.
State officials said they didn't run the same financial analysis for CoStar, Voxpro and Adidas, so losses attributed to them were calculated using payroll numbers and other figures from the companies or state documents.
Meanwhile, canceled conventions, concerts and sporting events ranging from the NBA All-Star Game to a Bruce Springsteen show have deprived the state of more than $196 million. The number was compiled through email exchanges and interviews with local tourism officials.
All told, the state will have missed out on more than $3.76 billion by the end of 2028. The losses are based on projects that already went elsewhere — so the money won't be recouped even if the law is struck down in court or repealed.
By the end of 2017 alone, the lost business will total more than $525 million.
Tourism officials in several cities say the numbers they report represent only a fraction of the damage the law has done. They typically track large conventions but don't have firm numbers for when groups or tourists cancel smaller deals — or rule out North Carolina before booking.
"The biggest impact is how many times our phones are not ringing now," said Shelly Green, CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.
When Green's bureau sought to tally cancellations, it was able to count several large sporting events and conventions that backed out, depriving the city of more than $11 million, she said. But officials found hotels and meeting planners were tight-lipped about other events.
"There are a lot more meetings that have canceled, but we don't have data on them," she said.
Elsewhere, tourism setbacks range from an estimated $100 million lost when the 2017 NBA All-Star Game moved out of Charlotte to $36,000 in spending taken elsewhere when the Lutheran Financial Managers Convention backed out of Fayetteville. Seven hundred part-time workers at Raleigh's PNC Arena lost at least $130,000 in wages because of cancellations by Pearl Jam, Cirque Du Soleil and others.
Other financial signals of disapproval have been more symbolic than clearly harmful.
More than two dozen cities and states, from Honolulu to Vermont, have banned taxpayer-funded visits to North Carolina because of HB2. Most said they couldn't estimate the money not spent on business travel. But in Providence, Rhode Island, officials refused to spend even the remaining $495 to send three city employees to a Charlotte conference after sponsors picked up most of the costs, city spokesman Victor Morente said via email.
Dozens of investment firms have urged North Carolina to repeal HB2, but most of those contacted in recent weeks, such as John Hancock and Morgan Stanley, wouldn't discuss any financial measures they took to penalize the state. Trillium Asset Management, which manages more than $2 billion for wealthy families and foundations, had dozens of clients request that their holdings exclude bonds issued by North Carolina state or municipal governments, Chief Executive Officer Matt Patsky said in an interview.
What impact did selling off several million dollars of municipal bonds have? Impossible to measure, Patsky said.
In September, despite the law, Asheville's Chamber of Commerce announced that biotech company Avadim was adding 550 jobs. Local officials call it the biggest single job creator in area history.
But HB2 jeopardized another project of similar size for the left-leaning mountain city. Chamber CEO Kit Cramer said last year that another company considering bringing 500 technology jobs was balking because of HB2, adding: "That's a loss that would be incredibly hard to swallow." Cramer said in an email in March that the company hasn't made a decision. She didn't give further details; that potential loss wasn't included in AP's count.
Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city, has lost projects totaling 2,000 jobs because of HB2, Chamber of Commerce research director Chuck McShane said in an email. According to separate documents obtained through public records requests, the majority were in the PayPal and CoStar projects.
CoStar, a real-estate research firm, was entering final negotiations to bring 732 jobs to Charlotte in September when its board backed out because of negative publicity over HB2, according to an email between a chamber executive and a city official. When the company picked Virginia, the reversal cost North Carolina at least $250 million in economic impact over the next six years, according to figures from both states.
"I fear this will be an epidemic outcome for many projects we are still in the running for at this time," Jeffrey Edge of the Charlotte Chamber wrote in the September email exchange first reported by The Charlotte Observer.
Economic losses also hit smaller towns, such as those surrounding the University of North Carolina. When the San Francisco Symphony pulled out of two concerts scheduled for April 2017, the move had a ripple effect totaling about $325,000, according to Patty Griffin, of the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau.
"Memorial Hall will be empty those two nights and see no revenue for tickets or concessions, and no employees will work," she said via email. "The attendees for most of them who have dinner, drinks and desserts either before or after the performance will not come out, which impacts local restaurants."
Green, the Durham tourism official, said, "When you think about it, this whole thing is just such a Dumpster fire, and nobody wants to go near it."
Waterfront beach houses in Nags Head, Outer Banks, North Carolina.
Photograph: Alamy
With its white beaches, warm sea and crab shacks, the North Carolina
coast rivals the Caribbean. Douglas Rogers picks its most alluring
resorts, plus great places to eat and sleep
W hen my wife and I moved from New York to Virginia three years ago,
one of the first things we noticed was an unusual bumper sticker. Every
second car (I exaggerate only slightly) had a white oval sign with the
letters OBX on it. Often, alongside those three letters, was a skull and
crossbones or pirate face. At first we assumed it was a local sports
team, until – seeing the same sticker on vehicles from Maryland,
Kentucky and the Carolinas – we asked a neighbour to enlighten us.
“Outer Banks, North Carolina,” she said. “Best beaches in America.”
“And the pirate?”
“That’s Blackbeard. He hid out in the Banks, lost his head there. You’re English – don’t you know this?”
I confessed I had no idea. I thought the US’s best beaches – at least
on the east coast – were in Cape Cod, Long Island or Florida. As for
Blackbeard, to me he was all about the rum-soaked islands of the
Caribbean. What was he doing pillaging North Carolina?
But it turns out the Outer Banks – and much of the North Carolina
coast – is a pretty decent copy of the Caribbean. In summer, its beach
towns and barrier islands, from the Virginia border to Wilmington, near
South Carolina, are crammed with surfers, sun-seekers and holidaymakers
from across the American south. And with temperatures in the 20s in May
and well into October, it’s an ideal (and quieter) choice for some
spring and autumn sunshine, too.
People come for powdery white sands, bath-warm water that turns
turquoise around the islands, and maritime history: Blackbeard –
Bristol-born Edward Teach – was killed in a naval battle off Ocracoke
Island in 1718. But the area also has windswept national parks, feral
horses descended from Spanish mustangs sent ashore from galleons in the
16th century, and remote colonial beach towns that, until recently, were
so cut off that older residents still speak with the regional English
accents of their forebears.
The coast is long, of course, over 300 miles, and unlike in
California there is no highway to connect it all. It’s good to know
where to go before you start to explore. Here are my five best islands
and beach towns in the Tar Heel State. Pack your surfboards – and your
swords.
Corolla and Duck, Outer Banks
Wild horses on the Beach north of Corolla. Photograph: Alamy
The Outer Banks is a narrow ribbon of barrier islands, barely 100
metres wide in parts, stretching 200 miles from the Virginia border to
Hatteras, a windswept fishing village. The main tourist towns are Nags
Head and Kill Devil Hills, where the Wright Brothers famously took
flight, but the northern villages of Corolla and Duck are more refined,
with pretty hedgerow-lined lanes and stilted beachfront mansions.
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On
our first visit, we rented a house on Corolla’s 4x4 Beach – so named
because that’s the only way to get to it. The beach is part of a wild
horse sanctuary, and every morning we were woken by neighing mustangs
cavorting in our backyard. Bob’s Corolla Wild Horse Tours
(from $39 adult, $29 child, +1 252 453 0939) offers two-hour open-top
Jeep safaris with expert guides. In Corolla, the red-brick Currituck
Beach Lighthouse, built in 1875 is still operational and, from the top,
220 steps up, there are views of Roanoke Island on the inlet side of the
Banks, site of the first English settlement in the Americas in 1585.
The 107 men and women were never seen again, so the island is referred
to as the Lost Colony. North Banks restaurant, Corolla This
vintage wooden-floored tavern and cocktail bar serves seafood classics
such as lobster tail, steamed clams and grilled line-caught fish. It’s
not on the water, but the produce is caught fresh by local fishermen on
either the ocean or the Currituck sound side. •Mains from $18, Tim Buck II Shopping Village, 794-G Sunset Boulevard, northbanks.com, +1 252 453 3344 Twiddy Vacation Rentals This
site lists over 1,000 properties in the OBX, from two-bedroom flats to
seven-bedroom mansions. Seven days is the minimum stay, but four-bedroom
houses cost as little as $450 a week in spring or autumn. •twiddy.com The Sanderling, Duck
For those who don’t want to self-cater or can’t stay a week, this is
the coolest hotel in the OBX: a chic, orange-hued resort with three
pools, a spa, two restaurants and private access to a glorious beach. A
day spent in the sun ends around the firepit by the alfresco Sand Bar,
as waves crash just beyond the dunes. •Doubles from $159, +1 855 412 7866, sanderling-resort.com
Ocracoke Island
The village of Ocracoke from the ferry. Photograph: Peter Ptschelinzew/Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images
Only accessible by boat or small plane, Ocracoke (pop: 948) lies 21 miles south of Hatteras in the Pamlico Sound. The free Hatteras ferry
only takes an hour, but it lands passengers in an earlier century.
Blackbeard hid out on the protected sound side with pal Calico Jack
Rackham, just off what is now the busy harbour. Cedar-shaded lanes,
crunchy with seashells, lead past period homes and spooky vine-covered
cemeteries. Time slows down here: the main mode of transport is the golf
cart or bicycle. There’s an annual Blackbeard Pirate Jamboree
at Halloween, but the history is not all piratical: older locals still
talk of seeing German U-Boats off these shores during the second world
war, and the British cemetery is the resting place of sailors from HMS
Bedfordshire, torpedoed in 1942. The main attraction, though, is the
spectacular coastline. Families will enjoy Lifeguard Beach, with white sand, clear blue water, and showers and toilets. Locals and summer regulars like to drive on to Airport Beach
a little way south, to bathe, picnic and fish as the sun goes down. The
water is so warm that swimming is pleasant even in October. Flying Melon Café
There are scores of seafood joints in Ocracoke, notably SmacNally’s
on the docks, but the best fish in town is at the Flying Melon, which
offers Creole-influenced food cooked by a New Orleans transplant. The
parmesan-crusted flounder and drumfish étouffée (stew) are as good as any in the French Quarter. •Mains from $25, 181 Back Road, +1 252 928 2533 Blackbeard’s Lodge
Ocracoke Island Realty
is the main holiday rental company, but characterful Blackbeard’s Lodge
is a good choice among the many hotels and motels. Rustic,
pirate-themed and timber-built, it is run by a descendant of one of the
early Ocracoke settlers, and has a small pool and bike rentals. In the
mornings, there’s a wonderful smell of crepes and fresh artisanal breads
from the Graceful Bakery food truck, which parks just across the street. •Doubles from $60, +1 252-928-3421, blackbeardslodge.com
Beaufort, Crystal Coast
White sands, clear waters, sunken galleons … It’s easy to believe
you’re in the Caribbean on the Crystal Coast, an 85-mile stretch of
shore south of the Outer Banks. Its ocean-side barrier islands can be
visited on day trips from the historic town of Beaufort (est. 1718, and
dubbed by some “the coolest small town in America”). Atlantic Beach,
20 minutes away by ferry, has two miles of pristine waterfront, an
old-school pier and scores of crab shacks, diners and commercial fishing
charters. But Shackelford Banks, part of protected Cape Lookout
national shore, offers true isolation. It’s possible to sit on a beach
towel and watch dolphins cavorting in the waves in front, and horses
frolicking on the dunes behind. In Beaufort itself, the North Carolina Maritime Museum
on Front Street is the official repository for all the artefacts –
masts, anchor, cannons – recovered from Blackbeard’s ship, Queen Anne’s
Revenge, which ran aground here in 1718, and was only rediscovered in
1996. Ann Street Inn
In the heart of Beaufort historic district is this three-bedroom
1832-built guesthouse run by Louisiana transplant Donna Babington. The
Duke of Beaufort room has a Jacuzzi and private porch, and breakfasts
are decadent: bacon quiche, sausage casserole, shrimp and grits. •Doubles from $100, +1 877 266 7814, annstreetinn.com Front Street Grill at Stillwater This rustic-chic
restaurant and rum bar is in a restored marine boathouse right on the
waterfront. Recommended are the seared back-fin crab cakes with
remoulade ($22), and “dark and stormy” cocktails, made with Goslings
Black Seal rum and Saranac ginger beer – every pirate’s favourite
poison. •Mains from $19, 300 Front Street, +1 252 728 4956, frontstreetgrillatstillwater.com
Wilmington
Downtown Riverwalk, Wilmington. Photograph: Alamy
One might expect North Carolina’s largest coastal city to be a trifle
rough, but its 300-block historic district is like a live-in Victorian
museum. Horse-drawn carriages trot tourists past gorgeous colonial-style
mansions, vintage riverboats cruise the Cape Fear river, locals in top
hats tout ghost tours down oak-lined streets and everyone keeps an eye
out for movie stars. Known as the Hollywood of the east, the city is
home to EUE/Screen Gems, the largest US studio complex outside LA. The
spectacular beach towns of Kure, Carolina and Wrightsville are only a
few minutes’ drive away. Wrightsville Beach is best.
Unlike on the barrier islands, it has some large, Florida-style resort
hotels, but they overlook crashing waves and white sands, and the crowds
are better behaved than at Myrtle Beach across the border in South
Carolina. A highlight is surfing lessons for children, teenagers and
adults at WB Surf Camp (from $70 an hour, + 1 866 844 7873, wbsurfcamp.com). Dockside Grill, Wilmington Steamed clams,
hand-cut calamari and rum cocktails are the name of the game at this
laid-back spot on the water’s edge. Good ol’ boys and well-groomed
yachtsmen pull their boats into the dock and order from on deck. •Mains from $18, 1308 Airlie Road, +1 910 256 2752, thedockside.com Shell Island Resort, Wrightsville Beach This is a
slab-like modern all-suite hotel but it overlooks a great swathe of
white sand, and has a fully catered beachfront pool. •Doubles with kitchenette from $130, +1 910 256 8696, shellisland.com
The northern tip of Bald Head Island. Photograph: Alamy
A 25-minute ferry ride from Southport, this four-mile-long island at
the mouth of the Cape Fear river is a world apart. There are no cars
(all rental houses come with golf carts or bicycles) and 10,000 of its
12,000 acres are protected. The result is an ecological idyll with a
spectacular oceanside beach for surfers; the calmer South Beach is great for families. Old Baldy lighthouse in
the harbour, commissioned in 1817 by Thomas Jefferson, is the oldest in
the state, and it’s worth climbing its 108 stairs for a 360-degree view
of the island’s natural wonderland of beach, marshland and maritime
forest.
Mojos on the Harbor This is a popular locale for
sipping rum and tequila cocktails while watching the fishing boats and
ferries come in. It does great sushi, grilled shrimp and line-caught
fish, and live bands play most nights. •Seafood mains from $19, 16 Marina Wynd, +1 910 457 7217, mojosontheharbor.com Shoals Club The in-thing for summer regulars is
to get temporary membership (from $150 a week) of this family-friendly
beach club overlooking Cape Fear Point. It has two pools, an outdoor
Sandbar Grille, boules court and formal dining room, so it’s easy to
spend the whole day here, between beach, pool and restaurant. • +1 910 457 733, shoalsclub.com Bald Head Island Limited Rentals There’s one hotel on the island – the Marsh Harbour Inn,
with doubles from a hefty $275 a night – so house rentals are the way
to go. Bald Head Island Limited Rentals has hundreds of homes, from
simple one-bedroom cottages to large beach-front homes. I like Captain Charlie’s Three(www.baldheadisland.com/vacation/rentals/captain-charlies-3),,
a , a former lighthouse-keeper’s cottage perfect for three couples,
costing $2,400 a week. couples. •+1 800 432 7368, baldheadisland.com/vacation More information at uk.visitnc.com. On skyscanner.net, flights from Heathrow to Raleigh/Durham via New York currently start at £589 return with American Airlines; Finnair has direct flights from £684
After another long winter, OpenTable, the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations, today unveiled the 2015 Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in America. These awards reflect the combined opinions of more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 20,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
New restaurants made a strong showing in this year's awards, including 42 that opened in 2014 and one as recently as 2015. The complete list features award-winners in 25 states and Washington, D.C., and includes Gato in New York, RPM Steak in Chicago, and Spoon and Stable in Minneapolis. California boasts the greatest number of winning restaurants with 22, followed by Florida and New York with 13 each. Illinois and Texas have 11 and seven, respectively. Nevada has five winning restaurants, and Tennessee and Georgia have four. Louisiana, Minnesota, and South Carolina claim two winners apiece.
Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. are represented as well. Global fare menus are fashionable, with standout restaurants serving Asian, Basque, Korean, Latin, Mediterranean, Mexican, and Polynesian dishes, among others. American cuisine, sushi, and steak are also popular.
"Whether they're new or well established, there's an intoxicating buzz in and around each of these restaurants," said Caroline Potter, OpenTable Chief Dining Officer. "With inspired concepts, energetic atmospheres, and incredible food and drink, these hot spots are where diners will experience delight and excitement in the year ahead."
The Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in America are generated from more than 5 million restaurant reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners between March 1, 2014, and February 28, 2015. All restaurants with a minimum number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Qualifying restaurants were then sorted according to a score calculated from each restaurant's average rating in the "hot spot" category along with a minimum "overall" rating.
Based on this methodology, the following restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, comprise the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in America according to OpenTable diners.
2015 Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in America
*Opened in 2014 **Opened in 2015
Adega Modern Mediterranean* – Cleveland, Ohio Andrea's – Las Vegas, Nevada B.B. King's Blues Club – Memphis, Tennessee Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits* – San Diego, California Bâoli Miami – Miami Beach, Florida Barton G. The Restaurant* – Los Angeles, California Bathtub Gin – New York, New York The Bazaar by José Andrés at SLS Hotel South Beach – Miami Beach, Florida Beauty and Essex – New York, New York Bestia – Los Angeles, California BO-beau kitchen + roof tap* – Long Beach, California Buccan – Palm Beach, Florida Buffalo Proper Plate & Pour* – Buffalo, New York Cantina La Veinte* – Miami, Florida Catch – New York, New York Chino Latino – Minneapolis, Minnesota The Church Key – West Hollywood, California Ciccio's / Water – Tampa, Florida Cleo-SLS* – Las Vegas, Nevada Commissary at The Line Hotel* – Los Angeles, California Cooks & Soldiers* – Atlanta, Georgia Cork & Pig Tavern #2 – Odessa, Texas Dirty French* – New York, New York do Restaurant at the View – Atlanta, Georgia Drunken Dragon* – Miami Beach, Florida Edmund's Oast* – Charleston, South Carolina El Camino Mexican Soul Food & Tequila Bar* – Delray Beach, Florida El Vez – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Fat Rice – Chicago, Illinois Fig & Olive* – Chicago, Illinois Fixe Austin* – Austin, Texas Gato* – New York, New York Geronimo – New Haven, Connecticut Girl & the Goat – Chicago, Illinois Gjelina – Venice, California Graffiato* – Richmond, Virginia The Grey* – Savannah, Georgia Grille 401 – Fort Lauderdale, Florida HG SPLY CO – Dallas, Texas The Hudson Room* – Peekskill, New York Hydraulic Hearth* – Buffalo, New York Ironside Fish & Oyster* – San Diego, California Juju Asian Tapas + Bar** – Durham, North Carolina Juniper & Ivy* – San Diego, California Katana – West Hollywood, California Kettner Exchange* – San Diego, California Koi – West Hollywood, California Kona Grill* – El Paso, Texas La Esquina – New York, New York The Lark – Santa Barbara, California Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar – Boston, Massachusetts Matador Room-The Miami Beach EDITION* – Miami Beach, Florida Mercantile Dining and Provision* – Denver, Colorado Momotaro* – Chicago, Illinois MUA – Oakland, California The Nest – Indian Wells, California O-Ku – Charleston, South Carolina Odd Duck – Austin, Texas OSO* – Sonoma, California Parachute* – Chicago, Illinois Pitch Coal-Fire Pizzeria – Omaha, Nebraska Prohibition Restaurant & Speakeasy* – Miami, Florida Pump* – West Hollywood, California The Purple Room – Palm Springs, California Red Ginger – Traverse City, Michigan Republique – Los Angeles, California RoCA* – Des Moines, Iowa Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar – Orlando, Florida Rose. Rabbit. Lie. at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas* – Las Vegas, Nevada RPM Italian – Chicago, Illinois RPM Steak* – Chicago, Illinois Shakou Sushi – Libertyville, Illinois Sinema* – Nashville, Tennessee Social Southern Table and Bar – Lafayette, Louisiana Spoon and Stable* – Minneapolis, Minnesota STK-NYC-Meatpacking – New York, New York STK-The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada STK-Washington, D.C.* – Washington, D.C. Sub Zero Vodka Bar – St. Louis, Missouri SumoMaya Mexican-Asian Kitchen – Scottsdale, Arizona Sunda – Chicago, Illinois Sur Restaurant – West Hollywood, California Sushi POP – Oviedo, Florida The Sutler* – Nashville, Tennessee Tao Downtown – New York, New York Tao Restaurant and Nightclub – Las Vegas, Nevada Teak on the Hudson* – Hoboken, New Jersey Three Dots and a Dash – Chicago, Illinois Three Muses – New Orleans, Louisiana Toku Modern Asian – Manhasset, New York TORO – New York, New York The Tropicale – Palm Springs, California Uchi – Houston, Texas Ulele* – Tampa, Florida UMI – Atlanta, Georgia Union 50* – Indianapolis, Indiana Untitled – Chicago, Illinois Virago – Nashville, Tennessee Vitello's – Studio City, California Whiskey Cake* – San Antonio, Texas
Hilton Worldwide today welcomed The Franklin Hotel Chapel Hill to its growing global brand, Curio – A Collection by Hilton. Selected for its strong connection to the community and tradition of excellence among guests, The Franklin Hotel Chapel Hill offers travelers the local discovery and authentic travel experiences at the core of the Curio brand.
“The local charm and intimate feel of The Franklin is exactly what we’re seeking when hand-picking new members of our Curio collection,” said Dianna Vaughan, global head, Curio – A Collection by Hilton. “The hotel is already a favorite among travelers to the area. Through the Curio brand partnership, we intend to preserve what makes The Franklin so unique while also offering new opportunities for both the hotel owners and guests through the assurance of the Hilton name, and the benefits of our invaluable HHonors loyalty program.”
On historic Franklin Street, right in the heart of downtown, The Franklin Hotel Chapel Hill marries classic European-inspired architecture and modern furnishings with personalized hospitality. Exceptional guest rooms feature furnished terraces overlooking downtown, while inside an extensive pillow menu and Egyptian cotton linens ensure a restful night’s sleep. In addition to 60 standard guest rooms, the hotel has two presidential suites and five executive suites for those seeking even more space and luxury. Taking the extra step to anticipate and fulfill guests’ needs, a stay at The Franklin includes complimentary parking, breakfast and Wi-Fi. Future guests can also expect exciting updates to the hotel’s public spaces, which are slated to take place throughout 2015.
“Our guests love the uncommonly personalized attention that we deliver upon each visit,” said Jay Patel, co-owner, Wintergreen Hospitality and The Franklin Hotel. “Joining Curio—which by definition maintains the independent feel of each of its hotels—allows us to bring this unique and proactive form of hospitality to an even wider audience thanks to reach of the Hilton name.”
Just 25-minutes from the airport by car, The Franklin is adjacent to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is walking distance to many top restaurants, businesses and attractions, including Ackland Museum, Morehead Planetarium, Dean Smith Center, Research Triangle Park and Cat’s Cradle.
The hotel is home to two dining options. For complimentary breakfast, guests congregate on the second floor at Windows, which serves cooked-to-order favorites in addition to a hot and cold buffet. Roberts, a bistro-lounge with the only covered outdoor seating on Franklin Street, offers a savory selection of burgers, sandwiches, salads, flatbread pizzas and desserts. Diners enjoy weekly live music performances and Wi-Fi throughout the restaurant. For private events, 3,000 square feet of flexible banquet and meeting space is available including a Grand Terrace ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows.
