North Carolina: Raleigh, Winston-Salem, New Bern, Durham and Asheville

When I was planning this road trip through North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, I honestly didn’t know what to expect beyond the historical information about slavery, the civil war and civil rights…which are all rather enormous in scope. But on our first outing from Raleigh to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Debra and I learned about the culture and religion of the Moravian settlement in Old Salem, the historic district of Winston-Salem. The preservation and the work to be historically inclusive at Old Salem is admirable while also being incredibly important and necessary in order to provide a complete historical picture. We also spent time in Winston-Salem’s downtown with its small town urban and artistic feel.

Old Salem showcases the culture of the Moravian settlement during the 18th and 19th centuries, including communal buildings, churches, houses and shops. The Moravians, a Protestant church that began in what is now known as the Czech Republic, traced their roots to John Hus, martyred in 1415, 100 years before Martin Luther began the Protestant Reformation.

The Moravian Church and Salem residents kept meticulous records and accounts of their lives, their interactions, their buildings and landscapes, and their evolution into the town of Winston-Salem. These records, diaries, documents, and accounts provide details stories of those living and working in early Salem. That history also includes enslaved and free, African Americans who lived in Salem from the early years of its founding in 1766.

Exploring more of North Carolina tomorrow from our home base in Raleigh.

Downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has a cool small town urban and artsy vibe. (Oct. 4, 2017)

Downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has a cool small town urban and artsy vibe. A close up of the mural. (Oct. 4, 2017)

Street art in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Oct. 4, 2017)

Debra and I standing at the Heritage Bridge that links the Old Salem Visitor’s Center and the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. (Oct. 4, 2017)

The Frank L. Horton Museum Center houses the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, a library, research center and bookshop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. (Oct. 4, 2017)

This 1850 elaborately carved mahogany bureau at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem was made by a 3rd-generation free man of color, Thomas Day (1801-1861). By 1850, his shop was the largest furniture manufacturer in North Carolina that employed both white and free black workmen as well as slaves. (Oct. 4, 2017)

These oil paintings of Susannah and Benjamin Yoe with their children at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts was painted by Joshua Johnson, a formerly enslaved African American who gained recognition as an artist between 1790 and 1825. Even though the Yoes and Johnson are not from North Carolina, these paintings at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district are rich historical treasures of the artistic contributions of enslaved African Americans. (Oct. 4, 2017)

This stoneware jar was made by David Drake (1800-1873) an enslaved African American potter who may have been born on a plantation in North Carolina but who spent his life in Edgefield, South Carolina. Dave would sign his pottery with his first name and, in this case, signed this side of the vase with a scripture. (Oct. 4, 2017)

It is on display at the Frank L. Horton Museum Center which houses the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This watercolor and ink on paper depicts all of the Moravian congregations around the world that had been established by 1775 as leaves on the branches of a grapevine nourished by Christ’s blood. (Oct. 4, 2017)

A close up, of the watercolor and ink on paper, depicting all of the Moravian congregations around the world that had been established by 1775 as leaves on the branches of a grapevine nourished by Christ’s blood. The dark leaves depict the African congregations. It is on display at the Frank L. Horton Museum Center which houses the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Oct. 4, 2017)

The front of the African Moravian Log Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. The log church, cemetery and a later church are all a part of the St. Philips Heritage Center. In the 18th century, white Moravians did not have a problem with African and enslaved African Americans worshipping beside them as equals, but that changed by the early 19th century. In 1823, a log church was erected. (Oct. 4, 2017)

The back of the African Moravian Log Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. The Female Missionary Society established a Sunday School in 1827 where African Americans were taught to read and write. This project persisted even after 1831, when the state of North Carolina made it illegal to teach slaves to read or write. (Oct. 4, 2017)

As the congregation of the African Moravian Log Church grew, more space was needed and the log church was replaced by this 1861 brick church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. (Oct. 4, 2017)

The brick church of the African Moravian congregation was built by the log church near the Strangers Graveyard and where after 1816 Moravians of African descent were buried in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. The African Moravian Church was renamed St. Phillips Church sometime after 1914 and is considered the oldest African American congregation in the country. (Oct. 4, 2017)

An engraved inscription in front of the African Moravian Church of Winston-Salem provides information of individuals buried at the African American and Strangers Graveyard. (Oct. 4, 2017)

Inside the brick African Moravian Church of Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district with its original pews. (Oct. 4, 2017)

Inside is the pulpit of the brick African Moravian Church of Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. (Oct. 4, 2017)

Inside the brick African Moravian Church of Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district from the second floor with its original pews. (Oct. 4, 2017)

Inside the second floor school room of the brick African Moravian Church of Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. (Oct. 4, 2017)

Upstairs in the school room area of the brick African Moravian Church of Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district where photos of locals are on display. (Oct. 4, 2017)

The downstairs gathering area inside the brick African Moravian Church of Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. (Oct. 4, 2017)

The Salem Tavern Museum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district is where “outsiders” who visited Salem were housed, fed and entertained, including President George Washington. (Oct. 4, 2017)

A copy of a thank you letter, which was probably dictated by President George Washington, who stayed two nights at the Salem Tavern in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. (Oct. 4, 2017)

The burial ground of the Moravian congregation in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. Called “God’s Acre,” the first congregant buried was in 1771. Men and women were buried separately and all the graves are marked with simple stones. (Oct. 4, 2017)

The private home Dr. Samuel Benjamin Vierling an early and renowned physician of Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. He was born in Germany in 1763, the child of Lutheran parents. He studied medicine in Berlin and after completing his studies, was called to Salem as its physician. (Oct. 4, 2017)

Inside the home of Dr. Samuel Benjamin Vierling of Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district which housed this apothecary. (Oct. 4, 2017)

The Home Church of the Moravians at Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district was built in 1800 and renovated in 1870 and 1913. (Oct. 4, 2017)

The 1800 Winkler Bakery in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district offers delicious baked goods for sale as it did some two hundred years ago. (Oct. 4, 2017)

The freshly baked sugar bread is one of many baked good for sale at the 1800 Winkler Bakery in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district. (Oct. 4, 2017)

Half-timbered homes like this one in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district were built between 1766 and 1768 and are currently privately occupied. (Oct. 4, 2017)

These signs can be seen throughout the various facilities in Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Old Salem historic district requesting information on free and enslaved African Americans who lived in Salem in an effort to continue to present Old Salem’s complete and inclusive history. The staff, volunteers and re-enactors are knowledgeable, friendly and go above and beyond to answer questions. Our day in Winston-Salem and Old Salem was worth the almost two hour drive from Raleigh. (Oct. 4, 2017)

Today Debra and I ventured to the east end of North Carolina to New Bern. Founded in 1710 by a Swiss nobleman who named the city after his home of Bern, Switzerland, this New Bern is full of significant historical architecture that showcases its diversity.

I realize I’m just getting started on this road trip, but I’m enjoying the history and either the homey and artsy feels of these towns. Like our time in Winston-Salem, today was another great day to explore the history and landscape of a City that flows to characterizing the distinctiveness of the State while showing all of us our past and how that past still has a place in our present and our future.

Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina, was the state’s first colonial and state capitol. The palace was originally built between 1767 and 1770 as the first permanent capitol of the Colony of North Carolina and a home for the Royal Governor William Tryon and his family. The governor brought John Hawks, an English architect, with him to design the palace, in the fashionable Georgian in style, with symmetry maintained throughout. The originally palace burned down in 1798. The re-constructed palace was opened to the public in April 1959, as North Carolina’s first public history project. (Oct. 5, 2017)

Inside the front parlor of the Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina. Guides in period dress conduct tours of the building. (Oct. 5, 2017)

Inside this large room of the Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina is where President George Washington was entertained and danced. It’s also the room where council members met to conduct business with the governor. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The women’s drawing room with its beautifully embroidered antique chairs of the Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The women’s drawing room with a close-up of an embroidered antique chair at the Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The grand floating staircase inside the Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina, is made of mahogany wood. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The kitchen of the Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina, is in a separate structure from the palace. (Oct. 5, 2017)

One of the garden’s of the Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina. (Oct. 5, 2017)

Inside the gate and courtyard of Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The home of John Wright Stanly, built around 1780 in New Bern. He became a leading ship owner, molasses distiller and one of the wealthiest men in North Carolina. John Wright and his wife, Ann, died during the yellow fever epidemic of 1789. (Oct. 5, 2017)

Inside the home of John Wright Stanly, built around 1780 in New Bern. Stanly was a prominent ship owner, merchant and a molasses distiller. (Oct. 5, 2017)

This portrait of President George and Martha Washington with their grandchildren is a copy on the wall of John W. Stanly’s home in New Bern. The president spent two nights at the Stanly home April 20-21, 1791 while he was on his tour of the south, which included North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. (Oct. 5, 2017)

This home was purchased in 1800 by John Carruthers Stanly, the illegitimate son and slave of the wealthy John Wright Stanly. John Carruthers Stanly’s mother was an Ebo slave whose name is not known. He worked as a barber, opened his own businesses and earned enough money to buy his freedom and eventually his own plantation. This Amelia Green House, also known as the Green-Hollister House was purchased by John Carruthers Stanly for his wife’s grandmother, Amelia Green, to save it from the tax collector. The grandmother lived in the house until her death in 1823. (Oct. 5, 2017)

These historical marker signs are dotted through New Bern, North Carolina. This sign gives information about John Wright Stanly home. And, the home behind the marker is the home built by Major John Daves, a soldier in the Continental Army and later a major in the North Carolina Cavalry. The home was built around 1770. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The St. Joseph’s Catholic Colored Mission on Bern Street in New Bern, North Carolina, was established in 1891 to serve the spiritual and physical needs of the African Americans in and around the town. (Oct. 5, 2017)

A row of historical homes on Pollock Street in New Bern, North Carolina. (Oct. 5, 2017)

A private residence today, this was the home of one of New Bern’s wealthiest African Americans, Isaac H. Smith. A realtor and finance broker, Smith was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1898. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The King Solomon’s Lodge Number One in New Bern, built in 1870, was the first black Masonic Lodge established after emancipation in North Carolina. (Oct. 5, 2017)

Debra and I being accompanied by one of several artistic bear statues in New Bern, North Carolina’s downtown area. Bern means bear in German and since the black bear is New Bern’s mascot, there are a variety of bear art pieces throughout the town. (Oct. 5, 2017)

Another of several artistic bear statues in New Bern, North Carolina’s downtown area. Bern means bear in German and since the black bear is New Bern’s mascot, there are a variety of bear art pieces throughout the town. (Oct. 5, 2017)

A bear drawing in the middle of a bricked street in New Bern, North Carolina’s downtown area. Bern means bear in German and since the black bear is New Bern’s mascot, there are a variety of bear art pieces throughout the town. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The Birthplace of Pepsi store pays homage to the actual site in New Bern, North Carolina, where Pepsi-Cola was first invented by Caleb Bradham in his pharmacy in 1898. (Oct. 5, 2017)

Inside the Birthplace of Pepsi store which pays homage to the actual site in New Bern where Pepsi-Cola was first invented by Caleb Bradham in his pharmacy in 1898. (Oct. 5, 2017)

Several of the buildings in New Bern, North Carolina’s downtown area caught my eye, including this one, the City Hall. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The James Reed Lane with fountain and benches is named after the first rector of Christ Episcopal Church from 1753 to 1777 in downtown New Bern. (Oct. 5, 2017)

Another building in New Bern, North Carolina that caught my eye. This is the Craven County Court House on Broad Street. The previous courthouse burned down in 1861, and this new courthouse wasn’t constructed until the 1880s. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The St. Peter’s A.M.E. Zion Church in New Bern was the first African Methodist Episcopal Church in North Carolina and the South, making it the Mother Church of all Southern A.M.E. Zion Methodists. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The historic Cedar Grove Cemetery in New Bern was established in 1800, and is encircled by this stone triple arch entrance and wall built in 1853. The cemetery includes family plots and a confederate memorial. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The Cedar Grove Cemetery in New Bern, North Carolina was named for the abundance of cedar trees which shade the grounds contains the graves of New Bern’s leading citizens as well as confederate soldiers who died in the Battle of New Bern. (Oct. 5, 2017)

The C.S.A. Monument inside the Cedar Grove Cemetery in New Bern, North Carolina. The Confederate States of America or CSA referred to as the Confederacy, was an unrecognized country that existed from 1861 to 1865. “In memory of the confederate soldiers killed during the Battle of New Bern, North Carolina – 1862 – Interred in a vault beneath this monument.” (Oct. 5, 2017)

St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church in New Bern, North Carolina, established in 1866 was the first permanent congregation for African Americans. It was rebuilt in 1910. (Oct. 5, 2017)

Heirloom collard greens, black-eyed peas and baby back ribs for dinner at the Pit Authentic Barbecue in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Oct. 5, 2017)

I’m really liking North Carolina and its warm fall weather. Today was all about its capitol and our home base of Raleigh. It’s the first chance we’ve had, since arriving on Tuesday, to really take in the downtown area. Debra and I learned a lot about Raleigh from Brad, our tour guide with Tobacco Road Tours, from its grand performing arts venues to its historical black college roots. Raleigh’s downtown is a city on a mission to show off its history while allowing its present-day vitality to take center stage. So far, North Carolina cities are an impressive three out of three.

On Saturday we plan to explore Durham, North Carolina, on a walking and food tour and come Sunday we pack up our gear and our rental car and head to Asheville, North Carolina.

The North Carolina State Capitol on Union Square in Raleigh. The Greek Revival building was completed in 1840 replacing the previous State House which was destroyed by a fire in 1831. (Oct. 6, 2017)

On the first floor of the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh, is this depiction of George Washington as a Roman general. This statue is a copy of Antonio Canova’s original statue which was destroyed when the State House burned in 1831. Canova, sought to honor George Washington by depicting him in a Roman general’s uniform. (Oct. 6, 2017)

Another side of George Washington sculpted as a Roman general inside the rotunda of the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh. (Oct. 6, 2017)

The Senate Chamber of the North Carolina State Capital in Raleigh served the 50-member Senate until 1961 and resembles a Grecian temple in the Iconic style. (Oct. 6, 2017)

Stepping outside the Senate or House Chamber, from the second floor, is a view of the North Carolina State Capitol’s rotunda. (Oct. 6, 2017)

The House Chamber of the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh served the 120-member House of Representatives from 1840 to 1961. (Oct. 6, 2017)

This poster of Abraham H. Galloway is on display in the House Chamber of the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh. Galloway, was an escaped slave, abolitionist, mason, spy for the union army, women’s suffragist, and a North Carolina state senator. He was one of three Black senators and seventeen Black representatives in the North Carolina General Assembly in 1868. Galloway died unexpectedly of fever and jaundice in 1870 at the age of 33 just after being reelected. (Oct. 6, 2017)

The State Library on the third floor of the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh was completed in 1842, when the staircase, gallery and shelves were added to hold the growing collection of books and papers. In 1888, the State Library moved to a larger building and is now housed at the Archives and History Building on Jones Street. (Oct. 6, 2017)

The 13th Amendment to the Constitution plaque at the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh. The plaque reads: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Effective nationwide on Dec. 6, 1865; ratified by North Carolina in Dec. 4, 1865. (Oct. 6, 2017)

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution plaque at the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh. (Oct. 6, 2017)

The 15th Amendment to the Constitution plaque on the wall at the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh. (Oct. 6, 2017)

This statue of the three North Carolina Presidents sits in front of the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh. It honors the three presidents born in North Carolina: Andrew Jackson of Union County, 7th U.S. president (1829-1837); James Knox Polk of Mecklenberg County, 11th U.S. president (1845-1849); and Andrew Johnson of Wake County, 17th U.S. president (1865-1869). Although North Carolina claims all three presidents as native sons, all were elected while residents of Tennessee. (Oct. 6, 2017)

Raleigh tour guide Brad, with Tobacco Road Tours, drove, entertained and educated us about Raleigh’s history and current urban development. (Oct. 6, 2017)

Historic Estey Hall built in 1873 on the Shaw University campus in Raleigh was the first higher education building for African-American women in the U.S. It is the oldest surviving building at Shaw, which is the oldest historically black college, founded in 1865, in the South and was the first institution of higher learning established for freedmen after the Civil War. (Oct. 6, 2017)

The 10-foot-tall, 1,250-pound copper and steel acorn sculpture at Duke Energy Center was commissioned for Raleigh’s bicentennial in 1992. It takes center stage for Raleigh’s annual “Acorn Drop” on New Year’s Eve. (Oct. 6, 2017)

Raleigh, North Carolina’s Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts and includes the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater, the Meymandi Concert Hall and the Kennedy Theater. (Oct. 6, 2017)

Raleigh, North Carolina, has a hip downtown full of the things you expect a big city downtown capitol to have with its restaurants, shops, condos, skyscrapers and art venues while still holding on to its history. (Oct. 6, 2017)

More of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina’s historical and current architectural mix. (Oct. 6, 2017)

Raleigh, established as North Carolina’s in 1792; however, its history actually reaches back to 16th century England. This decked- out statue of Sir Walter Raleigh at the Raleigh Convention Center. He was a world traveler, who never visited the new world, but under a patent from Queen Elizabeth I, he established the first English colonies on the North Carolina shore. (Oct. 6, 2017)

A close-up of the Sir Walter Raleigh statue in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Oct. 6, 2017)

The Mordecai House, built in 1785, is the centerpiece of Mordecai Historic Park and considered the oldest residence in Raleigh on its original foundation. The oldest portion of the house was built by Joel Lane for his son, Henry. Joel Lane, considered a founder of Raleigh, initially had 5,000-acres of land surrounding the house and sold 1,000 acres to help create the city of Raleigh. The house was eventually named after Moses Mordecai, whose first wife, Margaret Lane, had inherited it from her father Henry. After she died, Mordecai married her sister Ann Lane. In 1824, Mordecai hired architect William Nichols to enlarge the house. (Oct. 6, 2017)

The original side of Mordecai House, with the walk up porch, was built in 1785 in Raleigh and enlarged with four new rooms in 1826, transforming it into a Greek Revival mansion. (Oct. 6, 2017)

This simple home is the birthplace and boyhood home of Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States. He was born in the house, located at the Mordecai Historic Park in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Dec. 29, 1806. At that time, the house stood on Fayetteville Street. In July 1904, it was purchased by the Colonial Dames and later presented to the city of Raleigh. (Oct. 6, 2017)

This green gem is a circa 1847 early office building which is now located on the Mordecai Historic Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Oct. 6, 2017)

The Historic Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina, contains two special areas within its 102 acres the Confederate Cemetery and the Hebrew Cemetery, both given in 1867 by Henry Mordecai. (Oct. 6, 2017)

In 1867, Henry Mordecai donated land east of Raleigh, North Carolina, to establish a Confederate cemetery and another plot for Wake County’s first Hebrew Cemetery. More than 1,300 Confederate soldiers are buried here. (Oct. 6, 2017)

As of 2010, there are 1,388 Confederate and two Union Soldiers buried in the Soldiers’ Cemetery at Historic Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Oct. 6, 2017)

Enjoying $2 tacos, spicy chicken and brisket, on the rooftop of the Trophy Tap and Table in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. (Oct. 6, 2017)

A place strikes a cord for me when I can feel its energy and envision spending time there instead of just passing through. I could definitely spend more time in Durham, North Carolina. From its former tobacco roots to its Black Wall Street legacy, Durham has charm, history and most of all it has a soul that called to me.

Walking down the historical Parrish Street and seeing the sculptures honoring the successful black-owned businesses of the early 20th century coupled by the 21st century developments honors the past and in my view links it to the future. Seeing the Civil Rights Mural up close, stepping into the glow of St. Joseph’s African Methodist Episcopal Church’s brilliant stained glass and walking down Parrish Street just made me feel good.

And, sampling Durham’s food, while taking in its tobacco history…without inhaling…and charm was fun and filling. I may not be a thrill seeking foodie, but I don’t know if it will taste good until I try it, so I’ll try it…at least once.

What I’ve come to realize is that I have to walk the streets to really feel the vibe of a city. And, that’s what we did today, walk on our own and with a food tasting walking tour. Raleigh may be the state capitol, but Durham with its history, art and food…has it all in just the right proportions. Check out what Debra and I saw and sampled as we made our way through Durham.

Next stop on our road trip is Asheville, North Carolina.

This massive piece of history and wall art is the Durham Civil Rights Mural in Durham, North Carolina, from the 2015 Durham Civil Right History Project by artist Brenda Miller Homes. It is located on 120 Morris Street near the Durham Arts Council and truly features local civil rights leaders. For more information on the individuals depicted in the mural you can go to: http://www.muraldurham.com/durham-civil-rights-mural-2015/ (Oct. 7, 2017)

A close-up of the Durham Civil Rights Mural in Durham, North Carolina, from the 2015 Durham Civil Right History Project by artist Brenda Miller Homes.(Oct. 7, 2017)

Me at the bottom corner of the massive Durham Civil Right Mural in Durham, North Carolina. It feels like resisting is still a present-day way of life. (Oct. 7, 2017)

One of six sculptures on historic Parrish Street in Durham, North Carolina, commemorating Durham’s Black entrepreneurship better known as “Black Wall Street.” (Oct. 7, 2017)

While I’m getting in a selfie, Debra is taking a photo of the Black Wall Street historical sign, in a park-like area, honoring the entrepreneurship of businesses owned by African Americans along Parrish Street in Durham, North Carolina. (Oct. 7, 2017)

The Old North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co. building, also known as the Mechanics and Farmers Bank, on Parrish Street in downtown Durham, North Carolina formerly served as the headquarters for the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co., one of the nation’s largest companies founded and owned by African-Americans. The 1921 neoclassical revival building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975. (Oct. 7, 2017)

An old photo of the historic home of the North Carolina Mutual Co. in Durham, North Carolina, can be seen on the window of the Historic Parrish Street Forum. The Forum provides a space for meetings, workshops, classes, and cultural events as well as the opportunity to connect to Durham’s rich history. (Oct. 7, 2017)

The park-like area on the corner of Parrish and Mangum Streets in Durham, North Carolina, honoring the Black Wall Street entrepreneurs with a historical sign and three sculptures at that intersection. (Oct. 7, 2017)

The continued development of the historic Parrish Street in Durham, North Carolina. (Oct. 7, 2017)

The Historic Parrish Street Forum in Durham provides space for meetings, workshops, classes, and cultural events as well as the opportunity to connect to Durham’s rich history. (Oct. 7, 2017)

Historical photos of workers at the North Carolina Mutual Co. office in Durham: the top is of women workers from 1959 and the bottom is from 1909. This photo, along with others, are on the windows of the the Historic Parrish Street Forum, a space for meetings, workshops, classes, and cultural events. (Oct. 7, 2017)

A 1929 photo of the North Carolina Mutual Co. staff in North Carolina. This gorgeous photo gives me warm chills. This photo, along with others, are on the windows of the the Historic Parrish Street Forum, a space for meetings, workshops, classes, and cultural events. (Oct. 7, 2017)

Another sculpture along historic Parrish Street honoring Black Wall Street in Durham features the financial and professional impact of Parrish Street as the “address of many ambitious bankers, doctors, lawyers and accountants whose investments in a growing African American community made it possible for barbers and beauticians, pharmacists, nurses, architects, educators and artists to thrive in Durham.” (Oct. 7, 2017)

The Durham Bull, in downtown Durham’s City Center Plaza has been a symbol since the 1800s when post-Civil War era merchant John R. Green branded his product “Bull” Durham Tobacco. In 1898, James B. Duke bought the tobacco company, making it a part of his American Tobacco Company, thus increasing Durham’s national reputation as a tobacco-manufacturing center. (Oct. 7, 2017)

This sculpture along historic Parrish Street honoring the entrepreneurs of the Black Wall Street in Durham, North Carolina, pays tribute to empowering and diverse opportunities. (Oct. 7, 2017)

We’d hoped to check out the art museum at North Carolina Central University in Durham, the first public supported liberal arts college for African Americans, but it was closed. (Oct. 7, 2017)

In 1910, Dr. James E. Shepard founded North Carolina Central University, the nation’s first publicly supported liberal arts college for African-Americans. Shepard, who served as the first president of the university for nearly 40 years, was also a pharmacist, civil servant and educator. (Oct. 7, 2017)

The Hayti Heritage Center in Durham, an African-American cultural arts venue that opened in 1975. The area on the southern edge of Durham, was founded by freedmen coming to work in tobacco warehouses and related jobs in the city. The center and St. Joseph’s African Methodist Episcopal Church are now one unit. (Oct. 7, 2017)

The art gallery of local artists at the Hayti Heritage Center for the Cultural Arts and Education in Durham, North Carolina. (Oct. 7, 2017)

“The Front Pew,” an oil on canvas original painting by LeGrant Taylor, one of many paintings on display at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham. (Oct. 7, 2017)

“The Beginning of the Season,” an original painting by Edward L. Baxter on display at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham. (Oct. 7, 2017)

“Women in Hats,” an original painting by Sharon Barksdale Worth on display at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham. (Oct. 7, 2017)

St. Joseph’s African Methodist Episcopal Church at Fayetteville Street in Durham began with a congregation organized in 1869 at a brush arbor organized by Edian Markham, a former slave and AME missionary. The church was built in 1891 in the Hayti District with brick fired locally by black artisans, the Fitzgeralds. (Oct. 7, 2017)

The interior of the Old St. Joseph’s African Methodist Episcopal Church in Durham with its 24 stained glass windows. (Oct. 7, 2017)

A close-up of the circular stained glass inside the Old St. Joseph’s African Methodist Episcopal Church in Durham, North Carolina. (Oct. 7, 2017)

The interior of St. Joseph’s African Methodist Episcopal Church in Durham has 24 stained glass windows enhancing the beauty and dignity of this former sanctuary. (Oct. 7, 2017)

Brightleaf Square in downtown Durham, North Carolina is anchored by two tobacco warehouses renovated to house shops, restaurants, and offices. The space between the two structures is a public courtyard for various seasonal events. Built in the early 1900s to store and age the tobacco produced by the American Tobacco Company, it is now on the National Register of Historic Places. (Oct. 7, 2017)

Brightleaf Square in downtown Durham are former tobacco warehouses renovated to house shops, restaurants and offices. (Oct. 7, 2017)

Debra and I waiting at Brightleaf Square in Durham, North Carolina, to start our Triangle Food Tour. (Oct. 7, 2017)

The first stop of our food tasting tour in downtown Durham was a Lilly’s version of a Margarita pizza with extra virgin olive oil, roasted garlic, tomato slices, fresh mozzarella, Parmesan and basil. Yum! (Oct. 7, 2017)

This former meat market is now Roses’s Meat Market & Sweet shop in Durham our second tasting for a pork filled dumpling covered with a rich soy brother and a shiitake mushroom called a Pork and Squash Jiaozi, I’m not a mushroom person but the dumpling was tasty. (Oct. 7, 2017)

The third stop of our food tasting tour was The Cupcake Bar on Chapel Hill in Durham, North Carolina. (Oct. 7, 2017)

Me stuffing a very delicious red velvet cupcake down my throat at The Cupcake Bar on Chapel Hill in Durham, the third stop of our food tasting tour. (Oct. 7, 2017)

Heading across the tracks to our fourth food tasting adventure at Bason, the Japanese restaurant by the Durham Performing Arts Center and Durham Bulls baseball team. (Oct. 7, 2017)

It’s a plate full of variety and goodies at Bason, the Japanese restaurant by the Durham Performing Arts Center and Durham Bulls baseball team in Durham, North Carolina. On the plate is the Witch Roll made of fried oyster, roasted pepper, jalapeño and tuna wrapped in what appears to be a witch hat with a dab of wasabi tartar sauce. Also on the plate are peppers, a dumpling and a dessert of chocolate moose and whipped cream on top of a sponge cake. And, the drink is the “Orange you a Hippie” by Bull City Ciderworks. (Oct. 7, 2017)

Just some more of Durham, North Carolina’s downtown street art as we make our way to our last food tasting. (Oct. 7, 2017)

This eclectic sculpture, in downtown Durham, North Carolina, was created by local artist Al Frega using industrial pieces of local buildings and warehouses in downtown Durham. Included are pieces from American Tobacco, Liggett Myers, Imperial Tobacco and more which have played a significant role in the history and revitalization of downtown Durham. (Oct. 7, 2017)

More of Durham, North Carolina’s downtown mural street art as we make our way to our last food tasting. (Oct. 7, 2017)

Viceroy, the British pub specializing in Indian food in Durham, North Carolina was last food tasting restaurant on the tour. The no meat appetizer called Bhaji consisted of a kale fritter with cilantro, chick pea masala, tomato, onion yogurt and chutney. Viceroy, a British pub specializing in Indian food. And, the King Fisher beer added to the experience. So, if you’re wondering what were my favorites, the pizza and the red velvet cupcake, in that order. (Oct. 7, 2017)

Debra and I, standing in front of the Durham Civil Rights Mural downtown Durham as we say our good-byes to the Raleigh-Durham area and head to Asheville. (Oct. 7, 2017)

It has 250 rooms, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces and is considered to be the largest privately owned home in the country while the entire estate, which includes the house, gardens, farm, trails, a winery and more spans some 125,000 acres. This began as the summer home of George Vanderbilt and it’s called the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

Construction of the Biltmore House was under way in 1889; it was a massive undertaking that included the mansion, gardens, farms and woodlands. Vanderbilt called upon two of the most distinguished designers of the 19th-century: architect Richard Morris Hunt (1828-1895) and landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903). Even after six years, Biltmore House was not complete when Vanderbilt opened it in 1895.

Debra and I spent the day at the estate and still didn’t see all there was to see. I took more than 700 photographs, so there’s really no way to show the magnitude of the Biltmore Estate, but I’m hoping you’ll see just enough to be awed by the American version of a chateau the way Debra and I were. Enjoy!

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina was officially opened on Christmas Eve of of 1895 by George Vanderbilt after six years of construction. It was a family home for George, his wife Edith and their daughter Cornelia. In 1924, Cornelia married the Honorable John Francis Amherst Cecil and they lived and entertained at Biltmore. The Cecils opened Biltmore to the public in 1930. Today, more than 4,000 people visit Biltmore daily. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, was designed by Richard Morris Hunt and is modeled after the richly-ornamented style of the French Renaissance and adapted elements, such as the stair tower and the steeply-pitched roof, from three famous early-16th-century châteaux in the Loire Valley: Blois, Chenonceau and Chambord. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The Winter Garden inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The Banquet Hall inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The massive fireplace of the Banquet Hall inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The Banquet Hall with a view of the Organ Loft inside the Biltmore House in North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The Breakfast Room inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The Music Room inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The Loggia, a covered room with views of Biltmore’s Deer Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The view of the beautiful countryside and the Blue Ridge Mountains as seen from the Loggia inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. Frederick Law Olmstead, Biltmore’s landscape architect transformed worn-out farmland into pastoral scenes and forests. (Oct. 9, 2017)

Me by the Loggia inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. It was a partly cloudy, humid day but the countryside views were stunning. (Oct. 9, 20170

The Library Room inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The Tapestry Gallery inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

A portrait by John Singer Sargent of Frederic Law Olmstead, the landscape architect of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, in the second floor living hall. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The 17th century Portuguese carved furniture and grant walnut bed make up Mr. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The Oak Sitting Room inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

Mrs. Vanderbilt’s bedroom inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

More of Mrs. Vanderbilt’s bedroom inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The third floor living hall inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. The Christmas tree to the left is one of many being set up “Christmas at Biltmore” which begins November 3. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The spiral wrought iron Grand Staircase inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The stone hallway shows the immense scale of the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. Because of the scale of the house, it took almost two years to build the foundation. (Oct. 9, 2017)

This is called the Halloween Room inside the basement of the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. In April 1924, Cornelia Vanderbilt married the Honorable John Francis Amherst Cecil, a British diplomat. In 1925, the young couple, joined by family and friends, spent several weeks painting these wall scenes for a New Year’s Eve party. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The Halloween Room inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The bowling alley inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. Since automatic pinsetters were yet to be invented, a servant would set the pins up and roll the balls back. (Oct. 9, 2017)

A 70,000-gallon indoor heated pool at the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The servants bedroom in the basement of the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. Female housemaids, laundresses, cooks and kitchen maids lived in the house while male employees like groomsmen and stable boys lived nearby above the Stable. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The main kitchen inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. The copper pots hanging above the work table are original. (Oct. 9, 2017)

Me and Debra having a late lunch at the Stable Cafe on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

A lattice walkway in the garden at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The rose section of the garden on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The gorgeous rose bushes in the rose section of the garden on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The garden and conservatory at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The conservatory at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, is a glass-roof building designed by the house architect, Richard Morris Hunt, to nurture exotic orchids, ferns and palms. (Oct. 9, 2017)

I have no idea what these beauties are but they were inside the conservatory at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Someone on Facebook suggested the name is Red Amaranth. (Oct. 9, 2017)

A walking trail at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

Sunflowers line the walking trail at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

Me at the garden area of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

It’s called Antler Village where the winery on Biltmore’s 8,000-acre estate is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The entrance to the Biltmore Estates Winery in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The hallway with historical information leads to the wine store and bar of the Biltmore Winery in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

Wine outfits for your wine bottle sold at the Biltmore Winery store in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

The wine bar where people line up to taste the various wines produced at Biltmore Winery, located in the heart of Antler Hill Village in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

Me after several wine tasting glasses at the wine bar at the Biltmore Winery in Asheville, North Carolina. (Oct. 9, 2017)

I learned something from the Cherokee people about how they identify themselves and others as Cherokee. It’s by who this person is, if they accept the culture and customs, including the language, of the Cherokee people. And, that’s how you become a Cherokee. The blood count… the one third this or one-eight that…is what the government uses to identify a Native American, but the Cherokees are more concerned about your heart, your soul and how you see yourself. I like that.

I remember my brother and I having to fill out some school papers in a new grade school and were given two boxes to check for race…black or white. We scratched out both and wrote in Human. Maybe if it was just that simple, we could all look into one another’s hearts and accept the fact that we are all the same…Human…but I digress.

Debra and I spent our last full day in North Carolina on Tuesday venturing through the journey of the Cherokee people on their land in Cherokee, North Carolina, from who they are to the richness of their culture and customs.

Next stop on our road trip, through North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, is Columbia, South Carolina.