Raleigh and the Triangle - A Visitor's and Local's Guide Pt. 2

[Stubu]

Also a Civil War reference, about North Carolina soldiers being seemingly unable to retreat, as though they had tar on their heels. A good history here: What's in a Name? Why We're All Called Tar Heels | UNC General Alumni Association

I learned new things about tar, pitch, turpentine. Gotta say Lee isn't one of my favorite generals; I prefer someone controversial like Rommel.

 

[Stubu]

Ah. I misunderstood how the 60th Regiment fought. Union side?

 

[Stubu]

I never understood what's the relation between North Carolina and South Carolina, and who back when drew the dividing line between them. Awfully close to politics so use handy euphemisms.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I never understood what's the relation between North Carolina and South Carolina, and who back when drew the dividing line between them. Awfully close to politics so use handy euphemisms.

The line was mainly drawn to clarify the boundary where, as you travelled south, you passed into a land of inferior BBQ, sports, and women.

 

[Stubu]

The line was mainly drawn to clarify the boundary where, as you travelled south, you passed into a land of inferior BBQ, sports, and women.

From a modern Nordic viewpoint that would be inferior poutine/pyttipannu, good Canes hockey, and men and women.

 

[Stubu]

Ah. I missed the point of crossing to the South. Now I get it.

 

[Stubu]

What's the main attraction of South Carolina?

 

[tarheelhockey]

What's the main attraction of South Carolina?

It’s on the way to North Carolina

 

[LostInaLostWorld]

What's the main attraction of South Carolina/QUOTE]

South of the Border - World Famous Roadside Attraction

 

[Stubu]

It’s on the way to North Carolina

Same thing.

- "The best thing about Sweden?"
- "A highway to Finland"

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

What's the main attraction of South Carolina?

Charleston is a legitimately wonderful city to visit. Fantastic food everywhere, and it's absolutely gorgeous to boot. Other than that, it's basically a giant wasteland full of swamps and gators.

 

[Stubu]

Charleston is a legitimately wonderful city to visit. Fantastic food everywhere, and it's absolutely gorgeous to boot. Other than that, it's basically a giant wasteland full of swamps and gators.

It looks pretty.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

What's the main attraction of South Carolina?

In addition to Charleston, I'll throw in a homer vote for Columbia. USC's campus is nice:

Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens is considered the best zoo in the Southeast and one of the best in the country

The South Carolina State House is historic and beautiful (the columns on the portico there are the tallest monolithic columns in the US - look out for the bronze stars on the western side of the building where cannonballs hit it during the Civil War)

There's whitewater rafting to be had on the Congaree River

Oh and speaking of Congaree there's also Congaree National Park which features some really cool scenes, kayaking, and on summer evenings there's frequent/prominent firefly displays (which lend their name to the local minor league baseball team)

 

[HisIceness]

In South Carolina you can buy fireworks. Also fuel prices are cheaper than North Carolina.

 

[tarheelhockey]

In South Carolina you can buy fireworks. Also fuel prices are cheaper than North Carolina.

To be clear, you can also buy fireworks in North Carolina. The difference is that South Carolina will sell you something large enough to take down an aircraft.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Greenville SC is, IMO, a fantastic little city as well. Loved spending time there.

A friend of mine recently moved to Bluffton (from the northeast US). Haven't been down to visit him yet, but he raves about that area.

 

[MinJaBen]

Greenville SC is, IMO, a fantastic little city as well. Loved spending time there.

A friend of mine recently moved to Bluffton (from the northeast US). Haven't been down to visit him yet, but he raves about that area.

My wife and I took the kids there for the total solar eclipse a few years ago. Their downtown riverwalk is awesome. We had never been there before and had a great time in the city. I'd definitely go back again just to visit more.

 

[Stubu]

In South Carolina you can buy fireworks. Also fuel prices are cheaper than North Carolina.

You can't buy fireworks in North Carolina.

 

[tarheelhockey]

You can't buy fireworks in North Carolina.

This is one of those Crocodile Dundee situations.

"You call that a firework? THIS is a firework!" *blows up his hand and drives to the hospital on his legally-uninsured motorcycle while legally not wearing a helmet*

 

[Stubu]

This is one of those Crocodile Dundee situations.

"You call that a firework? THIS is a firework!" *blows up his hand and drives to the hospital on his legally-uninsured motorcycle while legally not wearing a helmet*

This hurts when you get to point it out to a Finn. But who doesn't love Paul Hogan. (And fireworks.)

I grew up watching the Paul Hogan Show. It was that sad then, in the early days of color TV.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

To be clear, you can also buy fireworks in North Carolina. The difference is that South Carolina will sell you something large enough to take down an aircraft.

I always loved the insanity of it when I lived in South Carolina. "Oh sure, you can buy a firework that'll put a FIM-92 Stinger to shame and would totally be capable of bringing down a B-52. But you want to get a tattoo? Are you insane? You have to go to NC for something unsafe like that. And free-pour alcohol at a bar? Perish the thought. Minibottles uber alles!"

 

[Stubu]

I always loved the insanity of it when I lived in South Carolina. "Oh sure, you can buy a firework that'll put a FIM-92 Stinger to shame and would totally be capable of bringing down a B-52. But you want to get a tattoo? Are you insane? You have to go to NC for something unsafe like that. And free-pour alcohol at a bar? Perish the thought. Minibottles uber alles!"

I envy you your time in SC. Not sure I'd have lasted but still.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I always loved the insanity of it when I lived in South Carolina. "Oh sure, you can buy a firework that'll put a FIM-92 Stinger to shame and would totally be capable of bringing down a B-52. But you want to get a tattoo? Are you insane? You have to go to NC for something unsafe like that. And free-pour alcohol at a bar? Perish the thought. Minibottles uber alles!"

The alcohol policy in SC is truly strange, especially in context of the general lack of rules around anything else.

I mean you can literally -- I must emphasize that I am not making this up -- get a permit to fire a missile in the state of South Carolina. To fire an actual ****ing missile. The fine for firing a missile without a permit is $100. But you can't have a beer on Sunday in like half the state.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

In Pennsylvania, until a couple years ago, the law was that you could buy fireworks (the big stuff like in SC), but not if you were a Pennsylvania resident. They checked IDs at the entrance, and sometimes license plates in the lot to make sure you were from out of state.

"Let all these fools from out of state blow their hands off, as long as we get the tax revenue! "

 

[garnetpalmetto]

The alcohol policy in SC is truly strange, especially in context of the general lack of rules around anything else.

I mean you can literally -- I must emphasize that I am not making this up -- get a permit to fire a missile in the state of South Carolina. To fire an actual ****ing missile. The fine for firing a missile without a permit is $100. But you can't have a beer on Sunday in like half the state.

You can *have* a beer, so long as you're at a restaurant. But buying a beer at a store is a no-no. Oh and of course if it's before 2:00 PM (IIRC) you can buy groceries, but you can't buy merchandise. Eggs? Yup you can buy those. A pan to cook them in? Nope. You'll have to wait until we can sell merchandise in a couple hours. It always boggled my mind to go on late night runs to Wal-Mart when I was in college to see employees putting tape up to block people from the areas where you couldn't buy things.