By Barbara Petty
April 2005
Randolph County: Planes, and cars, and animals,
oh my!
I grew up Denver, Colorado with two brothers,
two sisters, two parents, and a variety of animals throughout
the years. A love and respect for our furred playmates translated
to a larger appreciation for all of the animals on our planet.
Yearly family trips to the Denver Zoo, although fun and
much appreciated, (as a family of seven, our parents had
limited funds for entertainment, so a family trip to the
zoo was a Big Deal!), I sometimes left feeling a little
sad. Most animals were kept in cages or very small, penned
areas, and they always seemed bored. Plus the smell was
awful! But, that was what most normal zoo environments were,
and that is what was expected.
Flash
forward several years. I’m married with two kids of
my own living in California. I will never forget our first
trip to Marine World/Africa USA. My first experience with
a natural habitat zoo was so exciting that I think I enjoyed
it more than my children did. Tigers, lions, zebras –
animals indigenous to the African continent were on display
– but not on display. They LIVED there! Acres and
acres of land to run, to play, to mate, to be. Now this
is a Zoo!
Moving forward another 20 years. My first
visit to the North
Carolina Zoo in Asheboro was nearly as exhilarating.
The first thing that captured my attention was the size
of the facility. It seemed to take forever to drive to the
entrance. Come to find out, the Zoo property is 1,500 acres,
with 500 acres developed. To tour the entire zoo on foot
(which is the best way to experience it) is over five miles;
not something you can do quickly. But you want to take your
time so you can enjoy all of the amenities the zoo has to
offer.
THE VARIETY: The NC Zoo hosts
more than 1,100 animals from 250 species. Exhibits range
from the Sonora Desert (roadrunners, ocelots, reptiles,
bats, and lots of cacti), to the African Plains (antelope,
storks, ostriches, elephants and rhinoceroses), to the Cypress
Swamp (alligators, cougars, waterfowl, turtles). And for
a limited time you can Discover the Wonder Down
Under in the temporary exhibit, Australian
Walkabout.
THE
EXHIBITS: A great amount of research, attention,
and care has gone into the design of the habitats, as well
as the entire layout of the zoo. The staff designers built
climbing structures and planted appropriate bushes, shrubs,
and foliage to create a harmonious environment for the animals.
In fact, the conservation efforts by the zoo horticulturists
are integrated into educational opportunities for students.
The walking paths were designed to provide viewing of the
animals as close as possible. The visitor can actually experience
how the animals live in their environments as opposed to
just “seeing” them.
THE ART: The Zoo has an impressive
collection of public art throughout the facility. These
realistic representations of the animals provide additional
opportunities for education and discussion. The sculptures
and paintings create a bridge between the visitor and the
experience.
A visit to the North Carolina Zoo is fabulous
experience for a multi-generational family. But it is a
bit of a hike, so take your time, stop often and drink plenty
of water. (Motorized and manual wheelchairs are available
for rent for those needing assistance.) The Zoo is open
year-round (except Christmas and severe weather days), although
hours of operation are seasonal. Coming up April 16-17 is
Earth Day Weekend – an activity filled event to create
public awareness of land-use issues. Events include face
painting, bug races, scavenger hunts, and musical entertainment.
For more information, you can call 1.800.488.0444 or go
to their Web site at www.nczoo.org
About ten miles North of Asheboro on Highway
220 is the Richard Petty Museum. Having recently featured
Richard in our Fifty and Fabulous column, I was interested
to see the facility dedicated to the man. I met with Doris
Gammons, Executive Director of the Museum who shared with
me some background information. The Town of Randleman is
honored to host the Richard Petty Museum, and not just because
he is the winning-est driver in NASCAR history, he and his
family are stewards of their community. Richard was Randleman’s
County Commissioner for 20 years, and donated numerous hours
to charity causes. His wife Linda served on the school board.
The museum serves as a kind of “Thank You” to
the Pettys in recognition for all they have done for the
community.
The
over 30,000 yearly visitors to the museum don’t care
so much about that, they come to see the place where their
“King” reigns. Yes, there is an incredible amount
of memorabilia collected: his nine most popular driver awards
and hundreds of other awards including his 200th win showcase;
several vintage race cars including Lee Petty’s original
‘57 Oldsmobile that was actually dug out of their
property and completely restored (Richard’s 200th
win car is currently at the Smithsonian Museum but will
be returning to the Petty Museum this summer); personal
collections including belt buckles, knives, riffles, civil
war memorabilia, even his wife’s Lynda’s doll
collection. What the visitors come for is because they love
Richard. As a race car hero, Richard understood the value
of his fans and has always gone out of his way to recognize
and appreciate them. The amount of personal gifts on display
in the museum attest to his relationship with his fans.
In fact, Richard was voted NASCAR’s most popular driver
numerous times, received a Sportsman of the Year award,
and an Award of Excellence. And probably most significantly,
Richard was honored with a 1992 Presidential Medal of Freedom
in recognition of Richard Petty, the man, not just the driver.
For hours of operation and questions about
upcoming events, you can call 336.495.1143. Ask about the
Fan Club Open House on October 22nd that occurs in conjunction
with the NASCAR festival.
For
aviation buffs, don’t leave Randolph without visiting
the North Carolina Aviation Museum, located at the Municipal
Airport on Highway 49 South. Examples of America’s
greatest warplanes from WWII through Vietnam are on display,
and all except for one still fly and participate in air
shows. Jim and Rick Pettycord started the collection of
airplanes. In fact, the outside of the Building still says
“Peddycord FAC Air Museum.” Unfortunately, both
father and son were killed in a mid-air collision practicing
for an air show. It became the North Carolina Aviation Museum
a year ago and is managed by the State Department of Commerce,
Division of Tourism.
The oldest planes on the premises are a 1941
PT 13D Stearman and a 1941 Vultee BT-13A (the names didn’t
mean a thing to me, but they certainly looked old); the
newer planes include a 1962 French Brousard and a 1967 Cessna
T-41B. Our tour guide, General Manager Mark Vuncannon, was
very knowledgeable about how the planes were used for training
airmen, the advantages of two wings versus one, even the
difference of lift between wings placed low on the aircraft
and those that were designed on the top.
Also
on display are military uniforms and memorabilia from the
South, most notably newspapers front pages from the 1940’s.
Be sure to check out the illustrations that align one wall
in the main building: a series of illustrations from the
“Battle of Britain” by Geoff Nutkins, and a
group of aviation art pictures by Marcus Stewart.
The Aviation Museum will be hosting an air
show June 4. 31 show aircraft from around the country will
fly in for the show. A total of four to six thousand people
are expected, so it sounds like a very exciting day. For
more information call 336.625.0170.
This concluded my second trip to Randolph
County as part of our Discovering Carolina series. What
I am learning about this great state is that there are more
interesting places to visit than one would ever guess. I
plan to continue my own personal discovery of North Carolina
for awhile longer.
