Day 49, North Carolina to Georgia, USA

As we fly over North Carolina,

a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States, please look out for the location of the first successful controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air flight. Yes, the one by the Wright brothers that Kerri ( http://www.postcrossing.com/user/kerrimoo ) told us about.....

Oh, there it is ,

the Wright Brothers National Monument at Kill Devil Hills, about 6.4 miles from Kitty Hawk .


South Carolina is a U.S. state that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north.

We simply have to visit what is considered to be one of the Charleston's grandest homes. The Nathaniel Russell House is now a National Historic Landmark and one of America's best examples of neoclassicism and Feroz loves antiques, so lets go...

Built in 1808 for the then-princely sum of $80,000 by Nathaniel Ru ssell, a.k.a., "King of the Yankees," the home is currently furnished as accurately as possible to represent not only the lifestyle of the Russell family, but the 18 African American servants who shared the premises.

Restorationists have identified 22 layers of paint within the home, which barely survived a tornado in 1811, got away with only minimal damage in the 1886 earthquake, but was damaged extensively by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 (and since repaired). As with fine antebellum homes throughout coastal South Carolina and Georgia, the use of faux finishing is prevalent throughout, mimicking surfaces from marble to wood to lapis lazuli.

We were especially impressed by the magnificent "flying" spiral staircase,

a work of such sublime carpentry and engineering that it needs no external support, twisting upwards of its own volition .

In 1955, the Nathaniel Russell House was the first major project of the Historic Charleston Foundation, which raised $65,000 to purchase it.
Two years later, admission fees from the house supported Historic Charleston's groundbreaking revolving fund for preservation, the prototype for many successful programs throughout historic areas of the United States. http://video.bobvila.com/m/21319600/nathaniel-russell-house-tour.htm

Georgia is known

as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South.

The northern part of the state is in the Blue Ridge Mountains,

a mountain range in the vast Appalachian Mountains system.

Did you know that Georgia is home to 63 parks, 48 of which are state parks and 15 that are historic sites, and numerous wildlife preserves?
Absolutely scenic!