The North Carolina

Visitor Center

Endorsements

Letter of Welcome and Endorsement

Dear Friends:

I welcome you to North Carolina and the 12^th District Congressional District which includes portions of six of the state’s finest piedmont counties, including Rowan County. I am proud to represent a region with such wonderful people, rich heritage and beautiful landscapes.

During the month of October 2009, the North Carolina Visitor’s Center is highlighting Rowan County and I encourage you to experience some of its rich cultural opportunities. Rowan County has many museums, historical tours and events for the whole family to enjoy, including the North Carolina Transportation Museum and African American Heritage Trail. If you decide to visit during the month of October you should also be sure to consider visiting the Autumn Jubilee Festival and the Rowan Blues and Jazz Festival.

I hope you enjoy your visit and have safe travels.

Sincerely,

Melvin L. Watt

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Dear Friends,

It is with great pleasure that I welcome the North Carolina Visitor Center to beautiful Southeastern North Carolina.

Please accept my sincere appreciation for your commitment and dedication to encouraging visitors to our area to enjoy the unique opportunities, cultural sights and visual beauty that shape this special place.

North Carolinians have long appreciated the splendor of the Southeastern North Carolina. With the creation of the North Carolina Visitor Center, even more will learn of this extraordinary treasure.

Congratulations to all and may God continue to bless this community.

Sincerely,

Mike McIntyre

Member of Congress

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Dear Friends,

Welcome to the Sandhills and Uwharrie Visitor Center (North Carolina Visitor Center). I hope you find the Visitor center helpful as you explore this amazing region of North Carolina.

Having grown up in Montgomery County surrounded by the beauty of the Sandhills and Uwharrie National Forest, I consider this area to be one of America’s most overlooked treasures. We have just about everything you could ever want – from beautiful forests and pristine lakes to rolling hills and rich farm land. From the splendor of Uwharrie Point and Heron Bay to the roar of engines at Rockingham Speedway and Rockingham Dragway, the area provides visitors with an array of different landscapes and activities from which to choose.

Historic small towns populate the landscape, offering a relaxing rural lifestyle while remaining within a short driving distance of urban centers such as Fayetteville, Charlotte and Raleigh. Victorian Inns and antebellum homes decorate our communities.

The Uwharrie National Forest offers visitors many recreational opportunities. Generations of North Carolinians have enjoyed the Uwharrie National Forest and surrounding areas and welcome you to do so as well. My family and I have spent many wonderful days exploring the offerings of our region and hope you have as much fun as we’ve had discovering the magnificence of the Uwharrie.

The Uwharrie Lakes Region include Badin Lake, a popular setting for campers, hikers, boaters and fishermen. The area offers a wide variety of outdoor activities including deer and wild turkey hunting. Be sure to keep your eyes open for the bald eagles. As an avid outdoorsman and bicycle enthusiast, I have enjoyed countless days exploring the scenic trails available in Montgomery and Stanly County.

The Sandhills region is home to award-winning golf courses, race tracks and many wonderful communities. The historic Rockingham Speedway and Rockingham Dragway continue the Sandhills rich racing tradition. Other area attractions include the Town Creek Indian Mound, the North Carolina Zoological Park, Reed Gold Mine, pottery shopping in Seagrove and many area produce farms and markets.

During your explorations, please be sure to sample our large variety of produce and fruit. The peaches and strawberries are some of the best you'll ever taste.

It is an honor and privilege to represent this unique and wonderful region in the United States House of Representatives. I hope you enjoy your visit as much as I enjoy living here.

May God bless you in your travels.

Sincerely,

Congressman Larry Kissell

North Carolina’s Eighth Congressional District

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Dear Friends,

I am happy to welcome the Appalachian Visitor Center to the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, where down-home hospitality meets a cultural center of art and music distinctive to the region and known around the world.

I am a native of the small town of Bryson City, nestled deep in the hills of Swain County. Growing up, I explored the forests of the Great Smoky Mountains; hunted and fished with my father, hiked the trails by day and slept under the stars by night. I now live in the town of Waynesville, where my own two children get to spend their childhoods exploring all that the Appalachians have to offer.

I am happy to share these memories with you, and I am excited that you will have the opportunity to make your own memories while visiting the Appalachian Mountains. Whether you are hiking rugged trails that open up to picturesque vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains or antiques shopping in one of our many cozy mountain towns, I am sure that you will find the people of Appalachia warm and hospitable. I am honored to welcome you to the place I call home.

Sincerely,

Heath Shuler,

Member of Congress

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Dear Friends:

On behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, it is our pleasure to welcome you to the Sandhills and Uwharrie Visitor Center (North Carolina Visitor Center).

I know that I am biased, but I think the Sandhills area is among the most beautiful in North Carolina. I am also equally proud of the work that we have done to make the Uwharrie National Forest more accommodating to more and more visitors.

Our district, which includes Moore, Randolph and part of Davidson, is proud to be home of the Uwharrie, and we encourage everyone to discover and explore its entire splendor.

The Uwharrie National Forest has provided enjoyment, enrichment and pleasure for generations of North Carolinians. We have been working diligently to secure federal funds to complete the Uwharrie Trail. The goal is to purchase land from willing landowners to unite the fragmented Uwharrie National Forest. We hope that this will enhance the Uwharrie experience.

Whenever I can, I enjoy visiting Moore County. The annual Robbins Farmers Day is just one of the many wonderful and unique events in the Sandhills region. If Congress will cooperate and adjourn on time, I hope to participate in the Farmers Day Parade. Maybe I will see you on August 1 from my wagon perch in the Saturday morning parade!

Again, I encourage you to visit the Uwharrie National Forest and the entire Sandhills region. From golfing and horseback riding to great museums and fine dining, the Sandhills area offers visitors many great choices. I hope you will plan to visit soon!

Sincerely,

HOWARD COBLE

Member of Congress

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Dear friends,

Welcome to North Carolina’s High Country, a one-of-a-kind place where you’ll to find unrivaled scenery and rugged beauty and plenty of down to earth folks with a friendly handshake and a smile.

I was privileged to grow up and raise a family in North Carolina’s Appalachian countryside. Today I still proudly call it my home. That’s why I’m so confident that this region, with its rich and textured culture and its long stretches of untouched natural beauty, will quickly make its way to your short list of favorite places once you’ve paid us a visit.

Here in the Appalachian High Country of North Carolina you are always welcome. I’m sure you will soon discover the unexpected and off-the-beaten-path delights for which our region is renowned and I hope you take advantage of the great resources at the Appalachian Visitor Center (www.appalachianvisitorcenter.com) to make your stay a success.

So whether you’re one of the thousands coming to enjoy the music, culture and events of the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain, or if you’re here to simply stroll down the streets and visit the art galleries of West Jefferson in Ashe County, I hope your visit to my favorite place on earth is one you’ll not soon forget.

Thank you for your support of our beautiful mountain community.

Sincerely,

Virginia Foxx

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