CAROLINA BASEBALL

Fayetteville, NC

We arrive in Fayetteville at Market House (dating back to 1838) before touring the Museum of the Cape Fear. Dad and I then make a necessary stop at the busy and delicious Fowler’s BBQ. In the afternoon, we visit the Airborne & Special Ops Museum, North Carolina Veterans Park, and the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

 

Market House

At the center of Fayetteville is Market House, which is, well, a market house and former town hall. It was built in 1838 on the site of the 1788-1793 state legislature building where representatives from North Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution.
 

Museum of the Cape Fear

Opened in 1988, the museum illustrates the history and culture of southern North Carolina. The museum complex includes the 1897 Poe House, home of E.A. Poe -- not Edgar Allen Poe but a Fayetteville businessman who lived here with his family.
 

Fowler's BBQ

One extremely correct decision we made on this day was to visit Fowler's BBQ for lunch. Fowler's describes itself as a "scratch kitchen with a focus on BBQ prepared with fresh local ingredients and house-made sauces." We sat inside, slipping gradually into our piggy bliss as the line for the counter grew longer and longer.
 

Airborne & Special Operations Museum

Opened in 2000, this very modern-feeling museum celebrates the role of U.S. special forces and airborne units from World War II to the modern day. The museum tableaus do an effective job of reflecting their respective moments of time, from French villages to Vietnamese countryside to house-by-house searches in Iraq.
 

North Carolina Veterans Park

As we drove away from the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, we came upon North Carolina Veterans Park, a collection of artworks commemorating the deeds of all branches of the military.
 

Cape Fear Botanical Garden

On the way back to the hotel, we made a quick stop at Cape Fear Botanical Garden, a 77-acre home to 2,000+ varieties of plants, nature trails, and a natural amphitheater.