NC roadside attractions in nature can mean a few things. It can be incorporating something clever using something that already exists in nature or even something that becomes one with the natural world around it. Any NC roadside attractions in nature must blend in naturally, be located in the Tar Hell state and not be organically disruptive . . . and it should be fun and interesting!
Carrboro Tree Bug
809 Smith Level Rd, Chapel Hill, NC
About halfway between US-501 and NC-54, on Smith Level Road in the Carrboro section of Chapel Hill is an eclectic example of an NC roadside attractions in nature. The Carrboro Tree Bug sits on private property and is set back from the road. The owner’s neighbor, a wonderful woman who was pulling out as I arrived, encouraged me to park on the gravel driveway and enjoy this clever piece of art. The artist has taken a fallen tree, planted it at an angle and cut off the limbs to replicate a sitting insect. Then they’ve taken household shreds of metal, brightly colored them, and reshaped into a head complete with eyes, antennae, beak and tongue. Make sure you enter the address into your GPS of choice, it’s really easy to drive by and not notice this wonderful NC roadside attractions in nature.
Hartleyhenge
259 John's Woods Rd, Calvander, NC
There is something special about works of passion. Hartleyhenge is one such place and is worth a half hour to explore. It is so interesting that it requires its own dedicated post. Click through and enjoy.
The Cora Witch Tree
50175 Snug Harbor Dr, Frisco, NC
At first glance this remarkable NC roadside attractions in nature, the Cora Witch Tree, reminds one of Mothervine. While both show the marks of violent storms along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, the similarities end there. The Cora Witch Tree is steeped in legend from the 18th Century about a woman and her daughter suspected of witchcraft. The story says they were tied to this tree to be burnt but a bolt of lightning struck the tree and caused chaos among the would be witch burners. When they recovered, Cora and her daughter were gone, replaced by a hole in the tree where the lightning struck. This hole is now filled with mementos placed there over the years attesting to the veracity of the legend. Whether you believe in such things or not, the tree is still an amazing spectacle befitting its estimated 500 years resting in this spot. Today the tree splits a quiet street in Frisco, NC along the lower Outer Banks.
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