Why Do They Visit Chapel Hill?

                Most visitors come to Chapel Hill because of the University, right?         

           UNC-Chapel Hill is basically the only show in town. We rightfully call this a university community – home of the nation’s first state university And we don’t have any commercial industry here.           

           So make a guess: What proportion of all the visitors to
Chapel Hill come here to do something at UNC?  Would you say 90%, 80%, or what?           

            The question was asked during a restaurant luncheon table discussion recently. Our answer was 90%.

            Everybody there was a supposedly knowledgeable long-time resident, so all the rest confidently answered something like 90%.

             –What figure occurred to you?            The correct answer is – less than half – 49 per cent.           

          Now, let’s examine and explain that. The above figure came from the responses to a professional survey recently conducted by the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau. You may challenge the way in which the question was asked, or the target audience. But basically, that’s the finding from over 400 answers. That surely is a pretty fair survey sample.  UNC involves less than half the reasons visitors come to Chapel Hill    

        Think about it, and you ought to feel good about this blessed Southern Part of Heaven. We dearly love alma mater, and we’re not looking for a change in the nature of our community. Most residents, we believe, as opposed to visitors, settled here and stay primarily because it IS a university community.            But, to learn that the appeal of Chapel Hill for visitors is broader than the numerous cloisters of our University is heartening.  They like our general ambience, restaurants, and climate.

              There’s a lot more that could be learned and said about the findings of this survey, but we’ll leave all that stuff to the pros.             What the quiz data shows, at least, is that other folks simply find that this is,  in general, a nice place to visit.

The Netherlands — a Fine ‘Package’

            On return from a package excursion to China last fall, I wrote a blog in praise of our trip. I want to do the same now for a more recent one.            

Of the two-week trip to China, I wrote “We’d all better learn about China and accommodate ourselves to it…because China is what is happening in the world today, and fast.” (I redouble that feeling now.)         

   Earlier this month we enjoyed an eight-day canal boat excursion during the tulip season in The 
Netherlands. This was also, in our judgment, a good “buy” through Viking Cruise Lines.             Friends, all of us receive a stack of travel brochures every day and all of them sound great. For my bride of 56 years and myself, at our tender ages, we now look for the convenience of the travel experience as much as the places included. Too often a tour is series of pack-up-and-go routines, which quickly become tiresome.            That the recent canal trip totally avoided this, while covering the country with daily tours off the ship was especially appealing – and relaxing. Further, since we’re not wealthy and have limited time for travel, we appreciate the benefits of package tours. This one included air fare, accommodations, meals, and land tours –everything except the well-deserved tips at the end.            The
Netherlands is a beautiful, historic and significant country, especially at this season.                        

‘Apple’ is best chilled

          This blessed Southern Part of Heaven is properly proud to offer its people many of the good things in life. For more than three decades one of these has been the annual Apple Chill Festival – and its companion FestiFall. Under sponsorship of the Town Parks and Recreation Department this was started as a celebration of good life in
Chapel Hill – a pleasant Sunday afternoon downtown public gathering to meet and greet each other. It was highly successful. I have attended and participated as a volunteer in almost every Apple Chill and Festifall since their beginning — though in recent years more warily.

          Times change. People and events evolve and change. Apple Chill, a beautiful spoonerism of a name, inevitably changed, but for the worse. It was no longer a time for locals to meet and greet. Most locals came to avoid, even dread it, because of the rowdy crowds, and the rowdier “After Chill” – lately dubbed “After Kill.”          Today, April 24, the day following Apple Chill 2006, Mayor Kevin Foy made a forthright statement for the end of Apple Chill. This was sparked by the violent events of After Chill.  By the time you read this, this once-great local event will likely  have been permanently “chilled” by the Town Council.       

   A creative community such as Chapel Hill should in due time seek new outlets for its  positive spirit.

Your car does not enhance your home

          What is it about otherwise thoughtful mortals that causes them to park their family automobiles in the front yard of their homes.          Almost always there is a more than adequate parking area in the back yard.  And more often than not the front yard parker has made a reasonable attempt at natural beautification around his residence – shrubs, flowers, and green lawn.          Apparently this person doesn’t count his automobile as a detraction from the architecture of the home and the yard that he has cultivated to enhance his residence.          It  is a fact of life for me that the automobile is only necessary as a means of transportation. All too often there is a garage for it, but the impatient owner has simply parked directly at the garage door.          Think on it, fellow motorists. Your car is not a thing of beauty in your yard. Spare us this un-necessary blight.