North Carolina
December 2005
North Carolina thoughtfully provides an 800 toll free telephone number that you may call in order to request information about the state. It may not be the information you want, but at least you can get it.
On the telephone I inform the information office person that during our upcoming trip, we intend to hike and camp. “Would you care for a listing of historic landmarks?” she asks.
“No thanks. We’ll be backpacking. We intend to go into the woods and stay there.”
“How about golf courses? We have some of the best here.” She sounds hopeful.
“Yeah, I’ve heard about your golf courses. World class. But no thanks. We just want to hike and camp. That’s all. We won’t be visiting any golf courses.”
“Y’know, North Carolina has lots of furniture manufacturers. How about if I send you information on furniture maker tours?”
“Excuse me, but we won’t be in cities, we won’t be touring, we won’t be playing golf, we won’t be looking at chairs. We are planning to be in remote parts of the wild places, the boondocks, the scary uncivilized. That’s all. Okay?”
“Okay. I’ll see what I have and send it to you.”
Two days later — these information agencies, if nothing else, are prompt — my packet arrives. Inside is an official North Carolina transportation map, a guide to R V camping, an educational pamphlet on nature study for grades 6 through 8 and a list of night spots, city by city.
Thank you very little.