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One Tank Trips E ven with all there is to do in the Fay- etteville area, every now and then everyone needs a change of scenery. There are dozens of fascinating places to visit within a short drive of Fayetteville. We call these "one tank trips" because, depend- ing on your car's gas mileage, you should be able to get to each of these spots on one tank of gas or less. MAYBERRY/ MT. AIRY PILOT MOUNTAIN How good is your whistling? The fictional TV town of Mayberry was inspired by Mount Airy for "The Andy Griffith Show". Griffith grew up in a small home here and Mount Airy boasts the world's largest collection of Andy Griffith memorabilia. Be sure to stop at Pilot Mountain, which Andy referred to as "Mount Pilot" in numerous episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show" and take a hike to the top of this landmark for gorgeous views of the Piedmont, and to your west, the Blue Ridge Mountains. SOUTHPORT/ BALD HEAD ISLAND Visitors to Southport love the town's quaint coastal charm, romantic live oak trees and rich maritime history. If you're not too busy admiring the Victorian homes or shopping in 62 | Accents • 2011 - 2012 ABOVE: Pilot Mountain looms large, on television and in real life. RIGHT: In the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield you can see some of the legendary actress' gorgeous gowns. OPPOSITE PAGE: Swansboro sparkles on the Crystal Coast. the gift shops downtown, a short ferry trip from Southport will get you to Bald Head Island. Once a preferred destination of pi- rates such as Blackbeard, Bald Head Island is a perfect place to escape the hustle-bustle. Gasoline engines are prohibited on the island so you'll need to grab a bike, slide into an electric golf cart, or simply walk to explore this resort. LEVEL CROSS/ ASHEBORO/SEAGROVE The first stop along the way on this day trip Lev- el Cross, where NASCAR legend Richard Petty and the Petty Racing Team make their home. From Petty's shop and museum, it's only anoth- er fifteen minutes to Asheboro, where you can visit one of the south's finest collections of vin- tage Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the North Carolina Aviation Museum and, of course, the sprawling North Carolina Zoo. After the zoo, make your way to Seagrove, which bills itself as the "pottery capital of the world." MOREHEAD CITY/ATLANTIC BEACH/ SWANSBORO/BEAUFORT What's not to love about a quaint downtown, beautiful beaches, and coastal charm? Beach- goers have been coming to Atlantic Beach since 1887 and Swansboro, a quaint fishing village, is 23 miles south of Morehead City. Just east of Morehead City you'll find Beau- fort, a wonderful walk-around small town loaded with charm and history. SMITHFIELD, SELMA, GOLDSBORO, KINSTON If you consider yourself a fan of Eastern Car- olina-style barbecue, (and you should) you'll want to make this pilgrimage through barbe- cue country. In Smithfield the locals gather, as they have for nearly five decades, at White Swan Barbecue. If you eat quick and have

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