Table of Contents
Tar Heel Traveler – Journeys and Food
Scott Mason, better known as The Tar Heel Traveler on WRAL, has been exploring North Carolina since 1997 with a camera in hand. He shares his adventures and discoveries on Monday-Thursday segments on WRAL as well as half-hour specials he produces each quarter.
Mason has earned numerous accolades for his work, including being named North Carolina Television Reporter of the Year twice (2004) and 2005 respectively. Additionally, he published two books about his TV adventures – Tar Heel Traveler: Journeys Across North Carolina (2010) and Tar Heel Traveler Eats: Food Journeys Across North Carolina (2014) both published by Rowman & Littlefield Press.
This collection of oral history and memoir, sprinkled with some fun humor, offers a colorful portrait of North Carolina eateries and people. From ramshackle stands to hole-in-the-wall joints, hot hog and barbecue joints to ice cream parlors – there’s something for everyone in this celebration!
Mason not only profiles restaurants in California, but he also highlights other popular food experiences like farmers markets and festivals. He revisits some of his most beloved TV stories here as well, adding dialogue and exploring how these beloved places began.
From a Nuremberg prison guard who lays blue eggs to an artist from Bladen County who crafts knives only with fire and water, these stories are as captivating as the food itself. We highlight one potato chip company that gives back, as well as another woman from Hillsborough who creates homemade soaps in sickle cell shapes and sells them for cancer research.
A Raleigh Man Creates a 23 Mile Paper Chain
Raleigh man Michael DeLuca began creating an incredible 23 mile paper chain which now stands in Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum in Raleigh. Other stories include one about a sailor flying under water on a raft, chickens that lay blue eggs, monkey racing events with NASCAR drivers and more improbable feats of engineering.
Legends of North Carolina – short stories collected from Mason’s book “Tar Heel Traveler: Journeys Throughout North Carolina”, are available at all major bookstores in the area and make for a wonderful present for anyone who appreciates reading and discovering about their home state’s history.
Faith and Air: The Miracle List (Light Messages Publishing)
Mason has collected many stories about the supernatural during his tenure as Tar Heel Traveler. These experiences often cause him to question whether his reporting career is on track, or if he’s simply too skeptical. Nonetheless, he remains undeterred.
While searching for stories of the unexplainable, Mason came across a remarkable tale: that of a golf journalist who was miraculously saved from his hospital bed after experiencing heart failure. This experience marked the start of Mason’s journey which eventually culminated in “Faith and Air.” In this book, he has collected interviews with individuals who claim they have experienced miracles; these accounts feature stories that either Mason has heard from guests or himself that he believes to be true even as he struggles with his own faith.
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