by Jim Morekis
Drunk driving is a problem on the highways of America, and the Carolinas are no exception. Always drive defensively, especially late at night, and obey all posted speed limits and road signs—and never assume the other driver will do the same. You may never drive with an opened alcoholic beverage in the car, even if it belongs to a passenger.
Generally speaking, both Carolinas have so-called blue laws allowing Sunday retail purchase of beer and wine after noon, but no hard liquor the entire day. Closing times at bars generally vary by municipality.
Both Carolinas feature ABC, or Alcohol Beverage Control, stores, which are the only places to buy liquor outside a restaurant or bar setting.
ILLNESS
Unlike most developed nations, the United States has no comprehensive national health care system (there are programs for the elderly and the poor). Visitors from other countries who need non-emergency medical attention are best served by going to free-standing medical clinics. The level of care is typically very good, but you’ll be paying out of pocket for the service, unfortunately.
For emergencies, however, do not hesitate to go to the closest hospital emergency room, where generally the level of care is also quite good, especially for trauma. Worry about payment later. Emergency rooms in the United States are required to take true emergency cases whether or not the patient can pay for services.
Pharmaceuticals
Unlike many European nations, antibiotics are available in the United States only on a prescription basis and are not available over the counter. Most cold, flu, and allergy remedies are available over the counter. While homeopathic remedies are gaining popularity in the United States, they are nowhere near as prevalent as in Europe.
Drugs with the active ingredient ephedrine are available in the United States without a prescription, but their purchase is often tightly regulated to cut down on the use of these products to make the illegal drug methamphetamine.
Vaccinations
As of this writing, there are no vaccination requirements to enter the United States. Contact your embassy before coming to confirm this before arrival, however.
In the autumn, at the beginning of flu season, preventive influenza vaccinations, simply called “flu shots,” often become available at easily accessible locations like clinics, health departments, and even supermarkets.
Humidity, Heat, and Sun
There is only one way to fight the South’s high heat and humidity, and that’s to drink lots of fluids. A surprising number of people each year refuse to take this advice and find themselves in various states of dehydration, some of which can land you in a hospital. Remember: If you’re thirsty, you’re already suffering from dehydration. The thing to do is keep drinking fluids before you’re thirsty, as a preventative action rather than a reaction.
Always use sunscreen, even on a cloudy day. If you do get a sunburn, get a pain relief product with aloe vera as an active ingredient. On extraordinarily sunny and hot summer days, don’t even go outside between the hours of 10am and 2pm
HAZARDS
Insects
Because of the recent increase in the mosquito-borne and often deadly West Nile virus, the most important step to take in staying healthy in the coastal Carolinas is to keep mosquito bites to a minimum. Do this with a combination of mosquito repellent and long sleeves and long pants, if possible. Not every mosquito bite will give you the virus; in fact, chances are quite slim that one will. But don’t take the chance if you don’t have to.
The second major step in avoiding insect nastiness is to steer clear of fire ants, whose large, gray or brown-dirt nests are quite common in this area. They attack instantly and in great numbers, with little or no provocation. They don’t just bite, they inject you with poison from their stingers. In short, fire ants are not to be trifled with.
While the only real remedy is the preventative one of never coming in contact with them, should you find yourself being bitten by fire ants, the first thing is to stay calm. Take off your shoes and socks and get as many of the ants off you as you can. Unless you’ve had a truly large amount of bites—in which case you should seek medical help immediately—the best thing to do next is wash the area to get any venom off, and then disinfect with alcohol if you have any handy. Then a topical treatment such as calamine lotion or hydrocortisone is advised. A fire ant bite will leave a red pustule that lasts about a week. Try your best not to scratch it so that it won’t get infected.
Outdoor activity, especially in woodsy, undeveloped areas, may bring you in contact with another unpleasant indigenous creature, the tiny but obnoxious chigger, sometimes called the redbug. The bite of a chigger can’t be felt, but the enzymes it leaves behind can lead to a very itchy little red spot. Contrary to folklore, putting fingernail polish on the itchy bite will not “suffocate” the chigger, because by this point the chigger itself is long gone. All you can do is get some topical itch or pain relief and go on with your life. The itching will eventually subside.
For bee stings, the best approach for those non-allergic to them is to immediately pull the stinger out, perhaps by scraping a credit card over the bite, and apply ice if possible. A topical treatment such as hydrocortisone or calamine lotion is advised. In my experience the old folk remedy of tearing apart a cigarette and putting the tobacco leaves directly on the sting does indeed cut the pain. But that’s not a medical opinion, so do with it what you will. A minor allergic reaction can be quelled by using an over-the-counter antihistamine. If the sting victim is severely allergic to bee stings, go to a hospital or call 911 for an ambulance.
Threats in the Water
While enjoying area beaches, a lot of visitors become inordinately worried about shark attacks. Every couple of summers there’s a lot of hysteria about this, but the truth is that you’re much more likely to slip and fall in a bathroom than you are to even come close to being bitten by a shark in these shallow Atlantic waters.
A far more common fate for area swimmers is to get stung by a jellyfish, or sea nettle. They can sting you in the water, but most often beachcombers are stung by stepping on beached jellyfish stranded on the sand by the tide. If you get stung, don’t panic; wash the area with saltwater, not freshwater, and apply vinegar or baking soda.
Lightning
The southeastern United States is home to some vicious, fast-moving thunderstorms, often with an amazing amount of electrical activity. Death by lightning strike occurs often in this region and is something that should be taken quite seriously. The general rule of thumb is if you’re in the water, whether at the beach or in a swimming pool, and hear thunder, get out of the water immediately until the storm passes. If you’re on dry land and see lightning flash a distance away, that’s your cue to seek safety indoors. Whatever you do, do not play sports outside when lightning threatens.
Information and Services
TOURIST INFORMATION
Outer Banks
The Aycock Brown Welcome Center at Kitty Hawk (U.S. 158, MP 1.5, 252/261-464, www.outerbanks.org, 9am-5pm daily Dec.-Feb., 9am-5:30pm daily Mar.-May and Sept.-Nov., 9am-6pm daily June-Aug.), Outer Banks Welcome Center at Manteo, and Cape Hatteras National Seashore Visitors Center on Ocracoke are all clearinghouses for regional travel information. The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau (www.outerbanks.org) can be reached directly at 877/629-4386.
North Carolina Central Coast
In New Bern, the New Bern/Craven County Convention and Visitors Bureau (800/437-5767) is at 203 S. Front St. within the Convention Center.
The Crystal Coast Visitor Center (3409 Arendell St., 252/726-8148) is in Morehead City, North Carolina.
Wilmington and the Cape Fear Region
Extensive tourism and travel information is available from local convention and visitors bureaus: the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast CVB (23 N. 3rd St., Wilmington, 877/406-2356, www.cape-fear.nc.us, 8:30am-5pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-4pm Sat., and 1pm-4pm Sun.), and the Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce (4948 Main St., 800/426-6644, www.brunswickcountychamber.
org, 8:30am-5pm Mon.-Fri.) in Shallotte.
For Fayetteville, try the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.visitfayettevillenc.com).
Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand
Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center (1200 N. Oak St., 843/626-7444, www.visitmybeach.com, Mon.-Fri. 8:30am-5pm, Sat. 10am-2pm). There’s an Airport Welcome Center (1180 Jetport Rd., 843/626-7444) as well, and a visitors center in North Myrtle Beach, the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau (270 U.S. 17 N., 843/281-2662, www.northmyrtlebeachchamber.com).
Charleston
The main visitors center is the Charleston Visitor Reception and Transportation Center (375 Meeting St., 800/774-0006, www.charlestoncvb.com, Mon.-Fri. 8:30am-5pm). Outlying visitors centers are the Mt. Pleasant-Isle of Palms Visitors Center (99 Harry M. Hallman Jr. Blvd., 800/774-0006, daily 9am-5pm), and the North Charleston Visitors Center (4975B Centre Pointe Dr., 843/853-8000, Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm).
South Carolina Lowcountry
The Beaufort Visitors Information Center (713 Craven St., 843/986-5400, www.beaufortsc.org, daily 9am-5:30pm) is the headquarters of the Beaufort Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In Hilton Head, get information, book a room, or secure a tee time just as you come onto the island at the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center (100 William Hilton Pkwy., 843/785-3673, www.hiltonheadisland.org, daily 9am-6pm) in the same building as the Coastal Discovery Museum.
You’ll find Bluffton’s visitors center in the The Heyward House Historic Center (70 Boundary St., 843/757-6293, www.heywardhouse.org, Mon.-Fri. 10am-5pm, Sat. 10am-4pm, tours $5 adults, $2 students).
MONEY
Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are available in all urban areas covered in this guide. Be aware that if the ATM is not owned by your bank, not only will that ATM likely charge you a service fee, but your bank may charge you one as well. While ATMs have made traveler’s checks less essential, traveler’s checks do have the important advantage of accessibility, as some rural and less-developed areas covered in this guide have few or no ATMs. You can purchase traveler’s checks at just about any bank.
Establishments in the United States only accept the national currency, the U.S. dollar. To exchange foreign money, go to any bank.
Generally, establishments that accept credit cards will feature stickers on the front entrance with the logo of the particular cards they accept, although this is not a legal requirement. The use of debit cards has dramatically increased in the United States. Most retail establishments and many fast-food chains are now accepting them. Make sure you get a receipt whenever you use a credit card or a debit card.
Tipping
Unlike many other countries, service workers in the United States depend on tips for the bulk of their income. In restaurants and bars, the usual tip is 15 percent of the pretax portion of the bill for acceptable service, 20 percent (or more) for excellent service. For large parties, usually six or more, a 15-18 percent gratuity is automatically added to the bill.
It’s also customary to tip bellboys about $2 per bag when they assist you at check-in and checkout of your hotel; some sources recommend a minimum of $5.
For taxi drivers, 15 percent is customary as long as the cab is clean, smoke-free, and you were treated with respect and taken to your destination with a minimum of fuss.
INTERNET ACCESS
Visitors from Europe and Asia are likely to be disappointed at the quality of Internet access in the United States, particularly the area covered in this book. Fiber-optic lines are still a rarity, and while many hotels and B&Bs now offer in-room Internet access—some charge, some don’t, so make sure to ask ahead—the quality and speed of the connection might prove poor.
Wireless (Wi-Fi) networks also are less than impressive, although that situation continues to improve on a daily basis in coffeehouses, hotels, and airports. Unfortunately, many hot spots in private establishments are for rental only.
PHONES
Generally speaking, the United States is behind Europe and much of Asia in terms of cell phone technology. Unlike Europe, where “pay-as-you-go” refills are easy to find, most American cell phone users pay for monthly plans through a handful of providers. Still, you should have no problem with cell phone coverage in urban areas. Where it gets much less dependable is in rural areas and on beaches. Bottom line: Don’t depend on having cell service everywhere you go. As with a regular landline, any time you face an emergency, call 911 on your cell phone.
All phone numbers in the United States are seven digits preceded by a three-digit area code. You may have to dial a 1 before a phone number if it’s a long-distance call, even within the same area code.
Resources
Suggested Reading
NONFICTION
FICTION
Suggested Reading
NONFICTION
Carlson, Tom. Hatteras Blues: A Story from the Edge of America. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2005. A poignant chronicle of the ups and downs of one family’s sportfishing business on the Outer Banks.
Click, Patricia. Time Full of Trial: The Roanoke Island Freedmen’s Colony, 1862-1867. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2001. An insightful exploration, based on primary sources, of this underreported, major chapter of African-American history in coastal North Carolina.
Darlington, Terry. Narrow Dog to Indian River. New York, NY: Delta, 2009. A British couple and their whippet dog Jim navigate an English canal boat down the Intracoastal Waterway from Virginia to Florida, with long, hilarious sections about their travels in North and South Carolina.
Ferling, John E. Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2007. Not only perhaps the best single volume detailing the military aspects of the Revolutionary War, but absolutely indispensable for learning about the Carolinas’ key role in it. In a dramatic departure from most New England-focused books of this genre, fully half of Almost a Miracle is devoted to an in-depth look at the Southern theater ofthe conflict.
Hudson, Charles M. The Southeastern Indians. Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1976. Though written decades ago, this seminal work by the noted University of Georgia anthropologist remains the definitive work on the life, culture, art, and religion of the Native Americans of the Southeast region.
Klein, Maury. Days of Defiance: Sumter, Secession, and the Coming of the Civil War. New York, NY: Vintage, 1999. A gripping and vivid account of the lead-up to war, with Charleston as the focal point.
Pilkey, Orrin H. How to Read a North Carolina Beach: Bubble Holes, Barking Sands, and Rippled Runnels. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2006. Fascinating and user-friendly guide to taking an up-close look at the ebb and flow of the typical North Carolina maritime ecosystem.
Reed, John Shelton. Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2009. The title says it all: everything you ever needed or wanted to know about North Carolina ‘cue.
Robinson, Sally Ann. Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Island Way. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2007. Subtitled “Smokin’ Joe Butter Beans, Ol’ ‘Fuskie Fried Crab Rice, Sticky-Bush Blackberry Dumpling, and Other Sea Island Favorites,” this cookbook by a native Daufuskie Islander features a foreword by Pat Conroy.
Rogers Jr., George C. Charleston in the Age of the Pinckneys, Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1980. This 1969 history is a classic of the genre.
Rosen, Robert. A Short History of Charleston. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1997. Quite simply the most concise, readable, and entertaining history of the Holy City I’ve found.
Whedbee, Charles Harry. Blackbeard’s Cup and Stories of the Outer Banks. Winston-Salem, NC: John F. Blair, 1989. Funny and engaging collection of folklore in and around the Outer Banks.
Woodw
ard, C. Vann (ed.). Mary Chesnut’s Civil War. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1981. The Pulitzer Prize-winning classic compilation of the sardonically funny and quietly heartbreaking letters of Charleston’s Mary Chesnut during the Civil War.
FICTION
Conroy, Pat. The Lords of Discipline. New York, NY: Bantam, 1985. For all practical purposes set at the Citadel, this novel takes you behind the scenes of the notoriously insular Charleston military college.
Conroy, Pat. The Water is Wide. New York, NY: Bantam, 1987. Immortal account of Conroy’s time teaching African-American children in a two-room schoolhouse on “Yamacraw” (actually Daufuskie) Island.
Frank, Dorothea Benton. Sullivan’s Island. New York, NY: Berkley, 2004. This South Carolina native’s debut novel, and still probably her best, chronicles the journey of a Charleston woman through the breakup of her marriage to eventual redemption.
Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. New York, NY: Penguin, 2003. Set in South Carolina in the 1960s, this best-seller delves into the role of race in the regional psyche. It gained critical acclaim due to the unusual fact that the author, a white woman, features many African-American female characters.