- Next on North Carolina Weekend, join us from the newly renovated Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield.

We'll go hot air ballooning, fly fishing and explore a historic boutique inn in Hillsborough.

Coming up next.

- [Announcer] Funding for North Carolina Weekend is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history and diverse cultural attractions from the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains, across the Piedmont to 300 miles of Barrier Island beaches.

You're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

[lilting music] ♪ - Welcome to North Carolina Weekend everyone.

I'm Deborah Holt Noel and today I am in Smithfield exploring the Ava Gardner Museum, an amazing collection of memorabilia from the late Hollywood star's career and private life.

And why is there a museum honoring this famous icon?

Because Ava Gardner was born right here in Johnston County.

We'll learn more about this classic American cinema legend a bit later in the show, but first, everyone knows that North Carolina's inner banks are famous for their picturesque rivers, marshes and forests.

Let's head to Bath for an enchanting hot air balloon ride with IBX Balloon Flights.

- See ya.

- Adios.

- It sure does rise quickly, doesn't it?

- The hot air balloon from Inner Banks Balloon Flights takes off from the town of Bath.

- Man!

The balloon heads west over Bath Creek.

- How high are we up now?

- Probably a couple hundred feet if that.

- Pilot Neal Lankford has been ballooning most of his life.

- I took my first balloon ride when I was five years old.

A friend of my parents owned a balloon.

And that was back in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the early '70s.

And Albuquerque is kind of known as the balloon capital of the world.

Just grew up around Albuquerque and knew I always wanted to be a pilot.

I think it's just the adventure of there's that part that you don't know where are you going to go exactly.

You know, you don't know how the end of the flight is going to be.

You don't know what the flight is going to be like.

Every flight's a surprise.

There's always something different.

- You go up over the trees and then you see something.

- Neal's partner, Skip Van Wyck, needed to be close to his family in Bath.

So Neal decided to start a ballooning business here.

- Well, this is the beauty of it.

I mean, there's just the cute little town.

It's historic.

The water's right there.

There's no ballooning out in this area.

So people were pretty excited about it and I'm excited too 'cause it's always fun to find new places.

- It's not a new place to his passengers, Rusty and Patsy Duke.

They live in Greenville, but have a home in Bath.

- Well, it was really exciting to get to go up in the air over an area that we're familiar with and see things that we don't usually see when we're driving down the road.

- This is incredible.

- It is beautiful.

- It really doesn't compare to a plane ride.

This is totally different.

- The ride began back in the parking lot of the Bath historic site visitor center Neal uses a regular balloon to test the wind speed and direction along with the help of a balloon app on his phone.

- I think the biggest challenge in ballooning is weather.

Actually, we're a very weather-dependent sport.

- The weather's good today, so Neal and Skip unload the basket and balloon and connect them together.

They semi-inflate the balloon with a big fan, then inflate it the rest of the way with the burner.

The passengers get in and Neal takes off while Skip follows in his truck.

- This is great.

So smooth and quiet.

People are always really surprised when they get in the basket.

You know, all of a sudden you'll be a couple hundred feet in the air and all of a sudden they realize they're flying.

I want them to have an experience of a lifetime.

Something that they'll talk about for years down the road.

- Yeah, go ahead.

- So where are you headed?

- I'm not sure yet.

- After about an hour in the air Neal guides the balloon down over a cornfield.

They usually ask permission in advance to land on private property.

But even when that's not possible, Neal says most people are fine with it.

- A lot of people aren't familiar with the balloon.

Some people have never seen them.

So if one lands in their cornfield or something they get pretty excited about it.

- I'm gonna try to put it right on that road.

- [Man on radio] If that's what you want.

[majestic music] ♪ - Did you have a good time?

- Yes.

- We had a wonderful time.

- This is fabulous.

Thank you so much, Neal.

- No problem.

- It was a great ride, a great ride on a great day.

We really enjoyed it a lot and we just hope other people will do it because they'll find out how much fun it is.

- Book your hot air adventure at IBX Balloon Flights at 56 Carteret Street in Bath.

For more information, give them a call at 505-720-5438 or find them on Facebook.

- I just love all the glamorous gowns that are here at the Ava Gardner Museum.

In fact, as you can see, this one's got more of a psychedelic touch, very popular during the 1960s.

It's part of Ava's personal collection.

Now let's turn our attention to the Western part of our state, where there are miles and miles of pristine trout waters to explore.

In fact, whether you are new to fly fishing or an experienced angler, there's a place called Boone's Fly Shop in downtown Boone that provides everything you need for fly fishing in the high country.

Let's go take a look.

- Boone is a small mountain town but also got a university right in the middle.

We have access to some beautiful streams, beautiful mountains.

- Located just a short drive from some of the best trout streams on the east coast.

A visit to Boone's Fly Shop and Guide Service is a good way to start your high country adventure.

- Yeah, we are a full service fly shop.

We offer all the gear, the flies, leaders and tippet that you'd need to hit the water.

This fly shop is a Southern incarnation of the biggest, baddest Western fly shop that you're ever going to walk into.

I mean, this building was built in 1914.

We've got doors that are over 250 years old.

Once you come through there and you see what we are trying to build here, it really resonates as a fly shop that you would imagine in your head.

- Most of the rivers up here are cold enough to sustain trout year round.

That's not very common for the Southeast here.

We're about as far south as you can go to enjoy cold clean water that that promotes healthy wild trout.

- Look at that mayfly sitting on the surface.

- Guided fishing trips are available through the fly shop.

These seasoned pros know how to put folks on to fish and to ensure a good day on the water.

- So yeah, we'll meet here, we'll get everybody, you know, supplied with their boots, their waders, their rods and everything.

We, you know, typically I offer anywhere between a four to an eight-hour trip.

That's walking wades in the river where we get your boots and waders, of course, to walk up the river.

- In the mountains of North Carolina we actually have an opportunity to do something that you really can't do anywhere else in the country, honestly.

The techniques and the tactics that you're using to sneak up on some of these wild trout, although you can compare them to other places, it is not the same.

Not a single day is the same and every experience that I have, especially with new people.

I mean, you can start your day thinking one way that the day is going to go, and it typically goes in a completely different direction.

- In addition to fly fishing, back at the shop you can try your hand at tying your own artificial flies.

- The part of the sport that's not required, of course.

You can buy your own flies.

One that's that brings more art to the sport, that brings even more, you know alone time and time to be artistic, to enjoy another part of the sport, which is fly time.

- I'm going to take some copper tinsel and I'm going to wrap that in the base.

And all that fly time is, is basically just a bunch of layering.

So we tie our materials in at the back of the fly and then we work them up to the front of the fly.

And that's how we finish back from where we started.

And then I'm going to snip that thread real close.

And then there we go.

A nice just a olive soft hackle with a little bit of flash to it.

And then that orange hotspot.

- We like to say we offer, you know, an experience, one that isn't just about catching fish.

it's about enjoying the river, understanding, you know what the trout are doing, where the food comes from, what their habits are.

And then, you know, from there, experiencing the outdoors in the way that we like to, which is fly fishing.

[mellow music] - Amazing thing about fly rods specifically is you have a connection.

You're basically fishing with your hands.

So when you do experience those feeding fish and seeing those bites and getting hooked up, I mean it's a physical connection to nature.

- It's a opportunity to take a step back and take a breather and just be in that moment.

And I think being able to be in nature like that and appreciate at that level is therapeutic to say the least.

- Boone's Fly Shop is at 140 Depot Street number one in Boone, and they're open daily, For more information, give them a call at 828-865-3474 or go online to boonesflyshop.com.

- I'm here with Lynell Siebold, who's the executive director of the Ava Gardner Museum .

Lynell, who was Ava Gardner?

- Ava Gardner was a very famous movie star.

And she was in more 60 films.

She was very well known.

She was in several films that people would probably know.

"Mogambo", "Showboat", "Night of the Iguana".

She was actually nominated for academy award for "Mogambo" for best supporting actress.

She was married to some famous men.

Her first husband was Mickey Rooney whom she met on the lot her second day there.

And he was dressed up like Carmen Miranda at the time.

So who knew what the attraction was, but they ended up getting married and that only lasted a year.

And then she married Artie Shaw, who was a very famous clarinetist and a very talented musician.

And they also only lasted for a year.

And then she married the love of her life, who was Frank Sinatra.

And although their marriage only lasted six years, they stayed in contact with each other for the rest of their lives.

And he sent her roses every year for her birthday and they called each other the love of their lives.

They really had a connection.

They talked on the phone probably weekly and kept in contact until she died.

- And can you tell us how was Ava discovered?

- Well it's a very interesting story.

Ava Gardener was born not too far from here, about seven miles down the road in a very small community called Grabtown, which wasn't really a town but that's what they called it at the time.

It's just outside of Smithfield like I said.

Her father was a tobacco and cotton farmer.

She of course lived here in North Carolina, but her older sister Bappie had moved to New York with her husband Larry Tarr.

Larry Tarr was a photographer.

Ava went up to visit them during the summer and Larry, thinking she was quite beautiful and photogenic ,took several pictures of her.

One of those pictures is right here.

And that is what we call the discovery picture, because a young man who worked for Lowe's who owned MGM Studios, walked by the photography studio one day and thought that girl is beautiful.

I might want a date.

And he tried to get a date with her and they were not giving her information, but the minute he left the shop, they started running off photos and sent them to MGM because he said I think MGM would be interested in her.

So they took her up to New York and gave her a screen test but they couldn't understand a word she said because she had such a thick North Carolina Jojo accent.

And it ended up being a silent test.

But that is how she was discovered.

They just thought she was amazing.

She was beautiful, the way she moved the way she carried herself.

In fact, I believe that the head of MGM Louis B. Mayer said she can't act, she can't talk, she's terrific.

Sign her up.

[laughter] - She really is striking.

- Yes, as was born with great genes.

- Now, did Ava Gardner remain connected to North Carolina throughout her career?

- Very much so.

She had family here and she was all about her family.

And much of her family stayed in this area.

They're still family in Smithfield and they are involved in the museum.

- And what has this museum done for the town of Smithfield?

- The visitors bureau has told us that our economic impact to the downtown of Smithfield is around a million dollars a year.

- That's huge.

So what can you tell me about the renovations?

Because I understand this has been renovated.

- Yes, about four months ago, I walked in the front door and I walked into water and we just now reopened and every single room has something different.

We have brand new exhibits.

We have a couple of things that have never been exhibited before.

Many things that haven't been out for years.

We're anxious to have people come and visit us 'cause we're really excited to be reopened.

- One of the compelling features about this museum is the collection of just striking photographs of Ava Gardner herself.

Now over in Hillsborough, a historic inn had fallen into disrepair until a local group of citizens have mounted a big effort to restore this tarnished jewel.

Now this iconic cornerstone has become a showpiece for the community.

Let's take a visit to the Colonial Inn.

- The history of the Colonial Inn is interesting, complex, fun, mysterious.

Before it shut down in 2001, we know that it was one of the oldest inns in operation in the country.

We know that the structure dates back at least to 1838.

We have a lot of reason to believe it dates back to the 1700s.

And so on our sign it says 1759, and that is basically I'm paying homage to the myth and local lore that it dates back that far.

- But by the turn of this century, the Colonial Inn had suffered years of neglect and closed in 2001.

It sat abandoned until 2018, when investors rekindled the dream of a full-service Colonial Inn for downtown Hillsborough.

- The ceiling was falling down.

The floors were covered with carpet and linoleum.

So we were able to pull some of that up and expose the stunning yellow pine floors that are original.

When we pulled down the plaster and the lath from this room that we're in now, which we're in the bar here.

Basically we found these massive oak beams that have hand-hewn ax marks and handmade nails.

- These supportive beams, they're just so large, they're enormous.

And they're just supporting this entire structure and keeping it alive for the last 200 and more years.

- We worked on it for almost three years.

And so we opened November 2020, the height of the pandemic, - They think this is like 250 years old.

- But have come a long way.

We were able to save about 85% of this structure.

And finally, after almost 17 years, has been re-birthed out of the ashes to be the Colonial Inn we know now, so we're very fortunate.

There are so many architectural details of the Colonial Inn that are iconic.

The double columns, the second-story porch, a lot of people notice how big and beautiful the windows are.

They walk inside and they see that staircase, as well as this little, what we call the Colonial Inn north star, that small diamond space.

You'll see it on our bar facade as well as in our check-in desk.

It's also on our logo - The Colonial Inn has 28 rooms.

We are a boutique hotel.

So we have seven rooms that are in the original structure upstairs.

And then we have 21 that are in the back building.

It did try to create a lot of variation.

So there's actually seven different room designs.

The design is called neoclassical.

So it's classical elements with modern flare and everything has been updated.

And so we really want it to be a place where you can just come and be and relax.

My husband Rutland came on as a food and beverage manager and bar manager.

So it's a family affair.

- We initially wanted it to be a bar that served good food.

And we quickly evolved into more of a destination where people kind of started going for food.

Before the inn closed 20 years ago, brunches were a mainstay of what happened here.

And we definitely wanted to kind of pay homage to that and bring that back.

- So we do brunch every Sunday.

I like to respect the history of the old Colonial Inn.

I know fried chicken was very popular, so we're kind of bringing it into the modern age.

We do entrees of North Carolina shrimp and grits.

we just added the biscuits and gravy and just nice Southern fare.

And we do family-style platters for all the sides.

So, you know your party can just kind of pick and choose.

- Delicious.

- So all of our taps are always going to be from North Carolina, just a lot of local fare on the liquor and the draft front.

Our signature cocktail, the one we make the most of is very affectionately called the Orange County.

A lot of people here around here are whiskey fans but also I think people just like ordering it because it's where they all live.

You start with a big rock.

We do a full shot of our whiskey, quarter shot of a little sweet vermouth, quarter shot of a blood orange liqueur that helps give it its name.

Three dashes of bitters, a little squeeze of orange juice, give it a stir.

And that my friend is the Orange County.

- Having such close proximity to downtown has been incredible, partnering with the small businesses downtown has been amazing.

And then having our guests, you know walk right down the street and patronize those businesses.

We have our local art initiative.

So we have 35 different artists that we showcase on all of our public space and our private guest rooms.

So all of those items are for sale.

And 100% of proceeds go back to support this art community here.

There are a number of different packages that you can add on to your experience here at the Colonial Inn.

So we have lots of people coming in and enjoying special anniversaries or birthdays or just a staycation.

- We saw the place and we really liked it.

Thought this could be a great place to have a small intimate wedding, which is what we did.

- So it was wonderful.

[indistinct] [soft jazz trombone] - They retained a lot of the original architecture.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure these are the original floors.

They've done a fabulous job.

- It's just really nice to see history come back.

- Yeah.

And I'm glad to see it's here again.

- The Colonial Inn is at 153 West King Street in Hillsborough.

To book a room or find out more, give them a call at 984-789-4455 or go online to colonialinn-nc.com.

- Charlotte, our largest city is sprinkled with small towns and communities all along its outskirts.

Once a sleepy railroad village, Matthews has become a vibrant borough of Charlotte with retail, coffee shops, restaurants, and more.

Let's join our partner, Our State magazine, on a visit to Matthews.

[mellow music] - Matthews is a place that has a very charming downtown area and a number of locally owned businesses.

So it's the perfect place to spend the day.

My name is Amy Carr.

I'm the executive director of the Matthew's Free Medical Clinic.

I've been a part of the Matthews community for eight years and I love this town.

The perfect way to spend morning is starting off at Brakeman's Coffee and Supply.

They have an amazing atmosphere with upstairs, downstairs and even outside seating.

It's a really relaxing place to be.

After getting your caffeine fix you have to walk downtown Matthews.

It's historic, beautiful.

There are so many things to see.

There are shops, one of which is Buffalo Jackson Trading Company and the other's brand Renfrow's Hardware.

When you walk in Buffalo Jackson's, you're going to find all kinds of apparel for men and women.

You're going to find leather goods, sweaters, flannels.

Immediately your attention goes to the buffalo that's right in the middle of the store.

It's a great place to get something for someone special or even for yourself.

Just around the corner from Buffalo Jackson's is Renfrow's Hardware.

Renfrow's Hardware is this nostalgic general store that's right in the heart of Matthews.

They have so many products ranging from yard art, tools, cooking utensils.

They have fresh eggs and fresh flowers from their farm.

Once you're done exploring downtown Matthews, take a break for lunch, head up Trade Street to an area we call the North End.

The Loyalist is a great place for lunch because they have a variety of sandwiches.

They also have a great selection of beer and wine.

I love to go there with family and friends to share a charcuterie board.

They are not only beautiful, but delicious.

After lunch spend some time outdoors.

We have this really great Greenway that you can access from downtown Matthews off of South Trade Street.

It has beautiful creeks and scenic walking.

It even connects to the popular Squirrel Lake Park.

Squirrel Lake Park is so family-friendly.

It has playgrounds, it has fishing and a pier, pavilions and outdoor grilling.

A great way to spend your afternoon is to head back to downtown Matthews and visit one of the local establishments for drinks or snacks.

Two of my favorites are Seaboard and Temple Mojo.

Seaboard has something for everybody.

It is a brewery, a taproom, and even a great wine bar.

Temple Mojo is a family-friendly place that has games, a large side yard, and it's somewhere that you can bring the whole family and have a great time.

An ideal way to end your day in Matthews is with dinner.

There are a lot of places to choose from.

One of my favorites is The Portrait Gallery.

It is a unique small-plates restaurant with very creative dishes.

They have seasonal menus that are rotating and always fresh and delicious.

Matthews is a place that is friendly, has such a great sense of community and you will find something new every time you visit.

- To find out more about how to spend your day in Matthews, go to Matthewsnc.gov.

- Well, that's it for tonight show.

We'd like to thank our friends at the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield.

It's a fascinating window into Hollywood and Ava Gardner's life.

And if you've missed anything in today's show just remember, you can always watch us again online at pbsnc.org.

We hope you have a great North Carolina weekend, everyone.

Good night.

[lilting music] ♪ - [Announcer] Funding for North Carolina Weekend is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions from the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains across the Piedmont to 300 miles of Barrier Island beaches.

You're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.