[piano intro] - Next on "North Carolina Weekend," join us from the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh as we celebrate Naturally NC.

we'll go on a llama-led wine tour, visit Sky Top Orchard in Hendersonville and learn all about dinosaurs.

Coming up next.

[gentle 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.

[warm upbeat music] [warm upbeat music continues] [subdued music] - Hurricane Helene recently devastated entire communities in Western North Carolina.

We have some mountain stories in this episode, but please keep in mind that these stories were prepared several weeks ago and tragically, conditions have changed.

However, we wanna support our mountain communities and they will need your tourism support to help rebuild.

But please be patient.

It may take a while for this hard-hit area to recover.

Welcome to "North Carolina Weekend" everyone.

I'm Deborah Holt Noel.

And this week we're at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, where they have a fascinating exhibit called Dueling Dinosaurs where you can interact with paleontologists as they unearth two massive dinosaur skeletons.

It's quite a thrill and we'll learn a lot more about it later in the show.

Here at the Naturalist Center, you can get up close and personal with the natural history of our state.

And what says naturally NC more than locally-grown wine and, llamas?

Well, maybe llamas are not native to North Carolina, but as Rick Sullivan discovered, they make visiting a winery a whole lot more fun.

- [Rick] There is no shortage of great European wine varietals and unique experiences to be had in Yadkin Valley, but only Divine Llama Vineyards has this: a herd of nearly 100 llamas believed to be the largest collection of the fluffy animals in the Southeastern US.

- What's up?

- [Rick] And their 91-acre home turf has also been growing grapes for nearly 20 years.

That's when Michael West, an architect by trade and a lover of big animals, dove headfirst into the wine business.

- My expertise was pulling the cork out of the bottle and appreciating fine wine.

Had no idea how to make wine nor how to grow grapes.

- [Rick] So Mr. West went to school, studied wine making at Surry Community College and learned enough to know how to oversee his grape growing operation.

- We planted our first grapes in 2007.

We selected the four, we planted four varietals in 2007.

- [Rick] They now have 12 different grapes covering these slopes, sharing the land with the llamas.

Down at the llama barn, a trek was about to take place when a welcome surprise held things up.

- Okay, we just had a cria, so we're gonna get to see a baby cria, baby llama that was just born, shh.

- [Rick] The largest herd in the southeast just got bigger.

But before we could see the baby, last week's newborn was lured out of the barn along with his family.

Llamas are super social and gentle with people, especially if someone has a bottle of milk.

Now, the camera can sneak in to see the newest cria who is still trying to find his footing and to figure out where to get his milk from Mama Llama - Just let the mom and the baby sorta, the mom smell the baby, and just wait and let it get up and ideally start nursing.

- This is perfect.

I mean, he's up, standing, walking around, and see him nibbling in the corner.

So he's trying to find an utter now.

We'll get him underneath, and direct him to the right location and hopefully, if everything goes well, then he starts nursing within a few hours.

- [Rick] By the luck of the camera, he took to it in just a few minutes.

No more llama drama.

The cria is safely off to a great start on the farm.

And for the lucky llamas who've earned their right to trek, they are off on an adventure with some new human friends.

- [Trekker] Hey, friends.

We about to go walking.

- [Rick] Visitors to Divine Llama Vineyard get on a waiting list months in advance for this chance to leash-walk a llama around the property.

- Yeah, for the trek.

- So seven months in advance.

- Yeah!

So we were like, "We have to go do that."

And yeah, so here we are today.

And so like loved it.

It was so amazing.

- [Rick] The treks only happen in fall, winter, and spring; good llama weather.

The group hikes through the woods across a couple of babbling brooks, and it includes many nature breaks for the big fluffy critters who have a funny habit.

If one pees, they all pee.

- [Trekker] Good job, you made it.

- [Rick] The whole thing takes one to two hours and ends back at the Vineyard with a downhill sprint past the vines.

And all of this has only been the start of a fun visit to Divine Llama Vineyards.

Time now for the tasting room and a chance to enjoy some of the outstanding wines that can only be purchased here on site.

You can get them by the bottle to-go, but sampling and relaxing here is highly recommended and popular to a lot of different groups.

- We try to get out here at least once a year.

We're not too far, we're fairly local.

But yeah, it's beautiful.

And obviously the kids enjoy the llama farm.

- There you go.

- Just being here, it's just like, oh, like it just feels so relaxing.

You're just drinking a glass of wine like it's so great.

- [Deborah] Divine Llama Vineyards is at 4126 Divine Llama Lane in East Bend, about 20 miles northwest of Winston-Salem.

To plan your trip, give them a call at [336] 699-2525 or go online to divinellamavineyards.com.

Of course, one way to celebrate naturally NC is by harvesting its bounty, right?

Let's head to Sky Top Orchard in Flat Rock, where the apples are ready to pick.

[warm comfortable music] - I started this orchard with my father in 1967.

It was put in as a commercial orchard.

My wife had the idea in 1980 to switch it over from a commercial orchard that sold directly to grocery stores, to a u-pick orchard.

And that's what we do now, sell to the public.

They come up, have fun, pick apples, visit with us on the mountaintop.

- There are so many special things about being up at Sky Top.

One of the things is a lot of people these days have become disconnected from their food sources.

Coming back to the orchard, being out in nature, picking it yourself just has a different special experience that you don't get at the grocery store.

Additionally, coming out with your families and your friends, you make the family memories and then you have produce to show for it to take home and enjoy.

- We grow about 30 varieties.

The most popular, of course, is the Honeycrisp, also Galas when we first open up.

And then midseason, we grow a lot of the traditionals, so we have a variety of fruit whenever you decide to come.

- So you can come, you can sample all the different varieties we have in the fruit stand.

Once you pay, you get a bag, you go out with your friends and family.

We teach you the proper way.

It's really to take the apple, hold it gently, but firmly, twist it and pull down.

We let you go and roam, that's the fun part of it here.

We really want you to go out and explore.

So here at Sky Top we prioritize that.

- I think the first encounter we had with the orchard was when the kids were in preschool.

After that, we've come every year and it's sort of a rite of passage in the fall.

You know, it's fall and the school's starting back when we come up and pick apples.

- So many families, especially elementary school kids, go to grocery stores and they just don't see where produce comes from.

Here at Sky Top, my parents have always really prioritized the education component, and we wanna continue that with our school trips and our field trips.

They also can come enjoy all the activities we have on the farm, bee trains, hay rides, to see the property in a different way.

We've also added an apple cannon where you can shoot an apple across our pond to a target, which is really fun.

And gem mining.

So we are apple's first here at Sky Top, we are the educational component first, but we also have activities for families to enjoy together.

- It's just a nice atmosphere, family friendly, it's safe, it's welcoming.

You can go at your own pace.

There's no pressure to it.

So it's just relaxing to get out into the nature and the mountains and have a good time in what is really one of the hearts of this community.

[bright upbeat music] - We have the same people year after year.

I have my family members helping me, which is a real plus.

A lot of our staff has been with us for many, many years, so they're knowledgeable about apples.

So we try to be full service to our customers.

- Our apple cider doughnuts are one of the biggest hits of the orchard.

You know, people come for the apples, they come for the u-pick, but we joke now that they just come for the doughnuts, honestly.

Our doughnuts are special mainly because of our cider.

And we've been working for years on perfecting our cider.

And honestly, what makes our cider so good is the mix of all the different varieties we put in it.

So putting that into the doughnuts is just really what makes them shine.

- The ante was, if you came to the orchard and you didn't get the doughnuts, you're probably gonna have to come back and get the doughnuts.

It's just been a staple in our lives that it's just something that yearly, we come up and see the beauty and enjoy the apples.

- My favorite thing, honestly, besides the apples and the apple cider and the doughnuts, is the cart ride around the orchard.

It's something that is extra fun for the children, the whole family can do.

And it's sort of exciting going up and down the hills.

[laughs] It's a lot of fun.

- Like my wife says, it's the family memories we've made for people over this 42 years.

People have come up when they were children, now they're bringing their children back.

I guess the most rewarding part is a lot of family memories have been made here, a lot of reunions.

Raising apples is enjoyable too.

On good years like this, when the crop is so bountiful, it's really fulfilling.

- [Deborah] Sky Top Orchard is at 1193 Pinnacle Road in Flat Rock, and they're open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, give them a call at [828] 692-7930 or visit their website at skytoporchard.com.

I'm with Lisa Herzog, a paleontologist at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

And the Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit, in many ways, has been in the making for about 67 million years, wouldn't you say?

- Mm-hmm.

- What is the significance of this exhibit?

- Well, there's really two things that are really significant about it.

One are the specimens themselves.

And so it's two complete specimens.

One's a triceratops and one's a tyrannosaur that were buried together, which is a incredibly rare occurrence when it comes to fossils.

And then the second thing that's really unique and important about it is that we built this exhibit and this lab to display them for the public.

- Lisa, why is this called the Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit?

- Now that's a good question.

So because they were found not only close to each other, they're actually slightly overlapping in the ground.

And because one is a predator animal and one is a prey, they were dubbed the Dueling Dinosaurs, you know, in the thought that maybe they were engaged in some sort of battle and that's why they died together.

Research requires a lot of evidence if you're gonna publish on specimens, and that's what we're doing, we're collecting evidence.

You know, the research is ongoing to get a better picture of that kind of death scene.

- [Deborah] When you visit Dueling Dinosaurs, you'll start by investigating the mystery of why these fossils are buried together.

You'll learn about what these paleontologists have already discovered and the questions they still have.

The exhibit includes 3D visuals, and you can even design your own dino in a virtual activity.

Then, you're all prepped to talk to the paleontologist in the research lab, where scientists are actively studying and preparing the fossils, - I have heard nothing but good things about this exhibit, honestly.

People are just excited to be able to come in and talk to a actual paleontologist.

It really puts it in perspective, what we do here at the museum, particularly when they see up on the wall in the back of the lab, there's a video playing that shows us in the field and people get really connected with us that we are the ones doing that work.

- Well, Lisa, it's a fascinating exhibit.

I can't wait to explore it.

Lisa took me behind the scenes to get an even closer look at what researchers are up to.

- So this here is one of our jackets that has part of the triceratops tail in it.

You can see it's mostly prepared.

This is Nikki, one of our full-time fossil preparers who is working on cleaning up some of the detail here.

And Nikki works with us full-time and she's also one of the people that sits at the front table over here to talk to the public about exactly what she's doing.

And you know, what we found from some exit interviews is that, you know, this process of seeing people working and being able to talk to them is inspiring people, inspiring kids, a lot of girls, to see, you know, science as a career choice for them.

- [Deborah] Meanwhile, Aubrey is working on a process called histology, which helps scientists figure out what types of injuries these dinos had, and even how old they were when they died.

- This is where we actually cut the bones in half and then glue them onto a slide and then polish it really, really thin so it's transparent to light.

And what this allows us to do is see the internal structure of a dinosaur bone.

- [Deborah] Remember, these paleontologists are making real-time discoveries, and even after you visit, you can keep up with everything new through their livestream cameras.

You can find Dueling Dinosaurs at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at 11 West Jones Street in Raleigh.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. And for more information, you can give the museum a call at [919] 707-9800, or go online to naturalsciences.org.

Another fun way to interact with nature is through a popular activity called disc golf.

So the town of Wilkesboro created a disc golf park called Rolling Pines, and we sent there Teresa Litschke to check it out.

[subdued music] - [Andrew] Well, if you look around, you see a lot of loblolly pines that are part of the main course.

- [Teresa] Hence the name.

It's a partnership between the town of Wilkesboro, its Tourism Development Authority, and the Wilkes County Disc Golf Club.

- The build for Rolling Pines started in 2014.

- [Teresa] It was completed in 2015.

And the result: 40 beautiful acres, 24 challenging holes with three tee pads to choose from.

- [Andrew] Go, go, go.

- If you're brand new to the game, you play the red tees, the shortest ones, you won't be intimidated by it.

You can see the basket for the most part, you know right where you're going.

It's not too difficult.

You want a little bit more of a challenge?

Go back to the whites, and if you really want to try, go back to the golds.

- In 2023, we were ranked 53rd Best disc golf course in the world.

Of those 53, the majority are pay-to-play.

We are actually ranked 17th in the world for free-play format.

- [Teresa] That's right.

The privilege of playing on this beautiful course cost absolutely- - Zero.

[chuckles] - [Teresa] And it's perfect for any age, any skill level, and those with limited mobility.

- [Andrew] I think this course yields itself more accessible than most disc golf courses with the road network we have here.

We took a lot of care in making sure the approaches and the transitions to the tee pads were as accessible as possible.

The new installation of the red tees is going to provide a lot shorter of an approach to the goals.

- [Teresa] That's not to say Rolling Pines doesn't attract some of the most serious players.

- Yeah, I think you've got some really tough lines here as far as approaching the goals.

You've got a lot of length, you've got options.

If you're kind of in between advanced and, you know, middle of the road, you can choose to go to the gold tees and really test your arm and test your stamina.

Because this course is a very long course.

To play all 24 holes, you're looking at about two and a half to three hours.

So it's a good physical fitness activity, good active living.

- Fresh air, being outside, and getting to do something together.

Can't beat it.

- It's great family fun, it's wonderful exercise, it's challenging.

It's just a great overall sport.

It's never the same.

[chuckles] - [Teresa] That's helping the course gain popularity with competitions.

- It's a pretty high-ranking course in our book.

I'd venture to guess we probably played it at least 10 times, including playing a tournament here last year.

- It is our goal through working with the TDA and the Wilkes County Disc Golf Club to help them facilitate some A-level tier events.

We've had a couple of B-level tier events and C-level over the past couple of years, so our goal is to get to that A-level to bring more folks in from outside the community.

- [Teresa] Bringing players to the area isn't a tough sale.

- I would come back to Rolling Pines if it were three to five hours away.

Fortunately for me, it's only an hour.

- It's not uncommon to see people drive up from, I mean, even as far as Raleigh to play, get a round in in the afternoon, the evening, and then drive back home.

- [Teresa] Wilkesboro has access to so many different outdoor adventures.

Most decide one day just isn't enough.

And Rolling Pines has information about some of these activities right on their tee signs.

- You know, you've got Stone Mountain up the road, you got the Yadkin River, Kerr Scott.

You can really turn a day visit into a weekend trip if you put the research into it.

- [Teresa] It's obvious by the challenging holes, well-maintained property, and delighted disc golfers that Rolling Pines is one of North Carolina's premier courses.

- This is one of the best ones I've played.

- Love it.

We love it.

It's one of my husband's favorites.

- We heard that it was one of the best in the world.

- We're very proud of the comments and the reviews that the public gives us based on the quality of the course.

I think out here, you know, the setting, the location, and all the other experiences you can have within a close proximity really give Rolling Pines the appeal it has.

- [Deborah] Rolling Pines Disc Golf Course is at 1011 Old US 421 Road in Wilkesboro.

The course is free and open to the public.

For more information, give them a call at [336] 838-3951 or check out their website at wilkesboronc.org and look under Parks and Recreation.

Small family farms are pretty rare these days, but the Lutz family in Lincolnton has discovered a way to keep their multi-generational dairy business afloat thanks to a herd of captivating Jersey cows who are creating the area's most delicious milk and ice cream.

Teresa Litschke takes us to Riverbend Farm.

[gentle pleasant music] - My parents were actually born and raised both on dairy farms and so when they got married, they decided to start their own dairy as well.

And so we have purebred registered Jerseys here.

- [Teresa] Jersey cows are smaller than other dairy cows and they don't produce the same volume of milk, but what they lack in quantity, they more than make up for in quality.

- [Olivia] The milk that she produces has a lot more butterfat or buttercream in it.

- [Teresa] Which they say is obvious by the milk's rich and creamy texture.

- In addition to that, the Jersey Cow is known for predominantly producing A2/A2 beta-casein protein.

And so whereas most milk that's on the grocery store shelves today comes from Holstein cows, that milk is usually A1 beta-casein protein.

- And the difference in that is a lot of people that have trouble digesting dairy can digest A2, but they can't digest A1 protein.

- It's not a guarantee, and if somebody has an allergy to milk, that's different.

But if somebody just gets an upset stomach from drinking dairy or eating ice cream, then a lot of the times they can still enjoy our milk and our ice cream without having that side effect.

- [Teresa] The milk and ice cream are prepared, bottled, and scooped fresh right inside Riverbend Creamery.

- [Olivia] So the ice cream that we make here is a 60% ice cream mix, so it's considered a super-premium ice cream.

- It's the best.

It's good.

- [Olivia] So we of course have all of your basics that most people are gonna have.

But in addition to that, we have, you know, like a banana pudding that we make seasonally during the summertime.

That's a really big favorite.

We have a O' Christmas Tree ice cream that we make at Christmas time that has the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes in it.

And then we actually have Apple Pie Delight, which is a local goodness of apples and apple cider that we make.

And Pumpkin Cheesecake.

- I got the double dark chocolate with chocolate milk and whipped cream.

- [Olivia] We can do it by the scoop.

We make homemade waffle cones and homemade waffle bowls.

We can do sundaes, milkshakes, we do ice cream floats, we do all sorts of things, - [Corey] But we do also do all the other milk products that you can get in the grocery store.

- [Olivia] We do offer meat that's actually from our farm here that we've raised.

And we have a lot of different jams and jellies and different types of pickles, and we kind of do little knickknack things that kind of tie back into cows because everybody loves cows.

- [Teresa] They've also turned a day at Riverbend into a learning experience.

- [Corey] We do farm tours, so they'll get to come and see the cows, see how we manage the cows.

We do have a playground for the kids that come.

- So you can see the full process.

"From our grass to your glass" is something that we really take to heart, in that way that families can actually come out here, you can see the cows, you can meet the cows, you can pet the babies, and you can see what that process looks like from start to finish.

And the quality that goes into not only their care, but the quality of the products that we produce here.

- [Teresa] In a time when small dairies are sometimes gobbled up by large corporations, the Lutz family has remained independent, relying on their dairy products to literally help save the farm.

- My dad was a dairyman and I decided I wanted to stay in it.

My kids are in it, and if my grandkids want to be in it, the cream is gonna offer them the opportunity to be able to stay in this business and make a profit without having to be really huge.

- And so the creamery was a great way for us to do a value-added type of product, type of niche, and be able to support multiple families.

But for us to be able to all come back and to continue on for generations.

- [Teresa] It's a win-win for everyone.

- Because we know that they're coming here and they're making memories.

And that's something that really hones in for us as a family.

You know, we're a family-owned and operated business, so it makes us feel good knowing that all the hard work that goes into it is something that people get to come here and enjoy.

So that's really what I think is the most rewarding for us and what we like people to know is that you become part of the Riverbend family.

- [Deborah] Riverbend Creamery is at 4391 Richie Road in Lincolnton, and they're open Tuesday through Sunday.

For more information, give them a call at [704] 740-0095, or go online to riverbendcreamery.com.

Well, that's it for tonight's show.

We've had a wonderful time here at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh.

It's definitely one of my favorite museums.

And if you haven't seen the Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit, make sure you make a trip because it is definitely a must-see.

And if you've missed anything in tonight's show, remember you can always watch us again online at pbsnc.org, or you can find us on our YouTube channel.

Have a great "North Carolina Weekend" everyone.

[warm upbeat music] [warm upbeat music continues] [gentle 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.

[bright music]