Just a short drive from Cary NC is a daytrip that you will remember.
Take Randolph county, an 801-square-mile expans in the literal heart of North Caorlina, midway between the Atlantic and the Appalachians. Two hundres years ago, its fertile Piedmont soil and rich clay attracted British potters, who laid the groundwork for one of the most offbeat, yet authentic, tourist attractions in the state.
More recently, the area's central location and proximity to Greensboro, Charlotte and the Triangle attracted the N.C. Zoological Park, which was built on 1,500 acres just south of Asheboro.
Randoph County even has its own royalty, a native son known as "The King", a lanky former race car driver by the last name of Petty who rewrote the NASCAR record boot with 200 career victories. Like any good king, Petty has a pretty fair castle, only this one isn't surrounded by a moat but filled with trophies and checkered flags.
And most importantly, for purposes of this blog, Randolph County has an ample supply of back roads and forgotten byways for a Weekend Drive in the Fall/Winter. Send me an email if you'd like the complete driving tour.
There are three main attractions on this weekend drive:
Pottery Drive, in Seagove, North Carolina, has over 50 potteries within a 15-mile radius. Some of the potters trace their roots to the 18th century, when their ancestors settled here from Staffordshire, Endland, to spin clay and mold earth. The pottery shops have names like Old Hard Time, Fat Beagle, Jugtown and Turn and Burn, which is a reference to the technique of spinning pottery on a wheel( the turn), then baking it in a kiln(the burn). 
Speaking of furry creatures, the N.C. Zoological Park has more than its fair share, from the ocelots and roadrunners of the American Southwest to the wart hogs and lions of the African desert.
Spread out over several miles inthe shadow of the Uwharrie National Forest, the zoo has been a favorite stop for school children and famlies since it opened with temporary exhibits in 1974. In its current incarnation, the zoo is divided into two "continents", North American and Africa.
The final stop on this drive is the Richard Petty museum in Level Crooss, about 15 minutes north of Asheboro. The museum lies between the birthplace of NASCAR's most celebrated driver and Richard Petty Enterprises, the shop where Petty's cars were once built and repiared. Its namesake retired in 1992, but the shop remains open for work on the cars of Petty's racing team.
I'm not exactly what you'd call a race fan. I've never been to a race or had much luck trying to sit through one on TV. However, this is a great place to learn about the roots of North Carolina. The museum struck me as a cross between a car showroom and Graceland.
Anyway, you have to make this trip if you live anywhere near the Piedmont region in North Carolina!! I highly recommend the trek, even with gas prices as high as they are. :)
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