. . . on January 15, 1795, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the first state university to open it doors for students.

. . . North Carolina was the site of the first known miniature golf course, located in Fayetteville.

. . . the Tar Heel State (probably so named becaues during the Colonial period, the colony's chief exports were tar, pitch and turpentine) has more paved miles of road than any other state in the US -- 78,000 miles.

. . . the New River, which runs through Ashe Couty, is the oldest river in the country and second oldest in the world.

. . . Millions of years ago, the area was home to 50-foot long alligators, and huge megladon sharks roamed the waters.

. . . the first silver mine in the country was the Silver Hill Mine, which opened in 1833 about 10 miles from Lexington.

. . . you'll find more than 120 species of trees in North Carolina -- more than you'll find from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean.