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♪ 
[gentle orchestral fanfare]

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[resonanstrings 
lead building orchestration]

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♪

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(male narrator) 
Welcome to "Our State,"

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a production of UNC-TV

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in association 
with "Our State" magazine--

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for over 70 years,

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bringing the wonders 
of North Carolina

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to readers across the state.

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On this edition,

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the loving care it takes 
to keep venerable old clocks

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ticking and chiming 
in towers across the Piedmont,

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a ride on some 
of the many ferry boats

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traveling our coastal waters--

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And you never know 
where you might find

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a parade in our state.

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♪

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(male announcer)g] 
BB&T serves the needs

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of more than 180 communities,

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from the Outer Banks 
and the Blue Ridge Mountains

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to everywhere in between.

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Since 1872,

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we have supported the people 
and places of North Carolina,

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and we've been proud 
to live and work here too.

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We love calling 
North Carolina our home,

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and we're pleased to provide 
major funding for "Our State."

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Additional funding has been 
tk-tk, tk-tk...tk-tk V members.

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tk, tk...tk

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(narrator) 
There's something about clocks.

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We barely notice them,

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and yet they command 
our attention.

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[bells lead 
New Age orchestration]

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"Where does time go?" 
we ask one another.

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Mostly, it seems 
to have disappeared--

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at least the sound of time,

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thanks to today's 
mostly silent timekeeping.

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Oh, how those of us 
who grew up falling asleep

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to the ticks of a wind-up clock 
miss that mechanical thing...

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with its civilized bell...

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dng, dng...dng

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instead of that 
annoyingly insistent,

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blaring mosquito of an alarm 
we wake up to nowadays.

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[electronic beeping] 
eep, eep...eep

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[clattering] 
klk, klk...klk

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It is comforting 
to know that some time,

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somewhere 
in North Carolina today,

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someone who appreciates 
time's seemingly slower,

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more embraceable cadences

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is winding a clock by hand...

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mostly around town squares,

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in clock towers 
of various measure...

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reached only by repeated,

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often twisting 
flights of stairs.

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[echoing footsteps] 
tp, tp...tp

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♪

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The mechanisms 
that await the special touch

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of the clock keeper 
ar 
e wonderfully wrought marvels,

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with myriads 
of patient cams and gears...

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[clicking] 
khh...

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khh...

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khh

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(narrator) 
tripping levers,

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swinging pendulums,

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and who knows what, 
working in perfect synchrony

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to provide the public with one 
of the unique experiences

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of small-town life...

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[clattering] 
klk, klk...klk

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dnnggg

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the sound of time.

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dnnggg

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dnnggg

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Each of these clocks is loved

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and, glory of glories, 
not at all quiet.

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dnnggg

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dnn-dnnggg

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dnn-dnnggg

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And what 
a splendid song they make.

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dnnggg

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klk, klk...klk

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♪

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(man) 
Now, this is a wonderful marvel

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of engineering that's, uh--

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goes back more than 200 years.

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Uh, Salem was 
begun in 1766

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as the central 
community

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of the Moravian 
settlements here

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in what we called 
"Wachovia."

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♪

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We needed to bring 
a sort of regular operation

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to the community.

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That meant 
keeping track of time.

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[mechanism clicking] 
khh, khh

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I'm sorry that people 
outside cannot hear

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this regular, uh, 
thump, thump, thump

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of the escape mechanism 
and as the pendulum--

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this 10-foot pendulum-- 
swings back and forth.

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But standing here feeling, 
with my hand on the frame,

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I can feel it.

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It's like a heartthrob.

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The clock provides a heartbeat 
for this community.

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♪

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(woman) 
I've always liked clocks,

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so to be able to be around

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the city's 
most famous clock

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and take care of it--

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it's almost like 
a dream come true.

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♪

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We have to wind it twice a day,

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and because it is as old 
as it is, it--

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you never 
can get it exactly right,

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so we-- 
we more or less--

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we just guess 
at what the time is.

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Something like this,

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you've got 
to really be interested in.

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And I waited on this job 
for a whole year before--

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before I got it.

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I wanted this job.

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It's almost like 
a little piece of history.

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♪

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(narrator) 
Not that far away,

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under the same incredible arc 
of Carolina blue sky,

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lies a picturesque courthouse

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in which a clock 
still marks time

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for the citizens 
of Hillsborough

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in Orange County.

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♪

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(man) 
You can get to the point 
where you have a relationship

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with the clock 
where you can hear

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when the clock's in good shape 
or when it's not.

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My ear's tuned to it, 
like having a baby, you know.

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If it doesn't strike the hour, 
I go into panic mode

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and run up the stairs.

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♪

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As far as we know, 
it's the oldest unmodified, uh,

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tower clock in North America.

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And this expert told me that it 
wa 
s basically the cheapest clock

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you could buy 
in its day--hehhh.

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But it took a lickin'; 
it kept tickin'.

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And I hear engineers

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use the word elegant 
about a solution

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when it's as simple as possible,

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and this here 
is an elegant solution.

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I mean, it tells time, 
and it tells time accurately,

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with a number of parts 
that you can count

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without really giving yourself 
a headache.

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It's just a nifty machine,

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and...watch somethin' 
like this.

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And...

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[gears clicking] 
enn, enn...enn

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[ringing] 
dnnggg...dnnggg

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I've never done that--

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I have never done that 
that I didn't smile.

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Hehh, hehh, 
hehh, hehh!

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I have never done it 
with other people around

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that they didn't smile.

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(narrator) 
And that's the way it is 
all across North Carolina

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where these wonderful clocks 
may be found.

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There's a lot of pride 
in maintaining them

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and boasting about them too.

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♪

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In Henderson,

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both tasks fall 
to the local firemen

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because the clock 
is in their firehouse.

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(man) 
It's functional.

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It's really the symbol 
of the city of Henderson.

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Back in 1991,

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when the city celebrated 
its 150th year anniversary,

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uh, it kinda took it on and 
really made it the city symbol.

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Uh, we kinda jumped on it 
prior to that--

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we put it in our shoulder patch.

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The city also incorporated 
the city, uh, clock tower

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and the city flag.

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It's just part of the--

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the history 
of the city of Henderson,

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and we're very proud of it.

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The firefighters 
here in Henderson, it's--

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we take pride in it, 
and we take ownership in it,

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and we keep it and maintain it.

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00:08:36,649 --> 00:08:38,317
(narrator) 
Evidence of that ownership?

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The clock tower was used 
at one time to dry fire hoses

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and by the names of firemen 
who took care of the place

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scratched on the clock-tower 
walls over the years.

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[bell ringing] 
dnnggg

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00:08:50,429 --> 00:08:52,265
dnnggg

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dnnggg

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00:08:54,700 --> 00:08:57,036
dnnggg

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00:08:57,136 --> 00:08:59,171
dnnggg

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00:08:59,272 --> 00:09:01,474
dnnggg

189
00:09:01,574 --> 00:09:03,809
dnnggg

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00:09:03,910 --> 00:09:07,246
dnnggggg

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00:09:07,346 --> 00:09:09,448
Henderson's clock 
has been electrified,

192
00:09:09,549 --> 00:09:11,784
so there's no winding task,

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00:09:11,884 --> 00:09:15,888
like there is in Yanceyville, 
our next clock stop.

194
00:09:15,988 --> 00:09:19,225
But as with them all, 
a certain series of events

195
00:09:19,325 --> 00:09:23,262
has to occur 
to create the main event...

196
00:09:23,362 --> 00:09:26,766
when the clock strikes.

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00:09:26,866 --> 00:09:28,801
(man) 
It's setting up now,

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00:09:28,901 --> 00:09:32,705
and uh, it sets up 
about maybe 30 seconds

199
00:09:32,805 --> 00:09:35,207
before it goes off.

200
00:09:35,308 --> 00:09:40,880
And then it raises, uh, 
the hammer up and this--

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00:09:40,980 --> 00:09:42,648
like this.

202
00:09:42,748 --> 00:09:45,718
And that's how you get 
your force to pull the bell.

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00:09:45,818 --> 00:09:46,986
[clicking] 
tkkk

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00:09:47,086 --> 00:09:49,155
There it goes.

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00:09:49,255 --> 00:09:55,828
[ringing] 
dnnggg, dnnggg...dnnggg

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00:09:55,928 --> 00:10:02,201
♪

207
00:10:02,301 --> 00:10:04,870
[machinery whirs] 
zhhrrh

208
00:10:04,971 --> 00:10:07,006
(narrator) 
Interestingly, 
Yanceyville's clock

209
00:10:07,106 --> 00:10:09,375
was electrified 
at one time, as well,

210
00:10:09,475 --> 00:10:11,210
and then was reconverted.

211
00:10:11,310 --> 00:10:13,012
It also survived a fire,

212
00:10:13,112 --> 00:10:15,615
not to mention 
a good deal of neglect,

213
00:10:15,715 --> 00:10:17,550
after which the clock parts

214
00:10:17,650 --> 00:10:20,753
wound up 
scattered all over town.

215
00:10:20,853 --> 00:10:22,788
(Richmond) 
We 
ll, we kept lookin' for parts,

216
00:10:22,888 --> 00:10:25,324
and nobody knew 
where the pendulum ball was.

217
00:10:25,424 --> 00:10:28,361
So Ms. Anderson 
was in charge of the, uh,

218
00:10:28,461 --> 00:10:30,196
historical museum in town,

219
00:10:30,296 --> 00:10:32,765
and I said something 
to Ms. Anderson about it,

220
00:10:32,865 --> 00:10:34,700
and uh, 
she said, "No, Leon,

221
00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,269
I don't know anything 
about the pendulum ball."

222
00:10:37,370 --> 00:10:40,473
And I said, "Well, it would 
weigh about 15 to 25 pounds,

223
00:10:40,573 --> 00:10:43,709
and it would have a hole 
down in the middle of it."

224
00:10:43,809 --> 00:10:45,311
She said, 
"Oh, we keep--

225
00:10:45,411 --> 00:10:47,079
"we keep the door 
propped open

226
00:10:47,179 --> 00:10:49,281
in the historical room 
with that."

227
00:10:49,382 --> 00:10:50,883
[chuckling] 
So that--

228
00:10:50,983 --> 00:10:55,187
that was amazing 
that we found that.

229
00:10:56,689 --> 00:10:58,557
(narrator) 
Madison, North Carolina, too,

230
00:10:58,658 --> 00:11:01,927
enjoys the revival 
of its town clock.

231
00:11:02,028 --> 00:11:03,863
dnnggg

232
00:11:03,963 --> 00:11:05,865
Originally dedicated 
as a memorial

233
00:11:05,965 --> 00:11:08,534
to the doughboys of World War I,

234
00:11:08,634 --> 00:11:11,303
it also 
ha 
d stopped running at one time,

235
00:11:11,404 --> 00:11:15,841
even after considerable 
repairs had been invested.

236
00:11:15,941 --> 00:11:18,611
To the rescue 
came a tinkerer of sorts--

237
00:11:18,711 --> 00:11:20,279
a retired engineer

238
00:11:20,379 --> 00:11:24,150
who happened to have a small 
machine shop in his basement.

239
00:11:25,551 --> 00:11:28,154
(man) 
And they just asked me 
to look at it

240
00:11:28,254 --> 00:11:30,256
out of desperation.

241
00:11:30,356 --> 00:11:34,260
I have just been looking after 
it ever since, essentially.

242
00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:36,896
But it takes a lot of attention,

243
00:11:36,996 --> 00:11:38,798
because it will change time

244
00:11:38,898 --> 00:11:40,633
with the change 
in the temperatures.

245
00:11:40,733 --> 00:11:42,935
You know, when it's colder, 
it runs slower;

246
00:11:43,035 --> 00:11:45,471
when it's warmer, 
it runs faster.

247
00:11:45,571 --> 00:11:47,707
♪

248
00:11:47,807 --> 00:11:50,943
But I get stopped on the street, 
an 
d people say, "You know,

249
00:11:51,043 --> 00:11:54,280
"I remember when I was young 
I could hear that clock chime,

250
00:11:54,380 --> 00:11:58,451
and that was my curfew time 
to come home."

251
00:11:58,551 --> 00:12:02,888
(narrator) 
These clocks have a great deal 
of social value, it seems,

252
00:12:02,988 --> 00:12:06,025
and they are worthy 
of great care.

253
00:12:06,125 --> 00:12:09,195
Consider the thoughts 
of Hillsborough's Tom Magnuson.

254
00:12:09,295 --> 00:12:11,230
♪

255
00:12:11,330 --> 00:12:14,200
(Magnuson) 
I 
think that's why 
th 
e clock winders come up here--

256
00:12:14,300 --> 00:12:15,568
they feel 
like they're participating,

257
00:12:15,668 --> 00:12:18,237
feel like they have 
a piece of the town,

258
00:12:18,337 --> 00:12:20,272
and that they're 
doing somethin' good.

259
00:12:20,372 --> 00:12:23,576
♪

260
00:12:23,676 --> 00:12:26,612
And there is a certain 
meditative quality.

261
00:12:26,712 --> 00:12:28,614
♪

262
00:12:28,714 --> 00:12:30,983
I've never gone 
to sleep up here.

263
00:12:31,083 --> 00:12:34,553
I have come back down the stairs 
with my blood pressure lower

264
00:12:34,653 --> 00:12:37,623
than it was 
when I went up the stairs.

265
00:12:37,723 --> 00:12:39,759
♪

266
00:12:39,859 --> 00:12:41,560
(narrator) 
There is something calming

267
00:12:41,660 --> 00:12:44,497
about the art and craft 
of keeping time.

268
00:12:46,065 --> 00:12:49,435
It's almost as if the regular 
sounds that clocks make

269
00:12:49,535 --> 00:12:51,937
mimic our own breathing.

270
00:12:53,405 --> 00:12:56,142
So the next time 
you have the opportunity,

271
00:12:56,242 --> 00:13:00,012
pause and listen as one of these 
gl 
orious clocks gives forth

272
00:13:00,112 --> 00:13:03,516
in full voice 
with its splendid sound.

273
00:13:03,616 --> 00:13:05,951
You will be transfixed,

274
00:13:06,051 --> 00:13:07,787
even for but a moment,

275
00:13:07,887 --> 00:13:09,355
in time.

276
00:13:09,455 --> 00:13:11,490
dnnggg

277
00:13:11,590 --> 00:13:13,893
dnnggg

278
00:13:13,993 --> 00:13:16,195
dnnggggg

279
00:13:22,134 --> 00:13:24,603
[gulls calling] 
ahh, ahh...ahh

280
00:13:24,703 --> 00:13:27,673
[engine running] 
rrrrnn

281
00:13:33,479 --> 00:13:35,848
[jaunty flute 
and drum arrangement]

282
00:13:37,116 --> 00:13:39,251
(narrator) 
At several places 
along our coast,

283
00:13:39,351 --> 00:13:42,421
you quite literally 
come to the end of the road.

284
00:13:42,521 --> 00:13:44,723
[water lapping] 
slsh, slsh...slsh

285
00:13:44,824 --> 00:13:47,159
Travelers find that, 
to continue their trip,

286
00:13:47,259 --> 00:13:49,628
they must board 
one of the 20 vessels

287
00:13:49,728 --> 00:13:52,998
the state operates 
to reach their destination.

288
00:13:53,098 --> 00:13:55,401
[horn blowing] 
ehhn, ehhn

289
00:13:55,501 --> 00:14:00,072
♪

290
00:14:00,172 --> 00:14:02,808
[steel ramp clanking] 
tnnk, tnnk

291
00:14:02,908 --> 00:14:04,243
For some people,

292
00:14:04,343 --> 00:14:07,513
a ferry trip 
is a fact of daily life.

293
00:14:09,048 --> 00:14:11,383
Other folks sometimes 
go out of their way

294
00:14:11,483 --> 00:14:13,986
to do this when they can.

295
00:14:14,086 --> 00:14:16,355
♪

296
00:14:16,455 --> 00:14:17,723
For tourists,

297
00:14:17,823 --> 00:14:20,793
it's often one of the charms 
of coastal travel.

298
00:14:20,893 --> 00:14:22,761
[violin joins]

299
00:14:22,862 --> 00:14:26,131
♪

300
00:14:26,232 --> 00:14:28,367
(man) 
In the beginning, 
it was started to--

301
00:14:28,467 --> 00:14:29,869
to bridge the islands

302
00:14:29,969 --> 00:14:31,737
and bridge people 
to the mainland.

303
00:14:31,837 --> 00:14:34,406
And of course, 
it still does that today.

304
00:14:35,674 --> 00:14:37,643
You know, we carry, uh,

305
00:14:37,743 --> 00:14:41,814
about 2.3-- 
2.35 million passengers a year.

306
00:14:41,914 --> 00:14:45,751
A lot of those people are people 
fr 
om all over the country--

307
00:14:45,851 --> 00:14:48,487
all over the United States 
and the world.

308
00:14:48,587 --> 00:14:50,556
♪

309
00:14:50,656 --> 00:14:53,292
It's a tourist attraction 
within itself.

310
00:14:53,392 --> 00:14:55,527
[gulls calling] 
ahh, ahh...ahh

311
00:14:55,628 --> 00:14:57,930
♪

312
00:14:58,030 --> 00:15:00,566
But we have 
three classes of ferries.

313
00:15:00,666 --> 00:15:03,168
We have the sound class.

314
00:15:03,269 --> 00:15:07,640
Sound class ferries 
are 220 feet.

315
00:15:07,740 --> 00:15:10,709
Uh, they are the largest 
ferries that we have.

316
00:15:10,809 --> 00:15:13,279
♪

317
00:15:13,379 --> 00:15:16,148
Then we have 
the double-end class.

318
00:15:16,248 --> 00:15:19,852
Uh, those ferries 
are 180 foot in length--

319
00:15:19,952 --> 00:15:22,821
drive on and drive off 
on either end.

320
00:15:22,922 --> 00:15:25,157
♪

321
00:15:25,257 --> 00:15:27,092
Then the other class ferry

322
00:15:27,192 --> 00:15:29,895
is what we call 
the "Hatteras class."

323
00:15:31,397 --> 00:15:33,499
And that is 150 foot--

324
00:15:33,599 --> 00:15:35,834
uh, just drive 
on one end,

325
00:15:35,935 --> 00:15:39,538
and of course, you got to turn 
th 
e vessel around the other way.

326
00:15:39,638 --> 00:15:42,308
[gulls calling] 
ahh, ahh...ahh

327
00:15:42,408 --> 00:15:44,877
shhhhhhhh

328
00:15:44,977 --> 00:15:46,745
(narrator) 
On the Neuse River ferry,

329
00:15:46,845 --> 00:15:49,148
between Cherry Point 
and Minnesott Beach,

330
00:15:49,248 --> 00:15:51,684
the daily riders 
probably don't spend much time

331
00:15:51,784 --> 00:15:53,485
thinking about the technology

332
00:15:53,585 --> 00:15:56,689
making their trip 
shorter and easier.

333
00:15:56,789 --> 00:15:59,625
But these ferries have 
an ingenious propulsion system,

334
00:15:59,725 --> 00:16:01,360
called a "Voit drive,"

335
00:16:01,460 --> 00:16:04,129
that provides better control 
in windy conditions

336
00:16:04,229 --> 00:16:06,732
and gives them 
great maneuverability.

337
00:16:08,667 --> 00:16:10,936
(man) 
It's got a system 
on either end--

338
00:16:11,036 --> 00:16:12,805
the A end and the B end.

339
00:16:12,905 --> 00:16:14,239
And what it does,

340
00:16:14,340 --> 00:16:17,643
it looks like helicopter blades 
underneath the water.

341
00:16:17,743 --> 00:16:21,313
It's not a conventional 
propeller and rudder system.

342
00:16:21,413 --> 00:16:23,315
Then, if I want 
to straighten up,

343
00:16:23,415 --> 00:16:25,217
I just put it straight,

344
00:16:25,317 --> 00:16:28,520
and if I want 
the bow to go that way,

345
00:16:28,620 --> 00:16:30,622
you move it that way.

346
00:16:30,723 --> 00:16:32,925
And also, 
I can control my B end

347
00:16:33,025 --> 00:16:36,195
with this one right here.

348
00:16:36,295 --> 00:16:40,165
You know, you can go 
to the dock in a hard wind,

349
00:16:40,265 --> 00:16:45,471
a hard northeaster, 
and not even touch it.

350
00:16:45,571 --> 00:16:48,140
[engine humming] 
ennnnnn

351
00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:49,908
(narrator) 
The powerful diesel engines

352
00:16:50,009 --> 00:16:53,779
are used to hold the ferry 
against the dock for boarding.

353
00:16:53,879 --> 00:16:56,348
[steel clanking] 
tnnk, tnnk

354
00:16:59,084 --> 00:17:01,453
Once the last car is aboard,

355
00:17:01,553 --> 00:17:03,022
the controls are switched--

356
00:17:03,122 --> 00:17:07,092
the bow becomes the stern; 
the stern becomes the bow.

357
00:17:07,192 --> 00:17:09,294
And the captain 
simply changes chairs

358
00:17:09,395 --> 00:17:12,564
to move the boat forward 
out of the dock.

359
00:17:13,832 --> 00:17:16,835
That way, the ferry 
never has to turn around.

360
00:17:16,935 --> 00:17:18,303
rrrnnn

361
00:17:18,404 --> 00:17:26,245
♪

362
00:17:26,345 --> 00:17:34,019
♪

363
00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:36,255
[gulls calling] 
ahh, ahh...ahh

364
00:17:36,355 --> 00:17:43,562
♪

365
00:17:43,662 --> 00:17:45,164
Twenty minutes after boarding,

366
00:17:45,264 --> 00:17:49,234
you are across the Neuse River 
and on your way again.

367
00:17:49,334 --> 00:17:54,673
♪

368
00:17:54,773 --> 00:17:56,975
Outer Banks travelers 
are most familiar

369
00:17:57,076 --> 00:18:01,547
with the boats linking 
Hatteras Island with Ocracoke.

370
00:18:01,647 --> 00:18:03,348
[gull calling] 
ahhuh, eeh

371
00:18:03,449 --> 00:18:05,250
ahhuh, eeh

372
00:18:05,350 --> 00:18:07,786
ahhuh, eeh

373
00:18:09,054 --> 00:18:10,589
These Hatteras class boats

374
00:18:10,689 --> 00:18:13,192
have to contend with 
the constantly shifting sands

375
00:18:13,292 --> 00:18:15,561
of the very shallow 
Hatteras Inlet.

376
00:18:15,661 --> 00:18:17,596
♪

377
00:18:17,696 --> 00:18:20,766
(man) 
This is our worst part 
of the channel, right here.

378
00:18:20,866 --> 00:18:23,168
We're slowing down 
so we don't bump bottom.

379
00:18:23,268 --> 00:18:26,105
We probably got maybe 
a foot and a half of water

380
00:18:26,205 --> 00:18:28,340
underneath the keel 
right now and it's--

381
00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:30,375
the tide's probably almost high,

382
00:18:30,476 --> 00:18:34,346
so can you imagine 
what it is at low tide?

383
00:18:34,446 --> 00:18:35,948
We try not to bump bottom,

384
00:18:36,048 --> 00:18:38,083
but on low tide, 
you will bump bottom

385
00:18:38,183 --> 00:18:40,719
in a few spots in this channel.

386
00:18:40,819 --> 00:18:43,522
And the more hurricanes 
we have each season,

387
00:18:43,622 --> 00:18:46,592
the trickier it gets.

388
00:18:46,692 --> 00:18:48,560
(narrator) 
The channel 
is dredged periodically

389
00:18:48,660 --> 00:18:50,529
by the Army Corps of Engineers,

390
00:18:50,629 --> 00:18:52,297
but it's a constant battle

391
00:18:52,397 --> 00:18:55,534
between shifting budgets 
and shifting sand.

392
00:18:55,634 --> 00:18:59,505
Lately, the sand 
seems to be winning.

393
00:18:59,605 --> 00:19:02,274
(Goodman) 
Around here, 
you got to stay on your toes,

394
00:19:02,374 --> 00:19:04,710
because we work seven day on, 
seven days off.

395
00:19:04,810 --> 00:19:06,345
Your first day back,

396
00:19:06,445 --> 00:19:08,447
you got to relearn 
parts of the channel--

397
00:19:08,547 --> 00:19:10,716
every week.

398
00:19:10,816 --> 00:19:12,184
(narrator) 
The shallow channel

399
00:19:12,284 --> 00:19:14,653
brings another challenge 
for the boat captains--

400
00:19:14,753 --> 00:19:16,889
the effects of the wind.

401
00:19:16,989 --> 00:19:19,224
(Goodman) 
These boats are made 
for shallow draft,

402
00:19:19,324 --> 00:19:22,327
and the less draft you have, 
the more tendency they have

403
00:19:22,427 --> 00:19:24,429
to adverse effects 
from the wind.

404
00:19:24,530 --> 00:19:26,932
So if it's blowin' 
50 mile an hour,

405
00:19:27,032 --> 00:19:30,202
it's gonna shove you sideways.

406
00:19:30,302 --> 00:19:32,037
It's a big sail.

407
00:19:32,137 --> 00:19:33,472
p-p-p-p-p-p

408
00:19:33,572 --> 00:19:37,142
♪

409
00:19:37,242 --> 00:19:39,478
(narrator) 
Travelers to Ocracoke 
from the south

410
00:19:39,578 --> 00:19:43,148
gather at the ferry terminal 
on Cedar Island.

411
00:19:43,248 --> 00:19:44,816
The larger ferries here

412
00:19:44,917 --> 00:19:47,252
are designed to accommodate 
the shallow waters

413
00:19:47,352 --> 00:19:50,289
of Pamlico Sound.

414
00:19:50,389 --> 00:19:52,658
A similar ferry operation 
links Ocracoke

415
00:19:52,758 --> 00:19:56,762
with the Hyde County seat 
of Swan Quarter.

416
00:19:56,862 --> 00:20:01,433
The view out here is one 
you can't get from any road.

417
00:20:03,135 --> 00:20:06,104
The two-and-a-half-hour trip 
across Pamlico Sound

418
00:20:06,205 --> 00:20:08,240
is like a mini ocean voyage.

419
00:20:08,340 --> 00:20:10,475
Land disappears for awhile,

420
00:20:10,576 --> 00:20:13,345
and you never know 
what you might see.

421
00:20:15,247 --> 00:20:19,685
In this case, 
it's the ship "Elizabeth II"...

422
00:20:19,785 --> 00:20:23,355
a sight that might have been 
common in colonial times,

423
00:20:23,455 --> 00:20:26,124
but a spectacular 
surprise today.

424
00:20:26,225 --> 00:20:35,033
♪

425
00:20:35,133 --> 00:20:42,808
♪

426
00:20:42,908 --> 00:20:44,843
No matter 
what your final destination,

427
00:20:44,943 --> 00:20:49,281
getting on a ferry can mean 
you are where you are going...

428
00:20:51,049 --> 00:20:53,652
at least for a little while.

429
00:20:55,487 --> 00:20:57,322
[steel ramp clanking] 
tnnk, tnnk

430
00:20:57,422 --> 00:20:59,324
tnnk, tnnk

431
00:20:59,424 --> 00:21:06,632
♪

432
00:21:10,535 --> 00:21:12,671
[drums lead 
fast-paced march tune]

433
00:21:12,771 --> 00:21:16,842
♪

434
00:21:16,942 --> 00:21:18,910
[brass joins]

435
00:21:19,011 --> 00:21:23,582
(narrator) 
It's hard to resist the fun 
and spectacle of a parade.

436
00:21:23,682 --> 00:21:26,718
You can watch, 
or you can take part.

437
00:21:26,818 --> 00:21:33,925
♪

438
00:21:34,026 --> 00:21:37,496
[P.A. blasting Little Richard's 
"Long Tall Sally"]

439
00:21:37,596 --> 00:21:39,965
You can let it all hang out,

440
00:21:40,065 --> 00:21:43,135
jump up and down, 
or laugh out loud.

441
00:21:43,235 --> 00:21:45,003
Ahhhhhh!

442
00:21:45,103 --> 00:21:47,072
(narrator) 
Parades give us an excuse

443
00:21:47,172 --> 00:21:49,541
to become someone else, 
if we choose,

444
00:21:49,641 --> 00:21:52,377
to act out our alter ego.

445
00:21:53,845 --> 00:21:57,015
March to the beat 
or forget about the beat--

446
00:21:57,115 --> 00:21:58,417
it doesn't matter.

447
00:21:58,517 --> 00:22:00,952
In fact, 
it adds to the fun--

448
00:22:01,053 --> 00:22:03,789
part order, part anarchy.

449
00:22:03,889 --> 00:22:05,691
And we Americans,

450
00:22:05,791 --> 00:22:07,759
well, we love a parade,

451
00:22:07,859 --> 00:22:09,995
especially in North Carolina,

452
00:22:10,095 --> 00:22:14,166
where there's a choice variety 
to choose from.

453
00:22:14,266 --> 00:22:16,868
[drums pace lively march tune]

454
00:22:16,968 --> 00:22:18,770
[brass joins]

455
00:22:18,870 --> 00:22:20,772
♪

456
00:22:20,872 --> 00:22:23,375
The Governor's inaugural parade 
in the capital city

457
00:22:23,475 --> 00:22:25,944
gives people a chance 
to loosen their ties,

458
00:22:26,044 --> 00:22:28,146
forget about 
their cares for a while,

459
00:22:28,246 --> 00:22:30,215
and have a little fun.

460
00:22:30,315 --> 00:22:32,751
[speaker blasting George Jones's 
"W 
hite Lightning"]

461
00:22:32,851 --> 00:22:34,753
♪

462
00:22:34,853 --> 00:22:36,488
Wilmington's 
Azalea Festival parade,

463
00:22:36,588 --> 00:22:38,557
the largest parade in our state,

464
00:22:38,657 --> 00:22:43,128
is full of springtime color 
and exuberance.

465
00:22:43,228 --> 00:22:45,597
[brass leads 
up-tempo orchestration]

466
00:22:45,697 --> 00:22:51,103
♪

467
00:22:51,203 --> 00:22:53,872
[fife and drums 
play "Yankee Doodle"]

468
00:22:53,972 --> 00:22:58,009
♪

469
00:22:58,110 --> 00:23:00,145
[indistinct crowd noise]

470
00:23:00,245 --> 00:23:02,681
Practically anything goes 
in a parade.

471
00:23:02,781 --> 00:23:05,283
As long as it's good, 
clean, American fun,

472
00:23:05,384 --> 00:23:08,920
let the child in you come out 
and play for a few minutes.

473
00:23:09,020 --> 00:23:12,791
[band plays "When the Saints 
Go Marching In"]

474
00:23:12,891 --> 00:23:25,637
♪

475
00:23:25,737 --> 00:23:28,907
clp, clp...clp

476
00:23:29,007 --> 00:23:31,643
[bagpipes drone]

477
00:23:31,743 --> 00:23:38,917
♪

478
00:23:39,017 --> 00:23:46,658
♪

479
00:23:46,758 --> 00:23:55,534
♪

480
00:23:55,634 --> 00:23:57,369
[applause] 
clp, clp...clp

481
00:23:57,469 --> 00:24:00,872
Parades are a distinctive part 
of the American character.

482
00:24:00,972 --> 00:24:02,707
For one thing, 
they're free.

483
00:24:02,808 --> 00:24:04,109
[kids shouting] 
Candy!

484
00:24:04,209 --> 00:24:06,711
(narrator) 
And they're patriotic.

485
00:24:06,812 --> 00:24:08,547
[applause] 
clp, clp...clp

486
00:24:08,647 --> 00:24:11,049
The tiny 
North Carolina town of Faith

487
00:24:11,149 --> 00:24:14,719
holds one of the state's largest 
Fo 
urth of July parades.

488
00:24:14,820 --> 00:24:16,555
[steel drums 
lead calypso arrangement]

489
00:24:16,655 --> 00:24:27,199
♪

490
00:24:27,299 --> 00:24:29,568
[brass and drums 
play a march]

491
00:24:29,668 --> 00:24:36,475
♪

492
00:24:36,575 --> 00:24:38,310
[horn blowing] 
ehhh-uhhhh

493
00:24:38,410 --> 00:24:42,113
♪

494
00:24:42,214 --> 00:24:44,382
[bagpipes drone 
as drum pounds]

495
00:24:44,483 --> 00:24:51,690
♪

496
00:24:51,790 --> 00:24:59,397
♪

497
00:24:59,498 --> 00:25:03,068
♪

498
00:25:03,168 --> 00:25:06,171
[brass leads 
"Angels We Have Heard on High"]

499
00:25:06,271 --> 00:25:09,341
Asheville's wonderful Christmas 
parade can't be missed--

500
00:25:09,441 --> 00:25:10,575
a creative spectacle

501
00:25:10,675 --> 00:25:13,845
with the Blue Ridge Mountains 
as a backdrop.

502
00:25:13,945 --> 00:25:15,981
[brass leads "Jingle Bells"]

503
00:25:16,081 --> 00:25:23,722
♪

504
00:25:23,822 --> 00:25:25,957
[indistinct talking]

505
00:25:27,225 --> 00:25:29,027
Merry Christmas!

506
00:25:29,127 --> 00:25:31,730
[brass leads 
"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen"]

507
00:25:31,830 --> 00:25:39,037
♪

508
00:25:39,137 --> 00:25:46,778
♪

509
00:25:46,878 --> 00:25:50,715
♪

510
00:25:50,815 --> 00:25:53,418
[brass transitions 
to "Jingle Bells"]

511
00:25:53,518 --> 00:25:55,420
♪

512
00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:56,922
[crowd applauding]

513
00:25:57,022 --> 00:25:59,624
[electric bass 
leads lively pop melody]

514
00:25:59,724 --> 00:26:05,030
♪

515
00:26:05,130 --> 00:26:07,065
(girl #1) 
Merry Christmas!

516
00:26:07,165 --> 00:26:09,868
(girl #2) 
Happy holiday!

517
00:26:09,968 --> 00:26:13,038
[foghorn blasting] 
ehhnnnnn

518
00:26:13,138 --> 00:26:16,041
(narrator) 
And then, as the new year 
rolls around,

519
00:26:16,141 --> 00:26:20,145
there's the unforgettable 
New Bern boat parade,

520
00:26:20,245 --> 00:26:22,581
a mélange of waterborne 
sounds and sights

521
00:26:22,681 --> 00:26:24,950
that you'll not soon forget.

522
00:26:25,050 --> 00:26:27,118
[chimes play 
"Jingle Bells"]

523
00:26:27,218 --> 00:26:32,190
♪

524
00:26:32,290 --> 00:26:35,126
[foghorn blasting] 
errrnnnnn

525
00:26:35,226 --> 00:26:43,034
♪

526
00:26:43,134 --> 00:26:45,270
So the next time 
you hear the sounds

527
00:26:45,370 --> 00:26:48,206
of a parade rising 
in the distance,

528
00:26:48,306 --> 00:26:51,009
drop your inhibitions 
and head for the fun

529
00:26:51,109 --> 00:26:54,813
at different times of the 
year all across our state.

530
00:26:54,913 --> 00:27:01,720
♪

531
00:27:01,820 --> 00:27:09,561
♪

532
00:27:09,661 --> 00:27:16,768
♪

533
00:27:16,868 --> 00:27:24,509
♪

534
00:27:24,609 --> 00:27:36,221
♪

535
00:27:36,321 --> 00:27:38,657
Captioning 
Caption Perfect, Inc. 
www.CaptionPerfect.com

536
00:27:38,757 --> 00:27:40,291
[man yelling] 
Whooooa!

537
00:27:40,392 --> 00:27:42,694
(woman) 
Merry Christmas!

538
00:27:42,794 --> 00:27:44,062
(man) 
Heeeyy!

539
00:27:46,031 --> 00:27:48,600
(announcer) 
To subscribe 
to "Our State" magazine,

540
00:27:48,700 --> 00:27:52,737
visit the Web site 
www.ourstate.com or call...

541
00:27:59,110 --> 00:28:01,146
From back roads and small towns

542
00:28:01,246 --> 00:28:03,715
to busy interstates 
and bustling cities,

543
00:28:03,815 --> 00:28:06,718
BB&T is proud 
to contribute to the growth

544
00:28:06,818 --> 00:28:09,688
of more than 
180 North Carolina communities.

545
00:28:09,788 --> 00:28:12,791
We've seen a lot change 
in our 130 years,

546
00:28:12,891 --> 00:28:15,193
but our commitment 
to the people we serve

547
00:28:15,293 --> 00:28:17,062
is one thing that never will.

548
00:28:17,162 --> 00:28:20,699
We're proud to help build 
th 
is special place we call home,

549
00:28:20,799 --> 00:28:22,667
and we're proud to provide

550
00:28:22,767 --> 00:28:25,537
major funding for "Our State."

551
00:28:27,672 --> 00:28:30,975
Additional funding has been 
provided by UNC-TV members.