Senior Travelers Stop In Fayetteville

Fayetteville, is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city. The city is good size with a population of just over 200,000.

With over 55,000 military personnel, Fort Bragg is home to more service members than any other Army installation in the country. It’s also proud to be the home of the revered 82nd Airborne Division and the famed Golden Knights parachute team.

From the historical buildings and cobblestone sidewalks of Hay Street to the eclectic array of art galleries and unique eateries, senior visitors discover downtown to be the epicenter of Fayetteville’s history and culture.

Fayetteville has received the prestigious All-American Award from the National Civic League not just once…but three times. The Market House and Town Hall is Fayetteville’s civic landmark and logo, and is both a National Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city is recognized as “One of the Coolest Small Towns in America.” 200,000 is small??

Seniors Enjoy Military Museums And Memorials

 Naturally with such a huge military camp in town, there is lots to see and do for everyone, including the soldiers. TripAdvisor lists two great museums that senior visitors can enjoy.  The Airborne and Special Ops and the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial are great visits.

Yahoo Travel liked Jambbas Ranch, a private zoological park, natural habitat and home of numerous wildlife, that offers tours of its extensive grounds. This Master Gardener would head out to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

The Garden encompasses 79 acres of pine and hardwood forest, and boasts meticulously preserved natural areas of the region’s indigenous plants, trees and wildlife.  Every year downtown Fayetteville puts on the International Folk Festival with representatives from over 30 different countries participating.

Historic District Draws Visitors

Fayetteville Downtown Historic District notes that Fayetteville’s original settlers were from the highlands of Scotland and arrived in 1739 via the Cape Fear River. The area grew as a center of government and commerce because of its location as an inland port and the hub of the early “Plank Roads” system, key to overland travel from the 1840s to 1850s.

Other attractions in Fayetteville include the Cameo Art House Theatre, an intimate and beautifully restored 1920′s theater that shows a wide variety of classic, independent, and foreign films seven nights a week.

Annette Park attracts senior visitors who wish to picnic or just take a good stroll. Cumberland County has much to offer tourists and several surrounding towns around Fayetteville contribute to a large metropolitan area (pop. 375,000) with a plethora of activities and attractions and it’s not all that far from Raleigh, Charlotte and the Atlantic Coast. jeb