Happy Memorial Day Weekend

Enjoy your holiday weekend! For Memorial Day ideas on family-friendly activity ideas, recipes and even crafts for the weekend, visit www.kaboose.com. Kaboose is the largest independent family focused online media company in North America and one of the top-five most visited family destinations online.

No Auditions Required!

Hey Benson superstars...

The annual Benson Family Talent Show is just 2 months away - - still plenty of time to choose your act(s) and practice your way to perfection for your moment on stage. Ann's huge backyard deck will serve as home to this year's stage and provides the perfect gardenlike setting for the 2007 entertainment event of the season.

As always, family members of all ages are encouraged and welcome to participate! Remember that there is always a need for helpers to make posters, assist with seating, etc.

Check out the following link for some helpful Talent Show tips courtesy of Scholastic! http://www.scholastic.com/titles/abbyhayes/brainwaves/talent.htm

North Carolina "Fun Facts"

Here are some interesting and fun facts about North Carolina.

• Raleigh is North Carolina’s state capital.



• North Carolina state bird is the Cardinal.



• On November 21, 1789, North Carolina was the 12th state admitted to the United States.



• The state flower is the dogwood and the state tree is the pine.



• The state motto is “Esse Quam Videri,” which is Latin for "to be rather than to seem."



• In 1987, the General Assembly named milk the official state beverage.



• North Carolina is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the United States.



• The Biltmore Estate in Asheville is the largest home in the United States. It includes a 255 room chateau, winery and gardens.



• In the eastern US, the highest waterfall is Whitewater Falls in Transylvania County.



• The first successful airplane flight was made on December 17, 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina by the Wright brothers.



• University of North Carolina was the first public university in the United States.



• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts originated in Winston-Salem.



• Pepsi was invented in New Burn in 1898.



• Furniture, tobacco, blueberries, strawberries and textile production are among those things for which North Carolina is famous.



• The nation’s highest swinging bridge, at one mile high, can be found on Grandfather Mountain.



• The first English child born in the United States was Virginia Dare, who was born on Roanoke Island in 1587.



• Fayetteville is home to the first miniature golf course.



• North Carolina has 37,000 miles of fresh water streams, and 1,500 lakes that are 10 acres or more in size.



• Incorporated in 1705, Bath is the oldest town in the state.



• The highest peak east of the Mississippi is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Mount Mitchell measures 6,684 feet above sea level.



• Babe Ruth hit his first home run March 7, 1914, in Fayetteville.



• When the two town of Winston and Salem were combined, Winston-Salem was created.



• The seventh president of the United States, Andrew Jackson, was born near the border of North and South Carolina in the Waxsaws area.



• The first state art museum is located in Raleigh.



• High Point is the Furniture Capital of the World.



• With over 77,000 miles of roads, North Carolina has the largest state maintained highway system in the nation.

Travel Tip...Make Your Airline Reservations Now!!!

Planning to fly to Charlotte for the 2007 Benson Family Reunion? Make your air reservations now!!! Experts are already sounding the "trouble" bell for the summer flying season http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/brancatelli/2007-04-13-summer-travel-forecast_N.htm. Airlines are carrying record passenger loads and this spells almost certain trouble when coupled with increased summer travelers flying airlines with fewer and fewer employees.

Take it from Mark who flys almost weekly to various destinations across the USA for work...it pays to plan ahead and make your flight reservations early - - especially in the summer time.

Following are summer travel tips that were published by a travel expert in 2006 that can help make your airplane trip to Charlotte as stress-free as possible.

SUMMER TRAVEL TIPS

1. Skycap. Instead of waiting three hours to check in a bag, give it to the skycap. It may cost you a couple of bucks per bag but believe me, halfway through the check-in line you will wish you had.

2. Electronic check-in. Some flights are eligible for online check-in. By avoiding the check-in mess, you can go directly to the security mess.

3. Early bird. Take an early flight. As the day progresses, there is a greater likelihood of flight cancellations and weather delays.

4. Bring a jacket. Some of the coldest flights I have ever flown have been in the summer, when the pilots overcompensate for the heat by cranking up the air conditioning to Siberian levels.

5. Don’t stop. Pay the extra money and book the nonstop flight if available. You may get a good deal by connecting through Chicago, but believe me you will pay for it later.

6. Be prepared. Don’t have something crucial planned for the first two days of your trip. For example, if your cruise leaves on Friday morning, don’t leave Thursday night.

7. Make the call. Call the airline before you leave for the airport to make sure your flight is on time. Sign up for e-check, a service many airlines provide; it will call your cell phone to inform you of any delays. If you are being picked up at your destination, make sure your driver has a number to call to verify your arrival time.

8. Do unto others. Treat other travelers and airline employees as you would like to be treated yourself. Put yourself into their shoes and realize that you are not the only person in this world.

9. Stick to the favorites. If you have had better experiences on one airline than on others, stick with it, even if it is a little more expensive, or leaves at a less convenient time. Your judgment is key.

10. Pack a lot of patience. Don’t let small inconveniences ruin the whole trip. Things go wrong in life and your airline journey may be no different.

Wild Cats on Ann's Campus: Breaking Charlotte News on the Benson Family Reunion Blog!

We all know that Ann works as Director - Conferences, Reservations & Event Services at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte http://www.uncc.edu/. But did you know that the campus is home not only to college students but to a population of wild cats http://www.charlotte.com/112/story/127546.html?

The 2007 Benson Family Reunion Blog now features a news feed to provide "news you can use" (and perhaps some you can't!) specific to the Charlotte area. So check out the Charlotte news section every now and then and remember to bring kitty treats along for your tour of Ann's campus!

Honoring Mom & Dad Benson...

Did you know that Mom & Dad Benson (Grandma and Grandpa) have been bestowed a special honor in Charlotte?

Patti, Mark, Alex & Matthew worship at St. Matthew Catholic Church , home to 18,000 parishioners (6,000 households) in the fast growing area of south Charlotte where the Weber family lives. St. Matthew recently built a beautiful "Grandparents Garden" that features a special brick engraved with the names of Jim and Mary Ellen Benson.

The garden is located to the immediate left of Building #5 on the St. Matthew campus. Definitely worth a stop during your visit to Charlotte! Click on the following link to learn more about St. Matthew http://home.catholicweb.com/stmatthewcatholic/index.cfm.

Activity Idea #9 - Kannapolis Intimidators

So what do NASCAR and minor league baseball have in common? Before his untimely death, NASCAR racing legend Dale Earnhardt purchased ownership into the Kannapolis Intimidators www.intimidatorsbaseball.com minor league baseball team.

One of two minor league clubs in Charlotte (the other being the Charlotte Knights www.charlotteknights.com), the Intimidators are a Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and play at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium (locals call it "The Cannon") located in Kannapolis, NC www.ci.kannapolis.nc.us/ in the northern Charlotte suburbs not far from Ann's house.

The Cannon is a 4,700-seat facility was built in 1995. It features six luxury suites with an elevated view of the field, Box and Reserved seat sections with chair backs, General Admission bleacher seating and a grassy area down the 3rd base line to accommodate overflow crowds.
"The Cannon" also has a large picnic shelter, two fully-equipped concession stands, and many other specialty stands on the main concourse.

Other fixtures of the stadium include a souvenir shop called "Intimidation Station", a playground area known as "The Pit Stop Playground" located down the first base line and various games on the concourse level.

The Kannapolis Intimidators are playing a number of home games during the dates of the Benson Family Reunion. Thanks to Ann for suggesting this as a possible activity idea!