Work Trip #43 - Plastic bottle landfill disposal ban with Megan - Albemarle, NC

So many of you know that in October of 2009, NC's plastic bottle landfill disposal ban was put in place. Prior to it being enacted, my boss recommended I get out on the road and conduct some events throughout NC to raise awareness for the ban. So Megan (my trusty intern at the time) and I drove to Albemarle, NC (down and back in one day) for an event in that town. I remember getting a little press actually from the TimeWarner Cable folks out of Charlotte.

The best thing about the trip was all the backroads we had to take. It was one watertower after another. 

Albemarle. NC. 

Our ultimate destination was Albemarle. So once again, these pictures are backwards. 

Badin. NC. 

So we took a wrong turn and ended up in Badin. Badin is right along the river and home to Alcoa, the largest producer of aluminum.

Ever seen an aluminum recycling plant? Well, here you go. 

Troy. NC. 

Don't you love a pink watertower. It says something about a town. Maybe they have a lot of breast cancer survivors.

Biscoe. NC. 

Not sure what Biscoe is known for, but they have a nice little watertower. Like Troy, it's right outside the Uwharrie National Forest.

Carthage. NC. 

This was only my second time driving through the sandhills of NC, but it really is quite beautiful. Plus, if you like to golf . . . I like the little carriage that was added to the watertower and the bell mid-way down.

Perfect Fit Watertower. 

I'm not sure where this was taken. When I Google "Perfect Fit", Perfect Fit Industries comes up in Monroe, NC. Monroe is close to Albemarle but I don't think I made it to Monroe on this trip. Perhaps I got lost again?

Waterdrop Watertower.

I'm not quite sure where this was taken but it was somewhere along US 1 on our way to Albemarle. If you know where either of these watertowers came from, let me know.

Watertower hunting with Owen and the Dogs - August 2009

I had been working really hard to prepare for the NC plastic bottle landfill disposal ban when Owen said to me one weekend, "We should go watertower hunting. You need a break and we haven't done it in forever." So in the car we went with the dogs down highway 55. These pics are listed backwards, but you get the idea.

Coats. NC. 

As you can see, Millie loves watertower hunting.









 Campbell University. Buies Creek. NC.

Campbell University in Buies Creek (see link above for map) is a small town university but they have a very good law and pharmacy school.





Harnett County. NC.

Home of Lillington NC.






Angier. NC.

Angier is just outside of Wake County. They have a nice little standpipe that is colorfully painted.









This is one of my favorite watertower pictures. Why you ask? It isn't colorfully painted or anything. Well, it has a recycling drop-off site under the watertower. The merger of my two passions. Also Angier, NC.










Holly Springs. NC. 

So much has changed in Holly Springs. It used to be just a sleepy little town with a municipal solid waste landfill. Now it's a big suburb with a larger municipal waste landfill. Thankfully Wake County finally resolved that issue. Landfills are unfortunately a necessary evil. Siting the landfill was ongoing before I worked there and after I worked there.

Mystic, CT - July 2009

Mystic. CT. 

In July 2009, I visited Mystic CT with my nuclear family to see my extended family. Mystic is where the 80's movie Mystic Pizza was filmed. It's a cute little town with a couple of water towers. One water tower we could see from the main road so of course we hunted it down. Nothing special but it was by a railroad track and an old bell (which this many years ago I don't remember what the bell was for).

Parker Water Tower - Wake Forest, NC - Dismantled for scrap

Parker Water Tower. Wake Forest. NC. 

It was so sad when Owen's Dad emailed me these photos in 2009.

One of the first water tower photos I took and put on my blog in 2005 was of this tower in Wake Forest with the prettiest sunset behind it. See it here. Scroll to the bottom of the post.

Like many old manufacturing facilities, the building was torn down and then the water tower was dismantled for scrap metal.

I've seen water towers built but this was the first tower I saw dismantled.

Loves Park, IL - From my Mom

Loves Park. IL. 

My mom sent me this picture in 2009. Loves Park is right off Interstate 90 near Chicago. I can't remember the story of this tower but it is very cool with the big heart.

Landis, NC - From Matt L

Landis. NC.

I lived in NC 16 years but have never heard of Landis. Our college friend, Matt L, sent in this submission in 2009. They have a pretty cool watertower. Nicely painted!

Dinwiddie County, VA - From Emily

Dinwiddie County. VA.

This picture is from 2005 (maybe one of my oldest pictures that didn't get posted on time). I have in my notes that Emily, my friend who moved from NC to MD, sent it to me. Dinwiddie County is on Interstate 85 between Raleigh and Richmond. I'm assuming she took while driving between the 2 states.

Now that we've moved to VA, we've driven by this a few times also.

Remember Dinwiddie County is "A step ahead".

Havelock, NC? - From Lisa G

Havelock. NC.

In January 2010, I received this submission from my colleague and friend, Lisa, who lives near the coast of NC. I don't think I have my notes right though because I thought this was from Havelock NC but the tower says "____stock". I'll have to email her and find out the right answer.

Stay tuned!

Hampton Beach, NH - From the Price's

Hampton Beach. NH.

In 2007, Owen's parents visited New Hampshire and sent back this great water tower picture from Hampton Beach, NH. They visited his cousin that was living in CT at the time.

Get ready for more old random submissions from friends and family. I owe them dearly for sending them to me and I've been horribly bad about getting them up.

Work Trip #15b (very out of order) - Greenville, SC - March 19, 2007

Blacksburg. SC. 

I found some more old watertower pictures. I was on my way to the Carolina Recycling Association again. This time in Greenville, NC.

This was at a Pall Mall facility. You know - the cigarette company.

I posted some other pics here of the trip.

Greenville. SC.

I thought this was a great watertower. It looks a little like a hot air balloon.

Trina's submissions from years ago

Chatham County. NC.

They were building a watertower near Trina's homestead.  I never got to see the final product but it was cool to see  the watertower being erected. 

McDouglas Middle School

This is a pretty non-descript watertower but since it was a viewer submitted picture I've included it.