An outsider looking in, I discovered two versions of Moore County - the version seen by the tourist or casual visitor and the Moore County seen by insiders.

In 33 years of covering Moore County for The Pilot, I have enjoyed experiencing the inner workings of this unique place, as well as the delights seen by everyone else.

First, Southern Pines offers all the amenities of the South plus the vision of the New Englanders who inspired the street layout grid. It's one of those towns with a railroad running smack dab through the middle of the downtown thoroughfare. Ugly? Yes. Noisy? Yes. Inconvenient at times? Yes. Taking the edge off these issues are the magnolias, dogwoods, azaleas, impatiens and multiple other plantings that grow into lush ground cover. The railroad pales to insignificance.

Then there are the quaint wrought-iron gates leading along mysterious little paths beside and behind downtown businesses.

Traveling into Moore County from the South, I first pass through Aberdeen, another historic community with its own distinct flavor. That trek along U.S. 1 through Aberdeen does not tell you much about this town. But I assure you that the trip is well worth the drive just to see that spectacular lavender crape myrtle decorating the route every summer.

My first trip to Carthage, the county seat, was a chore. It was wintertime, and things were pretty dull. Local and state government offices dominate downtown, but the entry takes the traveler beside beautiful homes.

And oh, when spring arrives, the town of Carthage blossoms into magnificent life, the yards aleap with daffodils, irises, azaleas and dogwoods.

Visits to other towns reveal that each community has its own distinct character. Take Vass, with its lively and alert leadership. And Cameron with its village appeal and antique intrigue.

Or visit Pinebluff and enjoy a street layout that reminds you of the New England grid style.

Pinebluff's street names remind me of the preference for fruit, trees, birds and flowers. Pinebluff has its Currant Street, Aberdeen its Peach Street, which intersects with Poplar Street. I always thought that would be a neat address - Peach at Poplar. Pinebluff also has a Peach Street. In fact, Peach, Pear, Grape, Plum, Cherry, Walnut and Pecan cross streets named for Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and Baltimore.

And can you think of anything more delightful than Foxfire's Bobolink Road? Intersecting Bobolink is Wren Street.

Pine is such a popular name it takes keen imagination to come up with distinctions - roads, streets, lanes, courts, drives, circles and variations required by the emergency communications system.

Pinehurst needs no introduction. It stands on its own, which is good in a way and sad in others because the resort community's fame often encroaches on the individuality of nearby municipalities.

Visitors frequently get lost in the southern end of Moore County because they can't figure out where Aberdeen, Southern Pines and Pinehurst stop and start. People say they visited Pinehurst when they actually did their shopping, movie going or dining in Aberdeen or Southern Pines.

On a walk during my lunch break years ago, I was stopped by a car filled with smartly dressed ladies who asked directions to Linden Road. They were on May Street in Southern Pines but thought they were in Pinehurst. No need for embarrassment - the residents get confused too.

Taylortown is not off the beaten path by any means, but people rarely drive through the heart of town. Many don't realize that a nearby shopping center is a Taylortown phenomenon.

Whispering Pines is a community that may soon join the Aberdeen, Southern Pines, Pinehurst triumvirate, making it a quad-something or other. This growing village trimmed with lakes, bridges and winding roads is populated by alert, energetic folks with an eye for public service.

At the other end of the county is the historic town of Robbins, once a thriving industrial center but now struggling to regain its strong economic foothold. Robbins should be more notable for producing such famous people as an astronaut and a U.S. senator and a distinguished school.

Seven Lakes is not a town, but no picture of Moore County is complete without mentioning this beautiful unincorporated development west of West End. If efforts toward incorporation ever become reality, Seven Lakes will be the county's third largest town.

The list is endless. We could mention West End, Eastwood, Putnam, Glendon, Jackson Springs, Eagle Springs, Niagara, Manly and other individual little diamonds sprinkled across the bucolic landscape.

No matter where you drive across the county's vast acreage, you find not just beauty but an abundance of character and energy and the joy of living.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at florence@thepilot.com.