Lizard Lick, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lizard Lick
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 Lizard Lick, North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Wake County |
| Elevation | 331 ft (101 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
27591
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| Area code(s) | 919 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1021251 |
Lizard Lick is a small, unincorporated community in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. An unincorporated community is a place that doesn't have its own local government. Lizard Lick is located where Lizard Lick Road and NC 97 cross. It's often mentioned for its very unusual name!
This community is about 20 miles east of Raleigh, which is the state capital. It's also close to the towns of Wendell and Zebulon.
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The Story Behind the Name
According to a North Carolina historian named William S. Powell, the community got its interesting name from someone passing by. This person saw many lizards sunning themselves and licking a rail fence.
Even with its unique name, people who live in Lizard Lick are very proud of their community. In May 1997, a traffic light was put in Lizard Lick for the first time. This was a sign of new growth and increasing value for properties in the area.
Lizard Lick on the Big Screen!
Lizard Lick has become famous more than once because of its name!
Yoshi's Story Game Launch
In March 1998, the small community got a lot of attention. This happened when Nintendo chose Lizard Lick to launch their new Nintendo 64 game, "Yoshi's Story". The game's main character, Yoshi, is a dinosaur known for his long tongue. This made Lizard Lick a perfect fit because of the "lizard" in its name.
A public relations expert suggested Lizard Lick for the launch. He thought it was a great idea because Yoshi was a dinosaur, like a lizard. The game launch in Lizard Lick was a huge event for Nintendo. Many national and international news channels came to cover it. This included major news programs like ABC World News Tonight and NBC's The Today Show.
Lizard Lick Towing TV Show
In September 2009, Lizard Lick became famous again, this time on national television. The TruTV cable network found out about a local towing company. It was called Lizard Lick Towing and Recovery. The company was owned by Ronnie Shirley and his wife Amy.
TruTV sent a cameraman to film for one day. They quickly realized that Amy Shirley was not only a power lifter but also a mortician. This made her a very interesting person! They also found that Ronnie was very entertaining. A TruTV executive said, "We really fell in love with Lizard Lick." She added that the Shirleys were "dynamic and entertaining characters."
The television series, first called All Worked Up, then Lizard Lick Towing, and later Lick Life, became very popular. Because of its fast-growing fame, the Shirleys got their own half-hour show. It was called Lizard Lick Towing and premiered on February 7, 2011. It was all about their towing and recovery business.
