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What to do in North Carolina?
Hello,
If you were to visit North Carolina for 8 days in the first week of November this year, what would be your recommendations for best things to see and do in the state? I'd like to come away with a feel for what makes the state special: cultural, historical, culinary, natural, liveable. Recommendations on lodging are welcome, too--something in the $100/night range would be good. I'm looking for accomdations that would help to make the trip special. No children would be travelling, just one adult. Also, the trip's emphasis would be less on the coast, more on the eastern and especially the central portions, though I welcome comments/recommendations about the coast, too. Thank you. |
#2
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What to do in North Carolina?
I would recommend that you spend at least a few days in the western
mountains. While there get a BBQ sandwich. FFM ayoung wrote: Hello, If you were to visit North Carolina for 8 days in the first week of November this year, what would be your recommendations for best things to see and do in the state? I'd like to come away with a feel for what makes the state special: cultural, historical, culinary, natural, liveable. Recommendations on lodging are welcome, too--something in the $100/night range would be good. I'm looking for accomdations that would help to make the trip special. No children would be travelling, just one adult. Also, the trip's emphasis would be less on the coast, more on the eastern and especially the central portions, though I welcome comments/recommendations about the coast, too. Thank you. |
#3
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What to do in North Carolina?
"ayoung" wrote in message ...
Hello, If you were to visit North Carolina for 8 days in the first week of November this year, what would be your recommendations for best things to see and do in the state? I'd like to come away with a feel for what makes the state special: cultural, historical, culinary, natural, liveable. Recommendations on lodging are welcome, too--something in the $100/night range would be good. I'm looking for accomdations that would help to make the trip special. No children would be travelling, just one adult. Also, the trip's emphasis would be less on the coast, more on the eastern and especially the central portions, though I welcome comments/recommendations about the coast, too. Thank you. NC is a BIG state. So you'll have to make tough choices over how to spend your time. I'll give you a bunch of random ideas, starting in the West, and let you pick what sounds interesting: Mountains ----------- 1) Blue Ridge/Smokies West of Asheville - one of my favorite spots. The best parks of Great Smoky Mountain NP are probably on the Tennessee side, but there are lots of places to get a since for mountain heritage. Cades Cove loop road (TN side) is one well know such place. Cherokee is a VERY touristy area just out of the park in NC. Kitschy indian stuff, casino, etc. The Blue Ridge Parkway around highway 215 and 276 is incredible. If you can get into Mt. Pisgah Inn, on the BRP itself, that would be a great base and have amazing views. Lots of sites on 276 between the Parkway and Brevard. The Cradle of Forestry, Sliding Rock (much too cold to do in November, though), Looking Glass Falls. On the BRP, the whole Shining Rock Wilderness area has great hiking. Graveyard Fields is nice. 2) Asheville - Given your criteria, I would not miss the Biltmore House, George Vanderbilt's amazing residence. The winery gets good reviews, too. The Grove Park Inn is fabulous, but pricey. Worth a visit even if not staying there (disclaimer, my brother works there, but I've been praising since long before). It is one of the best examples of Arts and Crafts style outside of California. Lots of very good bed and breakfasts in Asheville. Downtown is very nice. Lots of antiques, good restaurants, etc. Malaprops bookstore is a local landmark. Thomas Wolfe residence is there, although I've not done the tour. 3) Mountains East of Asheville - Mt. Mitchell is highest point in the east. East of that, the Linville Falls, Linville Gorge, Viaduct, Grandfather Mt., Price Lake, Moses Cone, Blowing Rock area is beatiful. The Viaduct is very scenic. It was the last section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, built to hug the side of private Grandfather Mountain. The Tanawha Trail that runs next to it is an awesome trail. Blowing Rock has some nice inns. One thing I recommend in the mountain areas is getting off the Parkway and Interstates at some point and stopping by one of the roadside places that sell Apples, jams, cider, etc. Piedmont ------- The middle of the state was born around 3 things: tobacco, textiles, furniture. With the latter two going offshore at a quick clip, and the former on its last legs already, it is a depressing scene at times. High Point and Hickory are especially connected to the furniture industry. FurnitureLand South in HP on I-85-Business has to be the largest furniture store in the world. People fly in from all over just to shop there. Winston-Salem is, as the name would suggest, mainly known for cigarettes. Nowadays, the local darling is Krispy Kreme. Many vineyards are starting to pop up in the rural areas. NC apparently led the nation in wine before the Prohibition. Land was converted to tobacco farming at that point, which proved to be MUCH more profitable. Now it is going back to grapes. Shelton and Raylen are two I'm familiar with. W-S has a pretty interesting history. The Reynolds and the Hanes families had unbelievable success with tobacco and textiles and the town had an amazing amount of wealth in the early 20th century. It was two towns, Winston and Salem. Salem was a small Moravian village which retains its historic nature today in Old Salem. You can tour the village. Sort of a smaller scale Colonial Williamsburg. The Reynolds family had a family estate called Reynolda. The house is now an art museum, while the gardens are free to walk thru. It connects to Wake Forest University. Nearby Greensboro has a historic battlefield that is interesting. Make sure to try the pork Barbeque in this area. Lexington is best known for it, but there are good places in W-S and G'boro as well. The "western" style has a red sauce. Compare it to the Eastern 'Q' An hour and a half or so from W-S is the "Triangle", or "Research Triangle" (W-S, G'boro, HP make up the "Triad"). In November, you find beautiful college campuses at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill. And you find good football at NC State. Next door to the NC State football stadium, you'll find the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team. Lots of museums in this area. The NC Museum of History is probably the most interesting if you are trying to learn about the state. It is next to the Capitol downtown in Raleigh. Some nice small towns with some charm and antique shops, etc. in this area. Pittsboro, Apex, Selma, Fuquay-Varina. Two large man-made lakes. Umstead Park is a nice, large wooded state park located in the middle of the triangle. Durham has the Durham Bulls minor league baseball (and inspiration for the Bull Durham movie) which is nice, but over for the season. South of all of this stuff is Charlotte, but it is a bit disconnected from the rest of the state. A large, sprawling city with NFL and (soon) NBA teams. East ----- Things change very rabidly once you head east of Raleigh. The rolling hills end. The area is known for farming, especially pig farms ( and the smell ), and military bases. The Eastern BBQ has a vinegar-based sauce. Smithfields BBQ is a local chain. Also try their Brunswick Stew and Fried Chicken. For most of us, Eastern NC is something we pass thru on the way to the Coast. New Bern being the main place of interest due to Tryon Palace. East of here are some great towns on the coastal rivers and sounds. Bellhaven, Oriental, Bath, Elizabethtown. The Coast --------- NC has a very large coastline, with lots to see and lots of history. If you start in the North, you'll approach around Kitty Hawk (either just north or just south). You can travel up thru Duck to Corolla. Nice area. Beautiful red lighthouse. Kitty Hawk has the Wright Bros. Memorial. Make sure to see a ranger talk, they are very imformative. They have a new structure for the centennial, but I found it mainly fluff. Walk the grounds. Nearby is Jockey's Ridge, a large sand dune. On nearby Roanoke Island, you'll find lots of history. I think the "Lost Colony" play is only in summer. but there is an aquarium and replica Elizabethan ship. South of Nags Head is the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. There is a rescue museum, a Charles Kuralt nature walk, and lots of beach. If the highway repairs are down by then, you'll eventually reach Cape Hatteras and the reknowned lighthouse. I think it is closed for the season, though. (hurricane resulted in a new inlet punching thru. they are officially calling it a breach and repairing it quickly without regard to the ecosystem). A ferry will take you to the charming island of Ocrakoke. Rent a bike or a kayak. A great place, but probably not a lot going on in November. A ferry from here will take you to Cedar Island. From either Ocrakoke or CI you can take trips to Portsmouth Village. This village, now abandoned, is on Cape Lookout National Seashore. From Harker's Island, you can take a private ferry across to the seashore at the Cape Lookout lighthouse. Great shelling here. Beafort and Morehead City are nearby. Beaufort has some nice B&Bs and is quite charming. The coastline from here to Wilmington is mainly quaint family beaches with vacation homes. Wilmington is a very cool town. Downtown has lots of cool shops at the riverfront (complete with battleship you can tour). Wrightsville Beach is nearby. You could also visit Ft. Fisher and go the the aquarium. Further down the coast is Southport, a pretty seaside town off the beaten path. From here you can take a people ferry to Bald Head Island. BHI is mainly a quiet resort (no cars - golfcarts and bikes only). But it is worth a daytrip for the lighthouse, marshes, and beach. My thoughts: Asheville, Ocracoke, and Wilmington are probably the most interesting and charming places in the state, with maybe a stop at Old Salem and/or downtown Raleigh museums thrown in. Plus a stretch (or two) of the Blue Ridge Parkway and an afternoon doing Hatteras and Kitty Hawk. |
#4
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What to do in North Carolina?
If you are a fresh water fisherman, the brackish waters of Curituck
Sound (near Kitty Hawk) are great for large mouth bass. Guides are available. I've done it a few times during summer months, but I have no idea as to what the possibilities for fishing are for November. You might inquire. As I write this, hanging on the wall to my left is an 8 pounder that I took from those waters. Of course, while in that area, you might visit the site of the Wright Bros. first flight. B.A. Please note: To avoid spam, all email to my Hotmail address (above) is automatically trashed. If you wish to send me an email, kindly say so in a post, before attempting to send the mail. I will notify you when my line is open to you. |
#5
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What to do in North Carolina?
Thanks for all the tips!
-- ~~Bluesea~~ Spam is great in musubi but not in email. Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply. "Rodney Boles" wrote in message om... "ayoung" wrote in message ... Hello, If you were to visit North Carolina for 8 days in the first week of November this year, what would be your recommendations for best things to see and do in the state? I'd like to come away with a feel for what makes the state special: cultural, historical, culinary, natural, liveable. Recommendations on lodging are welcome, too--something in the $100/night range would be good. I'm looking for accomdations that would help to make the trip special. No children would be travelling, just one adult. Also, the trip's emphasis would be less on the coast, more on the eastern and especially the central portions, though I welcome comments/recommendations about the coast, too. Thank you. NC is a BIG state. So you'll have to make tough choices over how to spend your time. I'll give you a bunch of random ideas, starting in the West, and let you pick what sounds interesting: Mountains ----------- 1) Blue Ridge/Smokies West of Asheville - one of my favorite spots. The best parks of Great Smoky Mountain NP are probably on the Tennessee side, but there are lots of places to get a since for mountain heritage. Cades Cove loop road (TN side) is one well know such place. Cherokee is a VERY touristy area just out of the park in NC. Kitschy indian stuff, casino, etc. The Blue Ridge Parkway around highway 215 and 276 is incredible. If you can get into Mt. Pisgah Inn, on the BRP itself, that would be a great base and have amazing views. Lots of sites on 276 between the Parkway and Brevard. The Cradle of Forestry, Sliding Rock (much too cold to do in November, though), Looking Glass Falls. On the BRP, the whole Shining Rock Wilderness area has great hiking. Graveyard Fields is nice. 2) Asheville - Given your criteria, I would not miss the Biltmore House, George Vanderbilt's amazing residence. The winery gets good reviews, too. The Grove Park Inn is fabulous, but pricey. Worth a visit even if not staying there (disclaimer, my brother works there, but I've been praising since long before). It is one of the best examples of Arts and Crafts style outside of California. Lots of very good bed and breakfasts in Asheville. Downtown is very nice. Lots of antiques, good restaurants, etc. Malaprops bookstore is a local landmark. Thomas Wolfe residence is there, although I've not done the tour. 3) Mountains East of Asheville - Mt. Mitchell is highest point in the east. East of that, the Linville Falls, Linville Gorge, Viaduct, Grandfather Mt., Price Lake, Moses Cone, Blowing Rock area is beatiful. The Viaduct is very scenic. It was the last section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, built to hug the side of private Grandfather Mountain. The Tanawha Trail that runs next to it is an awesome trail. Blowing Rock has some nice inns. One thing I recommend in the mountain areas is getting off the Parkway and Interstates at some point and stopping by one of the roadside places that sell Apples, jams, cider, etc. Piedmont ------- The middle of the state was born around 3 things: tobacco, textiles, furniture. With the latter two going offshore at a quick clip, and the former on its last legs already, it is a depressing scene at times. High Point and Hickory are especially connected to the furniture industry. FurnitureLand South in HP on I-85-Business has to be the largest furniture store in the world. People fly in from all over just to shop there. Winston-Salem is, as the name would suggest, mainly known for cigarettes. Nowadays, the local darling is Krispy Kreme. Many vineyards are starting to pop up in the rural areas. NC apparently led the nation in wine before the Prohibition. Land was converted to tobacco farming at that point, which proved to be MUCH more profitable. Now it is going back to grapes. Shelton and Raylen are two I'm familiar with. W-S has a pretty interesting history. The Reynolds and the Hanes families had unbelievable success with tobacco and textiles and the town had an amazing amount of wealth in the early 20th century. It was two towns, Winston and Salem. Salem was a small Moravian village which retains its historic nature today in Old Salem. You can tour the village. Sort of a smaller scale Colonial Williamsburg. The Reynolds family had a family estate called Reynolda. The house is now an art museum, while the gardens are free to walk thru. It connects to Wake Forest University. Nearby Greensboro has a historic battlefield that is interesting. Make sure to try the pork Barbeque in this area. Lexington is best known for it, but there are good places in W-S and G'boro as well. The "western" style has a red sauce. Compare it to the Eastern 'Q' An hour and a half or so from W-S is the "Triangle", or "Research Triangle" (W-S, G'boro, HP make up the "Triad"). In November, you find beautiful college campuses at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill. And you find good football at NC State. Next door to the NC State football stadium, you'll find the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team. Lots of museums in this area. The NC Museum of History is probably the most interesting if you are trying to learn about the state. It is next to the Capitol downtown in Raleigh. Some nice small towns with some charm and antique shops, etc. in this area. Pittsboro, Apex, Selma, Fuquay-Varina. Two large man-made lakes. Umstead Park is a nice, large wooded state park located in the middle of the triangle. Durham has the Durham Bulls minor league baseball (and inspiration for the Bull Durham movie) which is nice, but over for the season. South of all of this stuff is Charlotte, but it is a bit disconnected from the rest of the state. A large, sprawling city with NFL and (soon) NBA teams. East ----- Things change very rabidly once you head east of Raleigh. The rolling hills end. The area is known for farming, especially pig farms ( and the smell ), and military bases. The Eastern BBQ has a vinegar-based sauce. Smithfields BBQ is a local chain. Also try their Brunswick Stew and Fried Chicken. For most of us, Eastern NC is something we pass thru on the way to the Coast. New Bern being the main place of interest due to Tryon Palace. East of here are some great towns on the coastal rivers and sounds. Bellhaven, Oriental, Bath, Elizabethtown. The Coast --------- NC has a very large coastline, with lots to see and lots of history. If you start in the North, you'll approach around Kitty Hawk (either just north or just south). You can travel up thru Duck to Corolla. Nice area. Beautiful red lighthouse. Kitty Hawk has the Wright Bros. Memorial. Make sure to see a ranger talk, they are very imformative. They have a new structure for the centennial, but I found it mainly fluff. Walk the grounds. Nearby is Jockey's Ridge, a large sand dune. On nearby Roanoke Island, you'll find lots of history. I think the "Lost Colony" play is only in summer. but there is an aquarium and replica Elizabethan ship. South of Nags Head is the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. There is a rescue museum, a Charles Kuralt nature walk, and lots of beach. If the highway repairs are down by then, you'll eventually reach Cape Hatteras and the reknowned lighthouse. I think it is closed for the season, though. (hurricane resulted in a new inlet punching thru. they are officially calling it a breach and repairing it quickly without regard to the ecosystem). A ferry will take you to the charming island of Ocrakoke. Rent a bike or a kayak. A great place, but probably not a lot going on in November. A ferry from here will take you to Cedar Island. From either Ocrakoke or CI you can take trips to Portsmouth Village. This village, now abandoned, is on Cape Lookout National Seashore. From Harker's Island, you can take a private ferry across to the seashore at the Cape Lookout lighthouse. Great shelling here. Beafort and Morehead City are nearby. Beaufort has some nice B&Bs and is quite charming. The coastline from here to Wilmington is mainly quaint family beaches with vacation homes. Wilmington is a very cool town. Downtown has lots of cool shops at the riverfront (complete with battleship you can tour). Wrightsville Beach is nearby. You could also visit Ft. Fisher and go the the aquarium. Further down the coast is Southport, a pretty seaside town off the beaten path. From here you can take a people ferry to Bald Head Island. BHI is mainly a quiet resort (no cars - golfcarts and bikes only). But it is worth a daytrip for the lighthouse, marshes, and beach. My thoughts: Asheville, Ocracoke, and Wilmington are probably the most interesting and charming places in the state, with maybe a stop at Old Salem and/or downtown Raleigh museums thrown in. Plus a stretch (or two) of the Blue Ridge Parkway and an afternoon doing Hatteras and Kitty Hawk. |
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