Carolina's road trip - gathering ideas

[Loftus]

This is very early stages as I'm not planning to do this until next year, but I thought I'd draw on the knowledgeable people here to help me put together an itinerary for a road trip in the Carolina's and surrounding area.
I plan to take a couple of weeks and fly into and out of Charlotte. Would like to see some of the historic areas and the coast but mainly just soak up the atmosphere of the region and relax.
So any ideas for places to see and places to avoid, best time of year to go, places to stay.
Any advice would be very welcome and much appreciated.

 

[jojosam]

Will you be doing NC and SC during your stay? If you can get to Charleston, the history and atmosphere is amazing! I just spent a weekend there (luckily only a 4 hour drive for me), and I filled my time with a lot of walking, Ft. Sumter, carriage ride, ghost tour and aquarium. There is so much to do there and the historic part of the city is CHARMING!

I live in an area about an hour south of Raleigh... probably 2-2 1/2 hours from Charlotte. We are a big golfing area, as well as equestrian. In 2014, the US Open will be held here (Pinehurst) for both men and women.

The beaches in NC are lovely and I've never seen them too crowded. The Outer Banks has some good history at Roanoke Island (Lost Colony) and Kittyhawk (Wright Brothers). Down past Wilmington you can find Carolina Beach, and a bit further down the coast is a quaint little aquarium at Ft. Fisher. I love Southport for its small town feel, and Oak Island is lovely as well. (Nicholas Sparks bases his books on this area)

There's a lot more I am sure I could tell you. I've lived here in NC for 13 years, so I'd love to help you out!

 

[laurafergie]

My DH and I stayed at a B&B in Edenton, NC. that town was so CUTE! Lots of shops, historic area, museum, restaurants and there was a plantation very near there. It was an awesome few days. http://www.visitedenton.com/index.html

 

[Loftus]

JoJoSam, Charleston was definitely on the list. I'm sure I'll be drawing on your experience as the planning develops.
Laurafergie, sounds lovely.

Thank you both very much

 

[WDSearcher]

Be sure to see the Mint Museum Uptown in Charlotte. It's terrific! And just up the block from the Museum is a restaurant called E2. It's Emeril's kind of "home cooking / comfort food" place, and a nice stop for lunch.

You may also want to look into an event called Folkmoot. It takes place during the summer for a couple of weeks -- a big folk festival that brings folk dance groups in from countries around the world to perform concerts in and around Waynesville, NC. It's a really unique event with some terrific performances. If you're going to be in Charleston, be sure to check out the schedule for Spoleto USA -- a world-class arts festival that has a lot of different concerts to choose from as well as lots of visual arts.

If you need a theme park fix, there's a charming little park called Tweetsie Railroad just north of Charlotte. It's train-themed and is set in a lovely part of the mountains. Speaking of which, a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway is also recommended.

 

[kellyg403]

I live near Wilmington, NC, near the Marine Corps Base. The coast of NC is beautiful. Depending on the time of year you are planning on visiting, there is always a festival of some nature. The Shrimp Festival, the Azeala Festival and others. The is a quaint little town called Beaufort that has Blackbeards home and different activities. You can not go wrong with any part of the coast you choose to see.

I hope you enjoy your trip. I live here in NC and always wanted to see the State. From the ocean to the mountains, a little bit of everything!

Kelly

 

[Tarheel Gal]

Make sure to go to Biltmore in Asheville.

 

[Promomx2]

Even if your not Nascar fans, please check out the Nascar Hall of Fame. There is soo much to see related to the sport. Take a tour of Lowes Motor Speedway, where you can ride or drive a real racecar. And you can tour the garages where they work on the racecars free. There is soo much to do in the area, we spend three or four days there.

 

[Loftus]

Thank you. Some great ideas. Sounds like it's a good job I have lots and lots of planning time.