Raleigh, NC (Vocus) May 20, 2009
Is enthusiasm for your vacation waning? Does the pocketbook need toning? Perhaps the itinerary needs an injection of adventure, something unexpected? Consider some of the world’s favorite destinations and then let North Carolina provide the satisfying, smart alternatives. Check out our travel-makeover list below for trip ideas and go to VisitNC.com for additional ideas and itineraries (http://www.visitnc.com/itineraries).
While Niagara Falls is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world, see Transylvania County’s 250 waterfalls in western North Carolina, the gateway to outdoor recreation in the southeast. Get off the beaten path with Miller’s Land of Waterfall Tours (tourwaterfalls.com). The guided tour includes two waterfalls not on guide maps, and a stop at Whitewater Falls, a 411-foot thundering cascade of beauty. Take in a concert at the Brevard Summer Music Festival, June 26 to August 9, or saddle up for horseback riding at the Pisgah Forest Stables. http://www.visitwaterfalls.com.
Skip the kicks on Historic Route 66. Cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway instead. Also known as America’s Favorite Drive, the 469-mile Parkway has become the National Park Service’s biggest attraction. More than 20 million people visit each year to drive, ride, hike, picnic and camp–or enjoy the views. In 2006, the Parkway was named an All-American Road by the Federal Highway Administration. This is the highest designation bestowed on any road.
At the southernmost tip of the Parkway, explore American Indian heritage in Cherokee and visit the outdoor drama, “Unto These Hills.” The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center at Milepost 384 highlights the culture, heritage and travel destinations on the entire length of the Parkway. Further north, make a detour to the Penland School of Crafts; plan ahead and take a class or browse the gallery and enjoy the view from the porch of the coffee shop. At Blowing Rock, stop in at the Southern Highland Craft Guild, housed in the Moses Cone estate at milepost 297. As the Parkway winds through Ashe and Alleghany counties, look for opportunities to canoe or tube just off the Parkway at New River Outfitters or hike at Doughton Park. These are just a smattering of the options Parkway visitors can enjoy along the way. http://www.nps.gov/blri/; http://www.blueridgeparkway.org.
If you can’t wine and dine in Napa Valley, try The Yadkin Valley, North Carolina’s first federally recognized American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in northwestern North Carolina. Currently more than 20 wineries and 400 acres are devoted to vineyards in the Yadkin Valley, stretching from the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the eastern edge of North Carolina’s Piedmont. The Piedmont provides excellent conditions for growing European varietals such as Chardonnay, Viognier, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. Visit the Harvest Grill at Shelton Vineyards near Dobson; dine in a cheerful yellow farmhouse at The Century Kitchen at Flint Hill Vineyards in East Bend (near Winston-Salem), and stop by The Bistro for lunch at Childress Vineyards in Lexington.
In fact, almost every North Carolinian now lives within 100 miles of a North Carolina winery, so a tasting room nearby beckons all of North Carolina’s residents and those living in surrounding states. In Eastern NC, the world’s largest muscadine winery, Duplin Winery, serves up lunch and dinner at their Rose Hill restaurant. Dinner Theatres are scheduled for June 6, July 11 and August 8.
For winery information, go to http://www.VisitNCWine.com.
If you were yearning for the sea breeze on the Scottish links at St. Andrews, leave your passport at home and golf NC’s coast. In Sunset Beach near the village of Calabash, Thistle Golf Club (http://www.thistlegolf.com/index_golf.cfm) offers scenic, challenging 27-hole layouts on the Grand Strand. Thistle takes its name from an ancient Scottish golf society dating back to the early 1800s, and the course offers a distinct Scottish links feel with wind-swept fairways, large bentgrass greens and hillsides covered in heather and wildflowers. On the Outer Banks, Nags Head Golf Links (http://www.clubcorp.com/club/scripts/section/section.asp?NS=PCH&MFCODE=NGHGL), offers a true Scottish links-style championship course in a natural, windswept environment you can almost hear the bagpipes!
For easy access to more than 430 NC courses go to http://www.golf.visitnc.com.
Not up for a cross-country flight to Hollywood? Discover “Hollywood East,” better known as Wilmington. Since Hollywood first called in 1983, the Wilmington region has logged more than 400 film-related credits. Filmmakers favor the mild climate, island beaches, varied landscapes and architecture of the historic town along the Cape Fear River. TV credits include “One Tree Hill” and “Dawson’s Creek” (The WB), and NBC’s “Surface.” Feature films include “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” “Black Knight” and “The Secret Life of Bees,” among others (see complete list at wilmingtonfilm.com). Enjoy a Hollywood Location Walk of Downtown movie locations (hollywoodnc.com) or experience “movie magic” during guided weekend tours of EUE/Screen Gems Studios (http://www.screengemsstudios.com).
If modern-day pirates are keeping you out of international waters, safely explore the now quiet stomping grounds of Blackbeard, one of the most notorious American pirates. Blackbeard lived his last days on the North Carolina coast. Along N.C.’s 375-mile coast and inland waters, pirate enthusiasts can visit many destinations where pirate history was made. In Beaufort, the North Carolina Maritime Museum features pirate ship artifacts and the Hammock House, the reputed former residence of Blackbeard. Ocracoke Island is the site of Blackbeard’s last battle where he met his demise. For a limited time, visitors can dive on Blackbeard’s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge in Morehead City and explore the remains of what is believed to be the ship. With a limited number of spaces available before the full excavation begins, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. qaronline.org; 252-528-0026
Download the Blackbeard’s Pirate Trail Itinerary at http://www.visitnc.com/itineraries.
Makeover your vacation plans in North Carolina. Order the 2009 North Carolina Travel Guide, download itineraries, sign up for e-newsletters and search extensive lodging, rental, restaurant, attraction and event listings at VisitNC.com, or call 1-800 VISIT NC (1-800-847-4862). Become a fan of North Carolina on facebook at Visit North Carolina. Follow the latest travel news on twitter @VisitNC.
Contact:
Susan Dosier
(704) 953-9408
Wit Tuttell
(919) 733-7420
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