A picture I took at the Bodie Island Lighthouse with Travel Monkey, the kids’ stuffed animal that comes with me on road trips.
Summer’s halfway gone, folks, and if you’re gonna go out and carpe diem, you’d better do it quick. To help, let’s work together and help people you don’t even know have a good time. So here’s your task: In the comments, write a few sentences about a place you’ve been over the last few years. Basically, note the reason you went, roughly how much it cost (was it cheap? Did it set you back a thousand bucks?), how long one should reasonably stay there (a week, or an hour while you’re passing through), the circumstances (fun for children, best booze cruise outside of Myrtle Beach), and something great or unusual that happened to you there. I’m okay with hearing about your quintessential North Carolina experiences (done looked at a lighthouse), but extra credit if it’s something novel or weird or off the beaten path (spent a voluntary week in Murphy). Now, I know some of you subscribers are travel writers, visitors’ bureau folks, or influencers, but try to keep your work impulses down and tell me where you’ve gone to genuinely get away. You and I can award points here by liking comments, and hopefully we’ll all learn something new.
I'll start: I've been to Carolina Beach a LOT this summer on actual beach trips with family, but I met up with someone to have lunch in Burlington only because it was halfway between Greensboro and Raleigh. We hit up Zack's, then I spent an hour walking around downtown. I thumbed through some records at Main Street Vinyl, had coffee at the Blend & Co., and generally enjoyed the vibe (found a statue of a cow made from used car parts). It's worth stopping off if you're passing by on I-40, but you can also take the train there as well if you're looking for a place to just go a work remotely that's not the inside of your house.
Late every summer we make a pilgrimage to the easternmost bit of the state, the stretch between Avon and Buxton on the Outer Banks. We stay wherever the best price-to-quality cottage is available for our selected week, so generally less then $2K in all, but the best part of getting there from Belmont (a 6- to 7-hour slog) is stopping for lunch at one of the quirkiest eateries in the state - Georgia Dean's Restaurant and Bar in Williamston. It's housed in a former florist's shop and is guarded by a dragon (well, last year, anyway). They are only open Wed-Sat, but the down-home yumminess and excellent bar staff keep us coming back year after year!
P.S. The website shown on Yelp is no longer in service...you have to look for them on Facebook to get the latest info and menus. Cheers!
When my grown daughters ask what I wanted to do for Mother’s Day 2024, I said I wanted to go on a “Troll Hunt” they laughed but said ok. Our day consisted of a hike in Eno park, lunch at Picnic BBQ and a trip to Eno River Farms to see their three huge trolls ( a homage to Thomas Danbo’s global trolls) finishing with their home ice cream! It was a great day. Plus the girls had the best story at work when friends asked “what did you do for Mother’s Day!
Lazy 5 Ranch on Hwy 150 between Salisbury and Mooresville. It is the classic drive through animal park (open wagon rides on days below 95 degrees) It doesn’t matter what age guests we have brought there. It is a hoot and the best selfie place for an uninvited guests with their head in the window. You haven’t lived until you have had an alpaca burp in your car. It coats you and lingers. And if you open your sunroof, the African Watusi will figure out how to get its head and horns in and has what must be a 2 foot tongue. I also love telling the little folks that dinosaurs are still with us and then watching them when the emus stick their heads in.
Very reasonable and buy 4 buckets of feed. Do not drive a nice car. I still find random feed in my door panel.
My daughter married in 2018 at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC. In the run-up to this event (and on occasions since), we spent quite a bit of time in this small mountain town. The downtown area offered great places to browse/shop, there are painted bears all around, and there are several terrific places to eat! From Hot Dog World to Haus Heidelberg, you can eat like a king/queen. We stayed in the 1898 Waverly Inn B&B several times and it’s within walking distance to downtown. It was such a beautiful area to just relax and be.
I’ll add that Kanuga’s guest periods are a “best kept secret” for family getaways. We go with my in-laws every year for a week; stay in one of the historic cabins or in the Inn which was redone a few years ago. They cook for you, the waterfront is staffed, there’s a gym and fitness center, and they run a kids program every weekday so mom gets a real break too. I love the hiking trails. This is an Episcopal retreat center but it’s welcome to all, and remember how many Episcopalians it takes to change a light bulb: four, and a fifth; pre-dinner cocktails on the porch is a veritable institution for many families. Best time to go for N.C. families may be after August 1 when other states start school.
For free, interesting things to do as day trips or breaks while traveling. The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, Bennett Place, Town Creek Indian Mound, the Thomas Wolfe Home are among my favorites for glimpses of history from different perspectives.
Nice and surprisingly comprehensive local history museum, mostly focusing on African-American history. Contains many recordings of oral histories and storytelling from folks in the area, including a sizable amount about trained bears. Also conveniently located in the same town as the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park. Can be accessed by train/Greyhound, as I did, but it would be significantly easier to drive.
My nephew is the perfect age for children's museums, so we've been hitting a bunch of new-to-us kid-friendly places for day trips from Durham, namely Brenner's Children's Museum in Greensboro, and Qubein Children's Museum in High Point. We took a day trip, too, to Danville, Va. Grandma was happy to spend the day at the casino there while we took our nephew to the cool Danville Science Center. Across the parking lot from the center is the (working) train station, which is also part of museum and had a great children's play area -- currently with a Thomas exhibit, which my train-obsessed nephew LOVED.
A few years ago, we headed to Kinston for an overnight get away. We stayed at the Mother Earth Motor Lodge, visited the Brewery, took in the public art, and went for a hike at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. It was a great overnight trip from Durham!
once again prefacing this with "i live in California", i did recently spend a nice weekend with my girlfriend's family up in lake lure. it's got a pretty resorty vibe, seems like there are plenty of air bnb options, but the area around the lake is nice and seems great for families to either chill, golf, relax, whatever. felt like we were a lot farther away from civilization than we really were
My wife and I stayed at The Esmeralda Inn in 2015; technically I think it's in Chimney Rock but right down the road from Lake Lure. Anyway, they had a life size cut out of Patrick Swayze and Baby in the front lobby. (Not sure if this inn is still open.)
We have done the 6 on the western side of the state in a week. Really enjoyable and you can go as frugal or as fancy as you want on accommodations. We camped some and stayed in some interesting motels. That honestly was part of the fun.
I know that this is a North Carolina centric newsletter, but we also did this in Georgia. Providence Canyon is one of my favorite places, and it has a great story.
Minor league baseball: If you just like baseball in general, I haven’t found a bad one in the state, but if you mostly want vibes and baseball is secondary, Asheville is my favorite for Bull-Durham-but-family-friendly-atmosphere.
State parks: Morrow Mountain was my favorite we’ve visited this SUMMER specifically, but Goose Creek is a hidden gem that I almost don’t want to talk about so I can keep it to myself. Gorgeous, close to Washington, and very little visited. I just hiked this winter but the campsites looked great.
We recently bought a home in Saluda,NC, after spending many weekends up here vacationing. It’s the perfect little town to feel welcome, and you’ll even get to know the actual locals. We have a lovely brand new playground, a super-informative train depot museum (for kids and grown-ups alike!), and a handful of restaurants ranging from counter burgers to fine dining. Our motel, with one of the best views around, is great for those on a smaller budget, and we have two inns in town! It’s a great place to base your western NC vacation or just to spend some well-deserved family time together!
I'll start: I've been to Carolina Beach a LOT this summer on actual beach trips with family, but I met up with someone to have lunch in Burlington only because it was halfway between Greensboro and Raleigh. We hit up Zack's, then I spent an hour walking around downtown. I thumbed through some records at Main Street Vinyl, had coffee at the Blend & Co., and generally enjoyed the vibe (found a statue of a cow made from used car parts). It's worth stopping off if you're passing by on I-40, but you can also take the train there as well if you're looking for a place to just go a work remotely that's not the inside of your house.
Late every summer we make a pilgrimage to the easternmost bit of the state, the stretch between Avon and Buxton on the Outer Banks. We stay wherever the best price-to-quality cottage is available for our selected week, so generally less then $2K in all, but the best part of getting there from Belmont (a 6- to 7-hour slog) is stopping for lunch at one of the quirkiest eateries in the state - Georgia Dean's Restaurant and Bar in Williamston. It's housed in a former florist's shop and is guarded by a dragon (well, last year, anyway). They are only open Wed-Sat, but the down-home yumminess and excellent bar staff keep us coming back year after year!
P.S. The website shown on Yelp is no longer in service...you have to look for them on Facebook to get the latest info and menus. Cheers!
I may make a stop here on my own pilgrimage to the Outer Banks in a few weeks - thanks!!
We're headed there the first week of Sept this year...can't wait!
Adding to my list! Thanks!
When my grown daughters ask what I wanted to do for Mother’s Day 2024, I said I wanted to go on a “Troll Hunt” they laughed but said ok. Our day consisted of a hike in Eno park, lunch at Picnic BBQ and a trip to Eno River Farms to see their three huge trolls ( a homage to Thomas Danbo’s global trolls) finishing with their home ice cream! It was a great day. Plus the girls had the best story at work when friends asked “what did you do for Mother’s Day!
Lazy 5 Ranch on Hwy 150 between Salisbury and Mooresville. It is the classic drive through animal park (open wagon rides on days below 95 degrees) It doesn’t matter what age guests we have brought there. It is a hoot and the best selfie place for an uninvited guests with their head in the window. You haven’t lived until you have had an alpaca burp in your car. It coats you and lingers. And if you open your sunroof, the African Watusi will figure out how to get its head and horns in and has what must be a 2 foot tongue. I also love telling the little folks that dinosaurs are still with us and then watching them when the emus stick their heads in.
Very reasonable and buy 4 buckets of feed. Do not drive a nice car. I still find random feed in my door panel.
You are welcome.
CB is very chill, and Kure Beach is even chiller. Plus the boardwalk is great. Will still be a lot of people but not as crazy as Nags Head.
My daughter married in 2018 at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC. In the run-up to this event (and on occasions since), we spent quite a bit of time in this small mountain town. The downtown area offered great places to browse/shop, there are painted bears all around, and there are several terrific places to eat! From Hot Dog World to Haus Heidelberg, you can eat like a king/queen. We stayed in the 1898 Waverly Inn B&B several times and it’s within walking distance to downtown. It was such a beautiful area to just relax and be.
Hendersonville is great and it's worth going there when you feel like you've overdone Asheville.
I’ll add that Kanuga’s guest periods are a “best kept secret” for family getaways. We go with my in-laws every year for a week; stay in one of the historic cabins or in the Inn which was redone a few years ago. They cook for you, the waterfront is staffed, there’s a gym and fitness center, and they run a kids program every weekday so mom gets a real break too. I love the hiking trails. This is an Episcopal retreat center but it’s welcome to all, and remember how many Episcopalians it takes to change a light bulb: four, and a fifth; pre-dinner cocktails on the porch is a veritable institution for many families. Best time to go for N.C. families may be after August 1 when other states start school.
We like NC Historic Sites https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites
For free, interesting things to do as day trips or breaks while traveling. The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, Bennett Place, Town Creek Indian Mound, the Thomas Wolfe Home are among my favorites for glimpses of history from different perspectives.
Oliver Nestus Freeman Round House, Wilson NC
Free-but-suggested-donation
Nice and surprisingly comprehensive local history museum, mostly focusing on African-American history. Contains many recordings of oral histories and storytelling from folks in the area, including a sizable amount about trained bears. Also conveniently located in the same town as the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park. Can be accessed by train/Greyhound, as I did, but it would be significantly easier to drive.
My nephew is the perfect age for children's museums, so we've been hitting a bunch of new-to-us kid-friendly places for day trips from Durham, namely Brenner's Children's Museum in Greensboro, and Qubein Children's Museum in High Point. We took a day trip, too, to Danville, Va. Grandma was happy to spend the day at the casino there while we took our nephew to the cool Danville Science Center. Across the parking lot from the center is the (working) train station, which is also part of museum and had a great children's play area -- currently with a Thomas exhibit, which my train-obsessed nephew LOVED.
A few years ago, we headed to Kinston for an overnight get away. We stayed at the Mother Earth Motor Lodge, visited the Brewery, took in the public art, and went for a hike at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. It was a great overnight trip from Durham!
We did Kinston a while back and did all of that minus the hike. This was at the peak of the Chef and the Farmer days though.
once again prefacing this with "i live in California", i did recently spend a nice weekend with my girlfriend's family up in lake lure. it's got a pretty resorty vibe, seems like there are plenty of air bnb options, but the area around the lake is nice and seems great for families to either chill, golf, relax, whatever. felt like we were a lot farther away from civilization than we really were
Only thing disappointing about Lake Lure is expecting to see anything that resembles anything from Dirty Dancing.
My wife and I stayed at The Esmeralda Inn in 2015; technically I think it's in Chimney Rock but right down the road from Lake Lure. Anyway, they had a life size cut out of Patrick Swayze and Baby in the front lobby. (Not sure if this inn is still open.)
I'm heading for a week to Carolina Beach this October. I've never been. How does it compare to Nags Head and Emerald Isle? I'm coming from AZ
We have done the 6 on the western side of the state in a week. Really enjoyable and you can go as frugal or as fancy as you want on accommodations. We camped some and stayed in some interesting motels. That honestly was part of the fun.
https://livability.com/nc/experiences-adventures/why-the-7-natural-wonders-are-actually-in-north-carolina/
I know that this is a North Carolina centric newsletter, but we also did this in Georgia. Providence Canyon is one of my favorite places, and it has a great story.
https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/collections/seven-natural-wonders-of-georgia/
Where do people go for beach kites? Is it just Amazon now? Is there some legendary kite store that I’ve never heard of?
Minor league baseball: If you just like baseball in general, I haven’t found a bad one in the state, but if you mostly want vibes and baseball is secondary, Asheville is my favorite for Bull-Durham-but-family-friendly-atmosphere.
State parks: Morrow Mountain was my favorite we’ve visited this SUMMER specifically, but Goose Creek is a hidden gem that I almost don’t want to talk about so I can keep it to myself. Gorgeous, close to Washington, and very little visited. I just hiked this winter but the campsites looked great.
We recently bought a home in Saluda,NC, after spending many weekends up here vacationing. It’s the perfect little town to feel welcome, and you’ll even get to know the actual locals. We have a lovely brand new playground, a super-informative train depot museum (for kids and grown-ups alike!), and a handful of restaurants ranging from counter burgers to fine dining. Our motel, with one of the best views around, is great for those on a smaller budget, and we have two inns in town! It’s a great place to base your western NC vacation or just to spend some well-deserved family time together!