With gorgeous mountains, stunning seascapes and thriving cities, North Carolina offers a wide range of interesting and scenic diversions. Visitors who vacation in North Carolina can bask in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, soak up the sun in the dune-filled Outer Banks, or be entertained at sporting events and cultural attractions in the state’s growing cities. No wonder North Carolina is one of the top 10 most-visited states in the country.
A North Carolina vacation can include one or all of the state’s regions: the mountains, the Piedmont or the coast. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in southwestern North Carolina is the most-visited national park in the U.S. Its 276,000 acres offer diversions ranging from skiing and hiking to kayaking and foliage-peeping (more than 120 species of trees show off brilliant colors during the fall). The Blue Ridge Parkway, the scenic drive connecting the Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah national parks, winds through North Carolina for 252 miles. In the central part of the state, the Piedmont area is home to North Carolina’s renowned universities and growing cities, including Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham and Greensboro. Top attractions in this most urbanized area of the state include the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science, a 50,000-square-foot interactive science-technology center in Durham; the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, one of the world’s largest walk-through natural-habitat zoos; and Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, one of NASCAR’s top venues. For a North Carolina beach vacation, head to the Outer Banks. This chain of barrier islands features 130 miles of unspoiled coastline, including the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Lighthouse, the tallest brick lighthouse in North America. Golfers’ North Carolina travel itineraries offer plenty of choices, as the state is home to more than 600 golf courses.
Most visitors to North Carolina drive their own cars or rent a car. It boasts the largest state-maintained highway system in the nation and five major Interstate highways run through the state. Major airports include Wilmington International Airport; Piedmont-Triad International Airport in Greensboro; Raleigh-Durham International Airport; and Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. Weather varies depending on the region of the state. In the Piedmont, the average winter temperature is about 42°F, while in the summer it’s 77°F. In the coastal areas, the average high temperature in the summer is 89°F, while the average high in the winter is in the mid 60s. The mountains are the coolest part of the state, with temperatures rarely rising above 80°F during the summer and falling into the low teens during the winter. Some mountain regions receive up to 30 inches of snow a year. For more information on a vacation in North Carolina, log on to www.visitnc.com, the website of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development.