best place to visit in north carolina?

my husband and i are planning to spend a long weekend somewhere in north carolina. we just moved to asheboro. we would want to go somewhere that's not too far from us, has a nice beach and other stuff to do.

Public Comments

1. It depends on what you like. The mountain areas are beautiful. I'm a beach person and love Sunset Beach. The sand is like talcum powder, the water is beautiful and there are no crowds. It's also within 30 minutes from Myrtle Beach SC so if you like golf and other recreational activities there is plenty to do. And the golf is great.
2. Cape Hatteras, The Outer Banks of NC is like paradise. All of these places are right near or on the Cape Hatteras seashore. Manteo ~ Has Festival Park. You can see the Elizabeth II, a beautiful ship from 16th century style England. It's similar to the first ship that sailed here. There are also costumed actors to explain how the guns on the ship worked. They have a blacksmith to show the armor of the time, as well as activities people used to play in. Fort Raleigh, Manteo ~ It's the place where America was first colonized, and the first baby to be born on American soil, Virginia Dare. You'll learn the fateful, tragic story of two lovers and several villagers, and their struggle to call this new place home, as well as how the local Indians treated them. That night, you can see the Lost Colony. It's outdoor drama, the best in the nation, set on a waterfront stage. Very beautiful. Try to get tickets in row F or G. The left side is where the gun fire and Indians come out, so if you're with children who are easily scared, then best to sit on the right side. It's the beautiful tragic story of the land, elegantly performed. Bring bug spray though! Near Fort Raleigh is the Elizabethian Gardens. Very beautiful to see. Across the bridge and onto the island, you'll find Kill Devil Hills. Just north off the bridge you can go to the place where the first airplane was flown. Wright Brothers National Memorial. It's very nice, and they have fun programs every day there. A little further from the Memorial is Jockey's Ridge. You can do hanggliding from there, as well as many other things. There's surfing lessons, kayaking trips, windsurfing lessons, and kite surfing. Very sweet. Check out Bad Barracudas for dinner. Excellent seafood, and it's just across from Jockey's Ridge. South from the Manteo bridge, you enter into the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It's truly beautiful. About ten minutes down the road is a beautiful public beach, with parking, and a wooden walkway over the dune. There's a few shipwrecks that can be seen on this beach. If you keep going, you'll cross another bridge and go on to Hatteras Island. The main city in Hatteras is Buxton, where the famous lighthouse stands. The beach there is beautiful! It's about an hour and a half from the Wright Brother's Memorial. Well worth the trip. You can climb the lighthouse, as well. Further down, you'll reach Ocracoke Island by ferry. White sandy beach with no one around for miles! Beautiful. Ocracoke is home to wild ponies that you can visit, and to Blackbeard. Blackbeard's house is for touring, and there's an excellent restuarant down there, Howard's Pub. Delicious Food. You'll fall in love with the Outer Banks, like I have. It's paradise and Ocracoke is well worth it. There fishing trips and dolphin boat rides that leave from Ocracoke and Buxton. Ways to get there, you might want to drive to Manteo, it's a three hour drive from Raleigh though. Another way to get to Ocracoke is to take the Swanquarter ferry from near Wilmington. This one takes reservations. Any way, this is the best place in the entire world, I promise you!