Travel & Vacation Guide, North Carolina

By Randy Bonds

North Carolina is one of those lucky states with a great diversity of climate to enjoy from the ever popular coastal plains to the spectacular Great Smoky Mountains which show us the rain forest side of things. Although the coast’s popularity displays an ever filling traffic flow of beach goers travelers should take a second look at the stunning Western North Carolina mountains offing many fun-filled Things to Do.

Let’s begin by looking at the obvious attraction, The Great Smoky Mountain National Park! Truly a beauty in itself with over a half million pristine acres bordering Tennessee and North Carolina not to mention the array of wildlife. The park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983 and remains one of the most ecologically rich and diverse temperate zone protected areas in the world. Another mind jarring fact is the amount of overall annual visitors which exceeds 9 million. All national parks combined receive just under 35 million total annual visitors meaning The Great Smoky National Park somehow pulls in 26% of all national forest visitors nationwide. Visiting this wondrous national park is a must thing to do during your visit to North Carolina whether driving through or partaking in a hike on any part of its 800 miles of maintain trails.

Don’t think for a minute the park is the only attraction as Western North Carolina is an outdoor adventure paradise with options that include world class white water rafting, phenomenal single track mountain biking, nail biting motorcycle drives, adventure thrill-seeking ziplining, rich culture experiences, unparallelled mountain golfing, stunning waterfalls, serine mountain stream fly fishing, and the list goes on.

The Nantahala Gorge is home to some of the largest White Water Rafting outfitters in the world offering dozens of participant options from family friendly to extreme class IV and V rapids. Most of these outfitters have been operating since the early 1970’s and continue to grow in popularity for visitors. Popular rivers to ride include the Nantahala, Ocoee, Chattooga, and the Cheoah to name a few. For lesser thrill seekers Deep Creek Recreation area in the Smoky Mountain National Park near Bryson City offers exciting tubing and the Tuckaseegee River flowing parallel to the Smoky Mountain Parkway between Dillsboro and Whittier offers Mom approved rafting for young children.

Mountain Bikers can fantasize about perfect single track or the could live it by riding the Tsali Trails along side Lake Fontana. The park service that manages Tsali got it right when designing and setting up a rule system to maximize riders experience. Four separate looped trails make up the approximately 42 miles of epic riding each of which have photo opportunity vistas throughout. Mountain bikers will not have issues like running into horseback riders and will experience few if any riders coming head on as the trails have specific designated days only for biking and they also direct traffic flow to minimize any potential accidents. They charge a nominal fee of a few dollars at the parking area but considering the upkeep it is well worth it.

With world famous names like Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway road motorcyclists flock to Western North Carolina like an epidemic (but in a good way). There are probably not a whole lot of true bikers in the world that haven’t at least heard of the Tail of the Dragon with 318 curves in just a short 11 miles. Making up the southwestern border of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park starting at Deals Gap on highway 129 bikers will never forget this experience. Even though the Tail of the Dragon is the most popular and famous riders should not pass up riding on areas like the Cherohala Skyway which is growing in popularity and the Blue Ridge Parkway offering over 300 miles of undeveloped mountain roads.

North Carolina Ziplining (aka. Canopy Tours) although fairly new is growing with extreme popularity. With grande mountains mixed with a variety of trees this area is a nesting ground of perfection for treetop adventures. This type of adventure business is no doubt still in its infancy and will see major growth and technology through the next decade. Participants can expect a safe exhilarating tour that will consist of gliding from tree to tree while wearing a climbing harness and rolling across steel cables on high tech pulley systems. Some zipline tour businesses are integrating sky bridges, swings, aerial treks, and more to make these experiences absolutely memorable and participants wanting more.

The town of Cherokee sits at the North Carolina side of the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and offers rich Cherokee Indian Culture. Yes, it is true that they also have a large Harrah’s Casino that attracts 10’s of thousands of visitors each month but much of the local natives have kept their heritage important of in front of education. Unto These Hills is the longest running outdoor drama in the United States offering a first hand experience of their history. Connected to the theater is the Indian Village that displays the Cherokee life in the 1760’s through live displays and within one mile the Museum of Cherokee Indian sits displaying artifacts depicting the culture for 11,000 years.

Golfers admire the popularity and courses offered at the famous Pinehurst area of North Carolina but the mountains offer unparalleled golf courses to enjoy. Although these courses vary in difficulty all will display beautiful views and peaceful playtime.

For travelers that enjoy the serenity of Waterfalls Western North Carolina does not have a shortage. Although not even close to all what is offered throughout the region Jackson County has designed a detailed waterfall map to follow while visiting. A favorite among enthusiasts is Whitewater Falls which is the highest waterfall in the eastern U.S. falling 411 feet. Spending a day exploring a handful of NC Waterfalls will provide ample photo opportunities and memories to boot.

Last, but not least, the rivers and streams flowing through the NC mountains offers an almost unlimited amount of world class fly fishing. Well stocked of brook, brown, and rainbow trout anglers have hundreds of location options to choose from throughout this part of the state. Whether experienced, a beginner, or even a cast fisherman anglers of all abilities will enjoy the local waters.

Visiting WNC (Western North Carolina) without doubt offers an array of Things To Do from mild to wild and should be on the top of travelers Go To List.

Randy Bonds is co-owner of Rental Cabins in North Carolina called Sunset Farm Cabins located in the heart of it all near each of the activities listed above. For more information on Things To Do in NC please visit our website. We hope to see you in the mountains.

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by WILLIAM HAUSELBERG

Kitty Hawk, North Carolina is a quiet town that offers plenty of things to do for visitors while still remaining a sleepy beach town. Commercialism has hit the surrounding areas, but Kitty Hawk stood true to its roots. While now more modern, it is still a quaint town with nothing but charm to offer.

Kitty Hawk Boasts Beautiful and Uncrowded Beaches

Kitty Hawk has an excellent beach area that is open to the public. There is full access with parking from eight different locations. During the summer season, there are full time life guards on duty who are stationed at certain points and also patrol on ATVs. Handicap accessibility is also available.

There are activities like swimming, surfing, sailing, fishing and shelling to keep tourists busy while visiting the beach. Kitty Hawk beach is an excellent surfing site and there is plenty of sand for the entire family to sprawl out and enjoy. Beach overcrowding is not a problem in Kitty Hawk, unlike some of the other public beaches in the Outer Banks areas of North Carolina.

Other Activities in Kitty Hawk

For those looking to learn a little more about nature, Kitty Hawk Woods is an excellent place to get up close and personal with the flora and fauna of North Carolina. Formed by storm swept seas that met with freshwater, the brackish wetland preserve is now home to a wide array of wildlife such as white tailed deer, red fox, alligators, and many bird species. Hiking trails are located throughout the reserve.

There are two great golf courses located in the Outer Banks region to provide visitors a top rate golfing experience on challenging greens. Visit the charming and majestic light houses in the area, or stop in one of the museums for a glimpse at Civil War history and much more.

Kitty Hawk’s Place in History

Kitty Hawk is also known for its contribution to the flight program. In 1900 Orville Wright came to Kitty Hawk and he and his brother spent three years there enjoying the privacy while they built their first flight machine. Despite their flight machine being launched four miles south of Kitty Hawk, it will always be known as the birth place of aviation.

There are great Kitty Hawk hotels for visitors to find comfortable accommodations. Staying in a Kitty Hawk inn is like having a home away from home. Cozy rooms and home cooked meals may be just what the travel weary visitor needs at the end of the day.

This article about Kitty Hawk hotels is written by the author who has great deal of knowledge about Kitty Hawk inn.