Travel & Vacation Guide, North Carolina

By Shawn Everett

North Carolina is a very historical state from being the first in flight to being major tobacco and cotton growers as well as having strategic battle locations used during the Civil War. When you visit North Carolina the Southern charm will envelop you as well as the people who are always amazing to tourists and full of the well known “Southern Hospitality.”

The best places to truly get a feel of North Carolina, its history and inhabitants is by staying at a bed and breakfast. Hotels are informal and simply offer a place to sleep. However, a Bed and Breakfast in North Carolina is like walking into someone’s home where the room has been cleaned and prepared especially for you, a homemade meal cooked from old time recipes that makes you remember that eating is also a form of enjoyment, and innkeepers that are truly interested in making you feel at home. While there are thousands of Bed and Breakfast’s in North Carolina from historic coastal Wilmington to the extraordinary mountains of Asheville, you will always feel at home and welcomed with tidbits of the inns history, fresh baked goods, and innkeepers interested in making you part of the family for a day or two or allowing you your privacy if you so wish.

Some of the most famous areas in North Carolina other than Wilmington and Asheville, include the capital of Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Winston Salem, Fayetteville, Durham, Charlotte, as well as many others. All of these cities have award winning Bed and Breakfasts so no matter if you are traveling for business or pleasure you will want to stay at a North Carolina bed and breakfast as opposed to a generic hotel.

The problem when you visit North Carolina is choosing which bed and breakfast to stay at when considering a trip to a particular city. However, this is not a problem because you can go online and visit the various bed and breakfasts available and then book your reservation at the one that best flatters your budget and personality. Give North Carolina bed and breakfasts a chance the next time you travel to the Tarheel state and you will never choose to stay at a regular hotel again.

Shawn is the owner of Tandac Enterprises and the Bed and Breakfast Connector
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By Matthew Keegan

Visting the Outer Banks of North Carolina affords the traveler an opportunity to take in a wide variety of historical and recreational activities. Ocracoke Island, situated in the Morehead City area, is one such destination that is big on both. See why this “not too easily accessible” island is a favorite for many, including you.

You know that Ocracoke Island is unusual when you find out that it is not accessible by car. Ferry service from nearby Cedar Island brings visitors to the island five times per day and in the summer months a free ferry, run by the state, brings visitors from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke every half hour.

As a barrier island, Ocracoke is rich in history. Blackbeard, the pirate, frequented Ocracoke and shopping — as it is for many visitors — was his chief aim. Too bad that he did not actually pay for his plunder and, ultimately, he met his demise off of Ocracoke Island in 1718 at the tender age of 38. Truly, his sins found him out.

Lighthouse admirers will find a real treat on the island. In 1803, the first Ocracoke lighthouse was built [it actually stood on nearby Shell Castle Island], but it was done in by lightning in 1818. In 1823, a new lighthouse was built and it still stands today. Ocracoke Light is also the oldest working lighthouse in North Carolina, its light warning ships with a fixed beam that reaches 14 miles into the Atlantic.

Beyond historical interest, Ocracoke Island offers what most people want when visiting the ocean: beaches. As part of the Hatteras Island National Seashore, the island boasts 16 miles of clean, windswept beach property. Swimming, boating, and fishing are chief activities, but birding, cycling, and camping are also strong pursuits. Visitors can choose to swim in the ocean or in more sedate Pamlico Sound; both locations are popular for birders, fishermen, and boaters as well.

If you are planning to visit the North Carolina coast, then Ocracoke Island is worthy of a look. Collect some seashells and sand dollars, do some shopping, and visit the lighthouse. You can stay in a bed and breakfast inn, a cottage, a motel, or a condo. You will go away from Ocracoke feeling refreshed and relaxed, exactly what every vacationer deserves.