Travel & Vacation Guide, North Carolina

After months of saving, planning, and packing, you’re finally ready to embark on your vacation to North Carolina’s beautiful Outer Banks. You have the itinerary memorized – days and day of play on the beach, with maybe an excursion to the Currituck Beach lighthouse or the Wright Brothers memorial in Kitty Hawk. The trip promises to be wonderful, but if you are a fan of the grape it could be enhanced with tours of area wineries.

Yes, wine is made in the Outer Banks. One might never expect this area to be associated with good wine, but if you plan ahead you will be able not only to enlighten your palate during a vineyard tour, but perhaps join the locals and other wine aficianados for an evening of tasting, food, and fun. Consider these additional stops on your tour of the Outer Banks.

Moonrise Bay Winery

Set against the calm waters of the bay in Knotts Island, Moonrise Bay has produced a number of tasty vintages since the turn of the century. Here visitors are offered a selection of dry reds and whites, and sweet whites from the ever popular Muscadine. Among the wines available are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Norton, Syrah, Chambourcin, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Tours run daily from noon to five, or by special appointment.

Sanctuary Vineyards

If you are visiting from out of state, best to buy your Sanctuary wine here, as they only ship to North Carolina and Virginia. Sanctuary not only offers wine from other area vineyards, but also sells unique blends under their own label. If you enjoy full-bodied blended reds with a peppery finish, or perhaps a semi-dry combination of Chardonnay and Sangiovese with a sweet finish, find sanctuary in a tour of this vineyard. For directions and more information on area vineyards, be sure to visit http://www.VisitCurrituck.com and request free brochures.

Martin Vineyards

The sandy soil of Knotts Island produces great wine, and at Martin Vineyards one will find acres of Muscadines waiting to be picked. In addition to a variety of dry and sweet table wines, guests at the vineyard may also pick seasonal fruits from the surrounding orchards. July is especially welcoming, since the vineyards hosts the annual Knotts Island Peach Festival. Bring the family for a picnic by the sea.

Mother Vineyard

Like a bit of mystery with your wine? Well, more than likely you won’t find anything to sample at the Mother Vineyard, because the vines are on private property, yet visitors flock to this area near Manteo anyway if only to catch a glimpse of the oldest grapevines in North Carolina. It isn’t known who planted these vines, believed to be over 400 years old, but the sheer enormity and thickness of the vines (to say nothing of the sweet Muscadine grapes growing from them) always leaves visitors in awe, and thirsty!

A vacation in the Outer Banks is wonderful, yet one enhanced by tours of area wineries adds a sweetness one is certain to savor.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer who contributes site content and articles to various travel websites, including VisitCurrituck.com (http://www.visitcurrituck.com), the official site of Currituck County Travel and Tourism.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathryn_Lively

By: Alan LeStourgeon

It seems like half the people you talk to lately are either moving to North Carolina or know someone who is. Maybe that’s because this state has one of the most comfortable climates of any in the whole nation.

Situated just about half way between New York state and Florida, North Carolina offers everything from beautiful beaches to lush forests to picturesque rolling hills to mountains that will take your breath away. The many different settings in North Carolina make it the perfect destination for just about everyone.

Vacationers and permanent residents are flocking to the state in search of quiet mountain getaways and white sandy beaches of the costal regions and outer banks. With the average summer temperature below 90 degrees, many consider North Carolina weather nearly perfect. One of the most popular destinations in North Carolina is the city of Asheville. With its rolling landscape and southern charm, it’s no wonder George Vanderbilt decided on Asheville to build America’s largest private home.

The Biltmore Estate is a huge dwelling with a floor space of more than 175,000 sq ft. and is still owned by the family and operated as a museum today. The Estate is still functioning as a working estate with a dairy farm and winery. The 4th floor of this grand mansion was recently opened to offer its visitors a view of the maid’s quarters and an incredible view of the entire estate from the observatory.

Another popular destination is Cherokee and Maggie Valley, the two towns that service The Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the eastern side. These towns are the heart of Indian American culture in the Southeast. While shopping in Cherokee you can experience the days of many years past and what it was like for our native peoples and early settlers of the South.

When it comes to choosing this state for your home, something about North Carolina attracts the person that desires to live in a log cabin. The log cabin building industry is booming in North Carolina as cabins are springing up everywhere in cities such as Maggie Valley, Asheville, Murphy and all along the border with Georgia and South Carolina.

Maggie Valley is one of the more popular places to rent a cabin and just sit back and enjoy God’s beautiful creation. It is the place to sit on the porch of your cabin with a cup of coffee, look off into the distant hills and forget about life for a season.

North Carolina also has a rich history, playing an important part in the Civil War as well as being famous for the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk by the Wright brothers. Spend some time exploring the many Civil War battle fields and get a glimpse of struggle our nation and our people endured during a difficult time in our history.

Many other incredible treasures are waiting to be experienced in the beautiful state of North Carolina. Why not spend an extended vacation or a lifetime in this unique region of the United States?