North Carolina is an excellent choice for summer vacation. Whether you are looking for a romantic beach getaway or wanting to tour historical battlefields. It is also a perfect destination for outdoor adventures!
Ashville is one of North Carolina’s crown jewels situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains. If an outdoor getaway is what you are in the mood for consider renting a cabin on the French Broad River. Cabins range in size from a cozy little place for two or the entire family. Ashville is full of adventure from hiking to white water rafting to ziplining. Checkout Asheville Treetops Adventure Park for an exciting day!
Ashville is home to the breathtaking Biltmore Estate once the home of George Washington Vanderbilt, is now a beautiful resort and vineyard. The Biltmore is a magnificent resort that sits on 8,000 acres with everything from cottages to deer parks and hiking trails. The Biltmore offers a wide range of activities including a spa, bike rentals, clay shooting, horseback riding, falconry, guided tours, as well as an outstanding outdoor activity area for children! Enjoy gourmet dining as well as wine tasting during your stay. The Biltmore is the perfect honeymoon or wedding destination.
Just outside of Ashville proper is Lake Lure known as one of the filming locations for Dirty Dancing. Lake Lure now offers guests a chance to relive their favorite movie with Dirty Dancing Fest in September! Visitors will have the time of their life with this one-of-a-kind weekend getaway. Stay at the resort for all the fun and festivities including dance contests, music, and even the famous lake lift!
Food lovers Ashville is the destination for you! Unsure where to start with so many wonderful restaurants to choose from? Try one of the many food tours Ashville has to offer. This is easily the best way to sample some of Asheville’s amazing restaurants without having to settle on one!
Wilmington is another wonderful destination in North Carolina with a small-town feel. Wilmington sits on the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. Wilmington has a colorful past as being a popular haunt of pirates as well as the site of a civil war battle. Nowadays you can enjoy a stroll or even a carriage ride through the historic river district. For beachgoers, Cape Fear beach is located not far from the historic district of town. Wilmington offers several types of tours throughout the day. If you are feeling adventurous try one of the ghost tours at night or the popular haunted pub crawls!
If you are a book lover, I suggest staying at Between the Covers, a literary-themed B&B. Be sure to visit the iconic bookstore Old Books on Front Street while in town. The Old Books on Front Street also has one of Wilmington’s best-kept secrets the Loft. The Loft is a one-of-a-kind b&b apartment just above the bookstore itself overlooking one of the oldest areas of Wilmington. The Loft has long been a favorite place to stay for many writers over the years.
There are several wonderful museums such as the Bellamy Mansion Museum or the Cape Fear Museum of History. For horticultural enthusiasts, Wilmington has a beautiful botanical garden, Airlie Gardens that host events throughout the year including the Azalea Festival every April! Looking for a terrific Moscow Mule stop by the Blind Elephant one of Wilmington’s historic speakeasies. There are a lot of great restaurants in Wilmington, some of my favorites include Circa 1922, the Fork N Cork, Paddy’s Hollow, & Brasserie Du Soleil.
