ROAD TRIPS
All over the map
Fayetteville is conveniently located about two hours from the coast and about four hours from the mountains, which makes it a great in-between place to live.
If you have the urge to get out of town for just a day or a whole weekend, it's as easy as grabbing a map, gassing up the car and driving. Here are a few places you might consider exploring:
The mountains
Newcomers will find that the mountains of North Carolina can make for relaxing and romantic getaways. They feature rugged natural beauty and are an outdoorsman's dream all year long.
- The little town of Blowing Rock, which is nestled on the side of a mountain, is about 4 1/2 hours from Fayetteville. The town has plenty of cabins for rent, shops and recreational activities such as horseback riding, fishing, skiing, golf, hiking and biking. You name it, they've got it.
- The Biltmore Estate in Asheville is a place to enjoy the beauty of man and nature. It offers 250 rooms, a winery and a collection of 2,300 roses. You can also explore architecture that is more than a century old.
- The natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains is no secret to those who happen to wander through western North Carolina or the eastern parts of Tennessee. At about a five-hour drive, this nature haven is hard to pass up.
Who We Are
James Ellerbe How long have you lived in the area? 15 years What do you do in your free time? "I love to visit historical museums, aquariums, amusement parks," said Ellerbe, the principal of Spring Lake Middle School. "I love the D.C. area, especially the Smithsonian. ... I'm also very interested in the Market House in Fayetteville." Tip: The Web site www.learnnc.org/discover/ has links to many museums and historic sites in the state, and includes hours of operation and contact numbers. |
The beaches
The beaches of North Carolina are known for the sites where two brothers learned to fly and where huge lighthouses dot the coast. But they also offer entertainment, crisp, shores and plenty of beach music.
- Wilmington offers a pleasant blend of city and beach atmosphere. It is a short drive from Wrightsville Beach, where you can find plenty of sand and seafood restaurants galore. In Wilmington, you can find little shops along a river walk, dozens of restaurants and maybe a star or two on Figure Eight Island. It is, after all, a draw for filming movies and TV shows.
- If you are looking for a beach that is more isolated and less commercial, look no farther than Holden Beach, Topsail Beach, Ocracoke Island, Emerald Isle or Sunset Beach.
- For those who want big-city amenities, great food, long beaches, shopping and all the golfing, horseback riding and shows you could want, Myrtle Beach, S.C., is the place for you.
Amusement parks
- Carowinds, near Charlotte, is a theme park that offers thrill rides, family attractions, Nickelodeon Central for the kids, plenty of dining and an Australian-themed water park - Boomerang Bay - for those hot days. It's a three-hour drive away, on the North Carolina-South Carolina line. For more information, go to www.carowinds.com.
- For a cool place to take a break from the humidity and heat, visit Emerald Pointe Water Park off Interstate 85 in Greensboro. It has slides, pools and gallons of water everywhere. For more information, go to www.emeraldpointe.com.
- Take a ride with the Loch Ness Monster, the Big Bad Wolf or even Apollo's Chariot. Busch Gardens, about four hours away in Williamsburg, Va., is full of thrills, food and entertainment. For more information, go to www.buschgardens.com.
Museums
- From tombs and mummies to sculptures, the N.C. Museum of Art at 2110 Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh has some impressive works. The museum has a permanent collection and a traveling exhibition, which usually lasts two or three months. The museum is adding more than 100,000 square feet to its building to house its permanent collection. For more information, go to www.ncartmuseum.org.
- The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at 11 W. Jones St. in Raleigh is the largest natural history museum in the Southeast. It's an hour away. For more information, go to www.naturalsciences.org.
- While most museums focus on a broad subject - history, art or science - a museum in Smithfield focuses on one person: Ava Gardner. The museum is a tribute to the silver-screen beauty and her life. It's an hour drive north on Interstate 95. For more information, go to www.avagardner.org.
PDF version of the road trips map that is shown below.
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Updated: August, 2007