North Carolina is a state in the southern region of the United States and is located on the country’s east coast. It is not a predominantly tourist state, but it is a great place to get in touch with nature. With its mountainous regions and forests, it attracts adventure seekers.
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We must also mention its capital – Raleigh – where you can find good cultural tours. Its coastline offers both beautiful landscapes and a bit of history to discover.
Our trip to North Carolina was a bit long. We stayed there for about 35 days, but it was not exclusively for tourism. We went to participate in a training that would extend for all weeks, and we only had the weekends to enjoy the region.
All in all, it was a very interesting trip and we were able to visit several other places, including the surroundings.
We stayed in Raleigh – its Capital – and were able to explore some things at night there.
You may ask yourself: “But if it’s not such a tourist destination, why would I go there?”. There are several reasons to go to North Carolina. Let’s think for example, that you might be crossing the American East Coast by car. Yes, some people do this, and here’s a hint, it’s one of the most interesting coastal crossings you can imagine. With fantastic views and beautiful landscapes.
North Carolina is a coastal state, so this crossing will probably pass through there. And this state’s coastline has many interesting things to see and enjoy, with tourist spots and beautiful landscapes.
if you go further into the state and away from the coast, you’ll find some excellent national parks with mountains and regions for mountain tourism. Some of them offer more exciting tours, with climbing and river descents. Others offer tours for those who really want to relax in contact with nature. Want an example? Try Asheville, a mountain destination with great scenery and lots of activity. It’s in the “centre” of North Carolina.
Raleigh
Starting with the capital, Raleigh is a really interesting place. Despite its few tourist attractions, it stands out for its gastronomy and its diversity of bars and restaurants. However, what attracts in Raleigh is the diversity of places focused on the culture and history of the United States and also of North Carolina.
It is there, for example, that the North Carolina Museum of History is located, which tells the history of the state, how it was formed, what was its importance during the Civil War on the Confederate side and how it became one of the largest tobacco producing states in the United States. Check out our post about the museum at North Carolina Museum of History.
However, the museum that draws the most attention and is a must-see is the Museum of Natural Sciences. Fully interactive and with one of the most interesting shows focused on technology, exploration and development, it is a tour for the whole day. We went through the museum and told you everything in detail in the post-Museum of Natural Sciences in North Carolina.
Also, for beer lovers, we have the Raleigh Beer Garden. They have the largest number of draft beer in a restaurant worldwide. In other words, it’s beer that never ends and there, ready to be drunk very cold. Don’t think it’s just hype. They entered the Guinness Book for that reason. Good restaurants and a good cultural circuit are not lacking either.
Although not very touristy, parties in Downtown Raleigh are common throughout the weekend, so you’ll have plenty to do if you spend your Saturday and Sunday nights there.
See all the tips and many other attractions in Raleigh in the post we made: Raleigh – Exploring the Capital of North Carolina.
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Charlotte
With weekends to spare, we had time to visit other cities and not be restricted to the capital. We drove to Charlotte, the most populous city in North Carolina. It is just over 170 miles from the capital and we reached it with approximately 2h30min.
If you are in Raleigh, it is a great option to do a round trip to Charlotte as we did. If you can spend a weekend there, it is the best option, as the city has a lot to explore. But in one day it is possible to do a lot too.
What initially took us to Charlotte was the NASCAR Hall of Fame. NASCAR’s headquarters is there and it is also where we find the museum of this category of car racing much appreciated in the United States.
This is a tour that will take you good hours of your day. It is very interactive and has many activities on site. Arrive close to the time the museum is opening and you can enjoy a lot and still leave early for other attractions. Curious about the place? See our full post about it at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.
If you follow the tip of arriving early, you can still explore the city a bit and get to know other places, as we did by going to the Charlotte Hornets stadium and passing a bit through the city centre.
In addition, we went to see the Aviation Museum, which is located at Charlotte International Airport. The full report on the museum is in the following post: Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte.
Wilmington
We mentioned at the beginning of this post about the coastal region of North Carolina. And a visit to it could not be missing, of course. Many of the itineraries that pass through the American east coast have a mandatory stop in North Carolina because of one of the region’s most famous sights: the famous Bodie Island Lighthouse in Nags Head.
But besides the famous lighthouse in Nags Heads, the North Carolina coast offers several nice surprises in small coastal towns. One of them is Wilmington.
It’s a small harbour town, built around the Cape Fear River, where its inhabitants live in villas. It has all the makings of a very quiet place, and it really is. But don’t be fooled, the city is very well organised, sits on the banks of the river and has a promenade with restaurants, snack bars and many ice cream parlours, in a very interesting shopping centre.
But the best is yet to come. The USS North Carolina is anchored in this quiet town. A warship that participated in many battles (including in World War II) and today has become a museum ship. A fantastic visit with a bit of history and a lot of cool things to see.
If you want to know everything we found in Wilmington on another day trip from Raleigh, you can follow the post Wilmington on the North Carolina Coast.
Conclusion
With a few days available in North Carolina, we were able to do many interesting things. If you have a longer period there, you can do some longer trips and visit other cities, just like we did in Charlotte and Wilmington. They are two places very close to the capital and in a few hours by road you can reach your destination.
If you’re traveling across North Carolina, stop by Asheville. It’s a mountain town with many state parks, lots of nature and mountains with beautiful landscapes.
North Carolina is one of those states that surprise us and has a lot of interesting things to offer, and although it is not a tourist trip, it is worth it for the beauty, activities and interesting tours you find there.