Top-10 places to visit in North Carolina

Places to visit in North Carolina are much more than you can imagine! It is the birthplace of country music, blues, and Cherokee Indians, which has a great number of must see places. Now it is a fairly conservative and prosperous state in the northern part of the so-called South Atlantic states. It shares borders with the state of Virginia and Tennessee in the north to the west, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. North Carolina’s capital is Raleigh, known for its dense oak forests. The word “Carolina” appeared in the 17th century – King Charles II called the state, which later was divided into two parts – North and South in honor of his unhappy father, the King of England, Scotland and Ireland, Charles I, the deposed and executed during the English Revolution. North Carolina, has also the official nickname – Tar Heel State. According to legend, the nickname should remind of the bare feet of the workers, who brewed tar and as a result their bare feet were caked with black resin all year round.

North Carolina is quite interesting in terms of tourism – there is much to see and to do. With such a varied terrain and climate, you can do both winter sports (skiing, snowboarding, skating, snowkiting, ice hockey) in the mountainous part of the state, and do sports in summer as well (swimming, surfing, kayaking, diving) in the coastal area. Well, in the central accounts  traditional hiking, camping, biking and hiking in the woods, excursions to waterfalls and, of course, golf are all almost the national kinds of sport of North Carolina. Curiously, North Carolina is the second Film Centre in the US, sure after Hollywood. There are a lot of production companies, large-scale film festivals are held, which attract thousands of tourists.

Contents

• Place to visit number 1: Atlantic Beach
• Place to visit number 2: Cape Hatteras
• Place to visit number 3: Carolina Beach
• Place to visit number 4: Ocean Isle Beach
• Place to visit number 5: Wrightsville Beach
• Place to visit number 6: Blue Ridge Parkway
• Place to visit number 7: Outer Banks
• Place to visit number 8: Hot Springs
• Place to visit number 9: Amusement park Carowinds
• Place to visit number 10: The Eiffel Tower in Fayetteville
• Video

Place to visit number 1: Atlantic Beach

This is a small American provincial town in North Carolina with a population of about two thousand people. Charm of Atlantic Beach is hidden in its amazing nature and national flavor that will capture you in its arms.

Tourists gladly stroll along the coast and take pictures of the local lighthouse, go shopping to souvenir shops, snack in local restaurants or taverns. By the way, here you can enjoy perfectly cooked fish dishes.

Young people can spend their time with pleasure being busy with:

• sunbathing,
• swimming,
• dancing in nightclubs.

Couples arrange lovely picnics in Fort Macon National Park. Walk through the reserve with an experienced guide who will reveal to you the secrets of the history and tell the details of the civil war. Those tourists who love water sports will be offered mass entertainment, and for those who prefer spending time with a fishing rod there is a chance to take part in several fishing competitions, which take place every year.

Interesting: The most famous fishing tournament that is being held annually is called Atlantic Beach King Mackerel Tournament.

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Place to visit number 2: Cape Hatteras

Cape Hatteras is located in the United States, on the coast of North Carolina, on the same island Outer Banks and presents its bending. The waters around the Cape are very turbulent due to the collision of two oceanic currents. These turbulent waters in conjunction with shoals are often the cause of numerous shipwrecks in this place, making the area around the Cape known as “the graveyard of the Atlantic”. The history of the name of the Cape Hatteras dates back to 1585.

Some facts from the history of this place:

• In 1803, lighthouse was built at Cape,
• in 1870, it was replaced with a brick lighthouse Hatteras.

The height of the lighthouse is 60.50 meters, it is one of the highest stone lighthouses in the world and the highest in the United States. Lighthouse is a part of the National Reserve called “Cape Hatteras.”

Interesting: Cape Hatteras Beach is among the ten best beaches in America. The beach provides excellent opportunities for surfing and fishing.

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Place to visit number 3: Carolina Beach

The small town of Carolina Beach in New Hanover County, North Carolina, is famous for its beautiful beach of the same name.

The city beach is located in the north of Pleasure Island. This is a great place for a family vacation or if you want to have fun with your friends.

It perfectly combines:

• beautiful views of nature,
• state park,
• exciting fishing,
• numerous festivals and competitions.

Tourists are always invited to something interesting, everyone will be able to plunge into adventure, wander through the hiking trails or cycling. The great pleasure can be obtained from the sea walk with the family on a sailboat or kayak.

The city is famous for not only the beach, there is also State Park Carolina Beach State Park with unique species of trees and plenty of places for picnics, fishing, as well as convenient bays for water sports enthusiasts.

Carolina Beach State Park is also popular with visitors as it offers great entertainment. One of the exciting adventures can be fishing and boating. No one comes back to shore without fish, which is in the waters of a huge amount: perch, flounder, bluefin tuna and many other species. Carolina Beach State Park – one of the best places for fishing in North Carolina, secluded spot for camping, with a lot of tall trees and a lot of hiking trails. Here there is a unique carnivorous plant – Venus Flytrap. In the park there is a lake where you can take a boat ride.

Location is ideal for bird watching. You can see the cormorant, snowy egret, the black vulture, and even bald eagles. The visitors will be satisfied with a visit to the park, where there is everything necessary for great relax.

Interesting: Place is considered to be the recreational fishing center. Every spring in Carolina Beach there is a competition of fishermen being held.

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Place to visit number 4: Ocean Isle Beach

Ocean Isle Beach is worth visiting as it is considered to be one of the most beautiful American beaches, which is situated in North Carolina, USA. Its sandy strip’s length is 2.5 km and width is 10 meters.

It attracts tourists from the whole world with its:

• magnificent scenery,
• pure waters,
• convenient location to the city.

It is easy to reach this place by car or public transport, which is not expensive- not more than 5$.

As for the beach infrastructure, you will be surprised even how well it has been developed. Here tourists will find restaurants, bars, massage rooms, changing rooms and toilets. The water in this area is almost always warm because of the shallow part. Ocean Isle is a perfect destination for those who are planning a family holiday. On the territory of the Ocean Isle Beach you will see exotic flora – unique ancient broad-leaved trees and reed bushes can’t leave you indifferent as they look wonderful. There are a variety of hotels and villas in the surrounding area, so it won’t be difficult to find a place to stay during your vacation.

Interesting: Lovers of active pastime will find here diving and surfing centers.

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Place to visit number 5: Wrightsville Beach

One more beach that will be the perfect place for a family holiday. This sandy beach is known for its extraordinary beauty of the dunes and the old pier, which is situated in the middle of the beach.

Wrightsville Beach is also suitable for fishing, fortunately the underwater world in this area is rich and varied.

What can you enjoy here:

• You can fish from the pier or enjoy fishing from the boat on the high seas.
• Surfing enthusiasts can freely ride on the waves.
• Beginners-surfers can visit master classes and rent all necessary equipment.

After relaxing on the beach, it is recommended to visit local cafes and restaurants that are located nearby.

Interesting: In addition to the usual dishes you should taste the delicacies from the sea, lobster, fish and seafood.

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Place to visit number 6: Blue Ridge Parkway

If you prefer to spend time admiring the pristine and natural beauty of the mountains, then head straight to the Blue Ridge Mountains. This, covering 500 miles of land has a very scenic view. Here there is the famous biozone – Great Smoky Mountain recognized by the UN. A walk through the rocking bridge Mile High means to experience the exciting moments. It is necessary to hold fast to the railing of the bridge, because the bridge is swinging like a seesaw. Admire the spectacular views of surrounding areas, which are opening from the bridge.

When you travel the Parkway, you will see the sky so close above your head, it seems you can touch it with your hand, and endless lush vegetation will cause you a sense of awe. Local attractions are numerous, no doubt, will awaken in you the feelings of romance, and will encourage to have new trips.

Keeping your way through the Parkway, don’t forget to visit Cherokee – House of the Eastern Group of Cherokee Indians. The local people will warmly welcome you in their traditional robes, and with pleasure will tell you about their history and traditions.

There are a lot of things to see and to enjoy, for example, you will definitely like the following activities:

• Take a ride with the chair lift in the mountains,
• visit the Cherokee Trading Community.

And from June to August, you can rest directly on the open fresh air. Local places will tell you the story of a mysterious tribe of the Cherokee Indians, and the atmosphere of the dark, fresh summer nights will provide you with a romantic mood.

Interesting: If you find an opportunity to travel to these places in October, you can visit the most authentic fair of Cherokee Indians.

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Place to visit number 7: Outer Banks

Outer Banks is the perfect vacation spot in North Carolina. Outer Banks – a long strip of sand along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, which stretches 320 kilometers along the coast of North Carolina. Outer Banks start from southeast Virginia and extend along most of the coast of North Carolina. It is not only the perfect vacation spot in North Carolina, it is also a place of wild beauty, which is attractive and alluring with its magnificence. Sand dunes like a fence erected by nature along the highway are hidden from curious tourists with the eagerly growling ocean. Omnipotent sea breeze customizes multicolored grains and makes play catch-up on the dazzling white sand. Radiant joyful sun envelops the Outer Banks radiant light, plunging into the deep blue sky, in which only occasionally tiny white sheep are swimming.

The sand strip is little known among foreign tourists, but it is a popular place of recreation for residents of North Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey. As the road to the Outer Banks is not very close, most travelers spend here at least 4-7 days.

Some come here with the house on wheels and live here most of the summer. What else is necessary for a perfect holiday:

• sea,
• sun,
• beach.

In addition, Outer Banks is full of many interesting places. For example, this place is known for the first flight of an aircraft operated by the Wright brothers. And the other reason of being famous has been already mentioned here, it is a lighthouse at Cape Hatteras, which attracts thousands of tourists every year.

In northern part of Outer Banks there is a tourist town known as Kitty Hawk with:

• a lot of great restaurants,
• wonderful souvenir shops,
• playgrounds for mini golf,
• as well as paragliding school.

The main influx of tourists is accounted for the summer period. Tiny villages come alive during the season: cafes and restaurants open, souvenir shops, entertainment for holidaymakers. Cafes and shops are decorated very colorfully!

Students come to the summer holidays in search of work.

The snow-white beach with dazzling sand covers the entire coast Outer Banks. There are popular sports like surfing, kite skiing and kayaking. Outer Banks of North Carolina is considered one of the best places in the world for aspiring athletes to fly the kite. The depth from the bay – on the knee, which is very convenient to set up the equipment and do not worry that you will be taken anywhere. The beaches of the Atlantic Ocean are free.

Interesting: The Outer Banks is home to several tent camps where tourists move exclusively on machines for golf.

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Place to visit number 8: Hot Springs

This is a resort, located in the mountains of North Carolina. The majestic mountain fortress gives a rush of energy, the mountain air is intoxicating freshness and aroma of rhododendrons.

There is a window that is wide-open to all times, and still there are geothermal sources. Steep hillsides are the frontiers of wonders, where water and steam escapes from under the earth, absorbing and dissolving all diseases, restoring health. Dive into this luminous water, which is able not only to strengthen the vitality, but also serve a source of true knowledge of ourselves. After all, the thermal water – a symbol of wisdom and spiritual life. This liquid has a lot of properties, it is able to clean, restore, open the secret of life. Come to the place where Mother Nature, waving a magic wand, has created one of the most natural wonders- its hot mineral springs.

Heated deep underground, these crystal clear carbonated waters are known worldwide for:

• the legendary healing properties,
• a high content of minerals and salts.

Interesting: Thermal water pipes have the temperature of 106 F are connected to the modern baths, such as an outdoor Jacuzzi, located on the picturesque banks of the French Broad.

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Place to visit number 9: Amusement park Carowinds

Carowinds is a huge amusement park, which is located on the border of South and North Carolina, Charlotte. The park covers an area of ​​161 hectares. Carowinds was opened March 31, 1973, as part of a large spa area. Currently, the park is a popular place for recreation and entertainment among the locals and tourists.

Its territory has dozens of the most popular and exciting attractions, among them:

• the roller coaster of different types,
• go-karting,
• various rides
• hot air balloons,
• boats,
• aircraft flying scooters,
• mini-helicopters and more.

Interesting: In addition, Carowinds area includes a water park called Boomerang Bay, where you should go to have a rest with your family.

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Place to visit number 10: The Eiffel Tower in Fayetteville

The Eiffel Tower in Fayetteville is an inaccurate copy of the Eiffel Tower, located in the suburbs of Fayetteville, at the intersection of Owen Drive and Village Drive, markedly three miles south-west of the city center.

Some facts about the tower:

• The tower height is 45 meters.
• The Eiffel Tower in Fayetteville was built on a scale of one to six on the size of the original creation of the Eifel.

It is difficult to call it replica, but if you do not nitpick, the tower is worthy to be called “Eiffel”. On the tower there are advertising banners with the name of the shopping center can be seen.

Interesting: It was built in the early 1970s specifically for the shopping center Bordeaux Center.
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Video

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