Cruising Across Carolina: Our quick field guide to fun places and fantastic scenery

About two-thirds of the way through this vagabond summer, my husband, a former newspaper guy himself, admitted that while he had enjoyed Travis Long’s photos and video from our News & Observer travel series, he had not read the stories all the way through.

“It’s kind of exhausting,” he said, nestled in his reclining chair. “It’s like traveling with you. You want to go everywhere and do everything.”

If you, like him, don’t approach each day of vacation as a challenge, this wrap-up of Cruising Across Carolina is for you. These highlights of our travels will revisit some obscure places in each of our arbitrarily defined sections of the state and mention a few we couldn’t get to even with 12-hour days of intensely resolute recreation.

If you only hit one or two during your own travels, you could experience something new in North Carolina and still have time to sit in a rocking chair with a good book or play hours of Uno — or whatever it is people with stable adrenaline levels do when they aren’t working.

If you hit them all, write to me and we’ll start a club. I’ll design a sleeve patch or a sticker for our travel cups.

As the Irish blessing goes: May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back and may gas prices continue to drop.

See you out there.

The Northern Coast

Ocracoke Island

▪ The passenger express ferry from Hatteras Island makes for an easy day trip to Ocracoke, or bring your car, stay a few nights at the Crews Inn at 503 Back Road and let your internal clock reset to island time.

▪ The beach, accessible from points all along Irvin Garrish Highway, is the main attraction, but explore the whole village on a rented bike from the Slushy Stand at 473 Irvin Garrish Highway.

▪ Take a ghost walk that starts from the Village Craftsman at 170 Howard Street.

▪ Eduardo’s taco stand at 10 Lawton Lane is a great lunch stop.

▪ Howard’s Pub at 1175 Irvin Garrish Highway and Dajio at 305 Irvin Garrish Highway are perfect for dinner.

▪ Springer’s Point, on Loop Road near the Ocracoke Lighthouse, is worth the walk or drive required to get there. The nature preserve looks out on Teach’s Hole, where Blackbeard the pirate was killed.

▪ The Pony Pen, on Irvin Garrish Highway about 7 miles north of the village of Ocracoke, is a guaranteed opportunity to see island horses.

▪ Portsmouth Village, an island ghost town, is accessible by small ferry from Ocracoke and is unforgettable.

Hatteras Island

▪ Cape Hatteras National Seashore, accessible all along N.C. 12, is the main attraction.

▪ Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, 59200 Museum Drive in Hatteras, holds the original 1854 Fresnel lens from the Cape Hatteras Light Station and an exhibit on the island’s connection to the Titanic’s sinking.

▪ Frisco Campground, 53415 Billy Mitchell Rd., Frisco, offers sites nestled near the ocean or on a high dune overlooking the sea.

▪ Oregon Inlet Campground, 12001 North Carolina N.C. 12, Nags Head, has quick access to the ocean and hot showers.

▪ Bodie Island Light Station, 8210 Bodie Island Lighthouse Rd., Nags Head, is open to climbing and has a keeper’s house to tour.

▪ Jennette’s Pier, 7223 S Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head, is 1,000 feet long and has an aquarium and gift shop. It has three live webcams.

▪ Nags Head Woods Preserve, 701 W. Ocean Acres Drive, Kill Devil Hills, is a wondrous place to hike through a maritime forest.

Manteo

▪ Roanoke Island Festival Park, 1 Festival Park, Manteo, has the replica ship Elizabeth II, a recreation of the first English settlement in the New World and a Native American village.

▪ Fort Raleigh Historic Site, 1401 National Park Dr, Manteo, preserves the location of the first English colony and includes the Freedom Trail to where a Civil War era fort and freedman’s colony once stood.

The Southern Coast

On the way to the beach

▪ Melvin’s Hamburgers & Hot Dogs, 133 W. Broad Street, Elizabethtown, is a legendary stop, featuring tender burgers and lightning-fast service.

▪ Lake Waccamaw State Park, 1866 State Park Drive, Lake Waccamaw, featuring a biologically diverse Carolina bay lake whose formation remains a mystery.

Holden Beach

▪ Holden Beach Glamping, within Holden Beach RV Campground, 2650 Liberty Lane Southwest, Supply, is a fancy twist on tent camping within a 15-minute drive of the beach.

▪ Mermaid’s Island Grill, 102 Jordan Blvd. on the island, has a delicious grilled shrimp in lemon butter entree and two levels of outdoor deck seating.

Sunset Beach

▪ Sunset Beach Pier, 101 W. Main Street, has a high-resolution live webcam where you can check beach conditions. It’s the southernmost pier on the N.C. coast.

▪ Bird Island Preserve is a nice walk from the western end of Main Street on Sunset Beach to an undeveloped barrier island.

▪ Museum of Coastal Carolina, 21 E. 2nd Street, on neighboring Ocean Isle Beach, has fun interactive exhibits.

▪ Ingram Planetarium, 7625 High Market Street (on the mainland within the town borders) has educational programs about the solar system and laser-music shows.

▪ La Cucina Italian Grill, 1780 Chandlers Lane, #11, near the planetarium, is a cozy place for an excellent meal before or after a planetarium show.

Oak Island

▪ OKI Scoop Shop & Doughnuts, 4922 E. Oak Island Drive, has creative flavors of both. Try the OKI Sunrise ice cream.

▪ Hope Chest #3 Thrift Store, 5602 Oak Island Drive, has a used version of whatever you forgot to pack.

Southport

▪ Downtown shops along Moore and Howe streets, and riverfront bars and restaurants on West Brunswick Street, are a pleasant way to spend an afternoon and evening. Fishy Fishy Cafe and Provision Company are local favorites.

▪ North Carolina Maritime Museum, 204 E. Moore Street, has local maritime story, including hurricane lore.

▪ Ferry leaves from Southport and delivers riders to Fort Fisher.

Pleasure Island

▪ N.C. Aquarium, 900 Loggerhead Road, Kure Beach, with a two-story tank filled with sharks, eels and rays.

▪ Fort Fisher State Historic Site, 1610 Fort Fisher Blvd. South, Kure Beach, was the scene of a pivotal battle during the Civil War over control of the port at Wilmington.

▪ Kure Beach Pier, 100 Atlantic Ave., Kure Beach, oldest pier still operating in North Carolina, open 24 hours. Air hockey and fresh popcorn in the pier house.

▪ Freeman Park, 1121 N. Lake Park Blvd., Carolina Beach, a remnant of Freeman Beach, one of few places where African Americans were allowed to enjoy the beach during Jim Crow.

▪ Carolina Beach State Park, 1010 State Park Road, Carolina Beach, has tent and RV campsites and several small cabins. Also offers direct access to Cape Fear River.

▪ Michael’s Seafood, 1206 N. Lake Park Blvd A, Carolina Beach, is known for its chowder, steamed shrimp and fried seafood.

▪ Nollies Taco Joint, 3 Pelican Lane, Carolina Beach, has fish tacos and cold beer, a block from the beach.

Wilmington

▪ Cargo District, 1605 Queen Street, Wilmington, where shipping containers (Wilmington has the state’s largest port) are repurposed into dwellings, shops, restaurants and bars. Blue Cup Roastery has fresh, strong coffee and good muffins. Or relax in one of the four bars in the district.

Topsail Beach

▪ Missiles & More Museum, 720 Channel Blvd., tells the story of the U.S. Navy’s secret missile-building program on the island.

Surf City

▪ Hot Diggity Dogz, 103 South Shore Drive, has all beef dogs and a clever name for every combination of condiments.

▪ Daddy Mac’s Beach Grille, 108 North Shore Drive, is loud and a little pricey but the fried oysters are amazing.

The Southern Piedmont

Troutman

▪ Lake Norman State Park, 759 State Park Road, has tent and RV camping and cabins for rent. The campground sits on the lake.

Hiddenite

▪ Emerald Hollow Mine, 484 Emerald Hollow Mine Drive, for gem mining the old-fashioned way, with shovels and buckets.

Statesville

▪ Love Valley, 133 Henry Martin Trail, largely abandoned cow town established in 1963.

▪ Fort Dobbs State Historic Site, 438 Fort Dobbs Road, has a recreated frontier fort on the site of the original dating to the 1750s.

▪ The Ice Cream Shoppe, 1902 Newton Drive, is a 1950s-era soft-serve ice cream stand.

Mooresville

▪ D.E. Turner & Co. Hardware Store, 111 North Main Street, operated continuously since 1899, has a wide selection of cast-iron cookware and nails by the pound.

▪ Dulcet & Delish, 133 North Main Street, has a wide selection of vegan, vegetarian and meat sandwiches and paninis.

Spencer

▪ N.C. Transportation Museum, 1 Samuel Spencer Drive, on the site of the former Spencer Shops, a steam locomotive repair hub for Southern Railway.

Salisbury

▪ Grievous Gallery, 111 West Bank Street, motto: “Life is weird.” So is this pay-to-break shop where customers shatter glass and porcelain as a form of emotional release.

▪ Go Burrito!, 115 West Fisher Street, for the perfect after-shatter dinner, featuring burritos bigger than the dinner plates you broke at the Grievous Gallery.

▪ Dan Nicholas Park, 6800 Bringle Ferry Road, has a woodsy campground with sites for tents and RVs and vintage cabins for rent. Other amenities: carousel, pedal boats, gem mine, splash pad and more.

The Northern Piedmont

Ramseur

▪ Millstone Creek Orchards, 506 Parks Crossroads Church Road, working orchard where you can pick raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches and apples.

Siler City

▪ Johnson’s Drive-In, 1520 East 11th Street, making cheeseburgers and hot dogs since 1946. If you’re in a hurry, order and pay through their Facebook page before you go.

▪ Ebenezer’s Attic, 218 East 11th Street, thrift store run by Ebenezer Christian Children’s Home.

▪ Fireclay Cellars, 1276 Bowers Store Road, winery with a wide relaxing porch set on a gentle hill next to the vineyard.

Bynum

▪ Bynum Bridge, 413 Bynum Road, at 806 feet, the longest surviving T-span concrete bridge in the state. Built across the Haw River in 1922-1923. Pedestrian traffic only.

▪ Bynum General Store/Front Porch, 950 Bynum Road, friendly music venue in the heart of a former mill village.

Pittsboro

▪ S&T’s Soda Shoppe, 85 Hillsboro Street, diner and ice cream shop in a former drug store.

▪ French Connections, 178 Hillsboro Street, import shop carrying African and Mexican antiques and art and French fabric and textiles.

▪ The MOD, 46 Sanford Road, wood-fired pizza and cold beer. The patio has a cozy firepit.

▪ Small B&B Cafe in Pittsboro, 219 East Street, understated but overachieving cafe with stellar French toast and a rotating entree menu based on in-season ingredients.

▪ Chatham Habitat for Humanity Restore, 425 West Street, two small buildings with surprisingly fast turnover of furniture and architectural materials.

Hillsborough

▪ Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, 625 Virginia Cates Road, easy-to-moderate hiking trail to the summit feels like it’s much further from I-85 than it is.

▪ Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail, 320 Elizabeth Brady Road, elliptical hiking trail on the site of a former horse-racing track turned NASCAR speedway.

▪ Ayr Mount, 376 Saint Mary’s Road, preserved 1815 Federal-style plantation house and expansive grounds, open for touring on certain days.

Mebane

▪ Downtown, six blocks mostly on Center Street and Clay Street, with coffee shops, antiques and boutique stores.

▪ Junction on 70, 107 East Center Street, for sandwiches, pizza and beer.

Saxapahaw

▪ Saxapahaw General Store, 1735 Saxapahaw-Bethlehem Church Road, Graham, restaurant and gourmet food shop. A good place to get a sandwich for picnics by the river when there’s a concert.

▪ Haw River Ballroom, 1711 Saxapahaw-Bethlehem Church Road, Graham, concert venue.

Mount Airy

▪ Mayberry Squad Car Tours, 625 S. Main Street, will take you to all the sites around town connected to Andy Griffith in a Ford sedan from the same vintage as those used as patrol cars in the show.

▪ North Carolina Granite Corporation, 151 Granite Quarry Trail, the largest open-face granite quarry in the world. Workers have only scratched the surface during constant mining over the past 120 years.

▪ Floyd’s City Barber Shop, 129 North Main Street, two chairs, no waiting and you can get an actual haircut if the barber is on duty.

▪ Snappy Lunch, 125 North Main Street, for the famous pork-chop sandwich. Ask for extra napkins.

▪ Andy Griffith Museum, 218 Rockford Street, filled with memorabilia donated by Andy’s longtime friend, Emmett Forrest.

Stokesdale

▪ Walden Cabin Experience, rented through Airbnb and VRBO. Stay in a replica of the one-room cabin where Henry David Thoreau lived for two years in Maine.

Oak Ridge

▪ Old Mill of Guilford, 1340 N.C. Highway 68, still grinding meal as it has since 1767, though it uses electricity now instead of water power. Shop sells grits, flours, gingerbread mix and other items produced there.

Madison

▪ Dan River Outfitters and Glamping, 4890 NC-704 Suite A, for floating tours that start at Madison River Park so you experience the shoals. Rent the extra tube for your cooler and take cold drinks.

▪ Tiano’s Pizza, 615 Burton Street, for steak and cheese sandwiches or fresh pizza loaded with toppings.

▪ Rio Grande, 144 New Market, authentic Mexican food. Shrimp and vegetarian entrees are especially good.

The Northern Mountains

On the way

▪ Winkler Bakery, 521 South Main Street, Winston-Salem, has Moravian sugar cake and fresh bread and cookies that will be good to stash in your bag on mountain hikes.

▪ Downtown Morganton, centered on Union Street, is a good place to stretch your legs, pop into a coffee shop or gift store, or have a meal. Root & Vine, 139 West Union Street in Morganton, has wood-fired pizza and fresh salads with slightly exotic ingredients.

Toe River Valley/Burnsville/Spruce Pine

▪ Celo Inn, 45 7 Mile Ridge Rd, Burnsville, looks like a European inn nestled in the N.C. mountains. Breakfast features homemade breads.

▪ Homeplace Beer Co. and Hog Hollow Wood-Fired Pizza, both at 321 West Main Street. Outdoor seating with stage for live music performances. Microbrews, fresh salads and pizza with creative ingredients.

▪ Roaring Fork Falls, 208 Busick Work Center Road, Burnsville. Easy 20-minute hike to impressive falls.

▪ Museum of North Carolina Minerals, 214 Parkway Maintenance Road, Spruce Pine. Small but interesting museum on the history of mining in North Carolina, with interactive map on what minerals have been found where.

▪ Old Pine Walking Bridge, Riverside Park, East Tappan Street, Spruce Pine. Bowstring truss bridge was built in 1940 to carry pedestrians from downtown to Riverside Park across the North Toe River.

▪ Bare Dark Sky Observatory, 66 Energy Exchange Drive, Burnsville, offers night programs on what can be seen through telescopes in a place with very limited light pollution. Reserve through Eventbrite.

▪ Mount Mitchell State Park, 2388 N.C. Highway 128, Burnsville. Highest peak east of the Mississippi, with paved trail from parking lot leading to observation stand at the summit. More strenuous hikes available beginning at lower elevations.

Banner Elk

▪ Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster, 3265 Tynecastle Highway, pulls you 770 vertical feet up the side of a mountain and lets you twirl 3,160 linear feet back down. Book a time online, then arrive up to an hour ahead to get in line. Stop in the ground floor coffee shop to make sure you’re extra hyped for the wait and the ride. Ropes course also available.

▪ Louisiana Purchase, 171 Main Street, has excellent Cajun food, best eaten after the coaster ride, not before.

▪ Artisinal, 1200 Dobbins Road, is also good, and it’s in a converted barn that feels right for a place that serves certified organic foods.

Laurel Springs

▪ Doughton Park, 45338 Blue Ridge Parkway, Laurel Springs (near Milepost 238). Features the Brinegar Cabin and 30 miles of trails, some across meadows and others along steep mountainsides. Expansive views.

▪ The Bluffs Restaurant, 45338 Blue Ridge Parkway, Laurel Springs (near Milepost 238) across from Doughton Park. Opened in 1949, recently restored and serving breakfast and lunch.

▪ Wild Woody’s Records and More, 14238 N.C. Highway 18, Laurel Springs, equal parts convenience store/bar/music venue/coffee shop/roadside attraction. If you like the vibe, stay the night in a vintage camper trailer parked creekside behind the store.

▪ New River State Park, 238 New River State Park Road, Laurel Springs, camping for tents and RVs, direct access to one of the oldest (and arguably most scenic) rivers in the world.

West Jefferson

▪ Downtown, centered around North Jefferson Avenue, has restaurants, bars and businesses selling arts, crafts and antiques that visitors want and practical jeans, boots, farm supplies and hardware that locals need.

▪ Boondocks Brewing, 108 South Jefferson Ave., bar food plus hearty salads with homemade dressings. Often has live music on patio.

▪ Black Jack’s Pub & Grill, 18 North Jefferson Ave., a good bet for hamburgers and bar food.

▪ McB’s Mercantile, 103 South Jefferson Ave., offers T-shirts and other souvenirs, and a selection of ice cream including coffee with chocolate chunks.

▪ Ashe County Cheese, 106 East Main Street, offering tours of the state’s oldest cheese- producing plant. Store sells cheese and items that pair well with cheese.

▪ Mount Jefferson State Natural Area, 1481 Mount Jefferson Road, has 5 miles of moderate-to-strenuous hiking trails, including one to Luther Rock that offers views into Tennessee.

The Southern Mountains

Chimney Rock

▪ Chimney Rock State Park, 431 Main Street, has a road almost to the top of the mountain or hiking trails for a more intimate connection to the landscape. The 26-story elevator through the mountain is a memorable experience.

▪ Village of Chimney Rock, tourist town developed in the early 1800s though explorers came through in the 1500s. Has shops, restaurants, bars and cabins overlooking the Rocky Broad River.

▪ Hickory Nut Falls Campground, 639 Main Street, on the Rocky Broad River, has sites for tents, trailers and RVs and rents cabins.

▪ Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, 3070 Memorial Highway, built in 1925 to carry U.S. 64 from Chimney Rock to Lake Lure. It closed to car traffic in 2011 and is now a pedestrian walkway blooming with 12 themed gardens.

Hendersonville

▪ Barnwell’s Apple House, 2900 Chimney Rock Road, opened in 1959 and still sells apples and freshly pressed cider during harvest season. One of nearly two dozen local apple houses in one of the top-10-apple-growing counties in the U.S.

▪ Western North Carolina Air Museum, 1340 Gilbert Street, displaying equipment and memorabilia from a time “when flying was an event instead of a burden.” Some aircraft in the collection date to 1915. Admission is free.

▪ Downtown Hendersonville, centered around Main Street, has boutiques, restaurants and tourist shops, including a Mast General Store.

Asheville

▪ Antique Tobacco Barn, 75 Swannanoa River Road, near Biltmore Village, is 70,000 square feet of former tobacco barn now filled with the booths of antiques vendors. Dress for summer’s heat or winter’s cold.

▪ Second Chances Thrift Store, 49 Glendale Ave., small shop stuffed with interesting secondhand goods. Sales benefit Brother Wolf animal rescue.

▪ Screen Door antiques mall, 115 Fairview Road, dozens of vendors, clean and well lit.

▪ Regeneration Station, 26 Glendale Ave. B, vendor booths in an old warehouse offering furniture, architectural salvage, home decor.

▪ Sweeten Creek Antiques and Collectibles, 115 Sweeten Creek Road, 125 vendors in booths packed with collectibles and antiques. Furniture, home decor, jewelry, some vintage clothing.

▪ Asheville Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 31 Meadow Road, donated home goods and building supplies, including whole kitchen cabinetry sets and antique furniture.

▪ Glamping at Lake Powhatan, 75 Wesley Branch Road, Pisgah National Forest, has 12 furnished canvas platform tents in the Bent Creek area. (Regular sites are also available in the campground.)

▪ Log Cabin Motor Court, 330 Weaverville Road, historic cabins for rent, some with kitchens and fireplaces, a short drive from downtown Asheville.

▪ N.C. Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, has hiking trails, formal and wild gardens, tours and classes.

▪ Lewis McCormick Field, 30 Buchanan Place, home to Asheville Tourists baseball, the minor league team associated with the Houston Astros. The ballpark was built in 1924 and during baseball’s lean years, added a race track around the field to bring additional income. Third-oldest MLB minor league stadium still in use.

Bryson City

▪ Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, 45 Mitchell Street, takes passengers on steam and diesel excursions into the Nantahala Gorge or along the Tuckasegee River to Dillsboro.

▪ Grumpy Bear Campground, 2030 Old River Road on the bank of the Tuckasegee River, has sites for campers and RVs. Also has canvas teepees on platforms. Clean private restrooms.

▪ Mountain Perks, 9 Depot Street, coffee shop downtown with strong brews and homemade bagels. Good place to stop before boarding the train.

▪ Nantahala Outdoor Center, 13077 U.S. 19, runs rafting, kayaking and tubing trips down the Nantahala River, plus ziplining and mountain biking tours. Shop sells outdoor gear and gadgets.

▪ Bistro at the Everett Hotel, 16 Everett Street, restaurant in a boutique hotel, Southern entrees. Reservations recommended.

Cherokee

▪ Museum of the Cherokee Indian, 589 Tsali Blvd., featuring artifacts that tell the story of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee before and after contact with European settlers.

▪ Qualla Arts and Crafts Co-op, 645 Tsali Blvd, selling traditional items handmade by Cherokee artists.

▪ Oconaluftee Indian Village, 218 Drama Road, mostly outdoor demonstrations interpreting life in a Cherokee village in the 1700s.

▪ Harrah’s Cherokee Resort and Casino, 777 Casino Drive, 725-room hotel. Casino has 150,000 square feet of gaming space with more than 3,600 slot games and 150 games of blackjack, roulette and craps.

▪ Backcountry Camp 47, Enloe Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, arduous 3-mile hike from trailhead outside Cherokee. If camping, get a permit and carry bear spray.

Scaly Mountain

▪ Highlands Aerial Park, 9625 Dillard Road, with eight ziplines on 44 acres of mountain land. Full- and half-day tours available. Pay extra to drop four stories on the Giant Mountain Swing.

This story was originally published September 14, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Cruising Across Carolina: Our quick field guide to fun places and fantastic scenery."

Martha Quillin

The News & Observer

919-829-8989

Martha Quillin writes about climate change and the environment. She has covered North Carolina news, culture, religion and the military since joining The News & Observer in 1987.