Help plan a week in NC (with a 4-month-old)

Hi there,

My wife and four-month-old daughter will be in NC for a week starting June 6. We had thought about spending it at the beach (OBX, etc.) but I have also heard good things about Asheville and Charleston. We%26#39;ll be in Chapel Hill at the end of the week for a friend%26#39;s wedding.

We%26#39;ll be renting a car, so multiple stops are ok. We would like to get to the beach for at least some of the time. Trying to avoid loud, crowded places if possible.

Can any of you NC experts help me out with some suggestions (places to go/stay? Thanks!

Bruno

Help plan a week in NC (with a 4-month-old)

Hi bborn, and congrats on the baby!

NC is a beautiful state with lots of different things to offer. If you don%26#39;t get down here often, I would definitely recommend moving around a bit rather than staying the entire week in one place. Regarding the beach, the Outer Banks are great, but certain areas can get very crowded in the summer (especially around Nags Head/Kitty Hawk). I love visiting the Outer Banks, but for the actual beach itself I much prefer the South Brunswick beaches--Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle, and Holden Beach (these are further south near the SC state line). Not crowded, easier to get to than the OBX, water is usually a bit warmer, and the sand is easier to walk on. The mountains are not to be missed, IMO, so you should plan to take in both.

If you look at a road map, you%26#39;ll see that I-40 cuts across the state mostly towards the middle/north, while US 74 cuts across the bottom. So you could plan a big loop using these two highways. For example, assuming you fly into Raleigh, you could take I-40 towards Wilmington and the southern beaches to spend a few days (this area is about 2 hours from Raleigh). Then take US 74 west through Charlotte to Asheville, which you could use as a base to explore the mountains (visit the Asheville forum for more info). Then from Asheville you can take I-40 back to Raleigh (about 4 hours). This loop will work whether you fly into Raleigh, Charlotte, or Greensboro.

Problem is, just about any recommended itenerary will leave out many good places/things to do because there are so many choices. Other places to consider:

Boone/Blowing Rock

Yadkin Valley winery tours

Great Smoky Mountains National Park/Maggie Valley

Great Smoky Mountains Railway

Old Salem (in Winston-Salem)

Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill

Highlands/Cashiers

Blue Ridge Parkway (a must, IMO)

Just google any of the above for more info. If you have more questions, feel free to ask!

Help plan a week in NC (with a 4-month-old)

Wow, thanks for the great reply. A couple of thoughts:

- Doing a loop sounds great, but the drive from Wilmington-area to Asheville looks pretty long ... would it be worthwhile to just stop in Charlotte and hang out there before heading back to Raleigh (we%26#39;re flying in/out of there). I%26#39;m assuming there%26#39;s plenty to do in Charlotte as well?

- I think we%26#39;ll skip the Outer Banks and head south as you suggested. We%26#39;d love to find a cottage or condo with a kitchen, or maybe a B%26amp;B, any recommendations?

Thanks again, it%26#39;s great to be able to get expert advice to plan our first vacation with our little girl!

Wilmington to Asheville is about a 5 hour drive...really not too bad. Nothing against Charlotte, but IMO it doesn%26#39;t really offer anything unique that you couldn%26#39;t find in other cities of similar size. It doesn%26#39;t begin to compare to the mountains--I would strongly recommend Asheville or Boone/Blowing Rock over Charlotte any day. You can easily break up the trip by stopping somewhere along the way, like Raleigh or Winston-Salem, if you take the I-40 route. And the Boone trip is a little shorter, only about 4 1/2 hours from Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach.

Sorry I don%26#39;t have any specific recommendations for lodging at the beach (we own property there so we rarely stay anywhere else). You can find plenty of info if you search the Wilmington and Ocean Isle Beach sub-forums (or post your questions there). There are lots of lodging choices at the coast, so you should have no trouble finding something that fits your needs. Just be aware that places book up quickly for the summer, so you should go ahead and make arrangements ASAP.

Good luck, and I know you%26#39;ll enjoy your trip!

Can%26#39;t argue w/ beaches and/or mountains...we enjoy both. Don%26#39;t discount the area around Charlotte, however. It%26#39;s not a typical vacation spot, true, but there are several unique things to %26#39;around%26#39; Charlotte. Yadkin Valley vineyards is one..(Raffaldini is our favorite...you%26#39;ll think you are in Napa!), National Whitewater Center (rafting, outdoor activities), North Carolina Zoo, Lowe%26#39;s Motor Speedway, Great Wolf Lodge (waterpark, lodging, etc..). Minor league baseball is big in North Carolina, and there is usually a ballclub w/in driving distance. All of this stuff is w/in 1.5 hours of Charlotte.

^ Good points, gator, but many of those activities would be impractical with an infant (e.g., rafting, auto races, water parks).

....perhaps, but for the Speedway, was thinking more along the lines of a tour, hiking and walking at whitewater center, and swimming at Great Wolf. Some babies are great...put them a stroller or backpack and off you go...some, well, don%26#39;t cooperate w/ such adventures. Depends on the baby (and parents) I guess. I%26#39;ve been on some of my best hiking adventures w/ a baby strapped to my back. : )