North Carolina really is the best state.
Home to mountains, beaches, big cities, small towns and the country’s first (and best) public university, we’re like the cool, fun aunt at the nation’s dinner table.
So if you’re bummed that you’re staying in-state for Spring Break, don’t worry. Here’s a list of day trips you can take during the week that will make you fall in love with North Carolina (even more than you already have):
If you like the outdoors:
Drive Time from Chapel Hill: About 2.5 hours
Source: Flickr
Spend some time hiking and camping in Stone Mountain State Park, surrounded by 14,100 acres of rock, forest, meadows and cascades at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You might even catch a glimpse of spring dogwoods, wild azaleas and mountain wildflowers in bloom.
Drive Time from Chapel Hill: About 2 hours
Source: RealGeeksMedia
Just north of Charlotte, Lake Norman offers all kinds of nature-related attractions. Explore the Latta Plantation Nature Center, home to an Equestrian Center and the North Carolina Raptor Center, which features falcons, owls, hawks, and other slightly intimidating birds of prey. If playing in the lake isn’t your thing, you can always fly over it in a hot air balloon curtesy of Balloons Over Charlotte (which sounds pretty amazing).
If you like exploring:
Drive time from Chapel Hill: About 3 hours
Source: SouthHarbourMarina.com
In addition to their charm and proximity to the coast, the riverfront towns of Wilmington and Southport have been the set of a recent Nicholas Sparks film, "Safe Haven", starring Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough. Discover why they call this area the “Hollywood of the East” while shopping at local markets, riding the ferry, or paddling along the Cape Fear River.
Drive Time from Chapel Hill: About 3.5 hours
Source: The Atlantic
Enjoy both the natural beauty of the Appalachian Mountains and the local flare that’s unique to this area’s downtown district. From thrift shopping to hiking to local eateries, there’s no way you’ll get bored here.
If you like history:
Drive Time from Chapel Hill: About 1.5 hours
Source: Flickr
Take a self-guided driving tour of the Salisbury National Cemetery, which leads you to monuments honoring Union prisoners and Medal of Honor recipients. Just a short drive away, you can also visit Old Salem Museum & Gardens, a recreated 18th century Moravian settlement that still has bangin’ cookies.
Reynolda House Museum of American Art
Drive Time from Chapel Hill: About 1.5 hours
Source: Trip Advisor
Once owned by the tobacco business mogul R.J Reynolds, The Reynolda House Museum of American Art is rooted with history and surrounded by beautiful gardens. The museum, which opened to the public in 1965, is dedicated to displaying a premier collection of art from the colonial period to the present.
If you like adventure:
U.S. National Whitewater Center
Drive Time from Chapel Hill: About 2 hours
Source: Swecm.org
If you’re looking to get active in a totally different way, the Whitewater Center is just for you. Located south of Charlotte, a day pass gives you access to white water rafting, ropes courses, mountain biking, and zip lining.
Drive Time from Chapel Hill: About 1 hour
Source: VistNC.com
This natural habitat 500-acre zoo in Asheboro is home to over 1,600 diverse animals. Take a tour and learn about animals from around the world, whether they’re roaming in the African savanna or diving in the Arctic Ocean.
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