North Carolina Travel Forum

I am attending the event at the Aviation Museum on Saturday. I'm arriving by Train. What is the best way to get to the museum from the Train Station?

My fiance and myself found a place on the parkway that we love. We ride the motorcycle there and walk around. There is an old cabin there, and a trail that is marked on the lookout point there. We want to know if we can get married there? Are there laws about that?

Does anyone know whether the fall foilage is still available during the Nov 16-24 period? I'm driving from New York to Washington then to NOrth CArolina b4 heading to Chattanooga, TN. Not been back for 12 years since my graduation, currently in Singapore.

where would i get on the parkway, heading south, so that i would be spending about 4/5 hours on the parkway ending up in cherokee? i'm staying in cherokee and would like the last leg of my trip to be on the parkway WITHOUT going into tennessee

Okay I am going to be in the Smoky Mountains very briefly in the fall. I will be there Thursday and Friday October 22 & 23. On Friday I really won't be there for very long - I will be driving into the park in the evening and driving to Clingman's dome to see the view and enjoy the sunset there! After that I am going to drive to stay in a hotel in either Maggie Valley or Cherokee, NC. Friday I will be doing a bit more of the touristy stuff on the NC side of the mountains. Here come the questions:

From everything I hear the traffic can get pretty bad around there in the fall. On a Thursday evening how bad do you think the traffic will be on 441. I am going to be driving down there during the day and trying to make it to Clingman's Dome with enough time to have at least a half hour to relax before watching the sunset. So my question is about how long should I give myself to drive from Gatlinburg to Clingmans dome? Also, approximately how long does it take to hike to the top of the Clingman's dome? I want to have an idea of what time I need to be leaving Gatlinburg in order to get there with plenty of time to see the view as well as watch the sunset!

On that Friday I will be planing to do some driving and fall color sight seeing! I will be staying on the North Carolina side of the mountains because by the end of the day I have to be in Greenville, NC.

- Does anyone have any places the recommend on the NC side of the mountains to go see some wonderful fall colors? Also, I love taking pictures so places for photographing the colors would be great too!!

- I am thinking about taking a drive either on Heintooga Ridge Road and/or Balsam Mountain Road OR in Cataloochee....... Which one do you recommend for viewing fall colors, beautiful scenery & even maybe some wildlife?? If you recommend somewhere else that is on that side of the mountains I am open to that as well!! Also, how bad is the traffic in fall in those areas? Is either of them less busy usually? This also might sound weird but I have a major fear of heights that I might just have to deal with because I know some of the roads I have been on by the Mountains before have drops offs right by the edge, etc. But how are the roads for these places or anywhere you are recommending to me? Like I said I might just have to deal with my fear - but it is always good to know that ahead of time!!

Well for now that is all the questions - I might come up with more as it gets closer! Also, if you want to give me any information that might help me please do! I really appreciate it!!

Thanks,

Tricia

Hi ~ I am going to Irbid, Jordan for an extended (90days) stay and will be renting a house there. Most houses don't have a washer/dryer in them.

Are there laundry services or a laundry mat that I can take my laundry too?

Thanks so much for any help I can get... Diana

I'm a Texan and am planning on visiting the Boone & Banner Elk area in November. My partner and I are looking for a place to 2-step. Any suggestions?

This will be our first trip to NC and we are going to the Nascar Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.We will be staying in Salisbury, visting a few nascar shops and want to go to Grandfather Mountain and Chimney Rock looking for any advice etc.We will be spending 7 nights in NC.
Thanks, Crystal

I am planning a trip to Asheville, and will be using Marriott points for my hotel. So...I can use the Fairfield, Springhill, Marriott, Renaissance, or Courtyard hotels. There are several in the area...can someone give me background regarding which is the best location (safe, close to attractions)? Also, if you can give insight into which is a nice hotel, that would be great, too.

Residence Inn 701 Biltmore Avenue
Courtyard One Buckstone Place
Springhill Two Buckstone Place
Renaissance 31 Woodfin Street
Fairfield 11 Rocky Ridge Road
Fairfield 31 Airport Park Road, Fletcher
Fairfield 568 Painttown Road, Cherokee

Is there a bus that will get you close to North Garner Middle School?

approximately 3 weeks ago an article ranin the Jacksonville Daily News about poney tours on the island. September 12 & November 14,2009.

I cannot find the phone # or connection to make a reservation.
Anyone having such info please forward to pansyjones@earthlink.net or call me 910-934-4949
Thank you so much
Pansy Jones
8-14-2009

Is there such a thing as jellyfish season? Basically wondering if there's a specific month there are more of them in the water. If so, when is it?

Thanks so much!

I'm trying to plan next years vacation. I am debating between the Outer Banks somewhere or Topsail Island. I know someone who vacationed to Topsail this year and loved it. I'm just not sure if I want to go based on one person's opinion. Outer Banks seems to have more information. My family likes to swim in the ocean, go fishing, visit parks and do all the nature stuff. We don't like it to be overly crowded, yet, we don't want to be completely isolated either. We also want something directly on the beach (oceanfront)...any suggestions?

I'm trying to plan next years vacation. I am debating between the Outer Banks somewhere or Topsail Island. I know someone who vacationed to Topsail this year and loved it. I'm just not sure if I want to go based on one person's opinion. Outer Banks seems to have more information. My family likes to swim in the ocean, go fishing, visit parks and do all the nature stuff. We don't like it to be overly crowded, yet, we don't want to be completely isolated either. We also want something directly on the beach (oceanfront)...any suggestions?

My wife and I are planning a trip to the Asheville area in October and spending approximately 8 days. Is there a best time to see fall colors? Considering the many things to do and see we are wondering whether we should base our whole time in Asheville and take day trips or split it between Boone or someplace else? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also any recommendations for restaurants. We are foodies and enjoy new experiences.

Hi there - my husband and I have booked a 3 week holiday in NC - flying into Charlotte on 12th October. That is all we have done so far - except having been invited to stay with some friends in Raleigh for a couple of nights.

Our friends have given us a rough idea of what to see and do, we have been looking at various web sites, travel books etc. but on finding this web site thought I might ask the locals if they had any suggestions.

We will probably stay in Charlotte for a couple of nights to recover from our flight from UK and then head for the Great Smokey Mountains and wondered if Cherokee was a good place to base ourselves for a few days. We would like to do a bit of walking in the mountains. We are not town people and prefer quiet locations. We want to travel the Blue Ridge Highway and head towards Raleigh and then perhaps if we have time drop down to the coast?

We picked NC after reading an article in English newspaper that the Fall there was just as spectacular as New England. We have been advised by our friends in NC not to book any hotels but I have also been told that it gets busy that time of year and we should book - ???

I am also interested in the American Civil War so anything in NC that is of interest please let us know.

Sorry this is all a bit disjointed but I am hoping for some good advice to help me plan our holiday.

Thank you in anticipation
scottishlass48

I am looking for some inexpensive things to do around North Carolina this summer. Does anyone have any suggestions?

travel4less

I am visiting the Raleigh area twice in the next few weeks - first visit is hown with dates above. Would any local Vter like to meet up for coffee, lunch or dinner? I believe I am staying at the The Umstead hotel. Hope to hear from one of you.

I will be in charlotte for a convention and then want to visit my aunt in Morehead City...what would be the best way to get there, or the best route via flying?

I have a 5 hour layover in Charlotte, is it worth venturing out into the city centre? Can you get there by bus or public transit? Any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Are there actual hot springs at or near these cabins? If so, how private are they? Is the water in the hot tub from the hot springs?

Are there actual hot springs at the place you describe? If so, how private are they? Thanks!

my family and i will be staying in boone, north carolina in summer 2009. i think blue ridge highway and great smoky mountains national park are visitable from this town. but what are the exact distances? is my understanding correct? or is the distance so much that visiting great smoky mountains np will be uncomfortable?

My wife and I are planning to drive from Washington DC to Charleston in May, by way of the Smokies through the smallest backroads and towns possible. I love mountain music and lost valleys, ruined farms and haunted places. I can find the motels and state parks on my own, anyone care to give me some local wisdom? As we will cross Virginia, Tennesee, and maybe South Carolina on our way, any advice from those states is much appreciated.

I will be near the park the first week in February. Would like to take some winter photos. I am interested to hear if anyone has specific locations they think would be good for me to try. Are there major road closings in the park at that time and if so will I still be able to find some areas to take these winter photos?

Im planning a trip to the outer banks thanksgiving week any suggestions on where to stay? which is the best of these three? surfside, sea ranch or colony4 ?

Iam visitng from Uk for 5 days and want to do some day hikes, I have been told pigeon falls is a good central base, I will have a car .I will be visitng in May, advice please on good hikes of 4-5 hour duration, and places to stay

i pass through charlotte twice a year on the way to fla and back.it's about halfway,so i usually stay over here.i've yet to find an area that's walkable, safe and has some attractive places to have a drink or watch a game.any suggestions?

We're trying to find a nice cabin near the Smoky Mountains to rent for a family reunion. Has anyone stayed in any of the cabins at Smoky Cove Resort? I found a cabin on their website that I really liked. It was called Pinnacle Vista. Any experience with this place?

Hi!
My husband and I will be visiting Asheville the third week of October in anticipation of the birth of our first grandchild!! :) We've never been to Asheville before (daughter recently moved there) and since we're staying a week, we want to do a few things while there. We know about Biltmore of course :) but when we try to look up things to do there, it turns out most of the things listed are 50 miles or more away! Are there things to do close to Asheville? There's a train ride that looked interesting but that was a good ways away also :(
Also good restaurants and bead stores (I'm a beader :) )
Thanks for any help you may have to offer!
Meenie