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North Carolina Travel News:

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Visitors to North Carolina will likely find themselves torn between the state's two sides—mountains and coast.

A hike on the wooded trails of the mountains is just as appealing as a stroll on the Carolina coast. Driving along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway, and stopping to take in the misty valleys, is a fine option—but so is sailing on a ferry across a sound. Or visitors could admire the shoreline from atop a sand dune. None of these is a wrong choice for a North Carolina vacation.

But it will be a bit challenging to see both the coast and the mountains on the same trip—they're separated by at least 250 mi/400 km of rolling hills, charming towns, decent-sized cities and flat farmland. Visitors should either take two trips to North Carolina or plan one rather long vacation there. Traveling in North Carolina is time well-spent.

Geography

Nature jigsawed North Carolina's 320-mi/515-km coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, leaving numerous bays and lagoons. A ribbon of barrier islands, the Outer Banks, starts at the Virginia border on the northern coast and laces the ocean waters, giving rise to two large sounds—the Albermarle and Pamlico, which, when joined by four smaller sounds, make up the second-largest estuary in the U.S. (Chesapeake Bay is No. 1). Below the Outer Banks, dozens of beaches lie on the southern coast.

The inland is as varied as the coastline. White-sand terrain in the Sandhills area (Fayetteville, Pinehurst, Aberdeen) is a quizzical reminder of prehistoric waters that once topped the area. Populated by long-leaf pines, the area is home to many golfing communities. The rich farmland of the Piedmont (which literally means the foothills of the mountains) produces the tobacco upon which much of the state's early economy was built. In the state's far west, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Appalachian chain, lie on the state's boundary with Tennessee.

History

The Native American tribes of North Carolina also chose sides when they settled in the area. The Cherokee lived primarily in the western part of the state, and several other tribes, including the Eno, Sugeree and Woccon, inhabited areas to the east. Most of these tribes lived in small villages along river valleys and practiced agriculture, in addition to hunting animals and gathering wild plants.

For obvious reasons, the first Europeans to reach North Carolina ended up on the coast. Explorer Giovanni da Verrazano landed near Cape Fear in 1524. The first attempt at colonization was the Roanoke Island settlement established under the direction of Sir Walter Raleigh in 1585. The settlement didn't last long, however, and Raleigh sent a second expedition two years later. That settlement, now known as the Lost Colony, vanished mysteriously—the only clue left behind was the word "Croatoan" scrawled on a timber.

In the mid-1600s, new settlers arrived from Virginia, and the area controlled by the Europeans gradually spread inland, though many of the communities remained rather isolated. In the 1760s, North Carolinians rebelled against English taxation, becoming part of the uprising that eventually led to the establishment of the U.S.

Always stubbornly independent, the Tar Heel State was one of the last original colonies to join the Union (in 1789) and one of the last Southern states to secede. (North Carolina was less dependent on slave labor than many other parts of the Confederacy.) Nonetheless, it supplied more troops than any other Confederate state and was badly damaged by the war.

In the 20th century, the state became a major manufacturing center of the South, especially for textiles and furniture. But in the beginning of the 21st century, many plants have closed and some workers are retraining for jobs in health care and technology—two bright spots on the economic horizon. The state has been noted for its large increase in Hispanic immigrants, who often work in farm fields and construction. Many large-scale hog farms are prevalent in the eastern part of the state, and although tobacco cultivation is still part of the North Carolina economy, it has fallen on harder times in recent years. A number of former tobacco farms are in the process of being reworked as soybean farms, outlets for organic farming or even vineyards for winemaking. Tourism and banking also are important to the state's economy.

Snapshot

North Carolina's chief attractions are beaches, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, the Outer Banks, U.S. history, the Blue Ridge Parkway, golf, white-water rafting, stock-car racing, the Great Smoky Mountains, outdoor activities and artisan communities.

North Carolina is perfect for those travelers who want to kick back and take it easy, who seek unspoiled beaches and scenic mountain drives or who are intrigued by colonial and pioneer history. Those who seek the electric pace and mass-market attractions of large cities may find the state less to their liking.

Potpourri

The pirate Blackbeard, who terrorized mariners during the early 1700s, based his crew in North Carolina. His flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, which sank in 1718, has been discovered in the waters off Beaufort.

AZT, the first effective AIDS medication, and tamoxifin, a successful breast-cancer drug, were developed at North Carolina's Research Triangle Park, as were a number of other successful drugs.

Mount Airy, near the Virginia border, is Andy Griffith's hometown and was the inspiration for the town of Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show.

Folk, bluegrass and country music are celebrated at MerleFest each April in Wilkesboro, near Winston-Salem. Named after the late Merle Watson, son of famed guitarist Doc Watson, the four-day festival has grown from 4,000 to 78,000 participants since its beginning in 1988.

During the winter, llamas are used as golf caddies at Talamore Resort in Southern Pines.

John Biggers, one of the chief figures in the evolution of African-American art, was born in Gastonia. The North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh and Winston-Salem State University's Diggs Gallery in Winston-Salem display his bold and colorful murals.

The city seal of Charlotte proudly includes part of a quote from British Gen. Charles Cornwallis (of the Revolutionary War era): "Let's get out of here. This place is a damned hornets' nest." Consequently, several of the city's sports teams have claimed the name "Charlotte Hornets."

Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site near Concord marks the place where gold was first discovered in the U.S., by 12-year-old Conrad Reed in 1799.

The first child born of English parents in North America was Virginia Dare, who first saw the world at Fort Raleigh on Roanoke Island in 1587.

North Carolina is home to a number of traditional Italian-style frescos. These were created by North Carolina artist Benjamin Long IV, who studied with maestro Pietro Annigoni in Florence. The frescos are located in churches and municipal buildings in Charlotte, Morganton, Black Mountain, Crossnore, Statesville, West Jefferson and Glendale Springs.