Setzer - North Carolina Weekends

North Carolina Weekends

Published by John F. Blair, Publisher

Copyright 2003 by Lynn Setzer

All rights reserved under International and

Pan American Copyright Conventions

The paper in this book meets the guidelines

for permanence and durability of the

Committee on Production Guidelines for

Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.

Photographs by the author unless otherwise noted.

Cover Images

First Row:

Sunset at Silver Lake on Ocracoke Island

Second Row:

Gemeinhaus at Bethabara in Winston-Salem;

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse;

Brilliant maple along Blue Ridge Parkway

Third Row:

Pottery at Folk Art Center at Asheville

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Setzer, Lynn, 1955

North Carolina weekends / by Lynn Setzer.

p. cm.

ISBN 0-89587-273-0 (alk. paper)

1. North CarolinaGuidebooks. 1. Title.

F252.3.S486 2003

917.560444dc21

2003014836

Design by Debra Long Hampton

Thanks,

Laurie and David

Contents

Exactly when the compelling desire to write about North Carolina travel opportunities seized me, I cannot tell you. I sometimes think it came from helping my coworkersmany of whom came to North Carolina from other parts of the country to work in the software industryfind something enjoyable to do on the weekend. After all, I was a native North Carolinian, an increasingly rare commodity, and I knew the turf.

After suggesting places to go and things to do, and after 10 years of traveling both the main roads and the back roadsand hiking the trails, rafting the rivers, stopping by the waterfalls, looking for wildflowers, enjoying the museums, touring the historic buildings, finding the restaurants, and otherwise enjoying the stateI have developed a deep appreciation for just how much North Carolina has to offer. (I also have a deep appreciation for what it means to try to cover a state that encompasses 48,708 square miles of land, too, but thats a story for another day.) You want it? North Carolina probably has it.

Clearly, a book that purports to highlight travel opportunities in such a big state doesnt just happen by itself! So, without further adieu, Id like to thank the following people. Without them, this book would not have come about, period.

To Laurie Evans and David Alff of the Raleigh News and Observer go my most heartfelt thanks. Everybody needs someone to open a door for her, and for me, that person was Laurie. While serving as travel editor of the News and Observer in the early 1990s, Laurie took a chance on me as a rookie travel writer, and I am forever grateful to her. Then, a year or so after Laurie opened the door, David assumed responsibility for the papers Travel section and really let me work. One day, we tried to arrive at the number of stories Id written for him, and we simply couldnt do it. Wed both lost count. Over the course of eight years, even on those occasions when I stumped my toe, David was always patient and willing to let me seek out an interesting destination to share with readers. David, youre the best.

Behind Laurie and David at the News and Observer are people who helped me in innumerable ways, among them Felicia Gressette, features editor; and Marcy Rice and Liz McGehee, copyeditors.

Thanks also go to Carolyn Sakowski, president of John F. Blair, Publisher. She saw a way to nip and tuck my travels to shape this book. Without her creativity, my work would have been less focused. Others at Blair who helped bring this book into being include Steve Kirk, Debbie Hampton, Anne Waters, Kim Byerly, and Ed Southern. Steve was especially helpful with keeping the wealth of detail cleanly structured, and Debbie worked magic with the formatting.

I am also indebted to family, friends, and friends of friends for their helpful suggestions along the way. Among those who aided me were Cathy Farabow, Bob Setzer, Pat Leftwich, Susan Irons, Roonie Craig, Dwight Warren, Don Weisner, Clark Bond, and Rita Johnson, director of DeTamble Library at St. Andrews College.

To those who work in North Carolinas tourism industrythe innkeepers, the wait staffs, the docents, the park rangers, the site staff, the guides, the everyday peopleyoure great! While you may think youre just doing your job, you really do help put North Carolinas best foot forward with your smiles and helpfulness.

And though he may be last, hes never least. I owe a special debt of gratitude to my husband and travel companion, Randall Washington. Traveling with me as his time permits, he keeps the pursuit of stories from being a solo proposition. I draw great energy from his indefatigable spirit and optimism.

This book starts with you in mindspecifically, with the activities you might find fun and relaxing. It then guides you to the best spots in the state for those activities, using an easy, four-step process.

Step 1

Lets say you really, really like antiquing. No problem! You can discover where the highest concentration of antiquing opportunities is just by looking under the Antiques heading below. Or maybe you enjoy looking for spring wildflowers. Just go to the Wildflowers heading. If youre a Civil War buff, go to the Civil War History heading to see a list of the best places in the state for your interest. Get the picture?

Step 2

Once you find the chapter that contains the activities you enjoy most, look for the letter in parentheses. That letter tells you whether youve chosen a mountain weekend (M), a Piedmont weekend (P), or a coastal weekend (C). It also tells you which section of the book contains the destination youre considering.

Step 3

Scan the table of contents to find the page where your destination is described. When you turn to that page, youll find a description of what that destination has to offer, including suggestions of where to stay and where to eat. (Do be aware that my suggestions are not exhaustive. You may find other items to enjoy, particularly with regard to restaurants.)

Step 4

Pack your bag and go have some fun! Goodness knows youve earned it.

Antiques

Weekend at the Blowing Rock (M)

Weekend Full of Palace Intrigue (C)

Weekend in Albemarle Country (C)

Weekend in Antiques Country (P)

Weekend in Apple Country (M)

Weekend in Azalea Town (C)

Weekend in Greenes Neighbourhood (P)

Weekend in Neuse River Country (P)

Weekend in Roanoke River Country (P)

Weekend in the Land of the Longleaf Pine (P)

Weekend in the Queen City (P)

Weekend in the Uwharries (P)

Aquariums

Weekend in Cape Fear Country (C)