Chase Butterflies, Ghosts and Fall Flavor Across NC
On a perfect fall day, temperatures rise just high enough for a dip in the ocean, slide into campfire range come evening, and leave the senses open to all the season offers. And that’s a lot in North Carolina, where you can chase butterflies, pluck apples from the tree, or pursue ghosts and their haunting stories.
Scan the sky for monarchs: Shortly before the show-stealing foliage display along the Blue Ridge Parkway, thousands of monarch butterflies take the corridor to Mexico. They’ll return to the same trees that launched their great-grandparents’ 2,500-mile spring migration to Canada. Pull over at a high-elevation overlook (Wagon Road Gap, Pounding Mill Parking, Cherry Cove or Double Mountain, Haywood-Jackson), stroll the grounds at the Orchard at Altapass, or hike to the heights at Waterrock Knob. If you miss the butterflies, you might see American kestrels, sharp-shinned hawks, bald eagles and other birds taking advantage of ridge lift.
Take your pick of apples: Apple lovers have a field day at mountain orchards. In the Hendersonville area alone, more than a dozen growers invite visitors to pick their own fruit. Varieties include favorites (Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Stayman) and less familiar (Arkansas Black, King Luscious, Mutsu) covering the spectrum of taste and texture. Many orchards have taken special measures in the interest of safety from COVID-19. Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard in Hendersonville and Apple Hill Orchard in Morganton have joined Count On Me NC, a statewide initiative based on best practices for businesses and consumers. In Moravian Falls, the pick-your-own schedule at Perry Lowe Orchards includes an appointment option for social distancing. Millstone Creek Orchards in Randleman rolls out a reservations-required experience that includes a hayride, a tasting, apple picking and an apple cider slushie.
Go where ghosts await: If you feel a chill run down your spine, it might be an evening breeze … or something harder to explain. On the Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington, a Count On Me NC participant, the guide might lead you past the house on Gallows Hill, where more than 200 people were hanged. Pay attention if your guide tells you to say “goodnight” to Miss Fannie on the Ghost Tour of New Bern, which has added COVID-19 protocols for its 90-minute walk past homes and graves. The Beaufort Ghost Walk stops at the Old Burying Ground, where you’ll be haunted by the story of the girl buried in a rum barrel. Downtown walks with Carolina History & Haunts lead to the site of a doomed hotel (the Zinzendorf in Winston-Salem), an inn with a ghost who’s partial to pink (the Biltmore Hotel in Greensboro) and a hotel with a guest named Dusty who never checks out (the Dunhill in Charlotte). Tobacco Road Tours traces ghost stories in downtown Raleigh and Durham, and Haunted Asheville offers three guided tours with COVID-19 protocols in place.
Find that perfect day: To enjoy a daytime ocean dip plus an evening campfire, head to Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Outer Banks (you’ll need a free permit). On the Crystal Coast, campers should simply follow the rules of the Cape Lookout National Seashore.
For more ideas to inspire fall travel and updated information about COVID-19 guidelines, check in at VisitNC.com.
Scan the sky for monarchs: Shortly before the show-stealing foliage display along the Blue Ridge Parkway, thousands of monarch butterflies take the corridor to Mexico. They’ll return to the same trees that launched their great-grandparents’ 2,500-mile spring migration to Canada. Pull over at a high-elevation overlook (Wagon Road Gap, Pounding Mill Parking, Cherry Cove or Double Mountain, Haywood-Jackson), stroll the grounds at the Orchard at Altapass, or hike to the heights at Waterrock Knob. If you miss the butterflies, you might see American kestrels, sharp-shinned hawks, bald eagles and other birds taking advantage of ridge lift.
Take your pick of apples: Apple lovers have a field day at mountain orchards. In the Hendersonville area alone, more than a dozen growers invite visitors to pick their own fruit. Varieties include favorites (Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Stayman) and less familiar (Arkansas Black, King Luscious, Mutsu) covering the spectrum of taste and texture. Many orchards have taken special measures in the interest of safety from COVID-19. Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard in Hendersonville and Apple Hill Orchard in Morganton have joined Count On Me NC, a statewide initiative based on best practices for businesses and consumers. In Moravian Falls, the pick-your-own schedule at Perry Lowe Orchards includes an appointment option for social distancing. Millstone Creek Orchards in Randleman rolls out a reservations-required experience that includes a hayride, a tasting, apple picking and an apple cider slushie.
Go where ghosts await: If you feel a chill run down your spine, it might be an evening breeze … or something harder to explain. On the Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington, a Count On Me NC participant, the guide might lead you past the house on Gallows Hill, where more than 200 people were hanged. Pay attention if your guide tells you to say “goodnight” to Miss Fannie on the Ghost Tour of New Bern, which has added COVID-19 protocols for its 90-minute walk past homes and graves. The Beaufort Ghost Walk stops at the Old Burying Ground, where you’ll be haunted by the story of the girl buried in a rum barrel. Downtown walks with Carolina History & Haunts lead to the site of a doomed hotel (the Zinzendorf in Winston-Salem), an inn with a ghost who’s partial to pink (the Biltmore Hotel in Greensboro) and a hotel with a guest named Dusty who never checks out (the Dunhill in Charlotte). Tobacco Road Tours traces ghost stories in downtown Raleigh and Durham, and Haunted Asheville offers three guided tours with COVID-19 protocols in place.
Find that perfect day: To enjoy a daytime ocean dip plus an evening campfire, head to Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Outer Banks (you’ll need a free permit). On the Crystal Coast, campers should simply follow the rules of the Cape Lookout National Seashore.
For more ideas to inspire fall travel and updated information about COVID-19 guidelines, check in at VisitNC.com.
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