After braking for COVID-19, the most avid of travelers long to pick up their lifelong road trip where it left off before “mask mandate” and “social distancing” entered the lexicon. While waiting for that day, travelers can plan getaways around new experiences and innovative approaches that connect the love of the journey with the need for safety across North Carolina. Here are a few starter ideas.
Uncork a wine trip: Given the relative safety of outdoor spaces, many of North Carolina’s 240 wineries moved visitors from tasting rooms to outside tables in 2020. Taking a cue from breweries, servers offered DIY flights that allowed guests to progress from glass to glass on their own instead of waiting for someone to pour. The most promising news for this year: The exceptional harvest from 2019 will make its way from barrel to bottle to glass. Destinations to consider include Winston-Salem, a Yadkin Valley wine region gateway with its own appealing mix of refinement and creative chic; Elkin, where a concentration of vineyards meets trailheads for hiking, biking, paddling and history; and Hendersonville, hub of the newly established Crest of the Blue Ridge wine region. Request a copy of the state’s winery guide here.
Learn how to leave no trace: North Carolina, the first East Coast state to partner with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, has launched Outdoor NC, designed to inspire outdoor experiences and help manage natural assets for future generations. As travelers seek to spend time in nature, Outdoor NC provides information about the seven Leave No Trace principles as well as places to discover. A user-generated section on the website calls on outdoor lovers to “show us how you #MakeItYourNature” as they explore the state’s natural wealth in well-known and under-the-radar places.
Keep cities in play: With health experts extolling the virtues of outdoor spaces, why head to cities? For the outdoor spaces, believe it or not. North Carolina’s urban areas count municipal, county and state parks among their amenities with outdoor attractions adding more value. A Charlotte stay might include a trio of Uptown parks, the U.S. National Whitewater Center with its surprising range of adventure, and Lake Norman State Park a short drive up Interstate 77. Inviting outdoor spaces in Raleigh start with the 164-acre Ann and James Goodnight Art Park at the N.C. Museum of Art, the largest park of its kind in the nation, and also include the expansive Dorothea Dix Park downtown and William B. Umstead State Park. Downtown strolls in Greensboro take in parks and greenway trails, while Guilford Courthouse National Military Park is popular for recreation as well as its history lesson. And Wilmington boasts more than a riverfront and nearby beaches with elegant Airlie Gardens and Greenfield Lake Park.
Stay somewhere new: Despite the pandemic, boutique lodging properties have stayed the course in reimagining histories that date back as far as the 1800s. New and soon-to-open spots include the historic High Hampton Resort in Cashiers, the Heights Hotel in downtown Raleigh and the Colonial Inn in Hillsborough. Also worth noting: the reimagined Kure Lighthouse Inn in Kure Beach, Route 19 Inn in Maggie Valley and Longleaf Hotel in Raleigh plus the new Grand Bohemian Charlotte.
For more information, request a copy of the 2021 Official North Carolina Travel Guide, which includes all of the state’s 100 counties, and check the list of participating hotels, restaurants and attractions participating in Count On Me NC, a statewide initiative designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Uncork a wine trip: Given the relative safety of outdoor spaces, many of North Carolina’s 240 wineries moved visitors from tasting rooms to outside tables in 2020. Taking a cue from breweries, servers offered DIY flights that allowed guests to progress from glass to glass on their own instead of waiting for someone to pour. The most promising news for this year: The exceptional harvest from 2019 will make its way from barrel to bottle to glass. Destinations to consider include Winston-Salem, a Yadkin Valley wine region gateway with its own appealing mix of refinement and creative chic; Elkin, where a concentration of vineyards meets trailheads for hiking, biking, paddling and history; and Hendersonville, hub of the newly established Crest of the Blue Ridge wine region. Request a copy of the state’s winery guide here.
Learn how to leave no trace: North Carolina, the first East Coast state to partner with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, has launched Outdoor NC, designed to inspire outdoor experiences and help manage natural assets for future generations. As travelers seek to spend time in nature, Outdoor NC provides information about the seven Leave No Trace principles as well as places to discover. A user-generated section on the website calls on outdoor lovers to “show us how you #MakeItYourNature” as they explore the state’s natural wealth in well-known and under-the-radar places.
Keep cities in play: With health experts extolling the virtues of outdoor spaces, why head to cities? For the outdoor spaces, believe it or not. North Carolina’s urban areas count municipal, county and state parks among their amenities with outdoor attractions adding more value. A Charlotte stay might include a trio of Uptown parks, the U.S. National Whitewater Center with its surprising range of adventure, and Lake Norman State Park a short drive up Interstate 77. Inviting outdoor spaces in Raleigh start with the 164-acre Ann and James Goodnight Art Park at the N.C. Museum of Art, the largest park of its kind in the nation, and also include the expansive Dorothea Dix Park downtown and William B. Umstead State Park. Downtown strolls in Greensboro take in parks and greenway trails, while Guilford Courthouse National Military Park is popular for recreation as well as its history lesson. And Wilmington boasts more than a riverfront and nearby beaches with elegant Airlie Gardens and Greenfield Lake Park.
Stay somewhere new: Despite the pandemic, boutique lodging properties have stayed the course in reimagining histories that date back as far as the 1800s. New and soon-to-open spots include the historic High Hampton Resort in Cashiers, the Heights Hotel in downtown Raleigh and the Colonial Inn in Hillsborough. Also worth noting: the reimagined Kure Lighthouse Inn in Kure Beach, Route 19 Inn in Maggie Valley and Longleaf Hotel in Raleigh plus the new Grand Bohemian Charlotte.
For more information, request a copy of the 2021 Official North Carolina Travel Guide, which includes all of the state’s 100 counties, and check the list of participating hotels, restaurants and attractions participating in Count On Me NC, a statewide initiative designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19.