Family Fun in North Carolina
Written: Oct 14 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent resource for a vacation in North Carolina.
Cons: Misses some pretty good attractions..but no one's perfect!
The Bottom Line: Looking for some ideas for a Day Trip or a vacation in North Carolina for the kids? You need to invest in this book to maximize your time here!
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| Mom2TyZick's Full Review: Fun with the Family in North Carolina: Hundreds of... |
If you like taking day trips with your family or even whole vacations within your own state, then you must check out Fun with the Family in North Carolina by James L. Hoffman. It gives information on loads of North Carolina's attractions, restaurants and accommodations. It also gives you an idea of age appropriateness and price guidelines for each attraction. With the help of the Department of Tourism, park rangers, museum guides, information center staffs, hotel clerks and waiters, Hoffman gives a very thorough sampling of what North Carolina has to offer.
Using the Book
When you open this book, on the first few pages is a map of North Carolina. It is divided into 6 different sections: The Great Smoky Mountains, The Blue Ridge Mountains, The Northern Piedmont, The Southern Piedmont, The Northern Coast and The Southern Coast. This confirms the idea that North Carolina does indeed have something for everyone!
Hotels
The author explains that he included local bed and breakfasts, inns and resorts of all price ranges to give the reader a better idea of the local flavor of each area. If you are determined to stay in a national chain there is a listing with 800 numbers to the most widely known hotels for your convenience.
Symbols
Hoffman gives each hotel and restaurant a dollar sign ranking indicating how expensive they are for your visit. Here are the corresponding amounts:
Lodging: (one night, double room)
$ Up to $50
$$ $51 to $75
$$$ $75 to $100
$$$$ more than $100
Restaurants:
$ entrees under $10
$$ entrees $10 to $15
$$$ entrees $15 to $20
$$$$ entrees over $20
Also included are attractions keys to make you aware of the amenities of each place. Included are swimming, animal viewing, boating, food, Historic sites, lodging, hiking, camping, fishing, museums, biking, performing arts, amusement park, sports, horseback riding, picnicking, skiing, playground, parks and shopping.
Fun by Region
Each section takes you on a virtual journey through the six regions of North Carolina in a traveling style. Hoffman starts at one end of each region and works his way through, which makes the book more cohesive. At the beginning of each section, Hoffman gives you 10 of his favorite attractions of each region.
The Great Smoky Mountains
This is my favorite area of North Carolina. You can view the world from heights of greater than 6,000 feet, which is actually some of the highest elevations in the eastern United States. This area includes a national park, waterfalls, streams and more bed and breakfasts than you can shake a stick at!
Among Hoffman's Top Ten picks are some of my own favorite spots: The Great Smoky Mountain Railway is one. We have ridden on this restored train with our 4-year old train enthusiast, and it's definitely great family fun! My suggestion would be to sit in the open-air car to enjoy the beautiful scenery to the fullest!
Another pick is Ghost Town in the Sky, located in Maggie Valley. You must take a ski-lift or an incline to the top, but when you get there you'll realize you've stepped back in time to the Old West! Be prepared for shoot-outs and loads of fun.
Yet another pick is Cruising the Blue Ridge Parkway. Though I've been on this beautiful scenic road, I've never been on it in autumn. You can believe it's on my calendar this year.
The Blue Ridge Mountains
These are so close to my house (45 minutes) we go up for an afternoon often. How lucky can one person be? This area is home to a pretty special waterfall, the gorgeous city of Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway as well. I love this state!
On the top ten list for this area is Tweetsie Railroad. You will notice that any railway attraction in any area is on my top ten list! This is actually an amusement park complete with a real train that gets robbed by Indians! Not the most PC place in the world, I suppose, but it makes for lots of fun. Don't forget to stop by the gift shop to buy your little one a cap gun to shoot the bad guys!
Another top ten pick is the Sliding Rock located in the Pisgah National Forest. Most waterfalls are not this interactive! You can actually slide down this natural rock for a fun ride. They ever have a railed walkway to get you to the top!
Don't miss this top ten spot: Grandfather Mountain. If you are afraid of heights, this is NOT the place for you. I've never been to a higher spot, and the swinging suspension bridge, aptly named the Mile-High Bridge, is one for the thrill seeker in you! The views are beautiful, so pack a picnic and don't forget to stop by and gaze at the animals.
If you are stunned by opulence, do not miss the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. It is billed as the largest private residence in the United States and is breathtaking. My suggestion is to go in the spring to see all of the beautiful flowers in bloom or at Christmas when the whole place is atwinkle! There is also a vineyard on site, not to be missed.
The Northern Piedmont
Our neighbors! As luck has it, where I live is right on the border of the Northern and Southern Piedmont. Not quite the mountains, and not quite the beach! But the Piedmont areas have their own numerous charms, all waiting to be discovered!
One of Huffman's Top Ten Picks in this area is the Emerald Pointe Water Park. We finally made our way over towards the end of the summer, and I found it to be way over crowded, expensive and quite dirty. I hail from Florida originally, and I haven't found waterparks anywhere to compete with Big Kahuna's in Destin, so perhaps I'm just picky.
Looking for great furniture? Hickory is the home of furniture making and has a wonderful Furniture Mart to prove it. I went looking for deals, and left a bit disappointed; not in the quality, but the prices. I found a dining room table that I loved there for only $11,000 (yes, eleven thousand) and mistakenly thought it was $1100. I was planning how I was going to scrape that money together when my husband pointed out my error. I can't pay that for a table unless I can drive it to work. Even though it seemed outrageous to me, the owner proved to me that it was indeed a discount. So you see, it is all in perspective.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Transportation Museum in Spencer. Trains, trains, trains...need I say more?
The Southern Piedmont
Home, sweet home. This area includes the state's biggest city, Charlotte. Traveling is difficult because so much growth, but it's not impossible. There is so much else to do here, you must visit!
The attraction that received top billing in Hoffman's Top Ten list is the Discovery Place museum. It is a science museum for children, but adults will not be bored and may even learn a thing or two themselves. There is a replicated rain forest inside, a tornado machine, a human body display that cannot be matched and a children's play area for the younger set. Inside is also an IMAX theater and a planetarium, both at an extra cost.
Paramount's Carowinds is also near the top of the list. At Carowinds you will find twice the fun: It's a waterpark and amusement park all in one! Be sure to bring a change of clothes, as bathing suits aren't allowed in the amusement area. The amusement park has a children's area with the Scooby characters, which makes it a favorite of the Zick house.
If you are visiting us during the holidays, you must not miss Christmastown, USA in McAdenville. It is a small textile community that transforms itself into a twinkling town of wonder after the first week of December. The entire town is just magical, and they serve hot chocolate and coffee for walkers and Christmas music is played through speakers all over the town. If you go on a weekend or very close to Christmas, be prepared for a wait, but don't worry: it's worth it!
For you Nascar fans, you will also find Lowe's Motor Speedway here in Concord. I am not a fan, so can't comment, but I am most definitely in the minority.
The Southern Coast
If it's the beach you like, drive on over! This is a super place to relax and have some fun in the sun. The beaches are long and impressive and there is much to discover.
On the top ten lists for this area we have Calabash restaurants. Calabash is fairly native to North Carolina and is a type of cooking: frying in seasoned flour to be exact. We have Calabash shrimp everywhere you turn and "Fish Camps" galore. These are simply the fish houses everybody else has!
Holden Beach is also a local favorite beach. If Myrtle Beach is too crowded or touristy, you may give it a try. It's more of a sleepy fishing village that is far more quiet than the hustle and bustle of Myrtle.
In Wilmington you can visit the Wilmington Railroad Museum. It displays railroad memorabilia from the 1940s and has a model train running inside. You can even board an actual diesel engine and caboose outside!
The Northern Coast
More than just beaches, here is a place where you'll find history. You can also experience the charms of old mansions and museums, while learning about America's earliest settlers of the New World.
First on the Hoffman Top Ten for this area is the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. At 208 feet, this lighthouse is the tallest in the United States. If you are ready for a hike, you can take a climb up 268 steps to the top for a pretty spectacular view. This is a free attraction, but children must be able to climb on their own.
Looking for a little history? You need to try the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. This is where they first learned to fly! Here you will see a demonstration of the principles they used for their first flight of 59 sustained seconds that are still used today in modern flight.
If you are up for a little theater with your history, visit The Lost Colony in Manteo. The outdoor drama, by the waterfront on the grounds of Fort Raleigh, recreates the mysterious disappearance of the people who came here from England in 1587. It also celebrates the birth of Virginia Dare, the first European child to be born in the New World. Be sure to bring a jacket as weather changes on the waterfront are expected.
Appendix
The appendix has a listing of all celebrations and events in North Carolina categorized by month. It also gives the corresponding city holding the event and a telephone number to contact each organization.
In addition to the general index, there is an activities index that groups like activities in alphabetical order. Categories are: Historic Sites and Homes, Museums, Sports/Recreation, Theme Parks, and Zoos and Animals.
*Note* Though this is the most recent edition of this book, it was published in 1999, so if would be wise to call to verify prices and availability as necessary.
Cost of Book: $12.95
Recommended:
Yes
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