Wednesday, September 20, 2006
The North Carolina Outer Banks
One of the most famous and most visited areas of North Carolina is the Outer Banks. The Outer Banks is 100 miles of barrier islands off of the Carolina east coast. The main attraction is are the great beaches and relaxed atmosphere. But there are other features that also make the Outer Banks a great place for a family vacation.
First off is Kitty Hawk and the Wright Brothers National Memorial. You can visit the site where the first flight took place. If you still want some history you can visit the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum where you can learn all about North Carolina's rich maritime history. There is also the Mysterious Lost Colony where the first English Settlers laid claim to the Americas, but then disappeared without a trace.
If you are really looking to get away from it all, try Okracoke Island. This island is on the southern portion of the Outer Banks. You can only get to Okracoke by ferry. Once on the island, the main form of transportation is bicycles or walking. We rented bicycles for the time we were there and went between shops, restaurants (some of which were awesome), the beach, and historical sites on bike. You will feel like you are in another world.
All in all, North Carolina's Outer Banks has a lot to offer for a fun family vacation.
First off is Kitty Hawk and the Wright Brothers National Memorial. You can visit the site where the first flight took place. If you still want some history you can visit the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum where you can learn all about North Carolina's rich maritime history. There is also the Mysterious Lost Colony where the first English Settlers laid claim to the Americas, but then disappeared without a trace.
If you are really looking to get away from it all, try Okracoke Island. This island is on the southern portion of the Outer Banks. You can only get to Okracoke by ferry. Once on the island, the main form of transportation is bicycles or walking. We rented bicycles for the time we were there and went between shops, restaurants (some of which were awesome), the beach, and historical sites on bike. You will feel like you are in another world.
All in all, North Carolina's Outer Banks has a lot to offer for a fun family vacation.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad Trip
One of the more beautiful sites of nature is the Great Smoky Mountains during fall. The array of colors and vistas are awesome and can be enjoyed by the entire family. If you want to take your family to the NC mountains and enjoy the unique experience of train travel, then the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad may be just the family vacation for you.
The train has various excursions you can take. Two main ones for the fall are the Tuckaseegee River Excursion and the Nantahala Gorge Excursion. They both last about 4 hours. There are other excursions with special activities your family may enjoy including white water rafting and mystery theater.
If the weather is nice, there are open air cars that your family and kids will likely enjoy. Also, the trips are packed full of North Carolina history and scenery.
I think this is a pretty cool family day trip or just an additional fun trip to add to your families vacation to the North Carolina mountains.
The train has various excursions you can take. Two main ones for the fall are the Tuckaseegee River Excursion and the Nantahala Gorge Excursion. They both last about 4 hours. There are other excursions with special activities your family may enjoy including white water rafting and mystery theater.
If the weather is nice, there are open air cars that your family and kids will likely enjoy. Also, the trips are packed full of North Carolina history and scenery.
I think this is a pretty cool family day trip or just an additional fun trip to add to your families vacation to the North Carolina mountains.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Family Trip to the Biltmore Estate
A trip to the Biltmore estate in Ashville, NC can be a great family outing.
The Biltmore estate is the largest private home in the United States. It has 175,000 square feet! The Biltmore was originally built by George Vanderbilt II and was finished in 1902.
When you visit the Biltmore you can spend hours touring the house and grounds. The house itself is truly amazing and there are plenty of cool features to keep the kids entertained and amazed. The house has a giant indoor pool, an elevator, fine art, library, bowling ally, and more.
The trip can be educational as well as you can learn the history of the house and the people that lived there in the early 1900's.
Nearly a million people visit the Biltmore estate every year. It can be especially crowded around Christmas time, but the house and grounds are decorated beautifully, so it can be worth the extra crouds and wait.
The price of admission varies widely on the time of year and whether or not there is a special event at the time. Tickets can run from $25 to $44 for adults and Free to $22 for kids (ages 10-16).
I think that the Biltmore Estate can be a fun family vacation in the state of North Carolina.
The Biltmore estate is the largest private home in the United States. It has 175,000 square feet! The Biltmore was originally built by George Vanderbilt II and was finished in 1902.
When you visit the Biltmore you can spend hours touring the house and grounds. The house itself is truly amazing and there are plenty of cool features to keep the kids entertained and amazed. The house has a giant indoor pool, an elevator, fine art, library, bowling ally, and more.
The trip can be educational as well as you can learn the history of the house and the people that lived there in the early 1900's.
Nearly a million people visit the Biltmore estate every year. It can be especially crowded around Christmas time, but the house and grounds are decorated beautifully, so it can be worth the extra crouds and wait.
The price of admission varies widely on the time of year and whether or not there is a special event at the time. Tickets can run from $25 to $44 for adults and Free to $22 for kids (ages 10-16).
I think that the Biltmore Estate can be a fun family vacation in the state of North Carolina.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Take a Trip to Chimney Rock, NC
For one of the most beautiful views in all of North Carolina, you need to take a vacation trip Chimney Rock, NC. There are lots of great hiking trails for the adventurous family as well as the family that just wants some leasure and to enjoy the mountains and outdoors.
The Chimney Rock, NC web site recommends the following trails for family vacations:
The Great Woodland Adventure Trail: "located in the Meadows, this easy to moderate .6 mile trail features 12 discovery stations with larger-than-life sculptures of animals. You and your kids can learn about how these animals live, what they eat, and other interesting and fun facts."
The Hickory Nut Falls Trail for families: "this moderate trail takes you through the woods to the bottom of the Falls in about 30 minutes. Enjoy the mists from the waterfall as it plunges 404-ft into a clear pool at the bottom. The dense woods along this trail provide a natural barrier, which makes for a safer hiking experience."
We took the Hickory Nut Falls Trail and thouroughly enjoyed it. Then we took the elevator to the top and took in the view from the chimney itself. It seemed like you could all of North Carolina from there.
If you are going to Ashville for vacation to see other sites, I would recommend taking a day and the short drive to Chimney Rock, NC. It was our favorite part of our trip to the mountains.
Chimney Rock is about 15 minutes east of Ashville, NC or just a short 1 1/2 drive from Charlotte, NC.
The Chimney Rock, NC web site recommends the following trails for family vacations:
The Great Woodland Adventure Trail: "located in the Meadows, this easy to moderate .6 mile trail features 12 discovery stations with larger-than-life sculptures of animals. You and your kids can learn about how these animals live, what they eat, and other interesting and fun facts."
The Hickory Nut Falls Trail for families: "this moderate trail takes you through the woods to the bottom of the Falls in about 30 minutes. Enjoy the mists from the waterfall as it plunges 404-ft into a clear pool at the bottom. The dense woods along this trail provide a natural barrier, which makes for a safer hiking experience."
We took the Hickory Nut Falls Trail and thouroughly enjoyed it. Then we took the elevator to the top and took in the view from the chimney itself. It seemed like you could all of North Carolina from there.
If you are going to Ashville for vacation to see other sites, I would recommend taking a day and the short drive to Chimney Rock, NC. It was our favorite part of our trip to the mountains.
Chimney Rock is about 15 minutes east of Ashville, NC or just a short 1 1/2 drive from Charlotte, NC.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Family Vacation at Carowinds
We recently vacationed at Carowinds. Over several days we had varying experiences at the park.
The first day the park was nearly empty and it wasn't very hot. That day we were able to ride all the rides we wanted and had an awesome time. Carowinds has LOTs of great rides and attractions for kids. The children's section of Carowinds is based on Nickelodeon. The kids rides vary from very tame to fairly adventurous. There was plenty for my 5 year old timid daughter as well as lots for my extreme sports fan 9 year old son.
The second day we went to the Carowinds water park. It was more hot and much more crowded. The wave pool was just too crowded to feel safe at times. Also, a few of the slides were closed so there were only a few slides to ride. We still had fun. There is a kiddy slide (with a long wait) that my daughter liked.
The third day was the "bring a friend" day. WAY to crowded. Only made it half the day. Took the family home and vacationed at the hotel pool.
Family Vacation summary:
All-in-all I was pleasantly surprised by Carowinds amusement park. Carowinds had many more rides and attractions for kids than I expected. There were also lots of great roller coaster rides for the older kids. It turned out to be a good family vacation.
The first day the park was nearly empty and it wasn't very hot. That day we were able to ride all the rides we wanted and had an awesome time. Carowinds has LOTs of great rides and attractions for kids. The children's section of Carowinds is based on Nickelodeon. The kids rides vary from very tame to fairly adventurous. There was plenty for my 5 year old timid daughter as well as lots for my extreme sports fan 9 year old son.
The second day we went to the Carowinds water park. It was more hot and much more crowded. The wave pool was just too crowded to feel safe at times. Also, a few of the slides were closed so there were only a few slides to ride. We still had fun. There is a kiddy slide (with a long wait) that my daughter liked.
The third day was the "bring a friend" day. WAY to crowded. Only made it half the day. Took the family home and vacationed at the hotel pool.
Family Vacation summary:
All-in-all I was pleasantly surprised by Carowinds amusement park. Carowinds had many more rides and attractions for kids than I expected. There were also lots of great roller coaster rides for the older kids. It turned out to be a good family vacation.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
North Carolina Family Vacation to Carolina Beach
Taking a relaxing family vacation to Carolina Beach can be one of the most fun trips you will take. Carolina beach had a great beach for kids and parents to play and swim. It's not very crowded and is fairly clean. Lots of good sea shell hunting as well.
Getting there: One of the nice things about Carolina beach is that it's easy to get to. Just take I-40 towards Wilmington and follow the signs. It's only a few short hours from Raleigh, making it one of the closest beaches to get to.
Where to stay: You can rent a house or condo. There is a great new hotel, the Marriott Courtyard. All the hotel rooms have beach side views, so you can't miss. The hotel has an indoor pool and an out door pool as well as easy access to the beach.
Where to eat: There are a lot of good restaurants both local, seafood, and fast food.
What to do when you're not on the beach: There is a fun little area near the Marriott hotel with games, ice cream shops, and other fun stores. When you first enter Carolina beach there is a pretty good miniature putt putt golf on the left that is a lot of fun too.
Getting there: One of the nice things about Carolina beach is that it's easy to get to. Just take I-40 towards Wilmington and follow the signs. It's only a few short hours from Raleigh, making it one of the closest beaches to get to.
Where to stay: You can rent a house or condo. There is a great new hotel, the Marriott Courtyard. All the hotel rooms have beach side views, so you can't miss. The hotel has an indoor pool and an out door pool as well as easy access to the beach.
Where to eat: There are a lot of good restaurants both local, seafood, and fast food.
What to do when you're not on the beach: There is a fun little area near the Marriott hotel with games, ice cream shops, and other fun stores. When you first enter Carolina beach there is a pretty good miniature putt putt golf on the left that is a lot of fun too.
