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.
