Category: Tourism

For the week of Feb. 14 on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Weekend,” take in a production by the Raleigh Little Theatre in Raleigh. Examine the pieces at Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington. Fly through the air by zip lining at Hawksnest in Seven Devils. Try to narrow your selection at The Lot, a food truck court in Asheville. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Lilly’s Pizza in Raleigh. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) “North Carolina Weekend” is …

The 2013 Official North Carolina Travel Guide app is now available for iPad and iPhone tablets plus Android and Kindle Fire tablets via Google Play. It is a state-of-the-art app with videos, pop-ups, a photo slide show, and an interactive Blue Ridge Parkway map. The app highlights the unique places across the state with beautiful photography and easy-to-read stories, making it easy to plan your trip to the Old North State. The Official North Carolina Travel Guide is the essential …

When Gov. Pat McCrory tapped Sharon Decker as the new state secretary of commerce last month, several made much of her career with Duke Energy and time spent in Charlotte during the city’s boom years. “But what I learned to be commerce secretary, I learned in rural North Carolina,” Sec. Decker said last week during the N.C. Main Street Conference in Salisbury. She said the lessons that best prepared her to head the state department came while raising four children, …

For the week of Feb. 7 on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Weekend,” meet the lions, tigers and more (oh, my!) at the Conservators Center near Burlington. Whet your appetite at On the Waterfront in Washington.  Enjoy one of the programs offered at the Cary Arts Center in Cary. Have a unique educational experience at the House of Flags in Columbus.  And discover what’s cookin’ at Sweet Potatoes in Winston-Salem.  (Please note: listings are subject to change.) “North Carolina Weekend” is exclusively …

A rain-induced landslide in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park left a hole in U.S. 441, but its impact could also affect the local economy depending on how long the repairs take. VisitNC.com has the latest traffic updates, and the Division’s 1-800-VISITNC operators keep abreast of these updates to keep potential visitors informed. Repairs could be done by mid-May to early June at the earliest, according to an estimated construction timeline released by the park service this week. The cost …

For the week of Jan. 31 on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Weekend,” relax with a stay at the 1898 Waverly Inn in Hendersonville. Step back in time at the Old Mill of Guilford in Oak Ridge. Combine the best of both worlds at the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar in Asheville. Take to the skies at the N.C. Aviation Museum Hall of Fame in Asheboro. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Mami Nora’s in Raleigh. (Please note: …

During his annual “State of the City” address Monday, Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo highlighted several important features and aspects for the area, one being the importance of film to the area.  In the banner year that was 2012, North Carolina enjoyed $376 million in film-related spending – $240 million of which was spent in Wilmington, which leads the state in film production, said Saffo.  That helped to create hundreds of jobs and gave the city national recognition, he said.  Saffo …

North Carolina seized an opportunity to share stories about the state from the mountains to the coast to national media in New York City last night (Tuesday).  Teaming with 40 industry partners from across the state, the Division hosted 65 media, showcasing the best of North Carolina for 2013. The event was themed “N.C. Snapshots” and featured top chefs, artisans and brewers from all three regions of the state. Using the hashtag #NCsnapshots, partners, guests, and N.C. fans contributed to …

Pieces of NASA’s space shuttle program soon will be landing in Charlotte. In a key acquisition of space history, an emergency escape basket – designed to whisk astronauts away from the launch pad in event of trouble – will become part of the permanent collection at the Carolinas Aviation Museum, Shawn Dorsch, the museum’s president, said Monday. It is part of a cache of items from the shuttle program that the space agency is assigning to prominent museums across the …

AAA has announced its 2013 Five and Four Diamond Award winners for Hotels and Restaurants. In North Carolina, Five Diamond Lodging includes The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, The Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte and the Fearrington House Country Inn in Pittsboro. Five Diamond Restaurants are Heron’s in Cary and the Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro. Five Diamond Restaurants are Heron’s in Cary and the Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro. Four Diamond Hotels include Asheville’s 1889 White Gate Inn & Cottage,1900 …

In last Friday’s travel section, The New York Times featured “36 Hours in Durham, N.C.” The tobacco and textile industries left their imprint on Durham long ago, but now the historic brick mills and repurposed factories form the backdrop of North Carolina’s re-energized Bull City. Recently, artist studios and upstart galleries have multiplied in the flourishing downtown area, where new bakeries, pizzerias, tapas bars and food trucks – and trailers and buses and even the odd tricycle – seem to …

Justin Bieber, one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, was in Spencer over the holiday weekend doing a photo shoot for Teen Vogue at the N.C. Transportation Museum. Museum interim Director Larry Neal said a production crew from Greensboro photographed Bieber in several locations throughout the property. The magazine paid for the privilege of using the state-owned facility as a photo backdrop. “It’s very beneficial for the museum in showcasing the fact that our property does lend itself …

The craft whiskey business is booming at Asheville’s first legal distillery, where a big, new custom-made German still is greatly increasing production. Asheville Distilling Co., makers of Troy & Sons high-end moonshine whiskey, has just installed a 5,000-liter still, the largest of its kind made in Germany, said Charlie Ball, who founded the company with his wife, Troy. The company’s old still, since dismantled, sold and shipped elsewhere, could produce one 53-gallon barrel, or 400 bottles, of whiskey a day. …

For the week of Jan. 24 on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Weekend,” take in a performance by the Burning Coal Theatre Company in Raleigh. Whet your appetite at The Weeping Radish Brewery and Restaurant in Grandy. Sample the fare at J. Betskis in Raleigh. Get your swing on at the N.C. Jazz Festival in Wilmington. And check out the scene at the Beyu Caffe in Durham. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) “North Carolina Weekend” is exclusively underwritten by the …

For the week of Jan. 17 on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Weekend,” chill out with the Blowing Rock Winterfest. Enjoy strolling through the Rockford General Store in Rockford. Explore the many aspects of Linbrook Heritage Estate in Trinity. Take in the art at Weatherspoon Art Museum in Greensboro. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Cherry’s Barbecue in Forest City. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) “North Carolina Weekend” is exclusively underwritten by the N.C. Division of Tourism. In …

The North Carolina-filmed series Homeland once again walked away the big winner in television from the Golden Globe Awards, presented this past Sunday in Los Angeles. The series brought home the honor of Best Television Series-Drama for the second consecutive year. In addition, Claire Danes and Damian Lewis each won for Best Performance by an Actress and Actor, respectively, in a Television Series-Drama. In addition, the series was also once again named one of the top productions of the year …

RALEIGH, N.C. (Jan. 14, 2013) —  A new research study on visitation to North Carolina wineries revealed that 80 percent of winery customers are visitors to the community, with more than 70 percent coming from inside the state. Most overnight visitors went to North Carolina wineries as an activity during their vacation while only 12.4 percent indicated that visiting the winery or a winery event was the primary reason for their trip, according to research funded by the North Carolina …

For the week of Jan. 10 on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Weekend,” be en garde with the youth fencing tournament hosted by the Mid-South Fencers Club in Durham. Smile at the antics of those at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham. Get out in the great outdoors at Pettigrew State Park in Creswell. Enjoy a stay at the Burke Manor Inn Bed & Breakfast in Gibsonville. And experience fresh and unique dining at Youssef 242 in Hickory. (Please note: listings are …