Category: Tourism

Gov. Pat McCrory announced this week that attendance at North Carolina’s state parks set a new record in 2015. More than 17.3 million people visited the state’s 39 parks, up from 15.6 million the previous year, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.   “An 11 percent increase proves that nothing compares to the enriching experience of a visit to a North Carolina state park,” Gov. McCrory said. “North Carolina’s natural beauty is an important part of our …

For the week of Feb. 11 on North Carolina Weekend, take in a show at the Cape Fear Community College Humanities & Fine Arts Center in Wilmington. Enjoy a tour of Granville County. Tempt your taste buds at La Guinguette Creperie in Black Mountain. Lift a glass at Fair Game Beverage Company in Pittsboro. And check out the scene at Plank Road Steakhouse in Farmville. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In …

For the week of Feb. 4 on North Carolina Weekend, get excited about the 2016 US Olympic Table Tennis Trials in Greensboro with a visit to the Triangle Table Tennis training facility in Morrisville. Be amazed at the Museum of the Bizarre in Wilmington. Put the pedal to the metal at Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park in Boone. Relax with a stay at the Inner Banks Inn in Edenton. And the “House Special” samples the fare at the Track Restaurant …

For the week of Jan. 28 on North Carolina Weekend, combine art and food culture at Gallery Mugen in Asheville. Dine and take in a movie at Geeksboro Coffeehouse Cinema in Greensboro. Stretch your legs along the Capital Area Greenway in Raleigh. Explore The Sanderling Resort in Duck. And tempt your taste buds at Quanta Basta in Winston-Salem. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, UNC-TV has made recent editions of North …

For the week of Jan. 21 on North Carolina Weekend, take a mouth-watering tour of Black Mountain Chocolate in Winston-Salem. See the sights and discover Pittsboro. Talk to the animals at Livermon Park Zoo in Windsor. Explore The Green Park Inn in Blowing Rock. And the “House Special” samples the fare at The Marshall Free House in Greensboro. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, UNC-TV has made recent editions of North …

For the week of Jan. 14 on North Carolina Weekend, enjoy a number of activities at the Riverwalk in Hillsborough. Give your taste buds a workout during Queens Feast – Charlotte Restaurant Week. Go kayaking along the Pamlico River with Inner Banks Outfitters in Washington. Step back in time via the Statesville Historical Collection in Statesville. And check out the scene at Lou Redas: An American Table in Rocky Mount. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is …

For the week of Jan. 7 on North Carolina Weekend, take in a production by the No Shame Theatre at the Carrboro ArtsCenter in Carrboro. Cast your line for winter striper fishing with Tar-Pam Guide Service in Bath. If Stanfield’s General Store in Four Oaks doesn’t have it, you probably don’t need it. Toast the New Year at Jones von Drehle Vineyards in Thurmond. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Southern Smoke Barbecue in Garland. (Please note: listings …

Landmark anniversaries, headline-making hotels and other developments will make North Carolina an essential destination for 2016. Here are some of the high points. State and National Parks Celebrate Centennial With the National Park Service and the North Carolina State Park System celebrating their 100th anniversaries, travelers will find a warm invitation to explore the state’s natural beauty and diversity. Stars among the national park properties include: Blue Ridge Parkway, a two-lane link to awesome overlooks and heritage attractions. Great Smoky …

For the week of Dec. 10 on North Carolina Weekend, experience “The Black Nativity” in Raleigh. Create your signature fragrance at Escentuelle in Cary. Take in “The Artist’s Garden:  American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887-1920,” an exhibition at Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem. Explore The Fork Farm & Stables in Norwood. And the “House Special” samples the fare at The Kamado Grille in Raleigh. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by …

For the week of Dec. 10 on North Carolina Weekend, “Collecting Carolina” visits the Mordecai House in Raleigh. Learn some local history at the Museum and Archives of Rockingham County in Reidsville. Discover the variety available at Wilkes Hardware in North Wilkesboro. Take a tour and lift a glass at Sierra Nevada Brewery in Mills River. And get in the holiday spirit with the North Carolina Arboretum Winter Lights Show in Asheville. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North …

For the week of Dec. 3 on North Carolina Weekend, “Collecting Carolina” visits Mark Hewitt Pottery in Pittsboro for a kiln opening. Take in the great outdoors at Little River Regional Park and Natural Area in Rougemont. Experience the Price of Freedom Museum in China Grove. Be amazed at the Southeastern Train Collectors Holiday Train Show in Raleigh.  And the “House Special” samples the fare at GK Cafe and Catering in Greenville. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North …

As temperatures drop, the action heats up at winter resorts in the North Carolina mountains. The 2015-16 season opens with a new tubing park at Beech Mountain Resort, a new high-speed, six-seater chairlift at Sugar Mountain Resort and other improvements on and off the slopes. “Every year brings new reasons to get excited about North Carolina ski and snowboard season,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina. “Our six ski areas elevate the state’s western mountains to the …

For the week of Nov. 19 on North Carolina Weekend, experience the American Indian Heritage Celebration at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. Discover the various works at the Asheville Museum of Art in Asheville. Tempt your taste buds at Miss Angels Heavenly Pies in Mount Airy. Take in “The Worlds of M. C. Escher: Nature, Science and Imagination” exhibit at the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh.  And the “House Special” samples the fare at The Ne’er Do …

AAA is predicting that nearly 47 million U.S. residents will travel at least 50 miles away from home during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The figure, 46.9 million, is a 0.6 percent increase compared to 2014 travel in the Thanksgiving period, which is defined as the Wednesday through Sunday surrounding the holiday. The auto club said this year will see the highest number of Thanksgiving travelers since 2007 if the prediction is accurate. AAA attributed part of the predicted increase …

For the week of Nov. 12 on North Carolina Weekend, find something old but just right at one of the several Antiques Extravaganza shows in Raleigh. Take in the “Treasures of Carolina:  Stories from the State Archives” exhibit at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. Check out illustrative art at ZaPow in Asheville. Tempt your taste buds at Stanbury in Raleigh. And explore the Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences in Rocky Mount. (Please note: listings are subject to …

For the week of Nov. 5 on North Carolina Weekend, enjoy a profile of Dunn.  Tempt your taste buds with Creative Mountain Food Tours in Black Mountain. Experience a variety of art during the Orange County Open Studio Tour, based in Chapel Hill.  Lift a glass at Old North State Winery in Mount Airy.  And the “House Special” samples the fare at Nino’s Cucina Italiana in Greenville. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit …

For the week of Oct. 29 on North Carolina Weekend, it’s all aboard for the Seaboard Festival in Hamlet. Get in tune with the Dulcimer Shop in Blowing Rock. Tempt your taste buds at Cocoa Cinnamon in Durham. Enjoy a stay at River’s Edge Treehouse Resort in Robbinsville. And discover all things BBQ at GrillBillies Barbecue Store in Raleigh. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, UNC-TV has made …

For the week of Oct. 22 on North Carolina Weekend, get patriotic at the Veteran’s Day Parade in Warsaw. Discover what’s new at Frye Art Studio in Lenoir. Lift a glass and take a tour of Mayberry Spirits Distillery in Mount Airy. Enjoy a profile of Wake Forest. And the “House Special” samples the fare at The Boiler Room in Kinston. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, UNC-TV …