AAA Travel projects 41 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday weekend, a 1.9 percent increase from the 40.3 million people who traveled last year and a nearly 14 percent increase compared to the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The majority of travelers will be celebrating their freedom with a road trip, with more than eight in 10 (34.8 million) choosing to travel by automobile, the highest level since 2007. The Independence Day …
Category: Tourism
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of June 26 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, celebrate a summertime staple at the N.C. Blackberry Festival in Lenoir. Pedal and dine via the Hungry Town Bike Tours in Beaufort. Take in the “Mario Botta: Architecture and Memory” exhibit at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte. Enjoy a variety of music at the Brevard Music Festival in Brevard. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Fish Bites Seafood Restaurant in Wilmington. (Please note: listings …
Study: Improving U.S. 70 would be a boon for eastern N.C.
Upgrading U.S. Highway 70 in eastern North Carolina could boost the state’s economy, attract new jobs and provide a faster route from Raleigh to the coast, according to a study released last Thursday. The study, prepared for the U.S. 70 Corridor Commission and the N.C. Dept. of Transportation, suggests building bypasses around Goldsboro, Kinston, New Bern and Morehead City. The enhancements would cut travel time from Raleigh to the coast by more than an hour, the report said. Currently, the …
Summer Kicks into High Gear with Bucket List from VisitNC.com
RALEIGH, N.C. (June 21, 2014) — From the Atlantic Ocean to the Blue Ridge Mountains, summer travel reaches new heights of engagement with the North Carolina Summer Bucket List on VisitNC.com. Using #NCbucketlist as the hashtag, travelers can share photos of 20 essential experiences on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram and potentially reach a community of 135,000 VisitNC followers. The collected images will extend an inspiring conversation about places of great beauty, homegrown flavors and choice destinations across North Carolina. “We …
Statewide visitor profile provides key marketing data
The 2013 North Carolina Visitor Profile, which includes a wealth of demographic and spending data, is now available on the Division’s website at no cost. The research provides critical data that help to guide the Division’s marketing decisions. For example, in 2013, 81 percent of all domestic visitors came to North Carolina for pleasure purposes, while 13 percent of visitors came to conduct business (includes meetings/conventions). The average household trip expenditure for overnight visitors was $517; daytrip parties to the …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of June 19 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, “Collecting Carolina” examines pottery in the Catawba Valley region. Test yourself via a variety of sports activities at Dher’s Action Sports Complex in Holly Springs. Whet your taste buds at Tokyo House in Raleigh. Explore the Vance Toe River Lodge in Plumtree. And relax at the Seven Seas Inn in Kure Beach. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by the N.C. Division of …
Battleship North Carolina poised to undergo major renovation
The Battleship North Carolina could soon get a major facelift as a cofferdam and walkway are planned to be built around the vessel’s gray steel body. The sheet-piling structure will encase the whole ship, Executive Director Terry Bragg said, and most of the wall won’t be visible above water. The dam, to be constructed 100 feet away from the ship in a rectangular shape, will give crews space to address longtime concerns about the brittle state of parts of the …
Wildflowers in bloom along NC interstates for 29th year
Several brightly colored beds of wildflowers are planted along U.S. 52 in Forsyth County at the Rural Hall exit. “Those are beautiful,” said Winston-Salem motorist Carolyn Wright, who had taken the exit. The beds are part of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s wildflower program, which began in 1985, inspired by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson’s efforts to beautify the nation’s highway system and suggested by North Carolina First Lady Dorothy Martin. Don Lee, NCDOT roadside environmental engineer, said the program …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of June 12 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, see what you can discover by panning at the Emerald Village Gem Mine in Little Switzerland. Check out the food and the music at The Tavern at Jack’s Neck in Belhaven. Admire ageless beauty at Raleigh Classic Car Auctions in Raleigh. Explore the Elizabeth Leigh Inn in Hendersonville. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Surf House Cafe in Carolina Beach. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) …
U.S. Open’s economic impact expected to eclipse $169 million
Estimating a crowd of more than 400,000 during the back-to-back U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championships at the Pinehurst No. 2 golf course, officials at the Pinehurst-Southern Pines-Aberdeen Area Convention & Visitors Bureau believe the golf tournaments will have at least a $169 million economic impact on the local and state economies. Boosters say this year, thanks to the U.S. Golf Association and N.C. State University, on-site surveys will be conducted during the days of the two tournaments to …
Rocky Mount Brewmill to serve as state’s first craft beer incubator
Rocky Mount will soon be the home of North Carolina’s first craft beer incubator. Still in the planning stages, the goal is to bring in enough equipment for eight nano-breweries, and allow brewers to rent space and live in the former mill village, allowing them to collaborate and be personal with their business. Once the Rocky Mount Brewmill is in full swing, organizers hope tours can be offered, so visitors can see the entire brewing process from barley malting to …
U.S. Forest Service unveils Nantahala Forest app
The U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station has just unveiled a Web app that will take users on a ride as they plan their next hiking, mountain biking or horseback riding trip in Nantahala National Forest. The Forest Trail Explorer is a searchable app, designed for iPhones and Androids, that combines details on three popular trail systems in the Nantahala – the westernmost of the state’s four national forests – with the latest on-the-ground forest science and virtual fly-overs. Forest …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of June 5 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, go biking along Beech Mountain. Explore the Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences in Rocky Mount. Enjoy the great outdoors at the Burlington City Park. Tempt your taste buds at Harry’s Place in Elkin. And have fun as you learn at Port Discover in Elizabeth City. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by the N.C. Division of Tourism. In addition, UNC-TV has …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of May 29 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, “Collecting Carolina” examines the Folk Art at the Hickory Museum of Art in Hickory. Get your toes a-tappin’ at the Bynum Front Porch Music Series in Bynum. Check out the handmade items at Endless Possibilities in Manteo. Experience bellyaking down a river near Asheville. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Epic Food Company in Wilmington. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten …
Preparations swing into action to welcome U.S. Open fans to North Carolina
North Carolina will welcome thousands of golf fans next month as Pinehurst Resort hosts the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women’s Open Championships the weeks of June 9 and 16, respectively. The N.C. Depts. of Commerce, Cultural Resources and Transportation are using these major sporting events to showcase the state to visitors from around the world. To celebrate the tournaments and help golf fans find their way to Pinehurst, crews are installing special directional signs at Charlotte Douglas International Airport …
White House: America’s great outdoors
Two years ago, President Obama set an ambitious goal: to attract 100 million international visitors to the United States each year by the end of 2021. Here’s where we are: More than 70 million travelers from around the world visited the U.S. in the last year alone — and they spent more than $180 billion. That’s huge, and it means big things for our economy. It’s part of the great news the President is sharing at the Baseball Hall of Fame …
AAA expects uptick in holiday travel
This Memorial Day will see the second highest number of travelers on the roads and in the skies since 2000 and the highest since the recession, auto club AAA last Friday. The long, unusually rough winter that just ended, coupled with a slow but steady economic recovery and gas prices about the same as last year, will contribute to a 1.5 percent increase compared to last year in Memorial Day travel. AAA expects 36.1 million people to travel at least …
N.C. leads as craft beer craze hits the South
For a century, North Carolina and other Southern states had Prohibition-era laws on the books that kept alcohol-by-volume (ABV) levels so low that many craft breweries were prevented from setting up shop. “ABV limits are not a barrier to entry into the market, but it’s clearly a barrier to innovation,” said Bart Watson, an economist at the Brewers Association. “The different regulatory environments in the Southeast tend to [be stacked] against small brewers. But these states are coming to recognize …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of May 22 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, explore the “Find Your Cool” Summer Music Series in Durham. Get back to nature with camping along the Tar River near Washington. Discover your Inner Kid at Kidzu Children’s Museum in Chapel Hill. Learn wonderful veterans’ stories at the Living Veteran’s Museum at Richard’s Coffee Shop in Mooresville. And check out the scene at The Buffalo Nickel in Asheville. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of May 15 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, lift a glass at Beer Army Combat Brewery in Trenton. Tempt your taste buds at Duck Donuts in Duck. Step back in time at Liberty Hall in Kenansville. Get your toes a-tappin’ at Lil John’s Mountain Music Festival in Snow Camp. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Merritt’s Store and Grill in Chapel Hill. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by …