North Carolina is a southeastern U.S. state with a landscape ranging from Atlantic Ocean beaches to the Appalachian Mountains. Charlotte, the state’s largest city, is home to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and museums such as the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The state motto (“First in Flight”) honors the Wright Brothers, who flew their first plane in Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks, barrier islands lined with popular beaches.
Blue Ridge:
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap.
Carolina Spring:
Every garden has a story, and North Carolina’s are epic. At Biltmore, which welcomes spring with Biltmore Blooms (March 19 – May 26, 2016), George Vanderbilt, Frederick Law Olmsted and horticulturalist Chauncey Beadle created a dazzling array of formal and informal gardens. At Sarah P. Duke Gardens, for more than 75 years, dramatic plantings in world-class designs reach the height of beauty in spring. The gardens of Tryon Palace cover two-and-a-half centuries of history with marigolds and celosia representing the Colonial era. And for more intimate vignettes, tour private gardens during the North Carolina Azalea Festival (April 6-10, 2016), Wilmington’s showcase of Southern pageantry at its finest.
07 North Carolina:
Sunset Beacha at the tail end of the Brunswick Island chain, Sunset Beach has the distinction of being the Southern-most surf in North Carolina. But while it may be last in geography, many find it a the top-of-the-list for a quiet, old-fashioned, retro, beach vacation. A walk to Bird Island is always a family favorite. For almost a mile, the beach houses give way to one of the most untouched shorelines in Brunswick where all that separates you from the surf and marsh is a wide stretch of beach and dunes. Discover sun, moon and stars at the Ingram Planetarium, or by simply taking in the sunrise or sunset, both of which can be seen over the water several months of the year due to the island’s unique positioning.
Vereen Memorial Park and Gardens. Located in Little River, South Carolina, and only minutes away from Calabash, North Carolina. One of the best kept secrets in the area, this park features pathways and wooden boardwalks that extend across several beautiful salt marshes and small islands, with a nice gazebo that overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway and the distant waterfront of Little River.
0806 North Carolina:
First publicly conceived in 1808 by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin, the concept of a national, protected, north-south waterway was introduced in his report to President Thomas Jefferson that year. Gallatin noted that the United States possessed an inland navigation solution from Massachusetts to Georgia (then the southernmost Atlantic state) that was “principally, if not solely” interrupted by a mere four stretches of land – Cape Cod, a section of New Jersey between the Raritan and Delaware rivers, the peninsula between the Delaware River and the Chesapeake Bay, and the marshy tract between the Chesapeake Bay and the Albemarle Sound.
0811 North Carolina:
Greenfield Lake Park is a beautiful city park located just a couple miles from Historic Downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. The park features a flat four mile walking and biking path which weaves its way around the lake back to the main parking area. Greenfield Lake is a popular fishing spot for locals who frequently congregate at the spillway at the southwestern corner of the lake. Residents and vacationers can also get out on the water via multiple boat launches located around the lake. There are canoe and paddle boat rentals, run by volunteers from the Cape Fear River Watch, located next to the main parking area. There are also tennis courts and restroom facilities close to the park’s main entrance.
