Owner Kenny McManus serves a full country breakfast from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., then switches to grilled hot dogs and hand-pattied hamburgers until 2:30 p.m. Read more.
The trail begins behind the visitors center downtown, and it’s a little more than a mile out and back. Take your time; stop and watch the water flowing through the trees and listen to the birds. Read more.
It’s easy to get away from the crowds on the four-mile hike through the bay forest around Jones Lake, which leads to a spur tail to Salters Lake. Read more.
Hundreds of artifacts and all the buildings have been donated over the years, including Wooten’s country store from the community of Timothy, a 70-year-old outhouse and a working blacksmith shop. Read more.
Here, inside a rural mailbox next to a wooden bench that faces out to sea, you’ll find about a dozen pens and several notebooks where people have written their thoughts. Read more.
Chicken and barbecue are the top sellers, but pigs feet is a close third. There’s also spiced catfish, whiting, fatback, clam strips and pan-fried okra without breading. Read more.
Study the three main methods of banjo playing, including the three-finger “Scruggs style,” at an interactive exhibit you can play at your own speed. Read more.
This museum holds more than 300 flags that have represented colonies, states, religions, brigades, veterans, republics and the USA itself. Read more.
Take a tour and watch the distillers control everything with iPads. They’ll also explain their efficient aging process, which takes months instead of years and makes a micro distillery feasible. Read more.
The Big Boy breakfast - two eggs, grits, flapjacks, sausage, bacon and livermush, with toast and coffee - will satisfy. The hot dogs, dressed in homemade chili and served in wax paper, are legendary. Read more.
The SALT Block houses the Catawba Science Center, the Hickory Museum of Art, a folk arts hall, a performance hall, rehearsal space, a lawn for outdoor movies and a library. Read more.
Enjoy the planetarium; several specimens from prehistory, including dinosaurs and a mastodon (a T. rex skeleton towers over the lobby); live animals; and a hall on the history of Native Americans. Read more.
Tables, chairs, stools and low walls are decorated with whimsical public art. Two huge sculptures celebrate literary giants: Whitman, Haley, Bronte, Emerson. Read more.
One of North Carolina’s hardest-to-find art galleries is home to some of the state’s most unique outsider art. Read more.
Save room to try the homemade ice cream, with an ever-changing selection of flavors like banana black walnut. Read more.
The menu is full of Southern diner staples: open-faced roast beef sandwiches smothered in gravy, hamburger steaks and fried catfish. Read more.
The History House Museum features old photos, artifacts from daily farm life and a video featuring the stories of Tillery’s oldest residents. Read more.
The town operates this free mini-zoo alongside a playground, housing dozens of animals from emus to donkeys to peacocks. Read more.
Parker’s Ferry is one of three remaining cable ferries in the state, where a system of steel cables guides the boat across on a short ride across the river. Read more.
The funky Bohemia art-and-coffee hangout is popular, and there are plenty of places to find sweets, locally brewed beer and a range of dinner options. Read more.
The Brinegar Cabin at Doughton Park stands where it was built by farmer and cobbler Martin Brinegar in 1885. The National Park Service bought it from his widow, Caroline, in 1937. Read more.
The creek tumbles down steep mountain slopes, losing nearly a mile in altitude in its 23-mile run from Grandfather Mountain to the Johns River. Read more.
Hiddenite, a rare green crystal found in Alexander County, was mined for use in jewelry. The Hiddenite Center was founded in 1982 and is housed in the restored 22-room Lucas Mansion. Read more.
Before he was a NASCAR legend, Robert Glenn Johnson Jr. sharpened his skills as a delivery driver for Wilkes County moonshiners. His first race car is housed at Wilkes Heritage Museum in Wilkesboro. Read more.
Visitors can enjoy fishing, hiking, canoeing and camping at Merchants Millpond State Park. The pond’s acidic waters are dark and tea-colored. Read more.
The Taylor offers first-run movies and afternoon and evening fun for travelers interested in a step back in time. Read more.
Jim “Catfish” Hunter was a pitcher who won 224 games and five world championships in his 15-year major league career with the Kansas City/Oakland A’s and the New York Yankees. Read more.
Inside Elizabeth City’s oldest brick house, you can see wonderful antiques and hear Bonnie Calliotte and her husband, Jim, tell their stories. They also offer a scrumptious proper tea. Read more.
Paranormal researchers from Durham have documented abnormal activity inside the Whalehead Club and on park grounds, according to staff there. The club offers ghost tours throughout the week. Read more.
The museum features old silverware, conductors’ hats, lanterns, tobacco spittoons and much more. Read more.
The wildlife refuge provides a place to hunt for deer, and fish for bass and catfish. Visitors can hike the trails or venture off the beaten path deep into the pines and hardwood trees. Read more.
Several artifacts have been unearthed at the mound, including pieces of pottery and arrowheads and hundreds of skeletons. A temple on top of the mound has since been recreated. Read more.
Singers’ outfits and guitars are on display, along with plaques about artists that tell the story of North Carolina’s role in the music industry. Tours are free, but donations are accepted. Read more.
Story has it that the Schlitz brewery once offered B.W. Keaton $10,000 for his sauce recipe, but he said he wouldn’t sell it for less than $100,000. Read more.
A replica of Helms’ office in Washington, D.C., features more photos, editorial cartoons and his “no” stamp – in honor of his nickname, “Senator No.” Read more.
Customers flock to the Albemarle Sweet Shop for birthday cakes, fruit bars and sugar cookies shaped like clowns. Recipes have been handed down over the years, from owner to owner. Read more.
It’s simple: This is the perfect swimming hole. Its cool, dark waters are edged on one side by boulders that luxuriate in sunshine, and a thick, shady forest rings the entire pool. Read more.
The grounds spread across 4 acres, including potters’ and glassblowers’ studios built into beautiful barns and fine metal sculptures throughout the gardens. Read more.
Barely marked and never advertised, this place truly is a secret. Bob Radcliffe and Kerry Carter open their gate three times a month for picnics, farmhouse dinners, and jazz and bluegrass music. Read more.
Jars of honey, harvested on-site, line shelves at the Bees’ Knees Country Store in Vance County. Read more.
Seven historic buildings are home to a fascinating spread of memorabilia. Though the focus is Person County, the museum’s broad appeal is access to its cornucopia of artifacts and architecture. Read more.
Friday nights are soaked in the rumbling sound, bright lights and sizzling smells of a good old race. Concessions are available, and coolers are allowed. Read more.
Wilderness Taxidermy & Outfitters works on everything from elephants sent from Africa to squirrels shot locally. Read more.
The small, family-owned gas station and convenience store is home to the annual Possum Drop on New Year’s Eve, during which locals celebrate the new year with the lowering of a live opossum. Read more.
In a short stretch of U.S. 129 that runs over the Tennessee border, a motorist will encounter 318 turns in 11 miles. Bikers and motorists come from around the world to drive tight, steep curves. Read more.
Home of the world’s largest depiction of the Ten Commandments. Every letter of the passages from Exodus is 5 feet tall, making the words from Scripture cover an entire mountainside. Read more.
According to Cherokee legend, a slant-eyed giant named Judaculla lived in the nearby mountains, and his footprint remains in the car-sized boulder now called Judaculla Rock. Read more.
Every site is walk-in only, and the shortest walk is three-quarters of a mile. See Rainbow Falls and dozens of others, and maybe if you’re lucky spot a green salamander or a rare Swainson’s warbler. Read more.
These fast, single-track mountain bike trails draw the hardiest riders in the state. The trails ring the edge of Fontana Lake, offering stunning views of the Smokies. Read more.
There are multiple hiking trails, from easy half miles to more strenuous treks. Camping, canoeing, fishing and picnicking also are allowed. You can climb, too, but only in designated areas. Read more.
‘The Bullhole’ has a stone dam, a sandy beach and impressive rock formations. Swimming and tubing are allowed. Read more.
David Roselli’s granny’s cream puffs are a specialty at Kitchen Roselli. Read more.
The former “bungalow” home of tobacco magnate R.J. Reynolds has been preserved with most of its original furniture. You’ll also see the largest collection of American art south of Washington. Read more.
Love Valley is an authentic western town with saloons, a general store, a gift shop and a western store. There are 100 miles of horse-riding trails. Read more.
Cars driven by the late Dale Earnhardt, the most famous driver on the Richard Childress team, can be seen here. More than 50 race cars are on display in the RCR Racing Museum. Read more.
The menu includes everything from burgers to wings to salads, but the specialties are the hot dogs and milkshakes. Read more.
Since 1928, Bill’s Hot Dogs has served up hot dogs and only hot dogs (except for a case of sodas and a rack of chips). Don’t bother to ask for ketchup; they don’t have it. Read more.
The storefronts include an arcade, ice cream shop and the Smokehouse Grill Restaurant, which is packed on weekends. Once a month on a Saturday night, the steakhouse becomes a dinner theater. Read more.
You can learn about the endangered red wolf with education programs on Saturdays at a center in the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Read more.
Wander deeply into the Civil War era at the Port O’ Plymouth Museum, with its cannon balls and other artifacts. Read more.
The original church, a plain wooden structure, later became a barn, but is now attached to a newer brick church. A plaque on the door proclaims, “The church moved by the hand of God.” Read more.
For memorable vistas and great hiking within an hour of Raleigh, it’s hard to beat Raven Rock State Park. About half a mile upstream, an overlook offers a matchless view of the river. Read more.
Calloway Forest Preserve has room for both hunters and hikers on its more than 3,000 acres. The preserve was originally bought as part of efforts to protect the red-cockaded woodpecker. Read more.
Husband and wife Ken and Jane Fairbanks moved to Cameron in 1986 and restored the building that became their Old Hardware Antiques store. Read more.
The restaurant preserves down-home hospitality and age-old recipes such as the red-eye gravy that recently earned it a spread in Our State magazine. Try the fried chicken, vegetables and biscuits. Read more.
Hot dogs and hamburgers are on the menu, but the famous attractions are homemade ice cream flavors such as banana pudding and French silk pie, plus a variety of sherbets. Read more.
Enjoy a cool drink on the sidewalk tables in front of the Blue Moon Cafe. Read more.
Cross Creek Linear Park strings together historic sites and points of interest in downtown Fayetteville. Read more.
Visitors can stop at any time and stroll by through the former working farm, but the best opportunity is at the site’s popular Cotton Festival. Read more.
Some 81 miles of the Lumber have been federally designated a Wild and Scenic River. It’s not uncommon to have to drag a canoe or kayak overland to get around a fallen tree or other obstacle. Read more.
Much of Shadowhawk’s charm comes from its no-frills, no-fuss atmosphere, so let your imagination roam. Good guy or bad guy? That’s up to you. Read more.
Rainbow rows of handmade treats – cream puffs, doughnuts, cakes, tarts, muffins and more – beckon from the glass display case. Catch a glimpse of the bakers decorating birthday and wedding cakes. Read more.
This garden within a garden is full of surprises for children and the young at heart. A music court and a dinosaur dig also can be found among the flower beds and tree stands. Read more.
Buy in quantities from a few teaspoons of delicate, decorative sugar crystals to a 50-pound bag of flour. The family also makes a line of breads in an open kitchen adjacent to the main shopping area. Read more.
Bum’s Restaurant keeps things simple, serving wood-cooked barbecue, fried chicken, collards and other staples to generations of loyal fans. Read more.
Contentnea Creek is a popular destination for kayaking and canoeing. Visitors to the Contentnea can find entry points all along the creek, including in the towns of Snow Hill and Hookerton. Read more.
There is a playground, volleyball and basketball courts and plenty of plain old open space to inspire adult tranquility and allow kids to let off steam. Read more.
Leasburg, on U.S. 158 between Yanceyville and Roxboro, is one of those places you could miss entirely if you blinked when you’re driving through. Read more.
The 1.7-mile trail runs through a variety of habitats that attract more than 150 bird species and support a variety of wildflowers and woodland shrubs. Read more.
The restaurant’s fresh-made breads, pastries, salads and sandwiches change with the seasons; most ingredients come from the neighboring Asheboro Downtown Farmer’s Market. Read more.
The nonprofit museum holds weekend tours that offer access to the second and third floors, plus events and activities, for an additional cost. Read more.
One-hour tours are held every Sunday and the first Friday of the month, but The Abundance Foundation is better known for its do-it-yourself workshops, kid-friendly activities and community events. Read more.
Riverwalk is the first portion of the state’s proposed Mountains-to-Sea Trail to be built in Orange County, and one of only a few that will pass through a town. Read more.
Visitors can also pop into the adjacent coffee shop and a weaving museum, where they can see local weavers practicing their craft and buy woven goods and pottery. Read more.
Spinach-pesto manicotti is among the vegetarian dishes served at Laughing Seed Cafe. Read more.
For more than half a century, the Flat Rock Playhouse has officially been the state theater of North Carolina, but it’s a little off the beaten path. Read more.
Perched on the banks of the French Broad River, the Hot Springs Spa and Resort caters to vacationers and hikers who traverse the Appalachian Trail, which goes down the town’s main street. Read more.
The cones, sundaes, banana splits, parfaits and floats with the scoops in traditional flavors dominate the offerings. All their flavors, from chocolate to rocky road, are blended in by hand. Read more.
The Penland School of Crafts offers classes and facilities for all manner of creative arts, including blacksmithing. Read more.
You can sleep in the Elvis Presley room on the second floor, where the King himself once stayed while, like many current visitors, looking for real estate. Read more.
In addition to the Shrimpburger – fried shrimp piled on a bun and served with hot sauce – Big Oak offers other seafood sandwiches, burgers and pork barbecue. Read more.
Tune in to the whisper of the breeze in the long-leaf pines, the buzz of crickets in tall grass and the hum of bees investigating wildflowers. Read more.
Bear Island offers one of the most private public beaches on the North Carolina coast. To get there, visitors have to paddle or motor their own boat, or take the pontoon-boat passenger ferry. Read more.
Collection highlights include signs from Red Lee’s Grill that offered hot dogs and burgers for the never-increasing price of 25 cents, and his 1954 Wurlitzer jukebox, recently repaired. Read more.
Fishing costs $5 if you bring a boat, $3 if you cast from the bank. Pack a picnic and enjoy it on the lake’s shore, admiring the old cypress trees and listening to the rush of the water over the dam. Read more.
In the 1,700-square-foot clubhouse, the Coastal Railroaders have built a layout that recreates the major architectural and geographical landmarks of New Bern. Read more.
The tour features historical photographs, tattered letters, old weapons, artifacts and 18th-century relics from a Yeopim Indian reservation. Read more.
The 185-acre park features miles of mountain bike paths, skill areas, a pump track and a playground. Read more.
Wiseman’s View, one of the stops on the Pisgah Loop Scenic Byway, overlooks the Linville Gorge. Read more.
Tourists and schoolchildren still come to the Emerald Hollow Mine to pan for gems. Hiddenite was treasured for use in jewelry, and people here looked everywhere for it. Read more.
Downstairs, train lovers will find a sprawling model of Hamlet as it looked in 1952. Read more.
Founded in 1779, Warrenton is one of the state’s oldest towns. By its own telling, it once was one of the richest towns, booming in the 1800s on the back of cotton, tobacco, education and railroads. Read more.
Locals love the Hardware Cafe, where a rolling ladder is still propped against the handsome shelves of the store that once stood here. Read more.
At 6,053 feet, the winding highway hits its apex just south of Waynesville on the Jackson County line. Read more.
Check out the replica of the Civil War ironclad, the CSS Albemarle. Read more.
Here you can see an impressive array of mounted and model animals from four continents, including the “Big Five” African animals. There are great specimens from the American west – moose, elk, sheep. Read more.
Diners can await a view of a couple of osprey affectionately known as Lucy and Ricky. Their large craggy nest is perched on a tree in the Roanoke Sound, at the perfect height for Lone Cedar diners. Read more.
