People often say that when you live in North Carolina, you get the best of both worlds because you've got the mountains on one border and the beach on the other, which is so true! I have lived in NC my whole life, and there are still places I want to go. But if you're not from around here, here's my top twenty places to visit...
1. Raleigh, NC
Yes, we know...it's in Darius Rucker's 'Wagon Wheel'. Besides that fun fact, though, Raleigh is actually the bomb. From Crabtree Valley to North Hills to Cameron Village to Brier Creek, you honestly CANNOT go wrong with shopping in Raleigh. You can ice skate downtown in the winter, go to the N.C. State Fair in the fall, go sightseeing in the summer, or go restaurant hopping all year round! You really can't be disappointed in the wonderful capital of NC!
2. Chapel Hill, NC
Besides all of the bomb restaurants in Chapel Hill (my personal favorite being Top of the Hill), the history of the city makes it that much better! Seeing the Old Well, going down Franklin Street, or witnessing a UNC-Chapel Hill win over Duke are all must for the place that bleeds Carolina blue!
3. Durham, NC
Downtown Durham is booming with activity all year long! The natives of Durham know it as Bull City because of the Durham Bulls baseball team, whose games are always a blast to go to! One of my favorite places to go in Durham would have to be Brightleaf Square, which is downtown, because of the local vibe it gives off. There are some really good restaurants in Brightleaf Square as well; my personal favorite being the Little Dipper, which is a fondue-based restaurant! Another great place to go in Durham would be the Duke Chapel, located near Duke University.
4. Greensboro, NC
Greensboro is full of life as well! It's home to UNC-Greensboro and the Greensboro Coliseum, which has hosted thousands of headlining artists for as long as I can remember. Greensboro is home to lots of cool restaurants as well; my personal favorite being the Scrambled Southern Diner, which has ah-mazing brunch!
5. Charlotte, NC
Charlotte is home to the Carolina Panthers, UNC-Charlotte, and the Time Warner Cable Arena! Next to Raleigh, this is one of the biggest cities in NC, and it is definitely worth taking a trip to!
6. Winston-Salem, NC
Winston Salem tends to be on the more historically famous places in North Carolina
7. High Point, NC
High Point is known to be the Furniture Capital of the World, having a global Market Week twice a year downtown to showcase every piece of furniture imaginable. High Point is also home to the up-and-coming High Point University.
8. Boone, NC
Home of the Appalachian State Mountaineers, Boone is quite the quaint town on a mountain. There's skiing, rock climbing, and hiking all in one place here.
9. Asheville, NC
Asheville is known to have North Carolina's favorite home, the Biltmore Estate, that has tours almost everyday of the year. It's the perfect place for couples to take weekend trips to. This city also has the River City Arts District that presents local artists' works. You can't go wrong with Asheville's tourist locations and creative vibes!
10. Asheboro, NC
11. Wilmington, NC
12. Wake Forest, NC
13. New Bern, NC
14. Greenville, NC
15. Outer Banks
Oh, and a little hometown shoutout to Oxford! If you're ever there go to Mazatlan (all of the locals call it Mazzy) because it's seriously some of the best Mexican food you'll ever experience!
