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Search Vacation Rentals >> North Carolina >> Local Info
North Carolina Local Information, Area Highlights and Events
Welcome to North Carolina. Rich with history, this Atlantic coast state offers the best of mountain living to the west along with the splendor of miles of sunny beaches to the east.
Ranked one of the countries top five vacation hot spots, hundreds of thousands flock to North Carolina’s outer banks region every year. From historical, first in flight Kitty Hawk in the north to the light houses of Cape Hatteras, Ocracoke, and Cape Lookout to the south, there is plenty to enjoy.
North Carolina’s coastal region is home to the Wright brother’s first flight giving her the nick name, first in flight. Also found on the outer banks are an abundance of wild horses. Breathtakingly beautiful, these wild horses inhabit the shores of the outer banks from the north all the way to the south. To learn more about North Carolina’s outer banks, go to www.vistnc.com.
North Carolina Beaches:
· Carova - Currituck County's northern beaches around Corolla and Carova Beach have been described by USA Weekend as ''one of the 10 best undiscovered beaches on the East Coast.''
· Corolla - The northernmost accessible town on the Outer Banks, Corolla has seen rapid development over the past ten years. Up until 1984, when the state extended Highway 12 north from the Dare County line, the town was a sleepy seaside village. Today, multimillion dollar vacation homes dwarf the village proper and make Corolla one of the most desirable upscale vacation destinations in the country. Ironically, it was the opening of the road and the ensuing traffic that eventually led to the relocation of one of Corolla's most famous attractions, the wild ponies.
· Duck - Named for the sheer numbers of waterfowl that once flocked here during migratory seasons, Duck has experienced exponential growth over the past ten years. Duck is a thriving year-round town as well as vacation destination. Characterized by quaint boutiques, fine dining, and a variety of water sports both on the sound and in the ocean, Duck is rapidly becoming one of the most popular beach destinations in the country.
· Kitty Hawk – Considered the birth place of aviation, this village along the Albemarle Sound, remains a treat for those who choose to take a drive off the beaten path. Shaded lanes wind along the marshes. Quaint clapboard cottages and fishing boats line a series of canals that lead to the open waters of the Sound. And life takes on a more leisurely pace that is reminiscent of the way Outer Bankers used to live.
· Kill Devil Hills - Kill Devil Hills is one of the most popular vacation destinations on the Outer Banks. With thousands of rental homes, great restaurants, sports and activities, and shopping, Kill Devil Hills is at the center of an Outer Banks vacation.
· Nags Head - When many people refer to the Outer Banks, they use the term ''Nags Head'' to generically describe the area. The truth of the matter is that Nags Head was first a physical location on a map, then a township, and finally, the most recognizable of all the northern Outer Banks vacation destinations.
· Ocracoke - Ocracoke Island, accessible only by water or air, is part of Hyde County. It is one of the barrier islands of the Outer Banks of North Carolina where the pirate Blackbeard is known to have once roamed.
North Carolina Key Areas:
In addition to the splendor of the outer banks, North Carolina is also home to the Great Smokey Mountains on the west. Running along the Tennessee and North Carolina border is the Appalachian Trail (AT).
Hikers find that the AT brings them closer to nature. There are hot springs, bald knob summits, bed and breakfasts and all of the colors of the season during the fall.
How about golf? In the beginning, James Walker Tufts, a sickly man, after visiting many health resorts, thought he could do better by bringing the health resort concept to the sand hilled, pine scented state of North Carolina. Within two years of building his resort, he noticed that his guests were having driving practice on the grounds. As you may have reckoned, it did not take Mr. Tufts any amount of time to create what we all know today as Pinehurst – always ranked among the top golf courses on the planet.
If golf is what you have in mind, you will find plenty in North Carolina – from the east to the west. Why not plan your dream golf vacation today? All you have to do is go to www.iGOvacation.com , then go to North Carolina vacation rentals, and conduct an advanced search using golf as your search criteria. iGOvacation’s advanced search feature allows you to pull up vacation homes within proximity to golf courses.
North Carolina Vacation Rentals News
There, behind the buildup, open, pristine Outer Banks, taken from The Boston Globe on February 4, 2007.
There were no street lights, no pedestrians, no other drivers, no signs of life at all from the shuttered homes and stores along Highway 12 , a two-lane route notorious for its summertime gridlock.
It was dusk in February in Corolla, the northernmost village of North Carolina's Outer Banks and one of the barrier island chain's priciest peak-season destinations. We were headed to the Inn at Corolla Light, a resort overlooking Currituck Sound where rooms from May to September can top $300 nightly. An hour earlier, we had phoned to inquire about availability that evening.
Not to worry, we were told; rooms were plentiful. The price? A mere $65 a night.
Like Cape Cod , the Outer Banks is vastly different -- and dramatically less expensive -- in December, January, and February than at the height of tourist season, when their year-round population of 33,000 explodes to more than 300,000. The massive influx of vacationers brings the usual accompaniments : inflated room rates, packed tourist attractions, long waits at restaurants, and ghastly traffic congestion.
Read the entire article.
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