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Day Trips Worth the Drive
Greater Raleigh’ s central location in North Carolina makes it an excellent starting point to discover the rest of the state. There are quiet, unspoiled beaches two hours to the east, and to the west, less than four hours away, are the Blue Ridge Mountains. Plus, there’ s a lot to see and do in between!
Asheboro – North Carolina Zoo( 75 miles West) Few zoos provide the experience of animals native to several continents displayed in their own natural habitats. The North Carolina Zoo is the nation’ s largest walkthrough natural habitat zoo with exhibits on more than 500 acres. Among the most popular exhibits are those that display polar bears, lions, giraffes, elephants, sea lions, baboons, gorillas and rhinoceroses.
Pinehurst( 71 miles Southwest) Ranked one of the nation’ s top golf meccas, the Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen area, known as the“ Home of American Golf,” is home to 43 championship level golf courses within a 20-mile radius. A wide variety of other diversions, including day spas, pottery trails, hiking, even skydiving, make for a memorable visit on and off the golf course.
Suggestions if you want to go further than two hours:
• Asheville
• Boone
• Hickory
• Outer Banks
Rose Hill- Duplin Winery( 81 miles Southeast) North Carolina is quickly becoming a premier wine producing state. Boasting more than 100 wineries, it ranks 7th in wine production. Duplin Winery, the oldest winery in the state and largest in the South, produces close to 270,000 cases of wine annually. Specializing in scuppernog grapes, Duplin Winery has become the largest muscadine winery in the world. The winery offers a 5,000 + square-foot Retail Room, complete with a 40-foot tasting bar, the Bistro Room Restaurant, banquet facilities, a dinner show theatre, daily tours and tastings.
Wilmington and the Cape Fear Coast( 123 miles Southeast) The Cape Fear Coast encompasses the city of Wilmington and the island communities of Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach. Its beautiful, uncrowded beaches and nearby estuarine reserves provide a true haven for sunseekers, beachcombers and nature lovers, and it’ s a sportsman’ s paradise for anglers, mariners and watersports enthusiasts.
Winston-Salem( 104 miles West) Old Salem is a restoration of the Moravian community called Salem, which began in 1766. Considered one of the most authentic living history restorations in the United States, Old Salem boasts more than 100 restored and reconstructed buildings. Docent-led and self-guided tours are available, and sites within the community represent the Old Salem Toy Museum, Children’ s Museum, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, African-American history, churches and flourishing gardens. Modern-day Winston-Salem surrounds the historic settlement and is known as a“ City of the Arts.”