As places begin to re-open due to vaccine distribution and relaxed restrictions, summer fun begins! North Carolina has three beautiful regions to explore this summer, and there is no lack of activities to experience with friends and family. Click HERE to view the interactive map.
Mountains
Flat Rock Playhouse
Flat Rock
Ever heard of North Carolina’s Official State Theater? The beginnings of the Flat Rock Playhouse date back to 1937 and a group of struggling performers. Today, visit the Flat Rock Playhouse for plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. While in Flat Rock, also visit the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. Sandberg was known as a writer, folk singer, social activist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and biographer. Today, you can tour his home and explore his 200-plus-acre farm.
Linville Caverns
Marion
In 1937, Linville Caverns opened and the public was first able to venture inside Humpback Mountain. This summer you can visit the caverns and have a nice cool down as the caverns are around 52 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.
North Carolina Arboretum
Asheville
Want a getaway that celebrates nature? Visit the North Carolina Arboretum to see highlights of the Southern Appalachian landscape. The arboretum is on land within Pisgah National Forest and has been in operation for over 30 years. There are many different exhibits rotating around this summer including the Wild Art Sculpture Showcase.
Piedmont
Baseball with the Durham Bulls
Durham
Spend a night watching minor league baseball in Durham! The Durham Bulls have played in the Durham Bulls Athletic Park since 1995, and they don’t plan on leaving any time soon. While watching a game, watch a beautiful sunset and eat dinner from vendors in the athletic park!
Camping at Jomeokee
Pinnacle
Jomeokee Campground is located near Pilot Mountain, NC. Saura Indians once inhabited the area and called it “jomeokee” which translates to “pilot.” Today, Jomeokee hosts campgrounds and an amphitheater known for its bluegrass concerts.
North Carolina Transportation Museum
Spencer
The North Carolina Transportation Museum hosts the history of transportation in the spot that once held the Southern Railway’s largest steam locomotive repair facility. All types of transportation are highlighted–from planes to cars. Visit the museum and see exhibits, displays and an authentic 1898 train station. On Saturdays, you can also take a train ride of the 57-acre property.
Coastal Plains
Hang Gliding on the Outer Banks
Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Dare County
In 1903, the Wright Brothers took their first flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. In 2021, you can join them in the sky with Kitty Hawk Kites’ Hang Gliding Training Center. Fly over Jockey Ridge State Park, home of the tallest living sand dune system on the eastern U.S. coast.
Wild Horse Tours
Currituck National Wildlife Refuge, Corolla
Rumor has it that Corolla’s wild horses came to North Carolina over 500 years ago after a shipwreck in the Graveyard of the Atlantic carrying Spanish Mustangs. Today, you can visit the horses on a Wild Horse Tour of the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge, established to preserve and protect North Carolina’s barrier islands.
North Carolina Maritime Museum
Beaufort
Beaufort, North Carolina was once the home of Blackbeard, an English pirate who operated in the 17th and 18th centuries. The North Carolina Maritime Museum now holds over 300 artifacts from the Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeard’s flagship vessel which crashed off the shore of Beaufort in 1718. Visit the museum and downtown Beaufort to learn about North Carolina’s noteworthy maritime accomplishments and see the town Blackbeard once called home.
To find more ideas for your summer bucket list, visit visitnc.com.
Graphic and ThingLink by Ella Sullivan.
