In the pages of this month’s issue of Trailer Life, I told you about another of our adventures along The Scenic Route. Namely the pleasant week we spent being comfortably “marooned” along North Carolina’s Outer Banks Scenic Byway.
If you’re thinking of following in our footsteps in the months to come, keep in mind that you’ll also be within a day’s drive of another of the Tar Heel state’s most captivating scenic byways. A fact that makes detouring along North Carolina’s section of the Blue Ridge Parkway on your way to or from the Outer Banks a no-brainer.
While this rightly famous 469-mile byway covers parts of two states, it comes into its full Scenic Route glory in North Carolina (check out this America’s Favorite Drive video to see what we mean). From 5,945-foot Grandfather Mountain—home to more than 45 rare and endangered species—to the grandeur of the 179,000 square-foot Biltmore House just outside Asheville, this one road manages to blend the best of the natural and manmade worlds into one thoroughly enjoyable drive. Strung together, these two byways will give you the rare opportunity to sample the best this diverse state has to offer in a single trip.
If that’s not enough to keep you occupied, you’ll find more than four dozen other North Carolina scenic byways listed on the pages of the National Scenic Byways program’s website. Before you head out you’ll also want to take advantage of the copious amounts of useful travel information on state’s official tourism website: www.visitnc.com.
Finally, if you’ve got a favorite stretch of road, campground, restaurant or attraction in North Carolina, please take a minute to share it with all of us in the Comments section below.