One thing about me is I will always be traveling! Whenever I can, I love to hop in the car and drive to whatever state I can get to. Recently, I have taken some trips to North Carolina, and wow. I haven’t been to every state, but I swear this is the prettiest state I’ve been to. Every time I go, I’m amazed by the nature aspect along with the cities and weather (yay seasons!). Let me walk you through two cities I highly recommend visiting if you plan to take a trip to North Carolina soon.
Asheville
Asheville is super cool because it’s very artsy and historic, but also very mountainous and beautiful. There’s so much to do there, and it’s not that far from Tallahassee! Here are some of the things I really enjoyed in Asheville.
1. The Biltmore Estate
The Biltmore Estate is like a fairytale mansion come true. I expected to just see the mansion, but there’s so much more on the grounds of this property. There are multiple gardens, beautiful statues, a greenhouse, and even a farm. Inside the farm was a petting zoo where you get to hold chickens! So cute!
2. Pisgah Forest
The Pisgah Forest is one of the first forests I’ve ever gotten to explore, and it took my breath away! It’s so beautiful and there are so many things to see. There’s a winding road that goes through the whole forest and different ways you can go to different stops. A specific place I loved in Pisgah Forest was hiking up Devil’s Courthouse. I’d never hiked up a mountain before, but this hike was easy and really cool! It’s only about half a mile up the mountain, but it is pretty steep. The view from the top is super worth it and obviously, I took a lot of fun pictures.
Another amazing stop in this forest is Looking Glass Falls. I don’t get to see waterfalls often so when I do, it’s another level of excitement. The waterfalls in North Carolina are gorgeous and the water is so clear. Pisgah Forest offers so much and is definitely a great gem to keep in mind!
3. Downtown Asheville
My favorite thing about big cities is the downtown district they have. The downtown district of Asheville is the cutest and most quaint place I’ve ever been. The streets were lined with old theaters, antique shops, small businesses, and string lights. It was like out of a movie scene. I also had the best homemade ice cream sandwiches I had ever had at Sunshine Sammie’s! I definitely recommend the local businesses and taking a stroll around downtown!
Wilmington
It’s not a big city, but I think Wilmington is the cutest hidden gem in North Carolina! It has the perfect downtown district and is set right next to the coast on a river. There is a beautiful riverwalk you can walk down and take boat tours for cheap. Here are some other things I love about Wilmington.
4. Wrightsville Beach
Only 20 minutes away from downtown Wilmington, this beach is the nicest. I loved the dunes and how refreshing the water felt.
5. TV filming spots
One of my favorite parts about Wilmington (the reason I went) is because of the famous filming spots! My favorite show, One Tree Hill, was filmed entirely in Wilmington. There are multiple filming spots from the show you can visit, along with events where the cast comes back to visit!
Another show that was filmed here is The Summer I Turned Pretty! Big TSITP fan here, so when I visited, I got to see the main house in the series and the clubhouse from both seasons! There are also so many cute stores here with merch you can buy from different TV shows which I loved (yes, I spent a lot of money).
Overall, North Carolina has so much to offer and is just so beautiful and amazing! I am so excited to go back because there are so many other cities I want to see. If you are feeling spontaneous, definitely make a trip up to North Carolina!
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