Restaurants in North Carolina

You'll have to choose sides in North Carolina -- the mountains or the sea. Do you want to hike wooded trails or stroll on hotel-free beaches? Drive the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway or sail across the sound on a ferry? Gaze over misty valleys from a mountain peak or admire the arc of the shoreline from a sand dune? It's difficult to make a wrong choice with these options, but you're still likely to do some hand-wringing.

Because North Carolina's two best features lie on the far east and west boundaries of the state, separated by more than 250 mi/400 km of middle ground, it's difficult to see them both in a one-week vacation. North Carolina is blessed with a great wealth of scenic parks and recreation areas, including several national forests. The solution is to make two visits or one very long one. It will be time well spent.

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