Driving in NC
 

Spending a family long weekend in NC for Columbus Day.

We'll be getting into RDU on Friday 10/6 and coming back on Monday, 10/9. With this timing in mind, is it possible to drive around the state and not spend a significant amount of time on the road? I was planning on spending that Friday in Raleigh/Durham, then go to High Point (mother wants to see furniture) on Saturday and then head to the coast (maybe Outer Banks / Myrtle Beach) on Sunday. On Monday, be back in RDU for our mid-pm flight back home. Is that too crazy? Don't know distances there, so if anyone could give me tips, that would be great.

Thanks! :p

I used to live in MYR and then CLT, and have all these highways burned into my brain.

Depending on how fast you drive, RDU to High Point will take about about 1 to 1.5 hours. (longer if you're coming from Raleigh, shorter if you're coming from Durham).

The problem woudl be going from High Point to the coast. That will be about 4.5 hours or more, I think. (This is assuming normal traffic, as well) Depending on which beach you go to, you might backtrack on the same highway you took from RDU to High Point. (I-40).

I don't know your endurance, but I would likely pick one or the other - the western side (High Point) or the eastern side (beach) - and not try to cram in both. (and i used to drive from NC/SC back home to WAS/NYC pretty regularly)
If you left Sunday morning from High Point to the beach, you might be able to enjoy a couple hours of daylight at the beach, but not enough to make it worthwhile (i think).


If you pick the beach, keep in mind the Outer Banks and MYR have much different feels - the Outer Banks is more about rustic beauty. It has lots of lighthouses, etc.
MYR is the self-proclaimed redneck riviera. it has lots of mini golf courses, chain restaurants, etc.

Lombardo is correct re driving times and his descriptions of Myrtle and the Outer Banks.

Personally, assuming I'm staying in Raleigh/Durham Friday night, I would do this: 1) take Ma to High Point to shop Saturday; 2) Drive from High Point to Wilmington (about 4.5 hours from High Point, right down I-40) Saturday after she's done shopping; 3) stay in Wilmington Saturday and Sunday nights; and 4) drive from Wilmington to RDU Monday mid-morning (I would allow 3 hours to get from Wilmington to RDU).

While you will definitely backtrack, your mother will get her furniture fix and you'll get a better beach experience than Myrtle with less overall driving on better roads. Wilmington is adjacent to Wrightsville Beach and close to other nice NC beaches like Carolina Beach and Kure Beach. These beaches definitely don't have the rustic feel of the Outer Banks, but they're definitely a cut above Myrtle.

Also, early October is absolutely the best time of year in NC weather-wise in my opinion. The beaches won't be nearly as crowded as in the summer, too, and you won't be looking at peak rates for hotels, etc., on the coast. Don't count on swimming in the ocean though.

Hope this helps. Enjoy NC!

I wholeheartedly agree with lombardo and EWC-JMU. Might add New Bern as another choice. Outer Banks is beautifully rustic but not really doable in your time frame, and Myrtle Beach is really lacking in charm, in my opinion. Wilmington is your best bet for lovely beaches and a deligtful town.

Sounds like a perfect plan, thanks you all for your advices!!!

I thought about Outer Banks because that's what I hear is a nice area in NC, and also Charleston in SC (but I think won't be doable because seems to be further).

Haven't been to the NC beaches, but excited about it, pretty sure they'll be very different from the ones in FL, and different scene too!

Best,

Why spend all that time driving?

Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill (RTP) have many nice things to see, and Greensboro/Highpoint/Winson (Triad) is the most beautiful area of the state.

Old Salem, furniture shopping. universities, food (food!), AAA baseball, Blues Festival, etc, etc.

If you are truly interested in doing the Outer Banks, October is a great time. Often the weather is still very warm (however can be hit / miss). I would suggest taking US-64 all the way to Nags Head. Senator Basnight (NC Senate President) from the Outer Banks district has made sure this is mostly a very nice 4-lane journey! Many hotels to choose from. Take the ferry to Ocracoke, and the another ferry to either Swan Quarter coming back US-264 to Raleigh through Belhaven, Washington, Greenville, and Wilson!

How long would the drive be?

Four hours from Raleigh to Nags Head.

I just happened to run across your message on your trip to NC. If you are still planning on heading to High Point to let your mother shop for furniture, do you know if she has scoped out where she wants to go? As a resident of High Point, I have a couple of suggestions. First be aware that your time frame is only 1 week before the semi-annual Furniture Market, and will be in the midst of PreMarket, the downtown area will be extremely busy with trucks unloading/uncrating furniture for the showrooms (which by the way are not are open to the public, only to buyers for furniture stores). Whereas sometimes of the year, you may find some bargains in the downtown area of "showroom samples" etc, this will not be the time. Major shopping will still be available, but your best bets are probably the mega public "showrooms" like Furnitureland South or Boyles, which conveniently are located right across from each other on Business I85 between High Point and Greensboro. While these outlets, discount retail maybe 20-25% (which isn't much in my book) and may be much better than you can get in NYC, real bargain shopping for furniture probably would take several days, and pre-research about brands etc you are interested in and then finding who has the best deals on those brands. For a first trip one or the other of the 2 stores I mentioned will probably last your mother 2-3+ hours and give her an idea of what is available as well as some catalogs to take home.
Hope this helps.
Cindi