The Alexander Dickson House - Hillsborough, North Carolina
The Alexander Dickson House - Hillsborough, North Carolina
This 18th century house, with its simple Quaker styling, is the house that Alexander Dickson owned during the Civil War. It was the headquarters for Confederate General Hampton and was where General Johnson prepared surrender papers for General Sherman in April, 1865.
Alexander Dickson had started a linen weaving factory at the beginning of the Civil War when cotton was lacking. He had the first power looms working in the area and in 1883 the company became known as Messrs Dickson, Tillie & Company. They produced and finished a wide range of products like bleached linens, suiting, diapers, huckabacks, towels and tea towels.
Skiing and Snowboarding - Cashiers, Sapphire Valley and Balsam, North Carolina
Skiing and Snowboarding - Cashiers, Sapphire Valley and Balsam, North Carolina
Obviously North Carolina is not often thought of as a ski haven but there are places and times of the year that there is snow, particularly in the higher elevations.
Sapphire Valley offers a day of skiing on the gentle slopes which are an integral part of the 5,700 acre area that is great to see anytime of the year. Nestled in a pristine mountain valley high in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains with an average elevation of 4,300 ft you can ski in the winter, hike in the summer and enjoy nature all year round.
Trout Fishing - Tuckasegee River, North Carolina
Trout Fishing - Tuckasegee River, North Carolina
Here in Jackson County you can experience some great trout fishing. The Tuckasegee River is the largest body of water in Jackson county and offers fly anglers a terrific time trying out their skill at catching the big ones. There are also many small streams for those great mountain fishing locations.
There are other areas in the Great Smoky Mountains offering you a great fishing get away where you can search for rainbow, brown and native brook trout, bass, bream, walleye and crappie. Some of the other locations, besides Tuckasegee River fishing, are the North Carolina Mountain lakes in Jackson County, the Cherokee Indian Reservation and of course, the other streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Nantahala Outdoor Center's Tsali Trail System - Bryson City, North Carolina
The Nantahala Outdoor Center's Tsali Trail System - Bryson City, North Carolina
Mountain biking should be done in some of the most beautiful spots in the country and the Tsali Recreation Area is just such a spot. Here you will be able to ride into the mountains on 40 miles of trails with four excellent loops. The four long main trails wind along Fontana Lake and onto the wooded, steep interior ridges. With the numerous connector trails, gravel roads and extension trials there are even more options for rides besides just the main loops. The trails are fast, hard packed single-track and well designed for your enjoyment. Trails alternate use between mountain bikers and horseback riders on different days; two will always be open to mountain biking. There is a $2 charge for trail use for one day.
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad - Bryson City, North Carolina
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad - Bryson City, North Carolina
There probably isn't a more beautiful way to see the Great Smoky Mountains than to take a ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. The train ride will give you the opportunity to journey across fertile valleys and through river gorges of the Mountains. Here in western North Carolina offers a widely changing view of both vegetation and fantastic landscapes.
Beginning in Bryson City the ride can be for either half a day or a full day with more to do in conjunction with the train ride. You can take a whitewater river raft the whole length of the Nantahala River.
North Carolina Maritime Museum - Beaufort, North Carolina
North Carolina Maritime Museum - Beaufort, North Carolina
This museum showcasing the history of the maritime life in North Carolina has a wide array of different things for you to see and learn while visiting. There are full-sized watercrafts and models from sailing skiffs to commercial fishing boats are displayed along with decoys, hand tools, fossil and shell collections, salt water aquaria, and life-like dioramas that reflect the richness of the coast's resources and history.
North Carolina Holiday Flotilla - Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
North Carolina Holiday Flotilla - Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
This stunningly beautiful happening is something that will have even the most serious of you ohhhing, and ahhing. The North Carolina Holiday Flotilla is a annual event at Wrightsville Beach, organized to provide the area with the beauty of the ships and boats covered in lights to celebrate the season.
If you don't think this is an easy place to get to you are wrong. Wrightsville Beach is incredibly easy to get to. A quick glance at a coastal NC map shows Wrightsville Beach near the end of Interstate 40. This, along with an international airport in neighboring Wilmington, means that Wrightsville Beach, NC is the most accessible beach on the NC coast.
