There are so many things to learn to be a master of the new city and state that you live in. If you’ve lived in the Triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) for a while then you already know the basics such as where to find your nearest grocery store, Target and other more niche shops, the farmer’s market and other local spots.

Hopefully, you’ve taken advantage of where you live in the state and have gone on to explore outside of the Triangle and have taken some of the day trips that I wrote about in a previous blog post. If you’re ready for your next adventure, here are a few ideas for weekend trips you can take from the Raleigh area to better acquaint you with the Carolinas!

Outer Banks

Going to the Wilmington area, such as Wrightsville Beach, is a great day trip, but there is something special about going to the Outer Banks!

If you like history, the Wright Brothers National Memorial is a great spot to visit. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse may be the most famous lighthouse in the country and is emblematic of North Carolina, you’ll find images of it all over the state.

There aren’t many places in this world where you can see wild horses, especially in the eastern United States, but if you go to Corolla, NC, you’ll have the chance to see some beautiful wild Spanish Mustangs!

What is a trip to OBX (as it is often written), without visiting the beach? Don’t worry, there are just about unlimited beaches to explore to find your favorite!

If you live at Camden Asbury Village, you live right off the interstate, so you’re going to have an easy time traveling to OBX after getting off work on Friday.

Courtesy of Cody Dueitt via Unsplash

Asheville

Don’t get it confused with Asheboro, where the zoo is. Asheville is an exciting mountain city famous for beer, bluegrass, and hipsters that you won’t want to miss out on visiting while you’re living in North Carolina. Their most famous attraction is the largest house in the United States, Biltmore House, a mansion that is well worth the price of admission. Make sure you take a guided tour or two to see parts you wouldn’t normally be able to see.

Exploreasheville.com states that there are over 50 breweries in Asheville, most of them being local such as Burial Beer Co (who also has a brewpub in Raleigh), Catawba Brewing Co, and Highland Brewing Co but there are also several west coast breweries that have east coast operations in Asheville with beautiful breweries to visit such as New Belgium and Sierra Nevada.

They love their tourists in Asheville so much (he said sarcastically) that they named their baseball team after them, so if you’re a baseball fan, go watch the Asheville Tourists and enjoy yourself!

Remember, Asheville is far from the only place to visit in the mountains so don’t skip out on seeing the white squirrels in Brevard, watching an Appalachian State Mountaineers football game in Boone, photographing Linville Falls in Burke County, hiking up Grandfather Mountain along the Blue Ridge Mountains, among many other places to explore!

If you live in Camden Durham, you are already about 20 minutes closer to the mountains than if you lived on the west side of Raleigh, so make sure to take advantage of this!

Courtesy of David Martin via Unsplash

Charleston, SC

Traveling outside of The Old North State to our neighbor to the south, South Carolina, you find a similar yet distinctly different culture.

Charleston is one of my favorite places I’ve ever been to. Between the pristine beaches, barbeque, and architecture, you won’t want to miss out. When you get there, you may want to rush straight for the beaches, but I recommend devoting as much time as possible to walking around downtown. There is so much history crammed into such a small space that you’ll want to see it all!

There are beautiful views of the ocean to be had from the Battery. Walk along King Street to see all the old colorful buildings. You can take a boat ride out to get a guided tour of Fort Sumter, a sight well worth seeing and a great way to spend the afternoon.

I recommend grabbing dinner at Home Team BBQ, which serves classic South Carolina BBQ, which is mustard-based and different from anything you find in North Carolina.

You don’t have to believe in ghosts for it to be well worth it to take a ghost tour. If you need a souvenir, Charleston City Market is an arts and crafts from all local vendors. While you’re at the Market, which is in the French Quarter, make sure to check out Waterfront Park and take a picture in front of the iconic pineapple fountain.

To go to the beach, drive over the impressive Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge to enjoy some well-deserved beach time. Don’t get out of the city without having fresh seafood.

On your way home, take a rest stop at Buc-ee’s in Florence, SC, for jerky and fudge or whatever else sounds good to you there.

If you live at Camden Reunion Park, you live on the south end of the Triangle, so you don’t have to negotiate with the rush hour traffic as much to get out of town on Friday evening on your way down there!

There are so many other weekend getaways you can make from the Triangle area, Charlotte, Virginia’s Blue Ridge, the Great Smoky Mountains, and more, but these are just a few of my favorites. If you’re trying to keep it low-key for the weekend and not go too far from home, here are a few things you can do locally to enjoy your days off from work.