Visit North Carolina's Coast, Rolling Piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountains. Easy, affordable three day tours from Washington DC, Raleigh/Durham NC and Charlotte NC.

1. NORTH CAROLINA
CULTURAL TOURISM

2. A focus on
Cultural & Eco
Tourism
• Civil War Trails
• 27 Historic Sites
• Celebration of Craft
• Recreation and Nature
• Cultural & Scenic Trails on the Web
– Blue Ridge Mountains & Music
– African American Heritage
– Cherokee Heritage
– DiscoverCraftNC
– Literary Trail
– HomegrownHandmade.com

3. N.C. Travel Stats
• $16 billion industry
• 44 million visitors
• Ranked 6th overall
• 10th in Cultural &
Heritage Travel
• Up to 40% of all
N.C. travel is
cultural/heritage

4. Popular Cultural & Nature Activities
1. Visiting a historic site (31%)
2. Visiting a museum (24%)
3. Visiting an art gallery (15%)
4. Going to the theater (14%)
5. Hiking, Rafting, Scenic Drives

5. North Carolina’s Three Distinctive Regions
North Carolina Mountains
The Appalachian mountain chain running through the western part of the state
and the Great Smoky Mountains in the southwestern are one of the country's
top natural destinations.
Visitors can enjoy 250 miles of the world- famous Blue Ridge Parkway winding
through North Carolina's mountains.

6. Blue Ridge Mountains and
Smoky Mountains

7. Mountain Scenic Drives

8. Smoky Mountain Train Ride

9. Hiking & Canopy Tours

10. Water Adventures

11. Asheville

12. Biltmore Historic Home & Gardens

13. Home of Zebulon Vance North Carolina’s
Writer Thomas Wolfe Boyhood Home
Civil War governor
Thomas Wolfe Historic House

14. Museums
Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum
Homespun Museum
Pack Place Education, Arts and Science Museum

15. Mountains
“Must See, Must Do”
• Wild Water Adventures • Biltmore House and Village,
Ashville
• Zipline Canopy Tours • Ashville Historic Trolley Tours
• NC Homespun Museum
• Cycling in the Blue Ridge
Mountains • Collburn Earth Science Museum
• Pack Place Education, Arts and
• Mountain Scenic Drives Science Museum
• Estes-Winn Antique Car
• Great Smoky Mountain Museum
Railroad

16. Asheville, NC Tour
May-June 2011*
2 Nights – 3 Days
Day 1:
• Enjoy free time and lunch on own today in Downtown Asheville.
• Narrated trolley tour covering Asheville’s major sights
• Enjoy dinner this evening at the Moose Café in Asheville.
Day 2:
• Great Smokey Mountain Railroad Tour
• Museum of the Cherokee Indian
• Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual
Day 3:
• Visit the Biltmore Estate and Biltmore Winery.
• Visit River Bend Farm where you’ll be transported back in time to see what life was like on the
estate in the 1890’s.

17. North Carolina’s Tours
The Mountains of Western North Carolina
The lush mountains of southwestern North Carolina await you on this mountain
itinerary. Visit beautiful Lake Lure and see the majestic Hickory Nut Gorge from the
heights of Chimney Rock,
Learn about the fascinating history of an ancient culture in Cherokee. Travel to
Asheville and Dillsboro and visit the historic Biltmore House and garden and shop for
traditional crafts inspired by the mountains.

18. North Carolina’s Tours
The Mountains of Western North Carolina
Explore Western North Carolina “Go Blue
Ridge 3-Night Package” 3 night Outdoor
Package offered by 1847 Blake House Inn
Bed & Breakfast. March - December.
Price: Starts at $525 - $550 plus tax.
• Biltmore Estate OR Great Smoky
Mountains Railroad
• Gray Line Trolley Tours of Asheville
• Chimney Rock Park
• Lake Lure Tours
• Grandfather Mountain
• Tweetsie Railroad
• Emerald Village
• Wildwater Rafting
• Smith-McDowell House Museum
• Colburn Earth Science Center

19. North Carolina’s Tours
The Mountains of Western North Carolina
Asheville Golf Packages
Lush green fairways, crisp mountain air, rolling terrain and beautiful mountain landscapes
are just a few of the reason to treat yourself to some of the best golf in the country. We
have put together three of our favorite courses to offer this golfing package. Included are:
• 2 rounds at Grove Park Inn’s stunning course in the heart of Asheville
• 2 rounds at Reems Creek, known for having the look and feel of a Scottish Highlands course
• 2 rounds on the beautiful Black Mountain Golf course with its challenging par six 17 th hole
All cart fees included.

20. North Carolina’s Three Distinctive Regions
The Piedmont
University of North Carolina Morehead Planetarium
at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill
Duke Chapel, Duke University
Durham
The Piedmont is an area of gently rolling foothills in the center of the State.
The region boasts of one of the most dynamic economies in the United States. It
is home to the state's largest cities, biggest financial institutions, renowned
research universities, abundant historic sites, top golf courses and the Yadkin
Valley Vineyards, the first Viticulture region in the United States.

21. The PIEDMONT
CHARLOTTE RALEIGH DURHAM
CHAPEL HILL

22. FIREBIRD SCULPTURE, BECHLTER MUSEUM
CHARLOTTE

23. NASCAR RACES CHARLOTTE

24. NASCAR MUSEUM

25. NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF ART RALEIGH

26. MARBLES KIDS MUSEUM RALEIGH

27. BENTONVILLE BATTLEFIELD NEAR RALEIGH

28. PINEHURST GOLFCOURSE

29. YADKIN VALLEY VINEYARDS

30. The Piedmont
"Must-See, Must Do"
• Catch a thrill at the U.S. • Explore a major Civil War
National Whitewater Center, battleground at Bentonville
Charlotte
• North Carolina Museum of Art,
• Nascar - Satisfy your need Marbles Kids Museum,
for speed, Charlotte Motor Raleigh City Museum
Speedway and the Nascar
Museum, Charlotte • See the stars at the Morehead
Planetarium, Chapel Hill
• Discovery Place for Kids,
Charlotte • Marvel at the Duke University
Chapel, Durham
• Bechtler Museum of Modern
Art, Charlotte • Explore the Carolina Museum
of Life and Science, Durham

31. Piedmont Tours
Race Cars, Rafts, and Roller Coasters: The
Charlotte Thrill Seeker’s Tour
From white knuckles to whitewater,
this four-day tour is sure to get your
adrenaline pumping! Take your own
Turn behind the wheel of a real
NASCAR race car, rafting,
kayaking and hiking/biking trails at
The National Whitewater Center,
Scale the cliffs at Crowders Mountain
State Park, or simply hike to the top
of Kings Pinnacle for a view of the
Charlotte city skyline to the East and
the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west.

32. Piedmont Tours
City of Culture: Museums, Music, and More in
Charlotte
Come spend three days in the Queen City
and discover a great sampling of museums,
music, famous people, and flowering plants!
Day 1
Discover what life was life in 18th Century
Charlotte, then spend an evening in the
city’s funky NoDa arts and entertainment
district.
Day 2
Explore a series of fascinating museums in
the Uptown area and enjoy endless nightlife
opportunities in the big city’s center.
Day 3
Find out how a president and a preacher
both trace their beginnings to Charlotte, then
explore botanical wonders in Belmont.

33. Piedmont Tours
Wine Weekend Getaway:
Two Days In The Yadkin Valley
On this flavor-filled jaunt, you’ll
sample some of North Carolina’s
Diverse and unique wines and meet
some of the people behind them. For this
weekend, we jag off of I-77 from the
Virginia border south, and then
down east towards (but not to) Winston-
Salem.
Along the way, explore the town of Mount
Airy, the “real” Mayberry, and get a bird’s
eye view of North Carolina’s wine country
from a hot air balloon in Boonville, about
25 miles west of Winston-Salem.

34. Piedmont Tours
Pinehurst Golf & Art Vacation, Aberdeen
This area of rolling sandhills is covered with classic golf courses, so
golfers of all skill levels will enjoy the magnificent links the area has to
offer. You will also enjoy the many historic sites in this section of the south
central Piedmont. Either way, this 3-day itinerary will teach you much about
your game and the region’s fascinating history.

35. North Carolina’s Three Distinctive Regions
NORTH CAROLINA COAST
Warmed by the Gulf Stream, the North
Carolina Coast is a sunny place filled with
pristine beaches, giant sand dunes and
wetlands filled with wildlife and a variety of
plants.
The defining characteristic of the
area is the Outer Banks, a chain of fragile
barrier islands – 130 miles of unspoiled
coastline surrounded by 900 square
miles of water.
The area is also full of history, dating back
to the 16th century and from
pre-Revolutionary Days through the
Civil War.

36. Battleship North Carolina
Wilmington
Wilmington

37. Cape Fear

38. WRIGHT BROTHER’S MEMORIAL, KILL DEVIL HILL
CAPE HATTERAS LIGHTHOUSE
JOCKEY’S RIDGE, NAGS HEAD

39. Coastal "Must-see, Must Do"
• Stand on the deck of the USS • Let your spirit soar at the Wright
NORTH CAROLINA, Brothers Memorial, Kill Devil Hills
Wilmington
• Slide down Jockey’s Ridge, Nags
• Climb the Cape Hatteras Head
Lighthouse, Buxton
• Drink a Pepsi where it all began,
• Dance to beach music on New Bern
Carolina Beach
• Explore Bald Head Island by
• Drive the length of NC Highway bicycle
12, Outer Banks
• Marvel at the sight of wild
horses, Outer Banks
.

40. Coastal Tours
Outer Banks Lights and Flights, Cape Hatteras
Spend a day learning about flight, from the past to the present, on the Outer
Banks of North Carolina. Climb to the top of the only lighthouse in North
Carolina still housed in its original structure.
Visit a handsome hunt club that recently underwent a $5 million restoration, enjoy
Some of the best seafood around and learn the history of the early colonists and
seamen in this beautiful yet rugged area.

41. Coastal Tours
Enjoy Historic Wilmington and the Cape Fear
Day 1: Battleship North Carolina, Burgwin
Wright
House and Gardens, Wilmington Adventure
Walking Tour, Cape Fear Museum
Day 2: Carriage and Horse Drawn Trolley Tours.
cruise aboard the Henrietta III Riverboat, visit
the
Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum, the Ghost
Walk of Old Wilmington
Day 3: North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher,
Fort Fisher State Historic Site and Civil War
Museum, Carolina Beach State Park
Day 4: Orton Plantation and Gardens,
Greenfield
Park & Gardens Scenic Drive
Day 5: Cape Fear Serpentarium, a thrill for
snake haters and snake lovers alike, Jungle
Rapids Family Fun Park, Tote-Em-Zoo: Over
100 varieties of animals live here, including
Siberian tigers, camels, monkeys and more

42. GETTING THERE AND AROUND
International Airports: Raleigh/Durham, Greensboro, Charlotte, Wilmington
Regional Airports: Ashville Regional Airport
Amtrak Trains
Carolinian with service from Boston to Charlotte stopping at all major cities on the Eastern Seaboard
including Richmond, Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Greensboro, Charlotte.
Rental Car: Enterprise, Avis, Budget
Tour Buses: from Washington DC, Richmond, Raleigh/Durham, Greensboro, Charlotte, Wilmington

43. HISTORIC INNS & BED & BREAKFASTS
Asheville Area: Brookstone Lodge,
Fryemont Inn, Princess Anne Hotel
Chapel Hill: Carolina Inn, Franklin
Hotel, Fearrington Inn
Charlotte: Charlotte Marriott South Park
Pinehurst: Pinehurst Resort
Raleigh: Fuquay Mineral Spring Inn and
Garden
Hatteras Island: Hatteras Realty
Beach cottage vacation rentals
Wilmington: Graystone Inn,
The Verandas
.

44. DSConsulting
CONTACT
Deepa Sanyal
Sustainable Development
319 Baneberry Close
Mail: 319 Fearrington Post
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Phone: 919-533-6166. 202-460-8660
deepasanyal@uicalumni.org
deepasanyal@gmail.com