Nuggets From North Carolina

with Martha Chapman

It was a small but savvy group of travel agents who recently joined a team from North Carolina to learn more about the state. After all, it’s all just a drive market, right? Not necessarily so. Not only is there good lift from Canada and tour operator options, but it sounds like North Carolina has a lot of cool attractions!

So without further ado, here are 10 factoids I’ll bet these agents (and you) didn’t know about the “Tar Heel State”:

1. It’s home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, a 150,000 sq. ft. facility where you can “act like you are a part of the team”, according to Libba Barrineau. 80% of NASCAR Spirit Cup Teams are located in the Charlotte area;
   
    
2. The stunning Biltmore Estate in Asheville is a year round attraction complete with its own winery (the most visited in the U.S.!), a 4 Diamond Inn and 8,000 acres of grounds. Oh, and it’s the largest home in the country with 250 rooms;
   
    
3. The Outer Banks, famed for their wind-water-and-waves, have been called the Graveyard of the Atlantic and are home to over 2,000 shipwrecks. Anyone with scuba diving clientele out there?
   
    
4. “America’s favourite drive”, the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway is located in the west of the state and trucks are banned. Yay!
   
    
5. We’re on the map! Canadian Hole is famed for kiteboarding and surfing, and apparently when it’s too cold for the locals, i.e. in spring and fall, Canucks go in droves. “The parking lot is full of plates from Ontario and Quebec,” according to April Beauchamp of North Carolina Tourism;
   
    
6. Speaking of Canadians, almost 1/2 a million were overnight visitors to North Carolina last year, a record high;
   
    
7. We know South Carolina is famed for its golf, but its northern cousin isn’t too far behind. And with next year’s U.S. Open – both Mens’ and Ladies, for the 1st time – being held at Pinehurst, sister course to Scotland’s St. Andrews, that profile can only grow exponentially;
   
    
8. It’s the 3rd most popular state for destination weddings, after Hawaii and Nevada. Who knew?
   
    
9. Tour operators featuring North Carolina include Alio, Total and Kensington. There are daily flights on AC and US Airways from Toronto to Raleigh and Charlotte; daily from Montreal to Charlotte on AC;
   
    
10. And you can find out more at www.visitnc.com.