Swipe left for slideshow. Initially named for a politician by the name of Swann, the town has since enthusiastically adopted the swan as its mascot, and you'll see the graceful bird displayed on signs and in private gardens. The other pier in town, Nag's Head Fishing Pier, is as the name suggests: mostly about fishing. Our aim is to help you get the most out of your travel around the Carolinas. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The play area had multiple swings, slides, jungle gyms, and even a small zipline. Kitty Hawk is the place where Orville and Wilbur Wright first managed to fly. Camping in the Outer Banks: Staying in coastal towns is a great way to enjoy summer in North Carolina. This quiet Northern California coastal town is named for the river that flows through town and into the Pacific. Hillsborough provides plenty of history as you stroll through an authentically lovely downtown. The shoreline itself provides endless opportunities for rest and relaxation. To feel the heartbeat of North Carolina, spend some time in Saluda. Accommodation: Where to Stay in Kitty Hawk. Most of the main attractions are within walking distance of one another, and many are free to enter. If you have any business with the mayor of this small town, you can find him in the local tavern. The iconic Carolina Beach Boardwalk with its carousel, arcade, carnival rides, and ice cream parlous is the place to be in the warmer months, especially on Thursday evenings when it comes alive with firework displays and live music shows. Vendors set up nearby selling everything from homemade ice-cream to savory dishes. The small town of Beaufort is the county seat of Carteret County, on the 'Inner Banks' coastal area of North Carolina (specifically, Beaufort is situated just where the Outer Banks end). Carolina Beach is perfect for families, with the ocean in front and fun and games behind. Camping is nearby at Carolina Beach State Park. Kayaking excursions depart from near the town center to explore vast amounts of barrier islands that make up the more natural parts of the town. Next time you want to treat yourself, do it in Blowing Rock. 2 - Fayetteville, Arkansas Retiree Cost of Living: 13.8% below national averages Average Retiree Income: $85,436 Tax Status: Not Tax-Friendly Politics: 40% Democrat 50% Republican Founded in 1705, it is the state's oldest town and was North Carolina's first port of entry. For entertainment, the huge, one-mile boardwalk is the perfect place for romantic sunset walks. The native Pomos used to call the area "q-ahwala-li", which roughly translates to "coming down water place", which the river does indeed do at Robinson's Gulch right in town. There's plenty to do, with a lighthouse and nature center to visit and prime paddling on the Intracoastal side of the island. In addition to her fact checking background, she also has over six years experience of reporting, writing, and copy editing articles for digital magazines including Woman's Day and The Knot. With low property taxes, low home prices, and a delectably high standard of living, this beachy paradise offers a little something for everyone. The Outer Banks are where many people head, but there are numerous options. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, on the doorstep of great hiking trails, scenic drives, and spectacular waterfalls, the location is hard to beat. The downtown is lively, home to numerous attractions (including the very visit-worth North Carolina Maritime Museum), and blessed with enough entertainment and amenities to keep everyone happy. It's located in the municipal grounds near the town hall. At first, Rick Scot was hesitant to trade in West Hollywood for a new home in North Carolina. Oak Island. The town is home to sunset beach, miles of iconic sandy dunes where visitors can catch the sunrise over the sound and the sunset across the ocean. Kitty Hawk has a small pier at the northern end of town, right where highway 158 joins up with Highway 12. The NC coast is known for vacation beach towns with small populations and not a lot of full-time residents, and they are heavily conservative, by and large. in English from Stanford University and a M.S. If you love fishing, bring your gear, you might land any one of the following: Spanish mackerel, bluefish, triggerfish, sea mullet, croakers, and pigfish. The town, which is part of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill combined statistical area, was named after North Carolina industrialist Julian Shakespeare Carr. If you want a more outdoorsy experience, you may also want to consider camping in the Outer Banks. Discover destinations, find outdoor adventures, follow the journeys of our travel writers around the world, and be inspired. Some of the best hiking in NC can be found around Brevard. Wrightsville Beach Park. An alternative may be a cool/liberal town that is near the shore if not right on it. Washington, NC, USA 2. The town itself is a delight, with charming, Victorian-era homes sitting side by side with modern-day architectural gems. One of the highlights of a visit to Beaufort is a stop at the North Carolina Maritime Museum, where treasures from Blackbeard's sunken pirate ship discovered just offshore are on display. The South Florida hot spot is the seventh-most populous metro area in the U.S., and its beaches attract vacationers year-round. The George on Wilmington's Riverwalk. This classic summer vacation spot is also home to natural gifts, including Carolina Beach State Park, with some of the area's finest fishing and the Flytrap Trail, named for the carnivorous Venus Flytrap plants along its path. Sylva is a quiet stop on your way towards Tennessee that will surprise you if you take the time to get off the highway. One of the town's major musical events is the Duck Jazz Festival. Despite lying only two miles off the North Carolina coast and due south of Wilmington, this three-by-one-mile barrier island feels like a secret hideout from a Robert Louis Stevenson story. Dont leave without having a meal at Shuckin Shack, one of the best Carolina Beach restaurants, followed by a margarita at the Tiki Bar on the ocean. Compared to other nearby states, South Carolina has more republican voters. Morehead City, NC (28557) Today. Morrisville Wikipedia Population: 18,585 Liberal voters: 55% Vegan rank: First Wilmington is a big, sprawling beach town with a little something for everyone. Here you get beach town vibe mixed with southern historic town charm. Population: 21,099Percent Democrat: 72.8%$ Democrat Amount Per Capita: $75.38# Democrat Contributions Per Capita: 0.71More on Carrboro:Photos |Data. Waynesville has plenty of mountain spirit. When you click through real estate links on our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Pay your dollar and wander out onto the pier. Be sure to check out the Southport Pier and Riverwalk with its great views and fresh breezes. The town has its roots in the railroad, which still operates today with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. 4. On the Northern edge of the outer banks, it hasnt developed to favor tourism as much as other towns on the barrier banks of the state. The main public gathering place in town is at the Avon Pier. Summer street festivals are a common occurrence, and most weekends will bring plenty of organic entertainment near Weaver Street Market, the prominent meeting place for the town. Quiet, calm, and as peaceful as a summer breeze, its the perfect place to experience the simple pleasures in life. Those who need a beach in their life will find tiny Town Beach a quick fix, and the broad strands of Atlantic Beach aren't far away. An iconic gay beach destination since the 1970s, Fire Island is 5 kilometers off the coast of Long Island, New York, and comprises a dozen beachside communities. By pparrothead. Named by Southern Living as one of the best North Carolina beach towns, Beaufort is a small, charming harbor town with a list of perks a mile long. Families (not to mention singles and retirees) who decide to make their visit a little more permanent wont be disappointed, With a decent clutch of schools, plenty of amenities, an affordable cost of living, superb recreational opportunities, and one of the prettiest beaches in North Carolina, theres no doubting its a great place to live. The village that has developed around this outdoor sport attracts anyone keen to rummage through authentic local wares. Views up and down the coastline from here are spectacular. If youre considering making your next visit the permanent kind, check out these 10 best places to live in North Carolina near the beach. Roanoke Rapids has embraced the natural beauty of northern North Carolina to serve as a fantastic outdoor sports border town destination. What to Do on Bald Head Island. If youre curious, here are the least liberal cities in North Carolina: For more North Carolina reading, check out: Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. In the first of a new series exploring cool US towns and cities, Emma John soaks up the sporting fanaticism, liberal traditions, food and music of a university town where the 'individual streak . 5. The population was 27,198 according to the 2010 Census. One of the larger towns along the North Carolina Coast, this vibrant outdoorsy place reels you in and makes you want to stay a while. On most nights of the week, you can find just about anyone in Hillsborough singing through the historic downtown streets. Pull off the Blue Ridge Parkway right into Blowing Rock for an upscale dining and vacation experience. Median Household Income: $42,612. A tiny town located near the outskirts of Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach is known and loved for its wide beaches, soft white sand, and picturesque stilt houses situated right on the water, many of which . Yes, named (with a smile) for the abundance of waterfowl that traditionally lured hunters to this northern end of the Outer Banks, this resort town has low-key sophistication that's utterly winning, including a vibrant small community of independent shops and restaurants (and a respected jazz festival). Beaufort is what happens when you build a small town where the land meets the sea and it's easily one of the best small towns in North Carolina. This is our third time ranking the most liberal places to live in North Carolina. The winner, Durham, is The Most liberal City in North Carolina For 2019. Some of the attractions around town are the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History and the Fred and Alice Stanback Coastal Education Center. This quaint, historic town is full of local shops and restaurants where you can happily while away the day. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state capital, Raleigh, make up the corners of the Research Triangle, with a total population of 1,998,808. It is the third-fastest growing major city in the United States. Calm, sedate, and gorgeously green, Duck is the perfect option for city folk who secretly hate the city. One of the best seafood meals can be had here at Provision Company. A (free!) Wrightsville Beach is just a short drive from Wilmington, so getting here is easy and quick; parking is in well-marked lots, and you can pay by the hour and recharge your time via your phone. Who makes the decisions? Most of the action is found at the base of South Broad Street. We have been writing about travel for the last decade. In the 2016 presidential election, 50.1% of voters voted Democratic while 39.1% voted Republican. These are the best towns in North Carolina where LGBT individuals and families can find a warm community: Asheville Raleigh Durham Charlotte Winston-Salem Wilmington Greensboro 1. If youre looking to enjoy life away from the hustle and bustle of the city (but still with enough amenities and attractions to pass the time), its perfect. Durham County was even more lopsided - Clinton won 78-18. Compared to the nation as a whole, South Carolina leans more republican. The best way to capture the town's essence is to walk around. With history running through its veins (including pre-Civil War Fort Macon), the oldest town on Bogue Bankswith its back to Bogue Sound and facing the Atlantic Ocean to the southis also home to the nostalgic (and 1,000-foot-long) Oceanana Fishing Pier, plus a steady swell for surfing. The town itself is easy to navigate by foot. An ideal way to begin your tours is to view a 15-minute video at the tourist information office at the top end of South Broad Street. ferry takes you from Hatteras to the northern tip of the island. Founded by Charles and Laura Douglass in 1893, Charles was the son of the well . By Cranean. Similar in nature to Nags Head, most of the services are along the main highway. North Carolina's Crystal Coast is 85 miles of gorgeous sand, most of which can be found forming offshore banks that shelter the mainland. One of the most interesting things to see near Avon is the towering Cape Hatteras lighthouse, about eight miles south of town. If you'd like to learn more visit the about us page. plenty of things to do in Beaufort for all! Metro Population: 6,129,858. One of the most charming towns in rural North Carolina, Washington still retains coastal charm while being a simple, charming, and cool small town all on its own. Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country. Bald Head Island, North Carolina. A wonderful walk along the Duck Boardwalk starts at the kayak launch parking area and heads south along the shoreline ultimately ending at Aqua Restaurant, where you can have a leisurely lunch on their wonderful outdoor patio. You can keep walking straight from Main Street and quickly find yourself on top of Polly Mountain, and stop by a swimming hole on your way down. Activities include walking, running, and even surfing down the tallest sand dunes in the Eastern United States. After go see one of the best lighthouses in NC and see Price Creek Lighthouse and the Oak Island Lighthouse. The areas economic center has packed in microbreweries and homestyle meals to give you plenty of activity once youre off the water. Tracey Minkin is an award-winning writer and editor whose work has appeared in national and regional magazines as well as digital platforms including Southern Living, Coastal Living, Travel + Leisure, Outside, Food & Wine, Men's Journal, VERANDA, and many more. A great way to get to Southport from Wilmington is to take the historic Southport-Fort Fisher car and passenger ferry. The workout is on the beach facing the ocean, with views of dolphins and pelicans while you sweat. Cary and Chapel Hill are very liberal. Durham Source: Public domain Overall SnackAbility 7.5 /10 Population: 257,232 Percent Democrat: 77.7% $ Democrat Amount Per Capita: $53.76 # Democrat Contributions Per Capita: 0.36 More on Durham: Photos | Data Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Asheville may be the best-known destination in the mountains of North Carolina, but Hendersonville is a wonderful small-town alternative. Black Mountain has chilled dining options and a walkable downtown area to provide a great stop on your next vacation. There are plenty of things to do in Beaufort for all! Thank you for providing all of this information! Not only is Asheville one of the coolest cities in the state, but it's also one of the most beautiful since it's in the middle . Chef Nina Compton's Bywater American Bistro, Alon Shaya's Saba, Pythian Market, and Auction House Market are some new places to check out if you're in The Big Easy. 1. Not a problem. - Tim Crystal Nails. Miami. The beach at Kitty Hawk is long and wide with golden brown sand, ideal for long beach walks. The university, one of the more popular ones in the North Carolina system, has brought more and more young people to the area, so there's always something cultural to do on the weekends. The famous vintage Carolina Beach Boardwalk is full of fun things to do, including carnival rides, a carousel, an arcade, ice-cream shops, and restaurants with beachfront patios. Durham is the core of the four-county Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Area, which has a population of 542,710 as of U.S. Census 2014 Population Estimates. This two-bedroom condo is listed at just under $200,000 in a high-rise with bay and ocean views. While the best BBQs are often found in the hole in the wall spots along state highways, the best BBQs in NC all use Lexington sauce. Thomas_Kelley / Getty Images. 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