North Carolina Family Vacation Road Trip Traveling US 1 with Kids

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North Carolina: Taking the Kids along US Highway #1.

Smiling faces and patriotic slogans; sky shows and canal hikes; Civil War sites and dinosaur tracks; all in one family vacation. Family vacations with one-of-a-kind discoveries make memories of a lifetime. Our North Carolina activity list is just the beginning.

A walk through time. Located along the old canal in Roanoke Rapids, the Roanoke Canal Trail features some of the best-preserved and most impressive early 19th century canal construction in the nation. The Roanoke Canal, completed in 1823, was built as the North Carolina contribution to the Roanoke Navigation System. Its original purpose was to connect the Blue Ridge Mountains (in Virginia) with Norfolk, a distance of four hundred miles. (The Roanoke Canal Trail. 1-800-522-4282, or www.visithalifax.com/roanokecanal.php)

They’re not braggin’. Fort Bragg, the “Home of the Airborne”, and Pope Air Force Base offers tours to the public. Visitors can see actual airborne jumps with paratroopers floating in the sky overhead. With prior arrangements visitors can also opt to enjoy complimentary activities. These include a visit to the headquarters of the Golden Knights (a world-renowned award-winning team of parachutists that perform death-defying aerobatics), a chance to observe how parachutes are prepared for a paratroopers’ jump, and an opportunity to see how military dogs are trained to detect drugs and terrorist threats. (Fort Bragg, the “Home of the Airborne”, and Pope Air Force Base. 1 (910) 394-6366, 1 (910) 396-5401)

Get your art together. Artspace, a not-for-profit gallery and workspace, encourages visitors to observe artists at work in their “natural habitat.” Artspace’s open studio environment features more than forty local artists at work and the gallery features the work of local, national and international artists. Discovery: Special opening receptions in the Artspace gallery as well as surrounding City Market galleries occur on the first Friday of every month. (Artspace. 201 E. Davie Street, Raleigh. 1 (919) 821-2787 or www.artspacenc.org)

“May the Force Be with You.”

The Airborne and Special Operations Museum features graphic coverage of scores of combat missions including Operation: Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation: URGET/FURY. The museum is a tribute to the United States Airborne and Special Operations units as well as the men who served in them. There are also extensive displays of equipment, weapons, insignia and uniforms of the Airborne and Special Operations Units. (The Airborne and Special Operations Museum. Fayetteville, 28302. 1 (910) 483-3003 or www.asomf.org or info@asomf.org)

Let’s do the time warp again. With exhibits covering everything from North Carolina’s role in the Civil War to North Carolina’s medical history and feats of engineering, the North Carolina Museum of History has something on everything in the state’s history. There’s an exhibit on the famous first flight in Kitty Hawk. In the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame visitors can watch historic moments in professional and college baseball, football and basketball with the touch of a button. (The North Carolina Museum of History. 5 E. Edenton Street, Raleigh, 27699. 1 (919) 715-0200 or www.ncmuseumofhistory.org)

The stars at night are big and bright. Visitors welcome; no telescope needed. Several times a week the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill features lectures on stars, as well as outdoor lectures and scheduled viewing of meteor showers, eclipses and other celestial events. (Morehead Planetarium. UNC-Chapel Hill, 27599. 1 (919) 962-1236 or www.moreheadplanetarium.org)

Make global connections. Through hands-on exhibits and family programs Exploris encourages connections with the people of all cultures. The Exploris Global Learning Center offers visitors the chance to see how the world works and conveys the many ways humans make a difference in its wellbeing. One exhibit, entitled “Many Voices” encourages guests to discover the voices of the world through unfiltered news recordings from more than forty countries. (Exploris Global Learning Center. 201 East Hargett Street, Raleigh, 27601. 1 (919) 834-4040 or www.exploris.org)

Walk through a world of wonder. With 70,000 square feet of walk-through environments, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is a fantastic place to visit. The four floors of exhibits feature great whales, the world’s only acrocnathrosaurus (know as the “Terror of the South). Throughout the museum visitors can see live animals as well as the natural world through the unique perspective of North Carolina’s diverse geology, geography, flora and fauna. Discovery: This is the home of Willo, the dinosaur with a heart. (North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. 11 W. Jones Street, Raleigh, 27601. 1 (919) 733-7450 or www.naturalsciences.org)

Go hog wild.

Located on the second floor of the East Coast’s largest Harley dealership is the Legends of Harley Drag Racing Museum. On display more than six decades of American motorcycle history, including Harley Davidson bikes representative of each era from 1936 to the present. Some of the bikes are still in original condition, while others have been lovingly restored. A visit to this museum is a must for bike lovers. (Legends of Harley Drag Racing Museum. 1126 South Saunders Street, Raleigh, 27603. 1 (919) 832-2261 or www.rayprice.com/racing-mus.htm)

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North Carolina: Boone, Summer Family Vacations with Ziplines, Caves, and Living History.
For active families Boone in the North Carolina High Country may be just about perfect. Cool air, starry nights, miles of pathways for hiking or biking, friendly people, and unique attractions without long lines to seep away valuable family vacation time.

North Carolina: Boone, Family Vacations with Snowy Downhill Thrills—No Skill Needed.
In the dictionary after the words winter fun it should say, see also – snow tubing high energy fun with squeals laughter included.

North Carolina:The Waynesville/Maggie Valley, Family Vacation Fun-- Taking the Kids to Snow.
Easy going and off-the-beaten-path, Waynesville and Maggie Valley offer an ideal spot for families wishing to enjoy winter sledding, skiing and making angels in the snow without long lines.

North Carolina: Boone, Winter Family Vacations - Snow Tubing, Ice Skating, and Skiing Lessons.
Boone, North Carolina offers families many ways to enjoy time in the snow. Perhaps the best of which is snow tubing – family fun with no prior skills needed.

North Carolina: Asheville, Family Vacations – Whitewater Rafting, Go-Carting, and Cruising Lake Lure.
Enjoy a family vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains and enjoy Asheville’s lively arts scene, impressive history, and natural beauty. Hop on a trolley; cruise on Lake Lure; go golfing; catch and release fireflies; have a whitewater adventure. Family fun is easy in the mountains.

FAMILY VACATION IDEAS

Summer Family Vacations - Really Cool Family Fun

No two days will be the same. [Read More]

North Carolina Farm Stay - Share Natural Adventures.

See what fun awaits your family. [Read More]

Holiday Inn Wilmington

Cape Fear Coast family fun plus Kids Eat Free. [Read More]

KOA Cherokee / Great Smokies

Stay with us on the river swim, fish and enjoy the Great Smoky Mountains. [Read More]

KOA Cape Hatteras

Vacation with us on the edge where fun here is as limitless as the sand. [Read More]

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