Tour of NC in May or September 2008

We are from UK and planning to tour NC next summer. Our current plans are:

fly into Charlotte, but travel up to Asheville (3 nights), then Durham (2), Beaufort (3) before heading south to Charleston, Savannah and back up to Charlotte.

Is this a good cross section of the different parts of the state?

Is Durham worth the visit?

Is Beaufort really worth 3 nights or would we be better splitting the time up going to Kill Devil Hills %26amp; Wilmington? I%26#39;m unsure how easy it is to get around on day trips to see different parts.

Tour of NC in May or September 2008

You%26#39;ll love the mountains. Asheville is a good base. You can check out the Blue Ridge Parkway, drive 30 minutes south to Hendersonville ( quaint town)- go over to Cherokee to the Indian Reservation, check out the spa at Grove Park Inn, etc...

What%26#39;s your reason for going to Durham? There are museums in Raleigh...but Durham? Not much of a tourist destination.

You are covering a lot of territory and you%26#39;ll be driving more than anything else- but you will see a lot of places! LOL.

I think the Beaufort/Morehead City area is a good coastal destination. If you go out to the Outer Banks, you%26#39;ll be so far out it will make day trips a pain. The Beaufort area is drivable- things to see and do AND you have the beach. Good choice.

Why do you want to do Savannah and Charleston? If I had to pick one- I%26#39;d pick Charleston and save the extra driving. They are similar in architecture and culture and there is more to see and do in Charleston.

I personally wouldn%26#39;t waste my time in Wilmington.

I think you%26#39;ll see all parts of the state with your itinerary. Pay attention to rush hour times when you are going through cities or you%26#39;ll get caught in gridlock traffic. Have a great trip and best wishes.

Tour of NC in May or September 2008

Many thanks.

Durham is basically somewhere to stop as I felt the drive to Beaufort may be too much for one day. Any other suggestions welcome, or is it better to drive Asheville to Beaufort?

Savannah is highly recommended in the guides we have as one of the top 10 places to see in NC/SC/GA.

Yes I agree we will be driving a lot, but hey it%26#39;s a long way to come so we have to see plenty - just the usual dilemma for us as we probably wouldn%26#39;t go back to this part of the USA again as we have lots more states to visit.

I%26#39;d go on to Raleigh instead of Durham for your stop. The Hyatt Place Hotel in Raleigh in the Crabtree section is nice- newly renovated and usually has good rates. The Homewood Suites there is nice as well.

Savannah is fine- it%26#39;s just architecturally a copy of Charleston- and there%26#39;s more to see and do in Charleston area than Savannah. But, Sav. does have Paula Deen%26#39;s restaurant - The Lady and Sons - IF you can get in it! LOL. Sometimes the wait is several hours long!

You have a good itinerary planned. If you want to break up the drive from A%26#39;Ville to Raleigh - stop at Old Salem in Winston-Salem. It%26#39;s a restored Moravian colonial town ( a mini-Williamsburg). You can spend a nice 2 hours or so there.

Best wishes.