The outerbanks is very interesting but 'way out there. Ashville and Biltmore is good. Depending on how you are coming TO NC, between Ashville and Wilmington (an interesting beach town also) is Winston-Salem and a wonderful preserved "community" called Old Salem. Very historic. Also the Museum of Southern Decorative ARts which is wonderful for furniture of the Colonial times.
If you are interested in hiking you should drive the Blue Ridge Parkway and get off at some of the places for a quick hike.
You have posted for numerous states, but overall it would probably be helpful to know an approximate itinerary. I think you're starting in DC and ending in Washington STate. So for NC it might be Wilmington, Winston if you want, Ashville, and then head down to Charleston, which I also know is on your "way".

Wilmington and Charleston are both good in the spring for their azalea festivals. Beautiful time of year for us.

Hey Gretchen

I dont have a an itinerary per say

I am trying to build one though! The basics really are that i have a camper van and probably up to 9 months on my Visa to see the highlights or close to of any state on my rough map.

There are states i wont reach on this run but those i do intend to see are:

VA,NC,SC,GA,TN,MS,LA,TX,NM,CO,UT,AZ,CA,OR,WA.

We are even flirting with Hawaii when we get to the west coast for my birthday.

So far its like a big jigsaw puzzle.

Coming into NC however i do know that we will be exiting VA around the Yorktown 'historical triangle' area of VA.

This puts me within striking distance of the outer banks.

We are flirting with a few unorthodox routes one that would take us down the coast hitting Wilmington/Charleston/Savanah and St Augustine in FL.

Then cutting across the gulf heading North up the Natchez trace parkway hitting TN crossing over to Ashville then back down MS into LA and off to TX.

So yeah lots of driving which we love on a route that does loop but doesn't back track.

Gemma

It also depends on your interests a bit - for example if you have any interest in pottery then Seagrove & the surrounding potteries are certainly worth a day or two. OBX will take a lot of time & frankly there are other beaches I prefer - so basically that part of your trip would be a function of time. The Natchez Trace is nothing special altho Natchez itself is ceratinly worth the effort.
But I digress - I would certainly spend a few days in Asheville in conjunction w/your trip to Biltmore. There are also a myriad of wonderful Mt. towns in Western NC & don't forget the wineries (Elkin is a good base for most of the better ones)...

Last check, Hawai'i is no more accessible by car from the west coast than it is from anywhere else in the US.

If you were coming during winter, I'd say to check into tickets for a Duke basketball game and a UNC one as a second choice. Cannot stand Duke, but their home games are a treat.

The real thing not to miss in NC is the barbecue.

This may not match your needs but I personally would camp down in either of the Carolinas.

There is no Grand Cannon or Golden Gate Bridge. The beauty is in the culture, the food and the people.

We first visited on a road trip 8 years ago and have been back twice (last one 2 weeks ago). On the first trip we came into Dulles, drove down the Blue Ridge to Ashville, down to Savannah, the up through Charleston and spent a week in Beaufort, NC. From there we went back up to Dulles.

I have to say that the two weeks we have just spent on Edisto Island have been our most enjoyable to date. Just ended up at so many backstreet incredible eating places that you miss on a road trip. Best low country food ever.

Here is an example of Edisto.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cat+digger+climbing+tower&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

In NC we loved Beaufort, just a small unassuming town with piles of wildlife. We really enjoyed

http://www.tryonpalace.org/

Which is a reconstruction but still has incredible detail.

Both NC and SC are a wonder of small pleasures which you will miss on a fly through road trip.

If you have a camper van, this is further south than you are planning but camp sites don't get much better than this.

http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/edistobeach/introduction.aspx

Hey Big Russ

You guys got those car park thingys at your airports?

Gemma

Kanga: I responded to your SC question. I didn't realize that you had a camper van. In the US campers are usually required to stay at designated camping areas. They cost from $10-$30 a night depending on location and amenities.

However Wal-Mart superstores are camper friendly. Most let folks stay in their parking lot for a night or so. Most stores are open 24 hours so there is a bathroom available, plenty of food to purchase and security. I wouldn't come to the US to stay at a Wal-Mart, but the strategy can help you cut costs between stays at designed camp sites.

For camping on the SC coast, there is Huntington beach State Park just across from Brookgreen Gardens. That would put you in the midst of a lot to do for a day or more.

Oh my camper aint a big deal its just a van which is only 17feet not one of those big boys.

We plan on using Walmart but have also received invitations from people we met online to park in backyards/driveways for a tiny fee.

We are also big fans of Air BNB which we do at home. Its paid my rent for 4 months!