infantrymom

Trying to cram all this into one week. Husband and I are retirement city searching but also want to see the Biltmore. We can drive or fly and rent car or amtrak and rent a car. Going to NC the first week in October. Not sure where to start - trying to cover it all in one week - just to get a taste of NC - we hear lots of good things about NC - he loves the mountains I love the beach...help! Staying with friends in Wilmington and they are flexible w/our arrival-departure dates. Thanks everyone.

Gretchen

Are you looking at cities to buy a home, or cities for a retirement community style place. I assume the former.
I'd go to Asheville, then drive to Charlotte, Raleigh and Wilmington and back to DC. OR you can do the reverse.
Ashville to Charlotte is 2 hours. Charltotte to wilmington is 4 with Raleigh about 3.

infantrymom

Looking for a small single family cottage/bungalow resale. Spent 4 years in a senior community it was not quite our cup of tea. A bit too sterile for us though we met some great folks there - decided we wanted a few less rules. We are in our 60s. Husband still working full time - plan to retire in the next 2-4 years. Live outside of DC so we are used to lots of culture-restaurants near by but it is too expensive to stay here and be comfortable financially in our retirement. We hear so many good things about NC. Ant advice will be very much appreciated.

DancingBearMD

I'd probably just drive. You can Amtrak to Raleigh and Charlotte but it's prone to delays. If you fly you'll either be going open jaw or flying one way and doing car rental one-way (perhaps with significant drop-off fees).

I agree with Gretchen's circuit. You can drive to Asheville on the first day in 7 hours or so, or break up the drive somewhere like near Roanoke, VA. It's an easy drive from Asheville to Charlotte, Charlotte to Raleigh, and Raleigh to Wilmington, then another 7 hour or so drive back to DC (with your biggest traffic issue being the stretch of 95 from Stafford to the Beltway).

Brian_in_Charlotte

Based on the places you mentioned in your title, here is how I would do it logistically:

Fly to Charlotte, rent car and go straight to Asheville (2 hrs). Drive back to Charlotte, then to Wilmington (3.5 hrs from Charlotte) and then to Raleigh (2 hrs). Fly home from Raleigh.

Hotels in the mountains will be busy in Oct so try to book early.

Gretchen

So much easier to drive. It's such a natural circuit--a day drive on either end, and 5 in the middle. And not bad day drives themselves.
In Charlotte you might look at Davidson, a lovely college town just north of town. Or Rock Hill or Fort Mill just south of town in SC. Cheaper gas and probably taxes, but you have to put up with the ridicule of your governor and legislators there!!! LOL
Around Raleigh, you might look at Pittsboro and Hillsbourough.

GeorgeW

If you are adventurous, try this ride. From Wilmington, take 17 North through the Topsail area, Jacksonville, New Bern and up to Washington, a town that is slowly getting more retirees. Homes are cheap and you're on the Pamlico River. Greenville, home of East Carolina University, is half an hour away and has a fine hospital. Then take 264 East through Bath, also becoming a bit of a retirement area. Bath is the oldest town in the state and was once home to the infamous Blackbeard himself. Continue on Route 264 through some of the least populated countryside of the South. Swan Quarter, the county seat of Hyde County, is the least populated county seat in the East at about 300 people. Route 264 eventually merges with Route 63 near Manteo, a stone's throw away from the Outer Banks.

infantrymom

Thanks everyone for all the great ideas...after spending a couple of hours researching air fares, schedules, amtrak
etc. we have airline/train and hotel "points" not enough to work for this trip though.
We have decided to drive. We will probably take the route GeorgeW suggested. We are looking forward to checking out NC - have never done more than drive through it. We welcome any more ideas. Leaving October 2 for one week.

Is the Biltmore worth the trip? we love history and the weather should be nice in October. We would probably be most interested in the behind the scenes and roof tours.

Cyanna

Biltmore (no "the" - that's the hotel in NYC) is definitely worth the trip. But get tickets for earlier in the day if possible OR get them for one of the last tours in the afternoon and then the ticket's still good for the next day for other stuff.

Strictly speaking, Hillsborough (which is an interesting little Revolutionary-era town) and Pittsboro (a little later) flank Chapel Hill (H'borough north, Pittsboro west), not Raleigh. Check a map, and don't miss the Chapel Hill-Durham area - Duke Gardens are gorgeous.

Cyanna

Apparently there are Biltmore hotels and resorts in various cities, but the Vanderbilt estate is just "Biltmore" - not "the Biltmore."

GeorgeW

And I should have typed Route 64 and not Route 63. Sorry.

Gretchen

George W's route is a fine way to see the coast around Wilmington--only. Are you going to bother with the rest of the state still?
If you want a look at a little more back country coming toward Charlotte, you can take the back roads from Raleigh to Charlotte--I think it is route 49 that goes through Pittsboro to Ashboro and on to Charlotte, if you'd like to take a look at Pittsboro. Hillsborough IS up off of I40 between Raleigh and Chapel Hill. And of course, there is always Carrboro, right snug up to Chapel Hill.
winston Salem, Hickory, Lenoir, Wilkesboro? Endless numbers of pretty lovely small towns not far from nice cultural centers with colleges, etc.

Subway_Scoundrel

DC is not that far away. Only 4 /12 hours from Raleigh with normal traffic. I would drive to Raleigh, Tour the Triangle and spend the night. -(2 days). Then drive to Wilmington ,which is a 2 1/2 hour. Then go to Charlotte which appears to be 3.5 hours. Then go to Asheville. Not sure how far that is.

The train to Raleigh and rent a car is OK but Amtrak does not own the tracks from DC to Raleigh so it could take 6 hours or it could take 12 hours. Some car rental places within cab ride but I would plan that. Most car rentals are at the airport which is a good $45 or $50 cab ride.

It is amazing how close DC is to Raleigh and once you get out of the DC Mess, it is pretty easy. If going to Chapel Hill, you would stay on I-85.

Gretchen

Lots of backtracking that way. Why not just do a whole loop and travel it only once.

RaleighLaura

Other places to check out, with permanent populations of retired folks (but not in an organized "adult only" neighborhood kind of way)
Flat Rock
Pittsboro/Northern Chatham County
North Raleigh (my folks live in Bedford and LOVE it)
New Bern (fabulous if you're into boating)
Landfall in Wilmington
and if you like downtown living, "Uptown" Charlotte (they don't use downtown there) if thriving and fun.
If you travel frequently, you may want to stay close to Raleigh or Charlotte as the other airports will require more connections.
Hope you like NC! Welcome!

infantrymom

Here is the tentative plan: Friday after work drive to Front Royal, Va. Saturday drive Skyline Drive to Asheville, NC. Spend 2 nights, visit Biltmore Estate (Roof tour and behind the scenes tour). Monday evening we will make our way to Charllote area for 2 nights, then to Wilmington Wed, Thurs and Friday. Along the way check out: Davidson, New Bern, Southern Pines, Topsail, Jacksonville, Bath, Greenville. We will just drive through and around these towns. Of course we will have to make our way back to D.C. on Sunday so we will leave the Raleigh area for next time. We realize we will have to make several trips back and forth so we figured we will get a decent overview this way. In Wilmington we are staying with friends so they will be our base for the last 3 days of the trip.

Gretchen

I don't have my map in front of me but some of your towns in eastern NC may not work out for a few days drive through--at least that is my "feeling". Davidson is easily checked out while you are in Charlotte.
Maybe you have done this, but you need to print a map of the state and put pins in these eastern places. The basic itinerary sounds just fine. YOu might really want to do a little of the Raleigh area on the way to Wilmington.
southern Pine might have to wait for another time as might Greenville.