Hi all!

I'm in the midst of planning a road trip in mid-June with a good friend. We both live in the Salisbury, MD area, and only have a precious 4 days off.

We want to visit someplace with Southern charm, some history, fun for just-out-of-college kids, and local flavor (great grits and barbecue . My ideal destinations would be Charleston, SC or Savannah, GA...but that 11-hour drive feels like it'll suck up a whole lot of travel time. We also thought Athens, GA has a lot of personality, but that's almost a 12-hour drive (yikes).

My question: are there any spots on the eastern half of North Carolina that evoke that "southern charm" we're looking for? Basically looking for a "Savannah/Charleston Lite" in NC. Not too tough, right?

If you've got any advice, it would be much appreciated. Thanks a ton!

How about Richmond or Lexington, Va.? Or is that too close?

WOW that is hard to come up with...if you want water and history type atmosphere there is Tryon Palace in New Bern/Beaufort areas--should be a much shorter drive for you. Richmond definitely has some areas that are charming.

http://www.tryonpalace.org/links.html

Google maps says 6 hrs....to that part of NC.

Wilmington, NC. (Savannah/Charleston Light)

on a smaller scale...Edenton, NC and maybe some of the beach/water towns/areas around there

I agree about Wilmington being a pretty good Charleston lite.

But perhaps an even better (closer)choice would be Manteo NC. A neat little town with a LOT of history (think Lost Colony), gateway to the Outer Banks, and a funky/laid-back/charm you won't find at many beaches.

Hmmm....if your road trip could be scheduled around the weekend of June 8 and 9 instead of mid-June, you might want to check out Tryon, North Carolina's BBQ Festival. Sancitioned as the official North Carolina State Barbecue Championship, it's two days of a whole lot of fun.

Held at Harmon Field, it features almost non-stop live musical entertainment with a wide variety of bands, great food and a craft fair as well.

Here's a link to the festival's site:

http://www.blueridgebbqfestival.com/

If you drive down 81 through Virginia, you'll have great scenery all along the way and less traffic than on 95 and 85.

Tryon is about 45 minutes south of Asheville just off of Interstate 26.

You could spend a day at the festival, and explore lots of areas with good old fashioned southern charm on the other day, leaving two days for travel.

Polk County is home to Tryon, which is known as "the Friendliest Little Town in the South". There's great scenery to explore all around the foothills, hiking trails, waterfalls and things of that nature.

Just a thought....since you mentioned BBQ. It's a tiny town, not close to rivaling Charleston or Savannah for nightlife, but the festival is definitely worth visiting.