HotWheels

Oct 15th is the date for the Fall Nascar cup race in Charlotte, NC. Would we also be able to view colorful Fall foilage, either a week before or a week after this date, in NC? Any other suggestions of areas to combine both?

cmcfong

October is a good month to view the foliage in North Carolina. My guess is the best viewing time would follow the race. As a general rule the higher elevations and western part of the state peak first.
It is a very busy tourist season for us, so think about reserving ahead. This is particularly true if you would be visiting Asheville, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, areas.
Are you interested in a driving trip? The Blue Ridge Parkway
Are you interested in American history?
Winston-Salem, Old Salem.
Are you interested in hiking, biking?
The Blue Ridge Parkway, base yourself in Asheville
Are you interested in the beach?
Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach (not much foliage color in that direction till very late in the month)
I live between Mt. Airy and Winston Salem. We have three excellent parks for hiking (Pilot Mountain, Stone Mountain and Hanging Rock) plus the Parkway in our area. We have some good wineries, my favorite is Shelton near Dobson, NC just off I-77. For biking, go to Galax, VA and do the New River Trail.
I am sure you will get suggestions from some other North Carolinians.
Come on down! or up, as the case may be....

lemon2

We'll be at the race in Charlotte, too, and are spending the week after in the Bryson City area. Glad to hear the leaves will be turning by then.
We had the neatest experience in Mt. Airy a few yrs. ago. We ate at a buffet place there (I don't remember the name) and paid the reasonable bill and left. As we were pulling onto the highway, the waitress came running out and waved at us. We turned around and went back to see what she wanted and she said she charged us too much for the meal and gave us a couple of dollars refund. This was memorable experience and left a warm place in our hearts for that area of the country.

cmcfong

Oh I love that story, it really is the essence of the area. Mt. Airy is Andy Griffith's birthplace and the real Mayberry!

leahinsc

You know, this is always a tough one...sometimes the weather turns colder earlier and leaves start turning the 1st or 2nd week in Oct and then it rains and they're all gone. Then other years when it's warmer and drier the leaves seem to last until the end of October. So I guess the bottom line is that you'll see some of the turning leaves mid month no matter what.