We will be visiting universities in the Raleigh/Durham are in April and want to go somewhere for some R&R with our children afterward for a long weekend. We are driving to Raleigh/Durham on a Wednesday and have to drive back to Ohio on Sunday. Any suggestions? Thought of Myrtle Beach, but that may be too far. Gatlinburg (half-way back to Ohio)? Any other ideas?

Thanks!

Try Asheville, N.C., a charming town in the mountains. Visit the Biltmore, the Thomas Wolfe visitor's center/museum if you have an interest in American literature, and drive along the Blue Ridge Highway to see scenery (probably beautiful rhododendron and azaleas at that time) and to hike. You can head north on the Blue Ridge for a ways to put yourselves on the way back to Ohio, though it's not fast driving and at some point you'll want to get on the interstates to get home on time.

Thanks Xanthippe! Any other suggestions?

topping

Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach? Charlottesville, VA? Somewhere in lower Shenandoah mtns?

Look at colleges in the Triad? Visit Old Salem in Winston-Salem for an afternoon, after visiting the schools there (both state and private universities in thearea), shop for furniture in High Point,

Maybe visit the zoo in Asheboro?

Colonial Williamsburg?

Another vote for Wilmington/Wrightsville. It's about 2 hours from Raleigh and a fun area. Nice combo of beach time and things like horsedrawn trolley rides and studio tours in historic Wilmington. Not sure how old your children are though...

Thanks for the suggestions. Based on all your feedback, we booked a place on Wrightsville beach for 2 nights. However, we just got offered a three night stay in a Myrtle Beach condo on a golf course free of charge (time share presentation). Should we do that now instead? How far would the drive be from Raleigh/Durham to Myrtle Beach vs. Wrightsville Beach? Which would you recommend? By the way, my children range from age 9 to age 17.

Thanks!

Any thoughts?

Use mapquest to find distance and driving times between the two locations.

Tracy, Wilmington is 2 hours from Raleigh, Myrtle Beach is 3-1/2 hours.

Thanks. I think that we are going with the place at Myrtle Beach--can't beat a free vacation!

I appreciate the responses.