Table of Contents

1 Experience the Carolinas and Georgia 8

25 Ultimate Experiences 10

What's Where 20

The Carolinas and Georgia Today 24

What to Eat and Drink in Georgia 26

What to Eat and Drink in the Carolinas 28

Best Beaches in the Carolinas and Georgia 30

What to Watch and Read 32

With Kids 34

2 Travel Smart 35

Know Before You Go 36

Getting Here and Around 38

Essentials 44

Contacts 50

Great Itineraries 52

On the Calendar 60

3 The North Carolina Coast 61

Welcome to the North Carolina Coast 62

North Carolina Beaches 64

Planning 67

Northern Beaches 70

Kitty Hawk and Nags Head 73

Roanoke Island 80

Hatteras Island 84

Ocracoke Island 88

Beaufort 92

New Bern 96

Wilmington 100

Wrightsville Beach 108

Kure Beach 110

Southport 111

4 Central North Carolina 113

Welcome to Central North Carolina 114

Planning 116

Raleigh 118

Durham 126

Chapel Hill 136

Greensboro 140

Winston-Salem 146

High Point 151

Charlotte 154

5 Asheville and the North Carolina Mountains 167

Welcome to Asheville and the North Carolina Mountains 168

Planning 170

Asheville 172

Blue Ridge Parkway 195

Black Mountain 196

Hendersonville 198

Flat Rock 199

Blowing Rock 200

Boone 202

Valle Crucis 203

Banner Elk 204

Brevard 208

Cashiers 210

Highlands 211

6 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 213

Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains National Park 214

Planning 217

North Carolina Side 222

Tennessee Side 232

Cherokee 252

Bryson City 254

Robbinsville 256

Waynesville 257

7 Myrtle Beach, SC, and the Grand Strand 259

Welcome to Myrtle Beach, SC, and the Grand Strand 260

Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand Beaches 262

Planning 265

Myrtle Beach 267

North Myrtle Beach 279

Murrells Inlet 284

Pawleys Island 288

Georgetown 291

8 Charleston, SC 295

Welcome to Charleston, SC 296

Planning 299

South of Broad and the French Quarter 306

Lower King and the Market 315

Upper King 323

Mount Pleasant 331

Greater Charleston 333

9 Hilton Head, SC, and the Lowcountry 339

Welcome To Hilton Head, SC, and the Lowcountry 340

Best Beaches in Hilton Head and the Lowcountry 342

Lowcountry Cuisine 344

Planning 346

Hilton Head Island 349

Beaufort 369

Daufuskie Island 376

10 The Midlands and the Upstate, SC 379

Welcome to the Midlands and the Upstate, SC 380

Planning 383

Columbia 385

Camden 392

Aiken 395

Great Smoky Mountains Through the Seasons 234

A Civil War Tour 545

Abbeville 397

Greenville 398

Biacksburg 404

11 Savannah, GA 405

Welcome to Savannah, GA 406

Planning 408

The Historic District 412

The Victorian District and the Eastside 429

The Starland District, Thomas Square, and Midtown 430

The Moon River District, Thunderbolt, and the Islands 431

The Southside, the Gateway, and Greater Savannah 433

Tybee Island 434

12 Georgia's Coastal Isles and the Okefenokee 437

Welcome to Georgia's Coastal Isles and the Okefenokee 438

Georgia's Coastal Isles Beaches 440

Planning 443

Sapelo Island 445

St. Simons Island 450

Sea Island 455

Jekyll Island 456

Cumberland Island 460

Okefenokee National

Wildlife Refuge 464

13 Southwest Georgia 469

Welcome to Southwest Georgia 470

Southern Snacks 472

Planning 475

Warm Springs 476

Pine Mountain 477

Columbus 479

Plains 482

Thomasville 484

14 Atlanta, GA 489

Welcome to Atlanta, GA 490

Atlanta's Civil Rights Legacy 492

Planning 495

Downtown 499

Sweet Auburn, the Old Fourth Ward, and East Atlanta 507

Midtown and the Westside 513

Buckhead 521

Virginia-Highland and the Emory Area 526

Little Five Points and Inman Park 528

Decatur 531

Metro Atlanta 532

15 Central and North Georgia 535

Welcome to Central and North Georgia 536

Planning 539

Rome and the Chieftains Trail 541

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park 544

Dahlonega 551

Helen and the Sautee Nacoochee Valley 556

Clayton 559

Hiawassee, Young Harris, and Lake Chatuge 563

Blue Ridge and Ellijay 565

Macon 568

Milledgeville 571

Eatonton 572

Madison 573

Athens 575

Augusta 578

Index 581

About Our Writers 592