Relocation
Scouting Trip to Raleigh: What to See in the Area
May 24, 2018 · 4 min
Coming to Raleigh for a scouting trip or just for a few days? What can you see in our area?
Ocean spots
- Topsail Island - a calm little town. Magnificent beaches, few people. More of a place to relax by the water, lie on the sand and swim. Not much entertainment, no high-rise hotels, mostly a few motels. A wonderful uncrowded beach is at the GPS address 3003 Green St., North Topsail Beach, NC 28460; you can park on Green Street and walk onto the beach.
- The Wilmington area: Carolina Beach and Kure Beach - great beaches, with places to go and things to see beyond the sand. At the end of the peninsula is Fort Fisher with the North Carolina Aquarium, interesting for both children and adults. Many restaurants. In the evening you can drive to downtown Wilmington (about 20 minutes): plenty of restaurants and a beautiful waterfront. Set your GPS to 16 Market Street, Wilmington, NC.
- Myrtle Beach, SC - a big city with great beaches, high-rise hotels along the shore, many restaurants, places to go, shops and lots of people. The city has an interesting area called Barefoot Landing with various attractions, a cinema, restaurants and more around a small lake.
In the mountains
- Boone: Grandfather Mountain and Linville Caverns, Blowing Rock, Mystery Hill, Moses H. Cone Park (mansion and trails)
- Asheville: Biltmore Estate
Right in Raleigh
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
- NC Museum of History
- NCMA - North Carolina Museum of Art
- Fred G. Bond Metro Park and Boathouse in Cary, NC. GPS: Fred G. Bond Metro Park
- Jordan Lake (near Apex, NC). GPS: Farrington Point, Jordan Lake
- Asheboro Zoo (1 hour from Raleigh)
Additionally, check out this page with many local attractions: 30 free things to do in Raleigh.
Where to stay
It makes sense to stay in hotels near the highway in Cary; from there you can reach any point in Raleigh in about 20 minutes. Here are a few hotels priced under $100 per night when this article was written:
- Comfort Suites Regency Park - 350 Ashville Ave, Cary, NC 27518
- Hampton Inn Raleigh/Cary - 201 Ashville Ave, Cary, NC 27518
- La Quinta Inn & Suites Raleigh Cary - 191 Crescent Commons, Cary, NC 27518
- Candlewood Suites Apex Raleigh Area - 1005 Marco Dr, Apex, NC 27502
- Holiday Inn Raleigh-Cary (I-40 @ Walnut St) - 5630 Dillard Dr, Cary, NC 27518
Questions & answers
How many days for a Raleigh scouting trip?
Three to four full days: one for Raleigh-Durham orientation, one for Cary-Apex-Morrisville, one for schools and commutes at rush hour, one for beach or mountains context. Drive, don't just tour.
What should I see besides houses?
Commute routes at 8am, grocery and retail corridors, parks and greenways, school drop-off zones, and one rainy-day drive - weather changes the feel fast.
Beach or mountains from Raleigh?
Both are easy weekends: roughly two hours to Carolina beaches, three to Blue Ridge skiing. Topsail and Wilmington cover the coast; Sugar and Beech cover snow.