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BEST NORTH CAROLINA ROAD TRIPS
The state is bordered by four other states. Georgia and South Carolina on the south, Tennessee on the West and Virginia on the north. The Atlantic Ocean makes up the eastern coastal border and it's interesting to note that Blackbeard the pirate was killed here. The state is a diverse geographical state and offers many beautiful travel destinations for bikers to take spectacular travel videos. It's where powered human flight first began in 1903 with the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. "First In Flight" is even depicted on the State Vehicle License Plate.
It's fascinating to see the world of flight as it is today and realize that it all began right there at Kill Devil Hill about 4 miles from what used to be a remote fishing village on the outer banks. In 1587 Virginia Dare was born at the English colony at Roanoke. She has the distinction as the first English child born on American soil. North Carolinian Andrew Jackson became the 7th president of the United States in 1828. Being one of the original thirteen colonies, it was the twelfth state to ratify the US Constitution on November 21, 1789. The original Capitol building in Raleigh, finished in 1840, is still standing and in use today and is considered a National Historic Landmark. The state is made up of three distinct geographical areas: The Coastal Plain, Piedmont Region, and Mountain Region. A subset of the coastal plains is the far eastern section known as the Outer Banks. These are long, sandy islands that act as a barrier between the Atlantic Ocean and two inland waterways. This is where Kitty Hawk is located. The Atlantic coastal plain is marked by rivers, swamps and marshes and has an average elevation of less than 300 feet above sea level. It extends inland about 30 to 60 miles from the ocean. The soil is rich here and is excellent for growing cotton, soybeans, and tobacco. In the colonial days this section dominated in commerce and government, however, it has now shifted to the center of the state and the coastal plain is considered a rural area. The Piedmont region in the middle of the state is a transitional area where the elevation climbs from about 300 feet above sea level in the east to over 1000 feet in the west. This transition is known as a "fall line" and marks where waterfalls first appear on rivers and streams. This is where you'll see rolling hills and low mountain ranges. It is also where you'll see the most dense population and urbanization.
The Mountain region in the western part of the state is part of the Appalachian Mountain range. The highest place in the Eastern United States is located here at Mount Mitchell. Even higher than Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, it is the highest place east of the Mississippi River and rises 6,674 feet above sea level. There are sub-ranges in the Appalachians located in the state and they are the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Great Smoky Mountains, Great Balsam Mountains and the Black Mountains. Even though North Carolina is considered a southern state, the climate in the mountain region is more like the mid-west with temperatures that can dip below zero and significant snowfall is commonplace. Asheville, North Carolina, located in the region's center, is the area's largest city and most prominent commercial hub. The eastern band of the Cherokee Indian tribe have a reservation in the mountain region in the town of Cherokee, North Carolina. Cherokee is the launching point for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. See the links below to YouTube videos. Blue Ridge Parkway Ride From The Beginning to West Jefferson Blue Ridge Parkway From West Jefferson To Virginia State Line Please submit your own North Carolina Road Trips to be published on Road-Trip-Bikers.com
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