North Carolina is home to iconic college teams; pro basketball, football, hockey, soccer and racing; plus sports museums and halls of fame you can visit year-round.

Whether you’re into history, nature or simply digging your toes in the sand, the Southern Outer Banks of North Carolina is a region studded with rare finds.

Road trips are back, and they’re here to stay. This 159-mile stretch of Interstate-95 from Lumberton to Roanoke Rapids allows you to focus on family time while soaking up chart-topping scenery and first-rate attractions. Load up the car and begin your journey toward lifelong memories with your loved ones.

Wild horses, lighthouses and blissfully isolated stretches of sand are just a few of the firsts Jazmene and Peyton experienced on their trip. Explore these stops and more to find out what firsts you might uncover along 320 miles of North Carolina coastline.

From conquering heights from the tops of waterfalls to conquering flights at the local breweries, Chris and Andrea found plenty of memorable firsts in the mountains of North Carolina. Check out the stops on their journey to learn more and start discovering firsts of your own.

The Road to Nowhere ends at a tunnel inside North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If you want to venture farther, you have to do it by foot.

You'll feel reinvigorated after a few days enjoying the quaint shops and cafés, charming inns and peaceful hikes of Boone, Blowing Rock and Banner Elk.

You might know of Bald Head Island as a popular summertime retreat, offering sun, sand and a slower pace of life that freely mingles with nature. But the locals have a tip for you: Autumn visits are best. Spend a weekend, a week or even longer as you take in the smaller crowds, low offseason rates and easy-to-find tables at harbor-side restaurants.

The Outer Banks encompasses a 130-mile stretch of barrier islands on North Carolina's northern coast brimming with well-known beaches, quaint towns and quiet fishing villages. Plus, many iconic monuments and natural wonders dot the landscape. The combination makes this an ideal destination for a summer beach vacation or an offseason coastal getaway.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is called “America’s Favorite Drive” for many reasons, and those include stops at must-see mileposts here.