From quiet beaches to easygoing adventures, Onslow County is where our family makes room for more memories every fall — more sunsets, more shark teeth and more second helpings.

Alamance County sits in the center of NC’s Triad, where heritage and imagination meet on main streets, riverbanks and restored mill floors.

Martin County — an Eastern NC gem tucked between Raleigh, Greenville and the Outer Banks — is where major highways meet small-town soul. Pull over for smokehouse barbecue, offbeat museums and unexpected finds.

Ride the rails, pet the cows, sip the brews — the Swain County TDA Executive Director has your Bryson City fall covered.

Head to Jones Lake State Park in Elizabethtown and discover one of the most intriguing natural features in the Southeast — the Carolina bays. This 2,200-acre park sits beside Bladen Lakes State Forest and is home to Jones and Salters lakes, both rare bay lakes whose origins are still debated today. Theories range from ancient wind and wave patterns to meteor showers, but no single answer has been proven. What is clear: these calm, tea-colored waters offer a peaceful escape for paddling, fishing or simply enjoying the quiet beauty of the surrounding forest.

These scenic overnight stays in NC’s High Country make it tempting to stay in — even with waterfalls, wineries, mile-high hikes and stunning drives nearby.