North Carolina

Adventure can take many forms in the Tar Heel State, from skimming down a zip line to participating in a mock ghost town shootout or exploring the vast Biltmore Estate.

1. Green River Gorge

This remote natural area close to Hendersonville may be the coolest place to be on a hot summer day.

Through the 10,000 acres of densely forested hillsides runs the Green River, dotted with waterfalls and coves. Getting wet is easy: Climb into a kayak or a canoe, slide into a pool, or take a guided hike to a hidden swimming spot.

It’s not just summer that makes the gorge inviting. The rest of the year, it has fly-fishing, hunting and hiking over a 225-foot-high bridge that offers impressive views of the gorge below. One of the activities available in the gorge is zip-lining over the trees and water.

To access the gorge from Hendersonville, take I-26 east, turn left on Green River Cove Road and go across the bridge; parking is on the right.

Environmental and Conservation Organization of Henderson County, 121 3rd Ave. West #4, Hendersonville, 1-828-692-0385, www.blueridgeheritage.com/attractions-destinations/green-river-gorge

2. Wilmington

Even before Wilmington became a favorite of movie and TV producers, it was immortalized in the classic film “Cape Fear.”

The Cape River forms the backdrop for the city’s waterfront park, lined with restaurants, art galleries and boutiques. The October Riverfest brings activities, music, local artisans and more to the area.

Up the hill from the water are 230 blocks of homes, churches and public buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Another signature historic attraction is the battleship North Carolina, which saw action in the Pacific during World War II and is now open for the public to roam.

From the heart of town, it’s a short drive to some of the state’s most popular Atlantic beaches at Wrightsville, Carolina Beach State Park and Kure Beach, where the state’s Historical Resources division operates an Underwater Archaeology museum.

Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau, 505 Nutt St., Wilmington, 1-877-406-2356, www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com

3. Mount Airy

In a way, this town at the northern tip of the state is the real Mayberry, as it was the childhood home of actor Andy Griffith, who starred in the TV show that has become an analogy for any small, friendly community.

Main Street looks much like that show’s set, with spots named for the characters: Floyd’s City Barber Shop, Opie’s Candy Store, Wally’s Service Station, Mayberry Soda Fountain. There’s also a courthouse, city jail and a black-and-white cruiser that takes tourists on spins around town.

The Andy Griffith Playhouse includes a museum of Griffith memorabilia. The actor’s childhood home is owned by the Hampton Inn chain and can be reserved for about $175 per night.

The four-day Mayberry Days festival in September draws look-alike actors who dress up as the show’s characters for parades, barbecues, music and a golf tournament.

Mount Airy Visitors Center, 200 North Main St., Mount Airy, 1-800-948-0949, www.visitmayberry.com

4. Ghost Town

in the Sky

This amusement park with an Old West theme was built in the early 1960s atop a mountain in Maggie Valley. It closed in 2002, but new owners have resurrected the spirit of the original park.

The rides are largely aimed at tykes, but there’s also a zip line and a chairlift up to the top for those who want a bit more excitement.

The heart of the spread is a reconstructed ghost town, with two wood-framed saloons, a general store, a school, a jail and a church. There’s also a stage where costumed dancers perform the can-can. And don’t be surprised if the occasional gunfight spills out of the saloon or a pair of bank robbers shoot it out with the sheriff in the street. It’s all part of the staged (and some times participatory) fun.

The park is open from July through October.

16 Fie Top Road, Maggie Valley, 1-828-926-1130, www.ghostowninthesky.com

5. Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

Seventy years of collecting by the Bechtler family of Switzerland resulted in Charlotte’s sleekest new art attraction. The three-year-old Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is four floors of artworks, sculptures and prints, many of which were held privately by the family before being donated to the city.

The works center on the post-World War II era and are signed by such well-known names as Picasso, Calder, Miró, Warhol and Chillida.

The museum is part of the city’s Levine Center for the Arts, a two-block stretch along Tryon, Church and Stonewall streets that includes the Mint Museum Uptown, the Knight Theater and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and Culture.

420 S. Tryon St., Charlotte, 1-704-353-9200, www.bechtler.org

6. Wright Brothers National Memorial

The Outer Banks sand dunes were the testing grounds for the Ohio-born Wright brothers, the manned-flight pioneers who began visiting the area in the early 1900s.

A museum dedicated to the bicycle shop owners has replicas of test gliders and rooms reconstructed to resemble the pair’s living quarters. Films and artifacts tell the history of flight, and park rangers tell stories about the brothers’ determination to succeed.

Not far from the memorial, those who want to experience a small part of the flying thrill can try their luck at hang-gliding on the dunes.

1000 N. Croatan Highway, Kill Devil Hills, 1-252-473-2111, www.nps.gov/wrbr/index.htm

7. Brevard Music Center

The hills are alive with the sound of music every summer when performers and students from around the world head to this cultural oasis in the Blue Ridge mountains.

The center, anchoring about 180 acres of greenery southwest of Asheville, has built a reputation as one of the leading summer music institutes.

For seven weeks beginning in late June, about 400 teens and college students work with faculty and artists such as pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and violinist Joshua Bell. After honing their skills in classes and workshops, the students and their mentors offer more than 80 public concerts showcasing classical, jazz, pop, opera and other genres.

During the rest of the year, the center and Brevard College offer First Monday concerts.

349 Andante Lane, Brevard, 1-828-862-2105, www.brevardmusic.org

8. Roanoke Island

Hark back to the Elizabethan age in the New World with a visit to this island between the mainland and the Outer Banks. It was here in 1585 that English settlers first established a colony, and their efforts are revived through costumed re-enactors in the blacksmith and woodworking shops.

Climb aboard a 16th-century sailing ship, try on a suit of armor or stroll along the boardwalk to the Marshes Lighthouse and the free maritime museum.

From the end of May through August, the island also offers an outdoor play based on the legend of the Lost Colony, a group of settlers who arrived in the area 400 years ago and mysteriously disappeared.

Follow up the show with a visit to the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, where remnants of the early settlements are preserved.

1 Festival Park, Manteo, 1-252-475-1500, www.roanokeisland.com

9. Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst Resort

This historic town in the Sandhills owes its charm and natural beauty to Frederic Law Olmstead, the Druid Hills designer who laid out the 2,000-acre resort community where the singular goal is to slow down .

Olmstead’s vision is still on display today in the detailed landscaping, quaint shopping district and the crown jewel: the Carolina Hotel. Since 1901, the posh resort has played host to a who’s-who of guests .

Many enjoyed a round on one of the eight golf courses that legendary player Bobby Jones dubbed “the St. Andrews of United States golf.” There’s also a nine-hole putting green, 18 clay and six hard-surface tennis courts, a pool and whirlpool, and a 200-acre freshwater lake with a beach club for swimming, boating and fishing.

A four-star spa offers more than 40 services designed to pamper hotel guests.

80 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst, 1-855-235-8507, www.pinehurst.com

10. New Bern

seafood

This 300-year-old town has plenty to offer in the way of history, antiquing, shopping and getting outdoors. But it’s also a foodie haven with a little-known claim to fame: It was here that Pepsi first fizzed.

Today’s visitors can cool off with a cold one or a glass of wine at the elegant Chelsea restaurant, housed in the 1912 building where Bradham had his second pharmacy.

Like many of New Bern’s downtown restaurants, the Chelsea (335 Middle St., 1-252- 637-5469) focuses on locally sourced ingredients, including plenty of seafood. The menu features barbecued shrimp and grits and eggrolls stuffed with pulled pork .

Other downtown dining destinations focus on the area’s abundance of seafood. At MJ’s Raw Bar & Grille (216 Middle St., 1-252-635-6890), buckets of fried shrimp and plates of lobster salad are among the favorites. Morgan’s Tavern (235 Craven St., 1-252-636-2430), tucked into a 1911 former garage, dishes up the local twist on fish tacos — fried shrimp with shredded cheddar and wasabi sauce.

But for those looking for a taste of down-home, the Country Biscuit (809 Broad St., 1-252-638-5151) is the place for classic country ham, barbecued chicken and gravy-smothered biscuits.

Convention and Visitors Bureau, 203 S. Front St., New Bern, 1-252-637-9400, www.visitnewbern.com