What To Do On The Weekends

Anything you want. Seriously. Well, this pursuit is a bit easier if you (like us) are based in Greensboro. We are called the Gate City for our history as a transportation hub. Currently, that’s helping us rebuild our economy as a logistics hub (FedEx, Polo Ralph Lauren and several other national companies have established distribution centers here). Meanwhile, this weekend, our roads, trains and planes can help you build the best weekend ever (or even the best summer or winter vacation). Here’s a few major destinations/activities and how far it will take to reach them if you start in the middle of the state. (All distances are driving distances).

Broadway Shows/Restaurants/Big Time Shopping

• Charlotte– 1 hour 29 minutes.
• Durham– 54 minutes.

The Beach/Outer Banks

• Manteo–4 hours 10 minutes
• Kure Beach–3 hours 29 minutes.
• Ocracoke Island–6 hours 27 minutes (there’s a ferry involved here)
• Hatteras Island–5 hours 27 minutes
• Morehead City– 3 hours 55 minutes.
• Wrightsville Beach–3 hours 10 minutes.

Mountains

• Blue Ridge Parkway (North Carolina Terminus)–3 hours 42 minutes
• Asheville–2 hours and 41 minutes.
• Sylva– 3 hours and 24 minutes.
• Lake Junakuska– 3 hours and 2 minutes.
• Boone– 1 hour 54 minutes.
• Blowing Rock– 2 hours 8 minutes.
• Cherokee–3 hours 38 minutes.
• Pilot Mountain–56 minutes.
• Hanging Rock State Park– 1 hour 4 min.

Golf

• Pinehurst–1 hour 17 minutes.

In addition, if you want to have more of a staycation, we have a lovely regional theater in Triad Stage, lots of great restaurants, the Wet and Wild Emerald Pointe Water Park and miles of hiking and biking trails, many that thanks to our hilly Piedmont climate, are great stand-ins for the mountains. If you are going to the Durham and Raleigh area, you can always stop off at Umpstead State Park or Jordan Lake. Charlotte’s even closer to the mountain locales. Golf is everywhere.

Notice, most of these trips take less than 4 hours to get there, meaning if you wake up like you are going to work and take turns driving and sleeping, you have at least 36 solid hours in all these locales. If you are coming in from out of state, fly into Piedmont Triad International Airport and rent a car to get the sense of centrality.

Now that you know what you are going to do this weekend, get in the know and check out these news stories.

The State House is wrapping up their side of the state budget debate.

A Wake County court is hearing a case brought against the General Assembly over rules said to limit protesters access to the State House.

The other side of Chatham County is getting state attention, with the approval by state leaders of the megasite it shares with Randolph County.

Burlington leaders are going forward with plans to start a bus transit system. Burlington is currently the largest municipality in the state without a public transit authority.

One hundred people attended a public meeting in High Point last night for the Save the City Project town hall meeting.

High Point’s collapsed Kilby Hotel has been cleared away.

Chapel Hill cannot regulate cell phones by themselves, says the NC Supreme Court.

Kmart is leaving High Point.

Charlotte officials are withholding criticism of the plan to create an airport commission in lieu of the city council running Charlotte-Douglas Airport.

Meanwhile, CATS and the airport will begin a shuttle service from key park and ride lots in the Charlotte area.

The state will appeal the court ruling on Asheville’s water system.

Film incentives are still in play.

In addition, a number of city and county budgets are being approved statewide.