Activities in North Carolina
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Kitty Hawk Kites
Has locations all over the Banks offering beginners' kiteboarding lessons (three hours $200) and hang-gliding lessons at Jockey's Ridge State Park (from $89). It also rents kayaks, sailboats, bikes and in-line skates and has a variety of tours and courses.
reviewed
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Nantahala Outdoor Center
The huge and highly recommended Nantahala Outdoor Center, specializes in wet and wild rafting trips down the Nantahala, French Broad, Pigeon and Ocoee Rivers, and rents out bikes, kayaks and more. It even has its own lodge and restaurant.
reviewed
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Back Country Outfitters
Back Country Outfitters offers guided 4WD tours over the dunes and through the maritime forest to see the unique wild mustang ponies that roam the Outer Banks.
reviewed
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Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
The modern Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education has an interesting film on area history, info on local hiking trails, and duck-decoy carving classes.
reviewed
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Nags Head Diving
Nags Head Diving has NAUI-certified instructors who run everything from basic classes to guided dives of the shipwrecks of the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
reviewed
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Museum of the Cherokee Indian
The best sight is the modern Museum of the Cherokee Indian, with an informative exhibit on the Trail of Tears and eerily realistic dioramas.
reviewed
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Wright Brothers Memorial
Sprawling museum with gift shop, flight demonstrations and historical buildings.
reviewed
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Wild Horse Adventure Tours
Offers guided 4WD tours over the dunes and through the maritime forest to see the unique wild mustang ponies that roam the Outer Banks.
reviewed
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US National Whitewater Center
A beyond-awesome hybrid of nature center and waterpark, this 400-acre facility is home to the largest manmade white-water river in the world, whose rapids serve as training grounds for Olympic canoe and kayak teams. Paddle it yourself as part of a guided rafting trip, or try one of the center's other high-octane activities: zip-lines, an outdoor rock climbing wall, multiple ropes courses, paddleboarding, aerial canopy tours of the surrounding forest, miles of wooded hiking and mountain-biking trails.
reviewed
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Richard Petty Driving Experience
reviewed
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Outer Banks Dive Center
Has NAUI-certified instructors who run everything from basic classes to guided dives of the shipwrecks of the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
reviewed
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Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR races, a homegrown Southeastern obsession, are held at the visible-from-outer-space speedway, 12 miles northeast of town. For the ultimate thrill/near-death experience, ride shotgun at up to 165 miles per hour in a real stock car with the Richard Petty Driving Experience.
reviewed
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River and Earth Adventures
Offers everything from family-friendly caving trips to rafting Class V rapids at Watauga Gorge. Ecoconscious guides even pack organic lunches. Bike and kayak rentals.
reviewed