Travel

No more marathon road trips or flights taken just to get a passport renewed in time.

Travel writer Jason Frye knows North Carolina, a state he fell in love with during vacations when he was growing up in West Virginia. He’s written several guidebooks about the Tar Heel State and his two latest are “Moon North Carolina: With Great Smoky Mountains” and “Moon North Carolina Coast: With the Outer Banks.”

Thanks to B.B. King’s relentless touring schedule – appearing in 342 shows in 1956 – he was known worldwide as “The King of the Blues.” He reworked a 1951 blues song, “The Thrill is Gone,” lifting it to a Grammy award in 1970.

Listen carefully in the juke joints, restaurants or the impressive interactive museums in Tunica, Cleveland, Clarksdale and Indianola, and you’re bound to hear fans talking about their love of the blues – many with international accents.

While you may think of camping sites, lodges and cabins for park accommodations, some offer lodging a bit more out-of-the box. We recently stayed in a 1970s barrel cabin in Unicoi State Park in North Georgia, so named because it’s shaped like a giant barrel.

For three years, I’ve written the same words on Airbnb’s reservation field that says “tell your host why you’re in town.”

Set on 614 acres at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in Ireland, Ballyfin may be the most elegantly appointed place I’ve ever stayed. It’s the kind of setting where no ottoman or pillow goes unfringed, you’ll encounter a full suit of armor on the staircase and the 20 bedrooms have names, not numbers.

The results of our first poll on The Travel 100 are in! Is it rude to recline your seat all the way on an airline? The options:

We zipped along on our green scooters, passing the impossibly white sand dunes of the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Santa Rosa Sound on the other, enjoying the unspoiled beauty of Gulf Islands National Seashore in Navarre Beach.

Many think that winter is for hibernation. But in Sylva, Dillsboro, Cherokee and Cashiers, it is an undiscovered season with limitless offerings perfect for a seasonal getaway.

In the North Carolina mountain towns, there are many Instagram-worthy scenic views.

From the mountains to the coast, North Carolina offers quite a few beautiful drives.

During a recent Palm Beach getaway we took a fascinating island tour where we heard tales of the rich and dysfunctional while viewing their mega-mansions, dined on superb sushi and took the best food tour I’ve ever been on where I was introduced to the charming custom of fika in Sweden.

North Carolina’s mountain towns are known for their abundance of natural beauty. Some of the best-kept waterfall secrets are hidden along the trails of Cashiers, Cherokee, Sylva and Dillsboro. The nearby American Continental Divide is where water flows in two directions, creating serene, cascading falls and deep lagoons.

A few simple changes can add up to big cost savings when it comes to gasoline. Below are a few easy things to do:

Before vacay this summer, equip your phone with these three great apps:

I wouldn’t have moved from Maine to North Carolina if it wasn’t for my father. He encouraged me to apply to NC State University.

North Carolina’s coast is composed of more than 300 miles of barrier island beaches, coastal towns, national seashores and lighthouses. USA Today surveyed North Carolinians on their favorite beach spots and released a list of the top 10.

It’s a game changer for travel around south Florida. Brightline began express train service in January between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, and added service to Miami last week.

For more than four decades, I’ve been exploring the North Carolina mountains, and the options for outdoor enthusiasts are pretty exhaustive. Linville’s caverns, gorge and falls make for a great weekend getaway.

Asheville is known for its beautiful landscape, rich history, amazing food, local breweries, and its local and innovative musicians. National Geographic listed the top 10 music cities in the U.S. in its May 2018 Traveler edition. Coming in at number nine, Asheville was described as “America’s greatest undiscovered musical city.”

Leave the phone and email behind and embrace nature’s majesty in Western North Carolina.

Spring is a great time to vacation. So whether you’re taking off with friends, a significant other or the whole family, consider these destinations for your getaway:

From a small courtroom in Sumner, Mississippi, where the Emmett Till murder trial was held, to the United States Supreme Court building, the location of the decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the new U.S. Civil Rights Trail covers more than 100 landmarks that played a role in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

Boutique hotels have been popping up across North Carolina. They are perfect for travelers with an appreciation for design or locals seeking a cozy staycation. Many hotels are close to popular attractions and feature their own unique style, architecture or a special piece of history.

With the recent snow hitting North Carolina, Beech Mountain Ski Resort is a statewide destination for winter sports.

For the perfect way to warm up from winter temperatures, bundle up and get your adrenaline pumping with a hike to one of Jackson County’s many waterfalls.

Hit the slopes at Sapphire Valley Resort with skiing and snowboarding on the 1,600-foot main run with a vertical drop of 200 feet. Ideal for a day of family fun, take a lesson from the mountain’s professional instructors.

Bordering 45 miles of Jackson County, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a must-see scenic drive in the fall with an explosion of color.

Jeremy Norris’ family members were bootleggers and farmers. He carries on their legacy with Broadslab Distillery, located on the family farm, producing moonshine, whisky and rum in a still he designed with his grandfather using his recipe. “We handle the entire process from dirt to bottle,” he said on the one-hour tour that includes a shot glass and tasting.