Thinking about a visit to ZMAX Dragway in Charlotte, NC? When is the last time you stood up to watch something go 300 mph? Been a long time or maybe never? Then you should plan a trip to the ZMAX Dragway for an NHRA National Event.
We got a chance to visit for an NHRA Nationals Events and couldn’t believe all the things we got to experience. And the best part? Kids are just $10. So your 300 mph family adventure just got a lot more budget-friendly. Here’s everything you need to know.
If you are looking for beaches near Charlotte, NC, then you’ve found our list of the top beaches for your next family trip. We gathered some wonderful beaches on the SC and NC coast with kid-friendly attractions and things to do, perfect for planning your itinerary. Though finding beaches within 3 hours of Charlotte, NC is pretty tough, most of these beaches are within a 3 to 4 hour drive.
10 Best Beaches Near Charlotte, NC
SC Beaches Within 4 Hours of Charlotte
Believe it or not, many of the beaches of South Carolina are closer to Charlotte than the ones in NC! Plus, the SC coastline offers many family-friendly beaches with lots of things to do with. We have details on ocean excursions, hotels to stay at, and even some of the best attractions at these SC beaches.
~3.5 Hours from Charlotte People travel from across the country to come to Myrtle Beach, SC. Over the years it has transformed many times, and the area is very family-friendly with lots to do. Plus, it is the closest beach to Charlotte, NC.
From attractions like Ripley’s Aquarium and the epic SkyWheel to fun activities for nature lovers like Myrtle Beach State Park and Brookgreen Gardens, you’ll have a full itinerary in no time. There are also luxury golf courses to check out if that’s your kind of thing. Our Travel Guide to Myrtle Beach offers ideas for great hotels and family-friendly activities.
Check out our Travel Guide to Myrtle Beach, with information about things to do, places to stay, and even places to eat!
~3.5 Hours from Charlotte Staying on the beaches of an SC State Park offers something magical, the chance to see some amazing wildlife! Plus, the earthy smell of a protected beach and the small crowds make for a relaxing time. Kids can hunt for seashells and play in the sand or head to the nature center to learn about coastal wildlife. explore. Huntington Beach State Park offers beach camping, perfect for nature lovers.
~3.5 Hours from Charlotte This beach, located just 20 minutes from downtown Charleston, SC, is my personal favorite. You’ll find surfers lining up along the break every morning, a cute downtown area with total beach vibes, and proximity to several other beaches and the major cities of Charleston and Mt. Pleasant.
While you’re visiting Folly Beach, check out our Travel Guide to Charleston, SC! You’ll find places to stay and things to do that are worth the hype.
~3.75 Hours from Charlotte Wanting a more nature-based vacation? Edisto Beach has tons of wildlife to see, quiet beaches to look for seashells and crabs, and trees lined in Spanish moss that make your vacation feel so dreamy! Kids will love looking for shark teeth on the beach.
~4 Hours from Charlotte Hilton Head Island is considered one of the most family-friendly and beautiful areas on the South Carolina coast, making it one of the best places to visit near Charlotte, NC. Our Guide to Hilton Head Island has over 20 kid-friendly vacation ideas, from pirate excursions and dolphin tours to parks and arcades.
The beaches of North Carolina are loaded with things to do! We rounded up five of the best beaches with watersports, beach excursions, ocean charters, and family-friendly beaches to relax on.
~3.5 Hours from Charlotte Deemed the perfect family-friendly beach, Carolina Beach on the southern coast of North Carolina is a great beach for families with kids. The quaint boardwalk has a Ferris wheel and lots of beach vibes. Smaller crowds make this beach a great weekend trip without the hassle of finding a spot on the sand to park your things. Kure Beach is less than a 15-minute drive, so you can bounce between beaches on your vacation.
See why we think Carolina Beach is an excellent family-friendly beach for your next vacation!
~3.5 Hours from Charlotte With watersports like surfing and SUP being very popular, Wrightsville Beach is great for the family looking for adventure! There are also scenic tours of the island and an awesome nature center your kids will enjoy learning about the wildlife the area has and the importance of protecting it.
~3.25 Hours from Charlotte Just south of Wilmington, you’ll find Holden Beach near Ocean Isle. Holden Beach offers small-town charm and unspoiled beauty, making it a great option for a vacation with kids.
~4 hours from Charlotte Located on the southern end of the 26-mile barrier island, Topsail Beach is worth the 4-hour trip from Charlotte. Enjoy a few hours on the expansive beach. Then head to the marsh to watch seabirds and catch a glimpse of a dolphin or two! We recommend the southern tip of the island’s pristine undeveloped beach, Serenity Point Sandbar. Here, you’ll find a peaceful day away from the busy part of the island.
~4 hours from Charlotte Head to this island on the coast of NC if you are looking for kayaking, hiking, nature adventure with your kids, and learn about crabbing with the Conservancy staff at Village Creek Access. They also have a cool Bald Head After Dark program, where you can learn all about the night creatures that call the island home. You’ll find lots of kid-friendly things to do in the camps and recreation center as well!
Drive a Little Further: 4+ Hours Beaches in NC Worth the Drive
~ 6 Hours from Charlotte The stunning chain of barrier islands located off the coast of North Carolina is an excellent beach vacation destination. Especially if you are looking for natural beauty. You can stay in Corolla and catch of glimpse of wild horses, Nags Head, or Roanoke, or head down the dunes to Avon or Cape Hatteras for a relaxing vacation. There are tons of watersports on the sound side of the islands, boating tours, lighthouses to check out, and more! Our kids love watching the kitesurfers tearing up the waves on the sound. The islands have mostly home rentals and smaller crowds, with lots of affordable options.
~5.25 Hours from Charlotte Head to the barrier island of Bogue Banks and visit Atlantic Beach if you need a little escape from the day-to-day. With watersports galore, shopping, and a pretty neat skatepark/mini golf combo to check out, Atlantic Beach is a great option for your family. There are several beaches in the area, including Emerald Isle, so you can beach-hop for a few days during your vacation.
Ready to relax at one of these awesome Florida vacation home rentals with a private pool? Many of these rentals include fabulous family extras like game rooms, beach carts and supplies, toys, fire pits, bikes, kayaks, and more!
Planning a visit to Greenville, SC? Travel to the area is booming, and we’re so glad you’re here! We love our little city (and so does The New York Times, Forbes, and Southern Living!) because there’s so much for everyone to see, do, and eat.
Art connoisseurs, outdoor enthusiasts, foodies, and history buffs will all find something to enjoy while visiting Greenville. And, of course, families have an incredible amount of opportunities to make memories here. So, since you’re planning to visit, we wanted to make your planning a little easier by giving you a list of our top recommendations for places to eat, places to stay, and things to do in Greenville… as well as a guide to parking in downtown Greenville.
Are you looking for the perfect vacation home to rent for your next family vacation? No matter where you’re headed, whether it’s the mountains, the beach or somewhere in between, we’ve found some truly unique and stellar vacation homes you’ll want to check out. We have lists of homes that feature amenities we know families want. So get planning, and enjoy your next vacation!
Fun Family Vacation Rentals
Whether you’re looking for a unique themed vacation rental or the perfect jumping-off spot for an epic adventure-filled vacation, these lists of family vacation rentals will have something awesome for you. We have rentals in beautiful scenery, rentals near theme parks and attractions, rentals with great hiking, amazing kid-friendly rentals, and lots more. So, make sure to grab a rental with plenty of bunk beds, and load up the kids, you’re going on an adventure!
Check out our vacation rental content below.
Vacation Homes for Great Family Vacations
10 Awesome Florida Vacation Home Rentals with a Private Pool!
Family Vacation Time? These Vacation Rentals With Private Indoor Pools are Awesome!
Enjoy Fall Color Change at these Incredible Vacation Rentals in WNC
Stay in a Tiny Home or River Pod At the Saluda Outdoor Center: Greenville, SC
Looking for fun things to do in Charlotte, NC? Here’s a list of just a few of the fun things in the Charlotte area. Don’t forget to let us know your favorite things to do in the comments!
Here’s just some of the fun that awaits you in the Queen City! Be sure to check back as we add more first-hand accounts of adventures we have in the Charlotte area.
Reedy Creek Nature Preserve This is an amazing nature center and preserve about 6 miles northwest of downtown Charlotte, which is located inside of the larger Reedy Creek Park. The park includes a playground, a science center, hiking trails, and more.
If you are looking for a place full of outdoor adventure, this is it. The center offers white water activities and provides visitors with the opportunity to rock climb, hike, mountain bike, zipline, and much more. We went ice skating at the Whitewater Center and really enjoyed the experience.
Readers shared their love for the US National White Water Center on Facebook with us recently when we asked if they had been.
Several times and loved it! The rafting is a short loop, but it’s intense depending on where the raft guide decides to go. The zip line is the best I’ve ever been on. There are events for smaller children too, like rock climbing. It’s well worth the trip.
Tina M.
Yes! Have season passes. Great for kids 6 & up, plus families. As an adult that is not crazy about being outdoors I love the white water rafting and flat water kayaking. Plenty to do for a whole day’s visit!
Virginia W.W.
Many times and we’ve done it all! Mountain biking to zip line to rafting and even experienced their live music series, River Jam…. enough to spend a full day there with the fam (10yo+)
Nikki W.
Carolina Raptor Center Purchase advance tickets online year-round This rehabilitation and education center is home to falcons, hawks, owls, eagles and vultures from all over the world. Guests will have the chance to learn about and meet these magnificent birds up close.
Check out Ninja Nation or one of the many camps and classes at Ninja Nation in Huntersville. Kids (and parents) will get to live out their Ninja Warrior dreams.
14120 Statesville Road, Huntersville, NC
Stay Inside!
If you’re looking for things to do indoors, you’ll want to visit our Indoor Fun Guide.
Visit Charlotte Motorspeedway Whether you’re attending a race at the speedway, an event at ZMAX Dragway, an event at the dirt track or stopping by for a tour, there’s always a lot to see at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Look for family-friendly deals like free kids’ tickets at select events, take advantage of activities and music in the fan zone outside the track, and enjoy a race at one of the iconic tracks that make up the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Great Wolf Lodge – Concord An easy drive from the Upstate, Great Wolf Lodge is a great one-stop destination for families, and your stay includes an indoor waterpark that’s nice and warm even in the winter. The activities provided at the Lodge mean that no extra planning has to be done to make this a fun-filled trip.
iFLY in Concord iFLY is an indoor skydiving simulator where you enter a wind tunnel that is strong enough to allow you to float in the air.
Escape Game: Concord Mills
We visited Escape Game to try out one of their new escape room games. It’s a great place to bring the family or a group of older kids and test yourselves with the puzzles needed to escape the room.
Explore the site of the first gold discovered in the United States, learn to pan for gold, walk through the mine and much more! This site is totally free to visit and panning for gold costs just $3. See how our visit went in our review of Reed Gold Mine.
Christmas Town USA – McAdenville, NC This tiny town of just under 700 people takes the Christmas season very seriously. It all started with nine trees being decorated by the Men’s Club. The following year they did a few more, and that continued every year. By 2004 nearly 400 trees were decorated, and the town residents all decided to join in the fun. The joint effort resulted in almost half a million lights adorning the 1.3 mile stretch of road that visitors see as they pass through the town.
Christmas Lights at The Charlotte Motor Speedway Purchase advance tickets online Speedway Christmas is unique in that you get to drive your own car on the racetrack that is normally driven on by professional NASCAR drivers. Unfortunately your mini-van will be going at a snail’s pace, but it’s still pretty cool in my opinion. On the 3.75 mile drive-thru course visitors get to view displays consisting of over four million lights!
Kannapolis Village Park Enjoy the totally free Christmas light display you can walk through at Kannapolis Park. Or, hop aboard the Winter Express train for just $2 and view the lights from the rails. The park’s double-decker carousel also operates during the lights events.
Fans of a time long forgotten can weave their way through huge roasted “turkey legs”, unique handcrafted item vendors, mermaids, fairies, sword jugglers, falconry demonstrations, and a jousting tournament. Your child can even be knighted by Queen Isabella while you are there!
More Seasonal Things to Do in Charlotte
The Quarry at Carrigan Farms Summer: Purchase online tickets in advance for Open Swim all summer Looking for a unique place to cool off this summer? The Quarry at Carrigan Farms in Mooresville, NC, might be just the place. The quarry at Carrigan Farms offers guests a full day of water activities, including several rock jump-off points, rope swings, swimming areas, and a sand beach volleyball area. Slots book up quickly, and planning is recommended.
York County, SC: Fun Just Across The Border from Charlotte in South Carolina
Charlotte is so close to the state border that several popular attractions straddle both states. For example, did you know that Carowinds is in both North Carolina and South Carolina? In addition, visitors to the area often zip back and forth across state lines, so we decided to include some of our favorite things in the Charlotte area, across the state line in South Carolina.
Kings Mountain State Park The Kings Mountain State Park and the Kings Mountain National Military Park are right next to each other and visible from I85. You will cross into North Carolina and then back into South Carolina to get to the park, that’s how close this historical state park is to Charlotte.
The Sunflowers of Draper Wildlife Area If you are looking for a magical place to take family photos or just a place to visit for fresh air and a change of scenery, we found a place just south of Rock Hill that won’t cost you a dime to enjoy. The Sunflower Fields of Draper Wildlife Area are only in bloom for few weeks over the summer, but if you plan correctly you can see them in full bloom in July.
Anne Springs Close Greenway The Greenway is a 2,100 nature preserve that is a continuation of the Springs’ family tradition of providing recreation options to the workers of the Springmaid Brand Mill workers. The park is a little more than a third of the land that the Springs family purchased from the Catawba Indians. The preserve includes hiking trails, lakes, creeks, wildflower gardens, and so many other things for your family to enjoy.
Schiele Museum of Natural History Purchase online tickets in advance year-round This museum makes a great day trip. We had a lot of fun visiting the museum and enjoyed exhibits on dinosaurs, minerals, animals, critters, nature, and so much more! If you haven’t been yet, you should add it to your museum bucket list.
Hickory, NC
Head up to the Catawba Science Center for lots of fun learning opportunities. We love their hands-on exhibits and aquarium space.
Things to Do in Greenville, SC
We know a thing or two about Greenville, SC! Our sister-site, Kidding Around Greenville is the top family- fun resource in Greenville. Check out these awesome things to do in Greenville, SC.
Things to Do in Columbia, SC
We’re also covering all the family fun things to do in Columbia on our Kidding Around Columbia sister-site. Check out our huge list of things to do in Columbia for a super-fun day trip.
Places To Eat In The Charlotte Area
Finding a spot to eat in the big city can be daunting, but luckily there’s good food to be found with a little bit of guidance.
I love places where you can go and everyone can decide what they want, and it can be varied. My kids can usually only agree to disagree and this makes mealtime easier.
Leah & Louise – (reservations recommended) Elevated deep south menu
Plus vendors that serve burgers, plant-based menu items, cocktails, coffee and more!
Gibson Mill
Gibson Mill has been renovated into a multi-use space with antique stores, entertainment like escape rooms and ax throwing, as well as a family-friendly food hall, the Gibson Mill Market.
We tried food from several of the vendors, and can report that the chicken sandwich from Johnny Rogers BBQ and Burgers is about as crispy as it gets. The kids really enjoyed their pizza from Livy’s Neapolitan Pizzeria.
You’ll also find vendors with tacos, cookies, ice cream, seafood, and more. For your adult beverages, there’s a cocktail bar upstairs and also a tap room downstairs.
Seating is available both indoors and outdoors.
For the kids, there is a small arcade room upstairs off the dining area.
And, for kids, families, and kids at heart, you’ll want to check out the board game cafe downstairs. Admission to the Luck Factory game cafe is $8 per person for a day pass. Stay and play games from their huge library all day long.
Gibson Mill Market 325 Mcgill Avenue NW, Concord Hours vary by individual business
More Restaurants in Charlotte
Savory
I like to eat like the locals do when I travel, and in Charlotte that means soul food, BBQ and Fried Chicken dishes.
Looking for an affordable place to ski with the family? KAG Contributor Lacey Keigley took her daughter to Appalachian Ski Mountain. While this review was written a few years ago, the post has been updated for the 2022-23 season.
Looking for vacation rentals with private indoor pools? We dug in and researched for you because amazing vacation homes with private indoor pools are surprisingly difficult to find and we know they make for wonderful family vacations. These mountain cabins and vacation house rentals are particularly perfect because they all include a private indoor pool.
Your family can enjoy mountain towns and things to do, plus cozy fires, games, and swimming in your own private pool. We think these modest and luxury vacation rentals with private indoor pools make a pretty perfect trip, whether you’re looking for a little vacation away from the crowds, or just some quiet family time together.
Are you thinking about snow tubing at Black Bear Snow Tubing in Hendersonville, NC? Western North Carolina has great snow tubing and Black Bear Snow Tubing is a stellar option for families! They have a huge mountain to get your winter in high gear with a fun snow tubing trip for the whole family! We took a trip up to try out that snow-tubing mountain and it was so much fun! Now we have all the details to share so you can plan your trip!
Media tickets were provided for this review and the opinions are solely those of the author.
While there aren’t any places to snow tube in the Upstate, SC, there are definitely options nearby and one of them is Black Bear Snow Tubing in nearby Hendersonville, NC, just over an hour from Greenville, SC. The snow tubing family-owned operation has been in business for over seven years and they really have a good thing going there, which I’m going to tell you all about in this story.
Scenes From the Slope
Take a sneak peek at this video at Black Bear Snow Tubing.
Snow Tubing at Black Bear
The slope at Black Bear Snow Tubing is 600 feet long with an 80-foot drop and it’s pretty fast. They make their own snow (unless they get a big snowstorm, which doesn’t happen too often) and the hill is well-maintained by their attentive staff.
How it works is that when you get to Black Bear, you go to a little shed to watch a short safety video, where you learn how to get out of your tube on the run and not to start snowball fights, sign a waiver, and head inside the cozy lodge to pay. Then you get your tubes and head to the hill.
They have a pulley system to get you to the top of the hill, which works by slipping the handle of your tube on a cable that takes you, while sitting inside your tube, right up the hill to the top. Once at the top, you’ll wait for a few minutes before being situated into your group by the staff and then sliding down the hill.
Black Bear Snow Tubing Pulley System
Why Black Bear is Different
I’ve snow tubed at many places in our area and I think Black Bear Snow Tubing is pretty fantastic. Here’s why:
You can (and should) make a reservation ahead of time, which is crucial for us in Greenville who need to travel out of state to go snow tubing. It’s quite a bummer to get to our snow tubing place and either find out that they are sold out or having to wait hours for an open slot.
The staff is attentive and efficient. They were always around watching the hill to make sure things were running smoothly and safely. When there was a slight backup at the top of the hill, they figured out how to manage to get us all down the hill and back up to keep snow tubing without interruption.
The lodge is super cozy and warm and has reasonable concessions. I got a $2 hot chocolate and it was amazing. Plus, they have food, including apple cider donuts, that is affordable and you can get warm by the wood-burning stove inside or watch on the deck if you don’t want to go tubing.
The setup takes into account smaller kids. There is playground next to the place where you wait in line to go up the hill so smaller kids can get out their energy and there is a big fire pit also near the waiting area where you can warm up.
If you forgot a hat or gloves, they have them for sale inside the lodge. I feel like us parents can relate when our kid gets out of the car to go snow tubing and forgot his or her winter hat.
The check-in is fast. This is important because you want to get on the hill and start having fun as soon as possible!
Black Bear has excellent communication. They post daily on their Facebook page about current snow conditions, which is super helpful when you’re unsure about the weather.
The snow is real. They don’t have any synthetic chemicals in the snow – it’s the real deal.
My kids, ages 11 and 8, and I had such a blast snow tubing at Black Bear Snow Tubing. We went down the hill about 10 times (maybe more, I lost count honestly) and had so much fun together. I really love places where adults can carelessly be kids again. My kids are already asking to go back. The hill was super fast and seeing my kids faces light up with joy was special. I love those moments.
Tips on How to Enjoy Snow Tubing at Black Bear
Winter being winter, it’s usually cold when you go snow tubing. I’ve found that bringing hand and foot warmers is a really good trick to keeping everyone warm and comfortable. You can get them at Wal-Mart, Amazon, or most drug stores and they stay warm for hours.
It’s also really important to make a reservation when you know you want to go snow tubing. This is especially true during school breaks and holidays. Snow tubing is an awesome family activity on a day off but a lot of people also have the same thought. Don’t forget to make a reservation.
You don’t need to wear snow bibs or snow pants. I had on fleece leggings, hiking boots, and a couple layers of tops with a heavy coat (it was really cold when we went!) and I was fine. I saw people wearing all kinds of clothes that worked for them like pants, leggings, jeans, and sweatpants. The snow wasn’t wet at all when we went but if you go on a warmer day, you may want to bring a change of pants in case they get wet.
There are port-a-potties outside the lodge to use and no bathrooms indoors.
Double-check Black Bear’s Facebook page before heading out. Snow tubing is very dependent on weather, which changes often in the mountains. They will post current conditions and if they are open or closed most days.
Ticket Prices and Policies at Black Bear Snow Tubing
Tickets are $30/hour or $40/two hours for snow tubing. Kids must be 4 years old in order to go snow tubing. You can either sign a waiver when you get to Black Bear Snow Tubing or print one out online ahead of time. Either is fine.
While Black Bear Snow Tubing does take walk-ups, it is much better to make a reservation ahead of time instead of getting there and finding out they are full. Online reservations are fantastic for this very reason so definitely make use of them.
And be sure to check Black Bear Snow Tubing’s Facebook page before heading out to double check they are open and running. Winter tubing runs mid-December through February usually depending on the weather, of course.
And if you want to tube during other times of the year, you totally can! They have warm-weather tubing in the fall.
For a unique and completely charming holiday experience, Dillsboro Lights & Luminaries in Western NC is the place to go for the whole family. It’s just two hours from Upstate, SC and three hours from Charlotte, NC. Go make some magical Christmas memories in Dillsboro, NC.
Thank you to Discover Jackson NC, Jackson County for inviting us to experience Lights & Luminaries.
Taking time to slow down during the weeks leading up to Christmas can seem like an impossible task but when you make the decision to do so and really experience the joy of the magical season, that’s when those special memories happen. And those memories await you and your family in the small, mountain town of Dillsboro, North Carolina, a beautiful two-hour drive from the Upstate in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Lights & Luminaries in Dillsboro
Lights & Luminaries in Dillsboro is the Hallmark experience you’ve been searching for. The quaint town twinkling by the light of sparkling radiance. The candles lit along the streets. The shops that carry all kinds of locally made goods that you can only find there. The kindest people you’ll ever meet who are happy to see you.
Dillsboro Lights & Luminaries encompasses all of that and more. The festival started in 1983 as a way to celebrate the holidays and has been going strong for 40 years.
There is a calming, magical ambiance at this festival. There are white lights Christmas lights everywhere, plus 2,500 candles in white paper bags along every street. It’s like you stepped out of your life and into a time from many years ago.
There are carolers and horse and buggy rides. Santa & Mrs. Claus are available for timeless Dillsboro, NC Christmas photos. Nearly every shop sells only handmade goods from local artists or vintage items like cast iron cooking pans, antique furniture, and iron-wrought bed frames. There are shops that look like the North Pole exploded inside. Cookies, hot apple cider, and candy were in many of the shops and along the streets. I finally had to put a stop to my kids eating their monthly allotment of cookies all in one night.
And for myself, I was elated to find a grown-up nativity set while browsing at one of the Christmas-themed shops. Everyone was so kind and helpful and wishing us “Merry Christmas”.
It all felt authentic and genuine and just lovely.
Where to Eat During Lights & Luminaries
There are a handful of restaurants in the small town that have everything from BBQ to pub grub to Greek and Italian cuisine. We chose the Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro because it looked really cute. We walked in to a very cozy dining room and friendly employees. We had nachos, vegetarian chili, pizza, and grilled cheese. It was great! The nachos were my favorite as they had guacamole, cheese, chili, and sour cream. I thought the prices were reasonable, around $7-$12/person.
Dillsboro is small but mighty when it comes to food. Haywood Smokehouse is one of the Top 25 BBQ Restaurants in the country. We weren’t able to try it but it looks amazing. Next time!
Be sure to stop by the Dillsboro Chocolate Factory where you’ll be greeted by an array of handmade chocolates, fudge, and coffee.
Where to Enjoy the Outdoors in Dillsboro
Dillsboro is close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, home to nearly 900 miles in hiking trails. It’s also only a 20 minute drive to the Blue Ridge Parkway, where you can get to places like Waterrock Knob, the 16th highest mountain in the Eastern United States.
Cashiers, the Land of the Waterfalls, and a big favorite of us at Kidding Around, is about 40 minutes from Dillsboro. There are no shortage of gorgeous hikes and waterfalls to explore there.
The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
When we were pulling into our hotel, the Best Western Plus River, we saw the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad train and it was so cool! It was chugging along right in front of us, smoke billowing out from the top. It turns out the railroad is only 20 minutes away in Bryson City.
If your family goes on the Polar Express ride during November and December, Dillsboro is the perfect spot to enjoy time together, especially if you make the trip during the Lights & Luminaries festival.
Where to Stay in Dillsboro
Discover Jackson NC put us up in the Best Western Plus River Escape right on Tuckasegee River. Our room overlooked the river and it was so calming and peaceful.
The hotel is beautiful and you could walk to the town of Dillsboro if you wanted to. They have a heated indoor pool and hot tub, which we made good use of after eating all those cookies at the festival.
They also have a free, hot breakfast in the morning, which is pretty much equal to Christmas for my kids. They have eggs, bacon, biscuits, gravy, yogurt, oatmeal, a coffee maker that will make pretty much anything you want, juices, pastries, and our favorite: a pancake maker that looks like it came from The Jetsons. Rooms are spacious and clean and the lobby has a beautiful fireplace and cozy chairs.
Planning Your Own Trip to Dillsboro
Lights & Luminaries takes place the first two weekends of December every year, each Friday and Saturday from 5-8 pm. The last two dates for 2023 are December 8th and 9th. There’s still time to plan a last-minute getaway!
For next year, we will update this story with those dates and anything new that the festival has going on. There is no cost to attend Lights & Luminaries either, which makes it a wonderful, low-cost Christmastime adventure with your family.
I think the biggest thing I loved about Lights & Luminaries was that it was the perfect opportunity to slow down, to enjoy the magical season, and to spend that quality time with my kids that I strive and long for. As I’m sure many parents can relate, the time we have with them goes quickly. I want to make the most of that time and this was a weekend well-spent.
