North Carolina takes the idea of outdoor adventure and runs with it.
Depending on when your group visits, you might be snow-skiing or waterskiing, biking or boating, sitting by the fire or by a fishing pole. The possibilities are out there.
“North Carolina is an ideal destination for groups seeking outdoor activities, from our mountains to our coast and the urban centers in between,” said Wit Tuttell, director of Visit North Carolina. “The state offers opportunities for large and small groups at every adventure level to get outside and try something new. Great ziplining, white-water rafting, bike tours, hiking and walking tours, kayaking, surfing and wild horse tours are all available within close proximity to our many conference and convention centers across the state.”
Following are just a few of the many choices in the Tar Heel State.
Lake Effect
Say aloha to the water, and we’re not talking about the ocean. Aloha Paddle Sports can introduce your group to the joys of paddling Lake Norman, the state’s largest manmade lake, set just north of Charlotte and spanning four counties with a 520-mile shoreline. Aloha offers rentals as well as lessons and SUP and kayak excursions, including sunset and full-moon tours.
“We take groups of up to 30 out on the lake,” said owner Rob Bennett. “I’ll do what I call ‘the mash-up,’ starting with paddleboard lessons, then some fun races and a little paddleboard yoga.”
Aloha also operates the Charlotte Cycle Boat, which is like its land-based party cycle cousin but with a paddlewheel controlled by pedaling participants. Hosting up to 15, the boat features 10 cycling stations fronting a high-top galley bar as well as seating areas for those who just want to relax and enjoy the ride.
“It’s a blast,” Bennett said.
Segway to the Outdoors
Why walk when you can roll? Segways are a good way to take in the sights of Winston-Salem, including historic Old Salem, originally a Moravian settlement dating back to the mid-1700s.
“Our most popular tour starts in Old Salem, then we go through downtown Winston, including Washington Park and the School of the Arts campus,” said Chelsi Wilkerson, a tour guide with locally based Triad Eco Adventures.
Triad’s Segway programs include divide-and-dine tours, a three-hour tour that includes lunch, and even night tours atop Segways fitted with headlights.
“We also have a mini-glide, which is about an hour,” Wilkerson said.
Groups can Segway into the wild along greenways and through nature areas or hop on a Triad electric bike tour.
“We have some bike tours that go by local lakes. You forget you’re in town,” Wilkerson added.
Blue Ridge Mountains
Part of the greater Appalachian chain, the beloved Blue Ridge Mountains define western North Carolina and yes, when seen from a distance, these gentle slopes really do look blue.
Part of the experience includes a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, meandering for 470 miles through North Carolina and Virginia past spectacular scenery and historic sites.
Miles of trails wind through the mountains, with operators like Blue Ridge Hiking Company on hand to point the way through the lush, misty landscape.
“Our mission is to make the wilderness accessible and enjoyable,” said Sarah Matzke, head guide and operations manager for the Blue Ridge Hiking Company, offering half- and full-day hikes near Asheville as well as custom multi-day trips and backpacking expeditions along the Appalachian Trail.
“Our company can create the perfect outing for a backpacking novice or the group seeking a challenge and any adventure in between,” Matzke said. “Our tours highlight flora and fauna, local history, mountain views and waterfalls. The only thing we require is comfortable footwear.”
Good Natured
For an even closer look at the local population—of animals—groups can check out the Western North Carolina Nature Center, tucked into the side of a mountain near Asheville and featuring owls, box turtles, snakes, opossums, deer, cougars, wolves, otters, bears and many more species.
“It’s a great opportunity to experience the wildlife that is indigenous to the mountains of Appalachia,” said Keith Mastin, the center’s education curator. “We started in 1925 and have gone through several phases, including one now,” he added, referring to a host of improvements scheduled for 2020, including a new park entrance.
Private group tours are available, as is a small classroom accommodating up to 25.
In a different part of the state altogether—the northern Piedmont region near Greensboro—Haw River State Park is set on 1,430 acres of wetlands and uplands that are home to creatures ranging from the great blue heron to the beaver and rare white deer. The park is also home to the Summit Environmental Education and Conference Center, with space for up to 180 in eight indoor meeting spaces, along with overnight accommodations for 47 guests.
“In your spare time you can go out and hike on our trails,” said conference coordinator Tammie Vass. “It’s a way to see the natural side of North Carolina while also getting your meeting in.”
Tee Party
Face it. For many enthusiasts, fairways are the only greens that count. And North Carolina has them, particularly in the fabled golf enclaves of Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen, home of championship courses and championship events like the U.S. Open.
“We’ve got 40 golf courses within a 15-mile radius,” said Beverly Stewart, vice president of sales for the Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen CVB.
But even duffers can enjoy the action here.
“We’ve now got the Cradle, a par-3 executive course that you can play in about an hour, at Pinehurst Resort,” Stewart said. “We also have disc golf in the area.”
Other non-golf activities include croquet, lawn bowling, trap and skeet shooting, biking and fishing, all enjoyed in the great outdoors.
The Farm Report
Look for outdoor excitement in the pastoral countryside in and around Raleigh. Just west of the city hub, groups can pick strawberries, navigate a corn maze and run relay races, among other down-home recreation, at Phillips Farm in Cary. Special events include an October Haunted Farm adventure featuring the “Field of Lost Souls” and a “Gore House.”
“We have teambuilding activities included in our corporate outing packages and work with each client to customize any activity they would like included,” noted Debbie Byrne, events manager.
Kick it up a notch at Sk8-Cary, an action sports venue offering ramps and tracks for bicycling, skateboarding and inline skating, with private group lessons available for all skill levels. Private parties include activities led by the park’s experienced instructors.
White-Water Action
Your adrenaline gets a workout at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, where a typical day includes white-water rafting, rock wall climbing, bike racing, ziplining, cross-country running and yoga.
The massive center sits on 1,300 acres and caters to all group sizes and fitness levels, said Adam Bratton, marketing director.
“We can do everything and anything, whether you need teambuilding or if it’s just a group that’s tired of meeting indoors and says, ‘Let’s get some inspiration outdoors,’” Bratton said. “We have a ton of conference space, so you can get some work done and three minutes later you’re jumping on a raft.”
Programs can be customized according to ability, from novice to fearless. The point is to take people out of their comfort zones, Bratton said.
“Whatever the group wants to work on, leadership, communication, we work on that ultimate goal,” he noted. “We try to figure out what they’re trying to accomplish. It takes a lot of the planning pressure off.”
On-site food and beverage and evening entertainment add to the center’s one-stop-shop flexibility.
“You park once and experience everything,” Bratton said.
Coastal Connection
What about the beaches and the Outer Banks? Part of a 200-mile string of barrier islands, Cape Hatteras National Seashore sits at the ocean’s edge, washed by waves and shaped by wind, with marshes, wildlife, birds and picturesque lighthouses among the many unforgettable sights.
“We have daily programs, usually about a half-hour in length,” noted Michael Barber, public affairs specialist. “Two of the three lighthouses are open to climb during the summer and through Columbus Day.”
North of the Seashore, imagination takes flight at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, where a renovated visitor center features a reproduction of the first “flying machine” the brothers tested in 1903.
New interactive exhibits at the center are complemented by regular talks during the day. In addition, the aircraft’s first flight path is indicated on the sand.
Sun, Fun and Luaus
South of the Outer Banks, the North Carolina coast is lined with beaches from the Topsail area down through the Wilmington area, where groups will find Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours and Captain Joe Abbate, whose boats can handle up to 25.
For groups, Abbate recommends an excursion to uninhabited Masonboro Island in the Cape Fear region, where participants practice yoga and explore the island.
“We also do sandcastle building contests, which is great for teambuilding, and luaus on the beach,” he said.
Latest + Greatest
Visit Raleigh recently unveiled a comprehensive plan to grow tourism to more than 21 million visitors annually by 2028. Among the many projects is renovating and expanding the Raleigh Convention Center, adding more space and a headquarters hotel; constructing a multiuse indoor sports complex and an MLS stadium; and upgrading the PNC Arena to allow more bookings of meetings and conventions. The CVB has launched visitraleigh.com/2028 to provide regular updates on the plan’s progress.
Recently opened in Charlotte, the 217-room Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel is adjacent to the 25-story 300 South Tryon office tower and Romare Bearden Park, and offers more than 13,000 square feet of meeting and event space, an indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge, Merchant & Trade, and an event lawn offering stunning views of the city.
A $110 million expansion at the Charlotte Convention Center is slated to begin in spring 2019 with plans including an additional 26,000 square feet of breakout space, 24,000 square feet of prefunction space and a pedestrian walkway linking the convention center to the Westin Charlotte.
Cambria Hotels made its official entrance into Asheville this summer with the opening of the Cambria Hotel Downtown Asheville, boasting views of the Blue Ridge Mountains from every guest room as well as a rooftop restaurant overlooking the peaks. The 136-room property includes spa-style bathrooms with Bluetooth mirrors and multiple meeting rooms.
The Marriott Winston-Salem, the largest full-service hotel in downtown Winston-Salem, has invested millions to enhance the guest experience at the 319-room Twin City Quarter property with top-to-bottom upgrades, including enhanced Wi-Fi, a redesigned restaurant with expanded private dining room, an all-new lounge and an expanded fitness club.
Off-site & Outta Sight
Off-site venues are on point for bringing groups together in unique, exciting and entertaining settings throughout North Carolina, including the following:
Battleship North Carolina
Across the river from downtown Wilmington, the Battleship North Carolina was considered the world’s greatest sea weapon at the time of her commissioning in April of 1941.
She’s still great, available to visit and appreciate while also welcoming private events of all kinds.
“We are a wonderful venue for after-hours group events, and groups have used the ship in a variety of ways,” said Danielle Wallace, group coordinator. “We’ve had everything from oyster boils to salsa dances on the back deck.”
Attendees also can go below decks, exploring the ship’s nine levels during
the event.
“It’s historical, and it directly relates to North Carolina,” Wallace said. “You can highlight North Carolina cuisine and the ship’s history. We’ve had groups do 1940s themes. One group did a party themed around the movie South Pacific. Engineering groups tend to really like it,” she added.
Museum of Life + Science
Set on 84 acres in Durham, this interactive science center boasts one of the largest butterfly houses on the East Coast, more than 60 species of live animals, a dinosaur trail, an insectarium, a sound garden and more… basically, everything you need for a day or evening spent off-site, including an event tent, meeting space and a host of creative settings.
“We’ve done small board dinners in our butterfly conservatory,” said Sarah Leach Smith, rentals manager. “It adds an element of fun. It is sort of stress relieving to come here and interact with the exhibits, and let the creative juices flow.”
Also flowing for after-hours receptions are liquid nitrogen margaritas and other scientifically conjured F&B choices.
Castle of Joy
Here’s an experience that will leave your group feeling… well, joyful. Located in Murphy, at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Castle of Joy offers the architecture and ambience of a castle, with cozy interiors, a pavilion, 11 acres of rolling hills and trails, and a 10,000-square-foot renovated carriage barn available as part of the castle rental. There are accommodations for 12, with space for another 18 nearby.
“We are happy to offer the castle for day meetings as well,” said Christine Cambrea, who co-owns the property with her brother Vincent. “You don’t have to stay the night but it’s an added bonus and the castle comes to life at night. There’s an orchestra of wildlife and we’ve set up evening lighting, fire pits and tiki torches, which sets an intimate tone for connecting with your team or group.”
The castle also features an art gallery and showroom, with quarterly art shows and parties on the calendar.
“I’d say without a doubt this is absolutely the most unique venue you’ll find in the area,” Cambrea said. “Our goal is for each event to be an experience people never forget, that they feel the joy in what we do and then take that home with them.”
Biltmore Estate
Known as one of “America’s castles,” the 8,000-acre Biltmore Estate is elegance on a grand scale while remaining very much part of its Asheville community, offering tours, hosting concerts and operating a winery.
Groups can enjoy private dining, specialty tours and a host of classic event settings, including the library terrace, historical grounds buildings and a private boardroom.
“There’s truly no other place like Biltmore in the United States,” said Mallory Flynn, public relations coordinator, marketing. “Visitors marvel at everything from architecture to masterpieces from the likes of Renoir and John Singer Sargent. Upon arriving, you feel as if you’ve been transported to another time and place, all the while being only about 20 minutes from bustling downtown Asheville.”
The Elizabethan Gardens
The great outdoors becomes a great off-site venue at the Elizabethan Gardens, a 10.5-acre public garden located on Roanoke Island between the mainland and the Outer Banks.
Containing over 500 different species of plants, the garden’s centerpiece is a collection of more than 85 varieties
of camellias.
Event spaces include the formal gardens as well as a rose garden and sunken garden, an expansive great lawn and another lawn facing the water.
