Customer Reviews

Backroads of North Carolina: Your Guide to Great Day Trips & Weekend Getaways

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My wife and I just returned from a trip through the mountains of North Carolina and this book was our constant companion. The routes are easy to follow and the writing is excellent, full of odd tidbits and occasional cautions that no GPS gives you. Best of all are the beautiful photos. Even if we never return to North Carolina, this book is a keeper just for its many amazing photographs. Highly recommended.

North Carolina is a state steeped in history, diverse flora and fauna, and has miles of beaches on one end and rugged mountains on the other. In short, North Carolina is a state that appeals to a wide variety of people. However, I imagine that most people take hardly any time to get to know the state, using its highways to simply take them to the beaches of the Outer Banks or to destinations further south. If you live in North Carolina, Backroads of North Carolina: Your Guide to Great Day Trips & Weekend Getaways, by Kevin Adams, should provide you with hours of entertainment and excitement in your own backyard. If you travel through the state, this book will add a day, or more, to your trip, as it furnishes some outstanding side trips that will increase your appreciation of the state, its geography, history, and flora and fauna.

Contents:
Introduction
Part I: Bluffs and Valleys: The Northwest
Part II: Land of Waterfalls: The Southwest
Part III: History and Scenery in the Heartland: The Piedmont
Part IV: Deep History and Endless Water: The Northeast
Part V: Diverse Nature and Scenery: The Southeast
Further Reading
Index
About the Author and Photographer

A beautiful and well written guide, Adams divides the state into regions and then provides the reader with some short road trips within the region (15 to 100+ miles). Beginning each chapter with a map of the area and detail of the specific routes, they then delve into each route, providing you with interesting, fun, and unique sites to visit. Spectacular photography enhances the outstanding writing, bringing each trip to life. Interspersed within the chapters, you will find more detailed history of specific people, places, and things. This provides more background on the selection of certain stops, enhancing not only the readers enjoyment but the visitors. Especially when the stop is self-guided. Many of his routes are truly "backroads," a few will require a 4x4 vehicle during certain times of the year. Others are on dirt or gravel roads. However, Adams is careful to tell you when is a good time to attempt the trip and whether your subcompact vehicle will be able to handle the route. Also, some of the destinations require hiking. Again, Adams is honest in his delivery; he will tell you how strenuous the hike and the distance covered. If you are prepared, very few of the hikes will come as a shock.

While there is a plethora of North Carolina guidebooks from which to choose, they are, for the most part, filled with "touristy" attractions and eateries. This unique book places special emphasis on the natural wonders of North Carolina as well as some unique dining and attractions. If you are partial to discovering exclusive destinations, the North Carolina depicted by Adams will provide some restaurant recommendations, but the ones he mentions add to the flavor of North Carolina; you will find no chain restaurants in this book. Nor will you find pedestrian sights.The routes I enjoyed most in this book are the ones that are just off the paths to the beaches and also the ones with which I am familiar, as we use some backroads to get us to and from Myrtle Beach, SC. These are the areas that most travellers miss, but the ones that seem to have the most charm, history, and unusual sights. Plus, they would provide a welcome break from travelling, giving the family a chance to experience the real North Carolina.

This is an excellent book, whether you are a native of North Carolina or just visiting. For the native, Adams provides you with exceptional day trips through your excellent state. For the vacationer, he describes sights that will add to your enjoyment. I also believe that Backroads of North Carolina would be perfect for those that vacation in the northern areas of South Carolina. Take a day from the beaches, in either North or South Carolina, open this book, and allow your family to experience another facet of North Carolina. I am certain that by following in Adams' footsteps, they will be rewarded with an exceptionally good time. Even if you never visit any of the destinations in this book, simply reading it will provide you with a new appreciation for the Tar Heel State. And the photography-breathtakingly beautiful. North Carolina has never looked as good as through the lens of Kevin Adams. Arguably the best travel book on the state of North Carolina, Backroads of North Carolina: Your Guide to Great Day Trips and Weekend Getaways will provide exceptional destinations, sights, and experiences within the state.

Disclosure:
Obtained from: Library
Payment: Borrowed

I gifted this book to a family member who enjoys reading travel books and photography books and she was not disappointed. She loves the book and so does everyone else who looks through it! Very interesting guide about venturing off the beaten path. As a native North Carolinian, I can attest that the best things about NC can be found on the back roads!

Beautiful pictures take you through North Carolina backroads. Such a beautiful state -- Variety Vacationland for sure. Nice appreciation & view of the state.

This book is everything I thought it would be. The pages are filled with plenty of text and pictures. There are even maps to show the routes of each destination. I have yet to plan the next family adventure. This book will be our guide. Another great fact it presents destinations within all parts of North Carolina. Really enjoyed this book would be a great gift for an avid traveler.

We live in North Carolina and love to find "hidden," out-of-the-way places, so this book sounded like something we would enjoy. With beautiful pictures and informative descriptions of places we've never visited (and some we have), we're enjoying just reading the book. We found the directions easy to follow the first time we used it and look forward to many more weekend getaways and day trips to the places featured in Backroads.

Got it for my dad. He liked it. I thought it would be a little more specific with the routes, but it was still great!

Great information and pictures. Really makes you want to get out there and start hiking and exploring God's beautiful country.

Purchased as a gift for my parents who live out of town so they would be able to plan trips to come to NC to visit.

The book is interesting. Can't wait to get away soon on the backroads of NC.