NC Trippin - Best of 2023 - Lake Lure was voted by our followers as the Best Lake in North Carolina!

NC Trippin Logo - Best of 2023

For Immediate Release

 

Lake Lure was voted by our followers as the Best Lake in North Carolina

 

NC Trippin - Best of 2023 Winners

Durham, North Carolina—NC Tripping, the go-to website and social media re- source for North 
Carolina travel, has announced the winners of the third-annual Best of North Carolina (Best of NC).

Thousands of website readers and social media followers nominated and voted for destinations and 
local businesses in 4 main categories, including:

• Getaways

• Outdoors

• Food and Drink

• Community

After tallying the votes, here are the winners of this year’s Best of NC:

Getaways Category

 

Most Romantic Destination

Winner: The Omni Grove Park Inn (Asheville)

Runner-up: The Beaufort Hotel

Finalists: The Swag (Waynesville) and The Fearrington House Inn (Pittsboro)
NC Tripping's Pick: The Swag

 

Best Family-Friendly Attraction

Winner: NC Zoo (Asheboro)

Runner-up: Tweetsie Railroad (Blowing Rock)

Finalists: Greensboro Science Center and Aurora Fossil Museum

NC Tripping's Pick: NC Zoo

 

Best Mountain Getaway Winner: Blowing Rock Runner-up: Boone

Finalists: Maggie Valley and Bryson City

NC Tripping's Pick: Boone

Best Beach Town Winner: Emerald Isle Runner-up: Oak Island

Finalists: Wrightsville Beach and Surf City

NC Tripping's Pick: Surf City

 

Most Underrated Destination

Winner: Wilkesboro

Runner-up: Asheboro

Finalists: Washington and Swansboro

NC Tripping's Pick: Wilkesboro

Outdoors Category 

 

Best Park

Winner: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Runner-up: Fort Macon State Park

Finalists: DuPont State Recreational Forest and Jockeys Ridge State Park

NC Tripping's Pick: Cape Lookout National Seashore

 

Best Lake

Winner: Lake Lure

Runner-up: Lake Norman

Finalists: Lake James and Jordan Lake

NC Tripping's Pick: Lake Lure

 

Best Trail

Winner: Linville Falls (Erwin's View and the Plunge Basin Trail)

Runner-up: Triple Waterfall Hike (DuPont)

Finalists: Table Rock Mountain Trail and Rough Ridge Overlook Trail

NC Tripping's Pick: Table Rock Mountain Trail

 

Most Beautiful Waterfall

Winner: Linville Falls

Runner-up: Looking Glass Falls Finalists: Dry Falls and Soco Falls NC Tripping's Pick: Crabtree 
Falls

Food and Drink Category

 

Best Breakfast

Winner: Gogo's Cinnamon Rolls (Old Fort)

Runner-up: Melanie's Food Fantasy (Boone)

Finalists: Joey's Pancake House (Maggie Valley) and Scrambled (Greensboro)

NC Tripping's Pick: Gogo's Cinnamon Rolls

 

Best Barbecue

Winner: Stamey's (Greensboro)

Runner-up: The Smoke Pit (Concord)

Finalists: B's Barbecue (Greenville) and Haywood Smokehouse (Dillsboro, Franklin, and Waynesville)

NC Tripping's Pick: The Smoke Pit

 

Best Ice Cream

Winner: Howling Cow Dairy (Raleigh)

Runner-up: Boombalatti's (Wilmington and Hampstead)

Finalists: Homeland Creamery (Julian) and Sunni Sky's Homemade Ice Cream (Angier)

NC Tripping's Pick: Boombalatti's

 

Best Hot Dog

Winner: Snoopy's Hot Dogs & More (Raleigh)

Runner-up: Yum Yum Better Ice Cream (Greensboro)

Finalists: Bill's Hot Dogs (Washington) and Paul's Place (Rocky Point)

NC Tripping's Pick: Snoopy's Hot Dogs & More

 

Best Burger

Winner: Nick's Old Fashioned Hamburger (Lexington)

Runner-up: Hop's Burger Bar (Greensboro)

Finalists: Mess Hall (Wilmington) and King's Sandwich Shop (Durham)

NC Tripping's Pick: Nick's Old Fashioned Hamburger

 

Best Brewery

Winner: Flying Machine Brewing Company (Wilmington)

Runner-up: Four Saints Brewing Co. (Asheboro)

Finalists: Fonta Flora Brewery (Morganton and Whipoowill) and Pitt Street Brewing Company (Greenville and Washington)

NC Tripping's Pick: Fullsteam Brewery (Durham)

 

Best Winery

Winner: Grandfather Mountain Vineyard (Banner Elk)

Runner-up: Duplin Winery (Rose Hill)

Finalists: Childress Vineyards (Lexington) and Dynamis Estate Wines(Jonesville)

NC Tripping's Pick: Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery (Ronda)

 

Best Distillery

Winner: Fainting Goat Spirits (Greensboro)

Runner-up: End of Days Distillery (Wilmington)

Finalists: Call Family Distillers (Wilkesboro) and Bogue Sound Distillery (Bogue)

NC Tripping's Pick: End of Days Distillery

 

Community Category

 

Best Sports Team

Winner: UNC-Chapel Hill Tar Heels

Runner-up: Appalachian State Mountaineers

Finalists: NC State and Duke

NC Tripping's Pick: Carolina Hurricanes

 

Best Downtown Winner: Blowing Rock Runner-up: Asheville

Finalists: Wilmington and New Bern

NC Tripping's Pick: Sylva

 

Best Dog-Friendly Destination

Winner: Asheville

Runner-up: Southport

Finalists: Blowing Rock and Emerald Isle

NC Tripping's Pick: NC Tripping Doesn't Have a Dog in the Fight…

 

Best Annual Festival

Winner: Merlefest (Wilkesboro)

Runner-up: NC Seafood Festival (Morehead City)

Finalists: Azalea Festival (Wilmington) and the Lexington Barbecue Festival

NC Tripping's Pick: NC Mountain State Fair (Fletcher)

 

Best Museum

Winner: Greensboro Science Center

Runner-up: NC Museum of Art (Raleigh)

Finalists: Museum of Life and Science (Durham) and Aurora Fossil Museum

NC Tripping's Pick: Wheels Through Time Museum (Maggie Valley)

 

Best Locally Owned Business Winner: Shark Shack (Atlantic Beach) Runner-up: Merle's (Wilkesboro)

Finalists: Axe & Awl Leatherworks (Waynesville) and The Valcarol Missions Es- cape Room and Game Show Arena (Concord)

NC Tripping's Pick: Burnette's Country Store (Spruce Pine)

 

NC Tripping announced contest winners on its website, social media, and to email newsletter subscribers. One participant was also chosen to receive a $100 gift card to a business of their 
choosing. “We’re so grateful to our readers and followers for participating. Most importantly, our thanks goes out to the local businesses and destinations that make this state such an ideal place 
to live in and visit,” explained Carl Hedinger, co-founder of NC Tripping. The fourth-annual Best of NC tenta- tively planned for November 2024 and more info is available at nctripping.com/ 
best-of-north-carolina.

Media Contacts

Carl Hedinger and Christina Riley, NC Tripping info@nctripping.com
About NC Tripping

NC Tripping is a website and social media brand focused on North Carolina travel and things to do in all 100 counties. Based in Durham, the family-run company
has published hundreds of travel guides and two books that cover destinations

from the mountains to the sea. For travel inspiration and sponsorship opportuni- ties, visit nctripping.com and follow @nctripping on Facebook, Instagram, and
TikTok.