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