I’ll be in Raleigh NC and want to drive somewhere from there….VA, NC, SC, etc.

Outer Banks (OBX) would be a very easy trip from the Raleigh area. Plenty to do and explore. Highly recommend.

Hijacking the thread a little.

Trying to find a place to stay currently in the Chapel Hill area. Son is going to Basketball Camp in June and would like to fill in some spots with things to do for the family while he's there.

Also any ideas on a place to stay nearby there or even within an hour...

Williamsburg-Yorktown-Jamestown colonial triangle

Probably 2-3 full days in a location drivable from Raleigh. Interested in seeing a new part of America, a new experience.
Virginia Beach or the Outer Banks seem like the most reasonable options.

Where you go depends on what you like to do. I haven't been to VB in many years but my recollection is that it is similar to Myrtle Beach, SC. The NC Outer Banks (OBX) are more houses and fewer putt putt golf, etc., type places.  Nonetheless, there is a lot to do on the OBX besides sitting on the beach; wild horses up north, light houses you can climb, nature trails, fishing, a few museums.

It's about 3 hours from Raleigh to Nags Head which is about the center of the east facing OBX. Between Raleigh and the OBX are some historical towns such as Edenton or Bath that are a little out of the way but worth a visit if you like historical towns.

Turn south at Nags Head to go to Cape Hatteras and you can take a 1 hour ferry trip to Ocracoke Island. You could spend a few days there. There is another ferry from Ocracoke to Cedar Island (2 1/2 hours trip) on the mainland and you can drive to Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle for the south facing OBX.

What about the Shenandoah Valley? Maybe even driving as far as Baltimore.
In the Shenandoah Valley there are numerous historical towns from Bristol, TN/VA to Harpers Ferry, WV. At Abingdon you can do a bike ride down the mountain on the Virginia Creeper trail - it's an old railroad line. Interstate 81 goes up the valley but Hwy 11 does too and it is more interesting, IMO. There are many historical sites in that part of Virginia from T. Jefferson home to Patsy Cline's grave.

I have always wanted to see Rehoboth Beach and Delaware Coast. That may be a bit far,
If you go to Rehoboth Beach you might as well take the Lewes- Cape May Ferry to Cape May, NJ. Wildwood, NJ is near there and it is similar to Myrtle Beach, SC.

but anything worth traveling the coast from Virginia to Delaware?
Getting from Raleigh to Delaware is about 6 hours if you take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. The road splits the VA/Maryland eastern shore and there is not a road near the beach until Ocean Pines, MD; as there is a road at the NC OBX. Along the way to Delaware and little out of the way is Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague Island National Seashore. There are wild horses there too.

On the west side of the Maryland eastern shore is St. Michales which is an historical fishing village.

From Raleigh there are many places to visit within 3 to 5 hours including Raleigh and Durham. About an hour south of Raleigh is Pine Hurst. You can eat lunch overlooking the golf course. Also, see a baseball game in Durham.

One option would be The Homestead Resort in Virginia (close to Charlottesville and similar to The Greenbrier). It’s a classic mountain resort with daily activities for families, multiple restaurants, nice pool and lazy river, hiking trails, golf courses, movie theater, game rooms, etc. If you want to save a little money you can leave the property (just across a street) and go eat in the small charming town, Hot Springs. I’ve been twice with my wife and there were tons of families there. It’s very family friendly.

The Homestead

Blue Ridge Parkway

Do you golf? You could go to Pinehurst/Southern Pines and play a round or three. A little over an hour drive.

quote:

---

At Abingdon you can do a bike ride down the mountain on the Virginia Creeper trail - it's an old railroad line.

---

I'll second this. It's a lot of fun.

One of the best weekends we had was inspired by this YouTube video. We stayed at the Western Front Hotel in St. Paul, VA. They have a hangout area called the Roost and a big backyard area with lawn games. My teen really enjoyed the opportunity to hang out with other kids. Rented ATV from the hotel one day and had a blast on the Spearhead Trails. Next day went tubing on the Clinch River. Stopped off and did the Creeper Trail on the way back home to NC.