Interstate 95 runs down the eastern side of North Carolina, putting travelers closer to the ocean and the Outer Banks, but farther from the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. The stretch from the Virginia line in the north to the South Carolina entry is only about 182 miles, about a three-hour drive. If you slow down, or wander off the beaten path, you’ll find whitewater rafting along the state’s fall line, villages with historic districts and Civil War battlefields.
Most I-95 interchanges in North Carolina have a chain motel or hotel. In some cases, near larger cities such as Fayetteville and the Raleigh-Durham area, multiple chain hotels vie for your business. Most offer some sort of breakfast, from a bagel and a cup of coffee tor a full hot meal. Wi-Fi and cable television are widely available, and many chain hotels have seasonal swimming pools or fitness rooms. Full-service and fast food restaurants are typically a short walk or drive away, and the convenience of being near the Interstate makes a quick getaway possible.
North Carolina’s Research Triangle encompasses the cities of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. About an hour’s drive west of exit 119, the area is home to museums, historic districts, micro-breweries and celebrated sports teams like the Durham Bulls. The Carolina Inn, a AAA 4-star hotel in Chapel Hill, has standard rooms and suites decorated in an upscale but cozy style. In nearby Pittsboro, the Fearrington House Inn is a highlight of Fearrington Village, a planned community built in a traditional Southern style, with shops, a spa and fine dining choices. Afternoon tea, a gourmet breakfast and truffles are included in room prices.
Historic homes line the streets of Clinton, a small town about 20 minutes east of I-95 exit 52 in North Carolina’s Coastal Plains. Pick up a copy of the self-guided walking tour at the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Surrounded by fields and forest, the area offers agri-tourism, fishing and hunting. The Ashford Inn has five guest rooms with private baths, Wi-Fi and cable television. Guests at the historic home can settle in front of a fireplace or rock the evening away on the porch. Almost all of the hotels closer to Fayetteville are chains, but military families can find accommodations at Fort Bragg.
Route 301, once a major north/south route, parallels I-95 through North Carolina. Travelers with a love of pre-Interstate travel find motor court hotels with names like the New Yorker Motel and the Family Inn that attest to the road’s importance to early automobile touring. For more upscale lodging, try the Bellamy Manor and Gardens in Enfield. The 19th-century building combines elements of Gothic and Greek Revival architecture. While the hosts ban cell phone use, rooms have Wi-Fi and cable television. Bailey House in Elm City has four spacious guest rooms in a sleepy Southern village. The Legacy Restaurant, half a mile away, occupies a grand manor home and serves classics like lobster bisque and French onion soup.
