From the mountains to the sea

This week is spring break for East Carolina University and Pitt Community College.

For thousands of Pitt County college students, this week is typically devoted to traveling to places like Florida or Mexico to hit the beaches and relax before the end of the semester kicks in.

But this year the economy may be holding some students back from traveling so far.

Luckily for them, students don't have to drive for 15 hours to find a beach or even a mountain, said Wit Tuttell, director of public relations for the North Carolina Division of Tourism.

“There are a variety of beach experiences in North Carolina,” Tuttell said.

“You can hit the Outer Banks and hang out in Nags Head. And if you really want to get away you can go to a place like Ocracoke.”

For a little more excitement, Tuttell recommended Wilmington or Carolina Beach.

Tuttell said there are many advantages to planning spring break in North Carolina including location, variety and perhaps most importantly this year, cost.

“You can find a lot of deals this time of year,” he said.

“This is a perfect place for spring break.”

And if the water doesn't float your boat, you can head up to the mountains and hit the ski or hiking trails.

There are seven ski resorts in North Carolina and all of them stay open as late into the winter as they can, Tuttell said. Most offer deals in March.

There is a seemingly endless amount of hiking trails and places to camp along the Blue Ridge Parkway, at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, along the Appalachian Trail and in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests.

It's never too late to plan a great vacation in North Carolina.

“Lot of people do their planning last minute,” he said.

“They are looking for deals.”

Tuttell said North Carolina has everything a vacationer would love from beaches and mountains to museums and historical sites around the Triangle.

“The great part about North Carolina is that we are ideally located and it's friendly,” Tuttell said.

“There is a great variety from the mountains to the sea. You won't find that without driving halfway across the country, but you can do it while staying in your own state.”

Contact Josh Humphries at jhumphries@coxnc.com.