Searching for something to do with your in-laws in town? Antsy to say “adios” to the big city and get off the grid? Training your sweet tooth for the onslaught of Christmas cookies, pies, and cakes soon to take up all the space on your kitchen counters?
Start Planning For These 2023 Holiday Day Trips
Check out these three 2023 holiday day trips in North Carolina and South Carolina, where no matter where you spend your time, you’re guaranteed to be laughing all the way home.
Have you perfected your chitlin strut in preparation for this feast?
SC Midlands: If Chitterlings Are Your Favorite Things – Salley, SC
There’s plenty of time to dilly-dally as you wind through the Eudora Wildlife Safari Park in Salley, SC. The first drive-thru safari park in the Palmetto State, Eudora Farms is one of several ideal 2023 holiday day trips for Carolina travelers interested in animal and environmental conservation. In addition to opportunities to feed more than 200 exotic animal species from the comfort of one’s vehicle, visitors can enjoy a petting zoo and parakeet adventure.
If you’re looking for some fun Thanksgiving 2023 holiday day trips to entertain extended family, plan your Salley visit for Saturday, November 25, when the town will host the 56th annual Chitlin’ Strut! Originally conceived as a means to raise money for town Christmas lights, this sensational gathering has become one of the largest festivals in South Carolina!
In addition to more than 10,000 pounds of chitlins (a more palatable name for boiled and fried hog intestines) at your disposal, you can wave to the tractors, classic cars, fire trucks, and piggy parade leader himself during the Chitlin Strut.
Eudora Farms Wildlife Safari Park, 219 Salem Ln, Salley, SC 29137
Chitlin’ Strut, 258 Pine St, Salley, SC, 29137
Creamsicle-flavored ice cream? Yes, please!
NC Coast: Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth– Swansboro, NC
We’d be irresponsible if we did not advise our holiday-loving Carolina travelers to ease into the sugar-saturated season without a November practice run. Saccharine-seekers, you’ve found your Shangri-La in Swansboro. As you step into Candy Edventure, you’ll encounter hundreds of bulk candies, saltwater taffy, fudge, and more decadence that mesmerizes from wall to wall.
Something unique about this candy shop is that the staff are regularly experimenting with different flavors and textures, so you’re likely to taste concoctions you’d never find anywhere else, including watermelon gummies, marshmallow strings, and creamsicle-flavored soft serve ice cream!
We recommend visiting the weekend of Thanksgiving, as the annual Swansboro Holiday Flotilla will provide one-of-a-kind entertainment with a parade of illuminated boats, live music, and, yes…more sweets!
Candy Edventure, 604 W Corbett St, Swansboro, NC, 28584
Swansboro Holiday Flotilla, Downtown Swansboro, 204-208 Main St Ext, Swansboro, NC 28584
Broadwing Farm is one of two places where you can stay overnight and enjoy the on-site hot springs in North Carolina.
NC Mountains: Holiday Healing & Hiking – Hot Springs, NC
Hot Springs is the only place in the Tar Heel State where locals can experience a rejuvenating soak in thermal waters, and winter is the best time to visit. 2023 holiday day trips provide plenty of time to stop by one (or both) of the two hot springs locations: Broadwing Farm and Hot Springs Resort & Spa. First discovered by Native Americans who discerned the waters to have healing powers, modern research confirms that soaking for a mere 20 minutes in hot springs can reduce stress, increase blood flow, and alleviate pain.
As one might imagine, Hot Springs draws a constant caravan of relaxation-seeking travelers. Compliment your immersion in the hot springs with a hike along Lovers Leap Loop – while the trek includes a walk along a ridge, it can be completed in under an hour, and the panoramic views of the French Broad River and Pisgah National Forest make it well worth the effort.
Broadwing Farm, 20 Berry Wills Rd, Hot Springs, NC 28743
Hot Springs Resort & Spa, 315 Bridge St, Hot Springs, NC 28743
Lovers Leap Loop, 138 Silvermine Rd, Hot Springs, NC 28743
