The Last Hurrah of Summer

End-of-Summer Escapes Across the Carolinas

Summer has a way of slipping away. One minute you're planning beach trips and backyard cookouts. The next minute, school supplies are showing up in stores and the calendar is filling with fall commitments.

Before that happens, squeeze in one more adventure. Whether you're a family looking for a memory-making weekend, a couple craving a few days with no agenda, or empty nesters ready to trade beach crowds for something quieter, the Carolinas offer plenty of reasons to hit the road. Pick your vibe: cool mountain air and a train ride through the Smokies, a nostalgic High Country getaway, or a slow coastal escape where the days seem to stretch a little longer.

All Aboard: Bryson City, NC

Forget the hiking boots.

One of the best ways to experience the western North Carolina mountains is from a train window. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad departs from downtown Bryson City and carries passengers through scenery most visitors never see from the road. The route winds through Nantahala National Forest, skirts the shoreline of Fontana Lake, crosses historic trestles, and reaches the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

By late August, the mountain air feels noticeably cooler than the Piedmont, and the first hints of fall begin appearing along the ridgelines. Choose a steam-powered excursion aboard the Steam of the Smokies or climb aboard one of the railroad's diesel-powered trains. Seasonal special events run throughout the year.

The best seat in the mountains may not be on a mountaintop at all.

If You Do One Thing: Book the steam excursion on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad and let the mountains come to you. No trails required.

Eat: Everett Street Diner — Classic mountain diner in the heart of downtown Bryson City.

Do: Great Smoky Mountains Railroad — Round-trip excursions through Nantahala National Forest and along Fontana Lake.

Stay: Fryemont Inn — Cozy rooms with mountain views.

Should You Go? Drive time: 3.5 hrs from Charlotte / 1 hr from Asheville. Time: Half day to full day. Effort: Easy, no walking required. Cost: $$ moderate. Best for families, older adults, anyone who wants scenery without a trail. Vibe: Classic Americana, cool temps, unhurried.

High Country Cool: Blowing Rock, NC

When much of the Carolinas is sweating through August, Blowing Rock is reaching for a light jacket.

Perched about 3,500 feet above sea level, this High Country town often enjoys summer highs in the 70s, along with a walkable downtown filled with galleries, restaurants, and the kind of old-school attractions that seem to be disappearing elsewhere.

Start on Main Street at Blue Deer on Main (960 Main St.), where handcrafted ice cream cookie sandwiches pair freshly baked cookies with Homeland Creamery ice cream from Julian, NC. Pick your cookie. Pick your flavor. Then spend some time wandering the shops that make downtown Blowing Rock one of the state's most enjoyable places to stroll.

Next, head to The Blowing Rock, the famous clifftop overlook on U.S. 321. The attraction is equal parts roadside Americana and natural wonder, with sweeping views across the Johns River Gorge that have been stopping travelers in their tracks for generations.

A little further north on 321 sits Mystery Hill, where gravity appears to have a mind of its own. The quirky roadside attraction is best known for its famous “uphill” demonstrations, where balls, water, even people seem immune to gravity. Afterward, step inside the historic Dougherty House and adjacent Native American Artifacts Museum, home to one of the world's largest collections of arrowheads and Native American artifacts. Even visitors who come for the mystery often end up spending just as much time exploring the museum.

Or just soak up what Blowing Rock does best: a slower rhythm, mountain views, and what summer feels like when the air conditioner isn't working overtime.

If You Do One Thing: Build a custom sandwich at Blue Deer on Main, then drive up to Mystery Hill and let gravity argue with you for an hour.

Eat: Blue Deer on Main — Pick your cookie, pick your ice cream, build your sandwich.

See: The Blowing Rock — Clifftop views over the Johns River Gorge, kitschy and worth it.

Do: Mystery Hill — Gravitational anomaly, the 1903 Dougherty House, and gem mining at Prospector Hill.

Stay: Chetola Resort — Historic lakeside resort on 75 acres, walkable to downtown Blowing Rock.

Should You Go? Drive time: 2 hrs from Charlotte / 1.5 hrs from Greensboro. Time: Full day or a long weekend. Effort: Easy, mostly walkable. Cost: $-$$ low to moderate. Best for families, couples, road trippers. Vibe: Old-school roadside nostalgia, cool mountain air.

Slow Down South: SC's Hammock Coast

Some beach towns are built for activity. The Hammock Coast is built for exhaling.

Stretching from Murrells Inlet through Pawleys Island to Georgetown, this corner of South Carolina moves at a different pace than the rest of the Grand Strand. Pawleys Island is one of the oldest seaside resorts in America, and the area has never seemed particularly interested in rushing.

Start at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, where sculptures by more than 350 artists are displayed among gardens, wooded paths, and former rice plantation grounds. The property also includes the Lowcountry Zoo.

Just across U.S. 17 at Huntington Beach State Park stands Atalaya Castle, the Moorish-style winter home of sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington. Guided summer tours explore the unusual 1930s structure.

If you're making a weekend of it, spend a day in Georgetown, South Carolina's third-oldest city. Stroll the historic waterfront, visit a museum, or join a lantern-lit ghost tour after dark. Then head back toward Murrells Inlet, where the MarshWalk's half-mile boardwalk is the perfect place for fresh seafood and a sunset view.

The best thing to do here may be the thing most vacations forget: Slow down.

If You Do One Thing: Spend a morning at Brookgreen Gardens, then walk across US 17 to Atalaya Castle before lunch. Two of the most distinctive stops on the South Carolina coast, back to back.

See: Brookgreen Gardens — Oldest public sculpture garden in the US, with a Lowcountry Zoo and Gullah Geechee history trails.

Explore: Atalaya Castle at Huntington Beach State Park — Moorish-style historic castle, summer guided tours available.

Eat: Drunken Jack's — Fresh seafood and a lively environment along the MarshWalk.

Stay: Brookwood Inn — A nostalgic motor lodge with a relaxed old-school energy.

Should You Go? Drive time: 1.5 hrs from Columbia / 1 hr from Myrtle Beach. Time: Full day or a long weekend. Effort: Easy. Cost: $-$$$ low to splurge depending on lodging. Best for empty nesters, history buffs, families who want beach without the chaos. Vibe: Lowcountry slow, historic, unhurried.