On the Outer Banks, we get a lot of visitors from Florida. We also do get some visitors from Georgia and South Carolina as well, so depending on the starting point, this “things to do on the ride to the Outer Banks” is for those folks as well.
Almost anyone driving from Florida to the Outer Banks will be using I-95. That also holds true for travelers who live on the coastal plain of Georgia or South Carolina. There are alternate routes—US 1 to the west and US 17 to the east of I-95, but taking either road will add hours to the journey.
South of the Border| South of the Border, SC
You’ve been passing the signs for at least 200 miles. They’re tacky; frankly, some are in bad taste. But what the heck—just before the North Carolina border, take 15 minutes, maybe put some gas in the car, take a restroom break and get a good old-fashioned dose of pure schlock.
Cape Fear Botanical Garden | 536 N Eastern Blvd., Fayetteville, NC
Depending on what the starting point of the trip was, this stop in Fayetteville may be the perfect opportunity to get out and stretch cramped legs, backs, and bodies. It’s a fairly good-sized botanical garden at 77 acres so there’s plenty of room to move around.
For anyone who has been to the Elizabethan Gardens, think of it as a much larger version of the Outer Banks site.
The location is about two and a half miles off I-95 on the main road, so it’s convenient and easy to get to.
General William C Lee Airborne Museum | 209 W Divine St., Dunn, NC
General William Lee is the father of the American Airborne forces. He was the first commander of the 101st Airborne Division.
The museum is housed in his family home where he was raised. The building is a beautifully maintained early 20th-century example of Neo-Classical Revival residential architecture.
The museum collection consists of General Lee’s personal memorabilia as well as other items of historic significance relating to the creation of the US Army Airborne units.
A relatively small museum, it’s a wonderful find on the road to the Outer Banks.
Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site | Four Oaks, NC
Bentonville was the last major Civil War battle fought in North Carolina. Taking place between March 19 and 21, 1865, there was no clear victor, but by that time a draw on the battlefield was a win for northern forces. Better equipped with vastly superior numbers, the Union Army under General Sherman resumed its march to Raleigh as soon as the battle ended.
Ava Gardner Museum | 325 E Market St., Smithfield, NC
Born in 1922 in Grabtown, a rural unincorporated area of farmland nine miles south of Smithfield, she shot to fame because of her looks but she more than held her own with some of the great leading roles of her day including Clark Gable in Mogambo and Richard Burton in The Night of the Iguana.
The museum houses an extensive collection of Ava Gardner’s personal items and is recognized as the definitive repository of the actress’s history.
Tobacco Farm Life Museum | 709 N Church St., Kenly, NC
At one time in North Carolina, tobacco was more than a crop—it was a way of life. And that is what makes this museum so fascinating—it does not focus solely on tobacco and farm life. Rather there is a reconstruction of rural North Carolina when tobacco was king in the South.
US 64 – The Home Stretch
I-95 intersects US 64 at Tarboro. It’s a straight shot to the Outer Banks from there. Usually about a two-hour fifteen-minute to two and a half-hour ride from the intersection. Watch your speed on US 64; it’s heavily patrolled.