Beach or mountains

Pick the coast when

The point of the trip is swimming, a flat walk, a pier, or the Bird Island mailbox. The four towns are Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Holden Beach, and Oak Island. They're barrier islands between the Atlantic and the Intracoastal Waterway. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30.

Pick the mountains when

The point is a trail, October color, a cool summer night, or skiing. The four towns are Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and Beech Mountain. Beech is the high one, at the town's published 5,506 feet. The Blue Ridge Parkway, Grandfather Mountain, and three ski areas are the shared backyard. The Parkway closes sections in winter, so the backyard has a gate.

By season

Summer works in both. The mountains are the heat escape. The beaches are the ocean. Fall favors the mountains for leaves and the beaches for a quieter strand. Winter favors the mountains if you ski and the beaches if you want mild air and empty sand. Spring is the quiet season in both: cold water at the beach, mud and waterfalls in the mountains.

This guide does not invent a drive time. Both regions are a substantial trip from the North Carolina Piedmont. Use a map from your own front door.