Take a One-Day Vacay: Overnight Day Trips From Raleigh

Planning weeklong getaways can be exhausting. So shorter, one-night day trips from Raleigh are sometimes just enough of a mini-vacation for me to regroup and relax. If you’ll be staying in Raleigh for a few days, you should discover how our proximity to some of the East Coast’s great destinations puts us in a position where one-day vacays are easy. Here’s a peek at my five top spots for an overnight getaway.

Things to do in Charlotte

While you’re in Charlotte, drop by the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which features more than 1,000 artifacts and approximately 50 interactive exhibits.

Raleigh’s sister city, Charlotte, is one of the most popular Raleigh day trips—yet far enough that it’s easy and convenient to spend the night. In fact, you may find you’ll need extra time to explore what Charlotte locals call the Queen City. My family and I hopped on the LYNX Light Rail into Uptown, where we headed straight to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. There, the kiddos fell in love with its signature exhibit, Glory Road, which features 18 iconic race cars. From there, we boarded the light rail again and brewery-hopped in the historic South End neighborhood, where we refreshed ourselves at Sycamore Brewing and Triple C Brewing before heading to The Suffolk Punch for a late lunch. After a long day, we returned to our Charlotte hotel for a welcome pit stop and then enjoyed a night of Carolina-themed culture at nearby Carowinds, an exciting theme park with seasonal attractions and rides.

Wineries in Charlottesville, Virginia

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards is just one of the many outstanding spots you can visit along the Monticello Wine Trail in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Virginia is home to some of the country’s best wineries, many of which are located in Charlottesville. It’s one of the longer day trips from Raleigh, so my husband and I planned a romantic, wine-friendly overnight stay starting with the Monticello Wine Trail, which features over 30 local wineries, inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s love for everything vino. We splurged and booked a tour with Monticello Wine Tour & Coach Co., so we could comfortably visit some of the top wineries by luxury car. We enjoyed a wine and food pairing at the idyllic Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards before heading back out to explore even more wineries as well as downtown Charlottesville. After walking the University of Virginia campus, we relaxed in our Charlottesville hotel for a spell before enjoying our chef’s table experience at the historic restaurant, 1799, located on 100 acres of countryside.

Discover Durham’s culture scene at DPAC

The 2,700-seat performance theater of the Durham Performing Arts Center hosts more than 200 live events a year, including touring Broadway productions.

It might not be the first place that comes to mind for an overnight getaway, but for this busy couple with two kids, the cool city of Durham was one of the most ideal day trips from Raleigh we could manage. With relaxation and “us time” at the top of our agenda, we planned our 24-hour overnight around dinner and a show. A quick search revealed that the Durham Performing Arts Center had a great performance available. Bingo! We opted for a preshow dinner at Cuban Revolution, a vibrant, unique restaurant located in the refurbished American Tobacco Campus. Afterward, we enjoyed our two-hour show at the performing arts center before calling it a lovely, memorable night.

Best restaurants to visit while in Asheville

Check out the spread at Asheville’s Button & Co. Bagels, an Asheville spot where the bagels are made on-site using a house-made sourdough starter.

Asheville is easily one of the top culinary destinations in the South as well as one of the top day trips from Raleigh. So, of course, my husband and I—both self-described foodies—decided to take a quick, overnight trip there. First, we reserved a wine tasting at the Biltmore Winery, where we were led through a fantastic wine and cheese pairing of reds, whites and sparkling varieties. For dinner, we lucked out with a reservation at a Spanish tapas spot, Curate. Considered one of Asheville’s top restaurants, Curate is led by James Beard Award nominee chef Katie Button. (The squid ink pasta dish was to die for, trust me!) The next morning, we headed downtown to Button’s breakfast hot spot, Button & Co. Bagels, where we munched on house-made bagels smeared with jams and cream cheeses and relished a cup of hot Counter Culture Coffee. For lunch, we opted for Wicked Weed brewery and fell in love with its Pernicious IPA and braised beef short ribs.

Animals at the zoo in Asheboro, NC

Step right up for a chance to feed the animals— including giraffe—at the North Carolina Zoo’s wildlife encounter sessions.

Asheboro is one of the easier Raleigh day trips, but we wanted to get away for one night with our two little girls, so the four of us packed up the car and headed there for an overnight stay. We went straight to the North Carolina Zoo, spending the whole day touring the “continents” and getting up-close peeks at animals of all kinds. Our girls especially loved the polar bear exhibit, where they got to watch their furry friends play and eat within inches of their faces in the Arctic exhibit. The African safari was also a highlight, with zebras, elephants and more for all of us to view with wonder. We were able to truly enjoy the zoo in Asheboro because we didn’t have to rush and immediately hit the road afterward. It made all the difference in the world.

Written by Blake Miller