North Carolina
Gems
The following is a list of the most recent AAA Gems in North Carolina. These are tourist destinations that have AAA's highest recommendation. It's hard to go wrong when choosing to visit a Gem. Unfortunately, there is no longer an index list of Gems in AAA Tourbooks which is why this list was created.
Festivals and short term events usually include information about when they occur. Items listed in bold have already been visited by Mr. and Mrs. Mouse.
Asheboro
- North Carolina Zoo
Asheville
- Biltmore
- Biltmore Blooms (Spring)
- Christmas at Biltmore
- Candlelight Christmas Evenings
- Mount Mitchell State Park
- North Carolina Arboretum
- Pisgah National Forest
Beaufort
- North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort
Belmont
- Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Blowing Rock
- Grandfather Mountain
- Tweetsie Railroad
Bryson City
- Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Buxton
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Chapel Hill
- Morehead Planetarium and Science Center
Charlotte
- Levine Museum of the New South
- Mint Museum Uptown
- Mint Museum Randolph
- Discovery Place Science
- Carowinds Amusement and Water Park
- The NASCAR Hall of Fame
- Hendrick Motorsports Museum
Cherokee
- Blue Ridge Parkway
- Oconaluftee Indian Village
- "Unto These Hills"
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Chimney Rock
- Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park
Clemmons
- Tanglewood Park
- Tanglewood Festival of Lights
Durham
- Duke University Chapel
Fayetteville
- Airborne and Special Operations Museum
Flat Rock
- Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage
Gastonia
- The Schiele Museum of Natural History
Greensboro
- Greensboro History Museum
- International Civil Rights Center & Museum
Kill Devil Hills
- Wright Brothers National Memorial
Kure Beach
- North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Lexington
- The Barbecue Festival (October)
Linville
- Grandfather Mountain
Manteo
- Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
- Elizabethan Gardens
- "The Lost Colony"
- Roanoke Island Festival Park, Home of Elizabeth II
Morehead City
- North Carolina Seafood Festival (September)
New Bern
- MUMfest (October)
- Tyron Palace
- North Carolina History Center
Pine Knoll Shores
- North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
Raleigh
- North Carolina State Fair (October)
- North Carolina Museum of Art
- North Carolina Museum of History
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
- North Carolina State Capital
Wilmington
- Battleship North Carolina
- North Carolina Azalea Festival (Spring)
- Wilmington Riverfest (October)
- Cucalorus Film Festival (November)
Winston-Salem
- National Black Theatre Festival (Summer, odd numbered years)
- Old Salem Museums & Gardens
- Reynolda House Museum or American Art
Other Notable Locations
This section was created specifically to share locations that Mr. and Mrs. Mouse have visited that deserve special mention even though AAA doesn't list them as Gems. In addition, this area also serves as a place to mention locations we want to visit in the future that we hope will live up to our expectations.
Asheville
- Grove Park Inn
