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Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Serious Conversation
Many of these states either have nominal coastlines, nominal mountains, or both. New Hampshire has eighteen miles of coastline with waters that are still too cold for swimming, but excellent mountains. Virginia has a long coastline and mountains that are good for hiking, hunting, and finishing, but as far as I know, no ski resorts, and I worked in the southwest VA mountains for two years.
I wouldn't say that these other states have nominal coastlines or mountains (except some of the very small New England states), but I'm not going to measure them all out. My point is that North Carolina, while a very pretty state, is really not very different from the states above it or below it on the East Coast. Nearly all of the East Coast states have mountains, a coast and an in-between area. North Carolina really isn't all that unique in that regard.
Actually, I personally prefer the Great Lakes to the Ocean for various reasons. I think it's important to note that even Raleigh is 2 hrs. from the ocean, at least, so the question has to be asked, how many people make that trip more than once per season? Likewise with the mountains, if at all.
Only one of those (Wintergreen) has a reasonable vertical drop. Both of NC's ski resorts--and as far as I'm concerned, there are only two, Beech and Sugar Mountain, are just as 'good'. The resorts in VA are nothing special. WV does have a place that's better than either of NC's, Snowshoe, but even that is still a far cry from real skiing. Only the northeast has proper skiing on the east coast.
I go to Colorado to ski. I go to NC's slopes to practice.
Quote:
I wouldn't say that these other states have nominal coastlines or mountains (except some of the very small New England states), but I'm not going to measure them all out. My point is that North Carolina, while a very pretty state, is really not very different from the states above it or below it on the East Coast. Nearly all of the East Coast states have mountains, a coast and an in-between area. North Carolina really isn't all that unique in that regard.
All but 2 of the 6000 ft peaks in the Appalachian chain are completely in NC or shared with NC. NC's mountains are simply taller than the other eastern states. I get the impression that you personally aren't as interested in scenery, but for those of us that are that matters.
NC's beaches have the same summer water temperature as Florida's below Cape Hatteras, they also tend to have clearer water than the neighboring states (the Georgia bight browns the water in SC and GA, the Chesapeake Bay browns the water in VA Beach) and less intrusive development than the other eastern states. The Outer Banks are a unique formation that don't exist elsewhere on the coast.
Took this photo of Wrightsville Beach a few years ago:
No other state on the east coast has warm, clear beaches, and 6000 ft peaks at the same time. Debate the subjective merits of the cities all you want. NC's geographical assets are a part of the reason many of us live here.
Only one of those (Wintergreen) has a reasonable vertical drop. Both of NC's ski resorts--and as far as I'm concerned, there are only two, Beech and Sugar Mountain, are just as 'good'. The resorts in VA are nothing special. WV does have a place that's better than either of NC's, Snowshoe, but even that is still a far cry from real skiing. Only the northeast has proper skiing on the east coast.
I go to Colorado to ski. I go to NC's slopes to practice.
All but 2 of the 6000 ft peaks in the Appalachian chain are completely in NC or shared with NC. NC's mountains are simply taller and than the other eastern states. I get the impression that you personally aren't as interested in scenery, but for those of us that are that matters.
NC's beaches have the same water temperature as Florida's below Cape Hatteras, they also tend to have clearer water than the neighboring states (the Georgia bight browns the water in SC and GA, the Chesapeake Bay browns the water in VA Beach) and less intrusive development than the other eastern states. The Outer Banks are a unique formation that don't exist elsewhere on the coast.
Took this photo of Wrightsville Beach a few years ago:
No other state on the east coast has warm, clear beaches, and 6000 ft peaks at the same time. Debate the subjective merits of the cities all you want. NC's geographical assets are a part of the reason many of us live here.
Higher and taller are not the same thing.
Mt. Mitchell may be higher than Mount Washington, but Mount Washington is taller.
The base of Mount Mitchell is about 1300 feet above sea level, Mount Washington's base is about 250 ft above sea level. Thus the hight climbing is larger going up the Whites than the Blue Ridge.
I wouldn't say that these other states have nominal coastlines or mountains (except some of the very small New England states), but I'm not going to measure them all out. My point is that North Carolina, while a very pretty state, is really not very different from the states above it or below it on the East Coast. Nearly all of the East Coast states have mountains, a coast and an in-between area. North Carolina really isn't all that unique in that regard.
Where I worked is one county over from KY - it's probably 200 miles from this resort.
One trend that I've always noticed is interesting, is that people do tend to keep regional travel, for the most part, almost exclusively within their home state. So, I suppose, if you were saying, lets drive around JUST North Carolina and see what we have naturally, vs. JUST Ohio, NC as a whole state would probably win in that case. But, I would take Metro Cleveland's natural beauty/scenery vs. the two major population centers of NC (Metro Charlotte and Raleigh, with Charlotte and Cleveland being quite neck and neck in that regard though). I think that is important to note in this discussion. Also, Asheville is about the same distance from the Outer Banks that Cleveland is from the Jersey Shore (and NYC), so it's not like someone would be climbing and surfing in the same day, or anything like that. That being said, I certainly understand, and appreciate NC's natural beauty overall, and would use that as a factor in quite possibly eventually relocating there from my current location (Florida).
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
9,777 posts, read 15,783,646 times
Reputation: 10886
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vatnos
Only one of those (Wintergreen) has a reasonable vertical drop. Both of NC's ski resorts--and as far as I'm concerned, there are only two, Beech and Sugar Mountain, are just as 'good'. The resorts in VA are nothing special. WV does have a place that's better than either of NC's, Snowshoe, but even that is still a far cry from real skiing. Only the northeast has proper skiing on the east coast.
I go to Colorado to ski. I go to NC's slopes to practice.
All but 2 of the 6000 ft peaks in the Appalachian chain are completely in NC or shared with NC. NC's mountains are simply taller than the other eastern states. I get the impression that you personally aren't as interested in scenery, but for those of us that are that matters.
NC's beaches have the same summer water temperature as Florida's below Cape Hatteras, they also tend to have clearer water than the neighboring states (the Georgia bight browns the water in SC and GA, the Chesapeake Bay browns the water in VA Beach) and less intrusive development than the other eastern states. The Outer Banks are a unique formation that don't exist elsewhere on the coast.
No other state on the east coast has warm, clear beaches, and 6000 ft peaks at the same time. Debate the subjective merits of the cities all you want. NC's geographical assets are a part of the reason many of us live here.
I was correcting the comment that Virginia didn't have ski resorts, which it clearly does. Of course, they are not as good as NY, VT or out west.
I love beautiful scenery and I think Boone and Asheville are gorgeous, and I think the Outer Banks are neat. I also love the Shenandoah Valley and Skyline Drive in Virginia. I am mesmerized each time I drive through there. I am also smitten with the South Jersey Shore beaches, the Adirondacks in NY, and Cape Cod in Massachusetts. In fact, each state on the East Coast has gorgeous scenery. North Carolina certainly does not have a monopoly on beautiful scenery.
And again, I was responding to a statement that NC and Maine are the only states on the east coast to have mountains and coast, which is false. As I mentioned above, lots of East Coast states, do. The height of the peaks or the temperature of the water has nothing to do with this fact.
I certainly didn't move to central North Carolina because it has pretty mountains or nice beaches. I can reach beautiful mountains and lovely beaches within 3-4 hours from almost any city on the East Coast - Philly, DC, NYC, Boston, Baltimore. etc. I don't need to be in NC to do it. In fact, every time I've visited the Outer Banks was when I lived in DC, which is closer to the OBX than many cities in NC are. I moved to NC for a job. The scenery in the mountains or in the OBX, 3+ hours away had absolutely nothing to do with that decision, although I agree (as mentioned before) that many who move to the NC mountains do so for the scenery. I disagree that those moving to Charlotte or Raleigh are doing so for the mountain or coastal features of the state, which they can get in almost any East Coast city.
One trend that I've always noticed is interesting, is that people do tend to keep regional travel, for the most part, almost exclusively within their home state.
I think it depends. Certainly that's a lot less true for the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states, particularly near and along the NEC. For NC and OH, I'd say it's less true for cities near the border like Charlotte and Cincinnati. Charlotteans in particular love to take trips to Myrtle Beach and Charleston.
I think WNC has the most beauty within the southern Appalachians. There are also beautiful parts of east TN and Virginia (though I'm less familiar with VA north of Roanoke) and certainly all the east coast states (have been to every state on the coast save Delaware).
I'm not a winter guy - at all. NC's warmer weather is going to be a lot amenable to me than living in Cleveland and getting pounded with lake effect snow. If I don't see snow all winter, I'm perfectly fine.
Higher and taller are not the same thing.
Mt. Mitchell may be higher than Mount Washington, but Mount Washington is taller.
The base of Mount Mitchell is about 1300 feet above sea level, Mount Washington's base is about 250 ft above sea level. Thus the hight climbing is larger going up the Whites than the Blue Ridge.
And you could absolutely make the argument that New Hampshire's recently-glaciated mountains have an edge against NC's, though it is a slight edge at the most.
Hence why I said, NC's the only state with 4000-ft relief in its mountains and warm water beaches on the east coast. The other states all get only one of those. You can live in Florida or New England and get slightly better beaches or mountains. But living here you get a bit of both.
Last edited by Vatnos; 06-15-2016 at 09:20 PM..
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