We’re doing something different in these shows than we’ve done before.

One of my 12 bosses called me a few months ago and said, “What if instead of doing three stories from three different locations in the Carolinas like a normal Carolina Traveler show we do a whole show about one location?”

I thought about it for 2 seconds and said, “Okay!”

The idea she had is this… since I have traveled to literally hundreds of places over the last seven years in North and South Carolina, why not tell people where my favorite places are and tell them what I like to do, what I like to eat, and where I like to sleep at those destinations. (You can’t imagine the number of e-mails I get from people asking me about these very things.)

Well the more we talked the more we realized it had to be more than one show. I have more than just one place I like to hang out in the Carolinas. So one show turned into four-ish.

Last Saturday night, like I said, was all about the Charleston area. If you’ve never been, go! GO! As soon as you can find a weekend free. On the Carolina Traveler web page there’s a link to all my favorite Charleston haunts… restaurants to try, my favorite place to stay, and the things you shouldn’t miss while you’re there, etc. You can also watch a bunch of our Charleston area stories. I recommend some things that are off the beaten path… things even regulars to Charleston don’t know about.

The folks in Charleston are some of my favorite people. From the great restaurants to my favorite Inn, “The Governor’s House Inn,” everyone is gracious to a fault. Seriously, if you want to be treated with world famous southern hospitality, Charleston is it! Check out my Carolina Traveler “Charleston” web page. It’s all there.

This coming Saturday we’ll hit all my favorite things on the North Carolina Outer Banks. And by the time the show airs we’ll be posting a Carolina Traveler “Outer Banks” web page… just like the Charleston one. We’ll cover my favorite restaurants… tell you who the CT crew likes to deal with when renting a house (Hatteras Reality… good peeps) and what you absolutely have to do when you’re there.

Keep in mind you can’t do the Outer Banks in a weekend and feel rested. It’s a 5 to 6 hour drive so you’ll have to take a week’s vacation to do this trip. But holy moly it’s so worth it. There is no place to unwind and reconnect with yourself like the Outer Banks. It’s magical out there.

Too many Carolinians drive to Florida to hit the beach. Crowded Florida beaches? STOP! Turn your car west and head for Kitty Hawk or Nags Head or Buxton or Avon (where I like to stay) or Salvo or Duck or Currituck Beach or Hatteras Village. Or how about a beach several travel magazines have repeatedly voted one of the top 10 beaches in America… Ocracoke Island!

You can’t see the world’s tallest brick lighthouse in Florida. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is one of the most famous on earth. Grab you girlfriend or wife and kids and climb to the top of it and look out over the graveyard of the Atlantic. It’s mesmerizing. Or climb to the top of Currituck Lighthouse and look all the way into Virginia! You might even see the wild horses roaming just north of the light. One time while the CT crew was at Currituck Lighhouse a man from California was getting married to his Italian fiancé… right at the base of the lighthouse. Very, very cool.

Or how about this: Sign up to be the lighthouse keeper for six weeks at Cape Lookout Lighthouse! You can’t do that in Florida. Only on the North Carolina Outer Banks!

So tune in and see all my favorites over the next several Saturday nights. Then go to our website for maps, trip calculators, ferry schedules and more info about where to go and what to do.

Okay, I’ve got to get back to work… putting the Outer Banks web page together with the WCNC.COM peeps. Basically they do the work and I say, “Oooooo Prrrrrrrrretty.”

Peace,

Mike Redding