North Carolina
Smokey Mountains, lots of scenic views Gatlinburg not far away (Dollywood for kids)
Asheville, Biltmore House, Lake Lure (dirty dancing filmed there i think)
Our favorite place in N.C. but may be a bit far is the Outer Banks and Kitty Hawk. Standing on the hill where the first flight took place means nothing to read in a book but to stand there with the wind blowing constantly at 30-40 mph and seeing the long, sloping hill makes it all come to life.
Light houses are really fun to walk up on and the Corolla Spanish horses are really cool to see. (They are wild, it is illegal to interact with them, they have land rights over the home owners and great history of how they got there). It feels like you are walking back in time so see them roaming the beaches.
