Further south, North Carolina's underrated Piedmont region has its own share of top-notch parks and mountain destinations that can hold their own against the more famous Blue Ridge Range.

Stargazers may be able to count several shooting stars overhead as the Lyrid meteor shower is visible in the night sky ...

STARTING TODAY, THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES IS EXPANDING SERVICE HOURS AT 42 LOCATIONS ACROSS THE STATE, SIX OF THEM RIGHT HERE IN THE PIEDMONT TRIAD. OUR ERIN BURNETT SPOKE ...

From the beautiful Smoky Mountains to the scenic Outer Banks, North Carolina has a range of inviting big cities and smaller communities.