1. European Influences in North Carolina

2. Biltmore House Asheville, N.C. Asheville, N.C. French Renaissance Chateau built by George W. Vanderbilt

3. Tryon Palace New Bern, N.C. Tryon Palace, restored home of British Governor William Tryon, who had his magnificent showplace built in 1770. The elegant Georgian style mansion served as both home of the governor and the capitol of the Colony of North Carolina. After the Revolutionary War, Tryon Palace became the capitol of the independent State of North Carolina.

4. Chowan County Courthouse, Edenton N.C. The 1767 Courthouse, the finest Georgian courthouse in the South

5. Old Salem Winston Salem, N.C. Salem was founded in 1766 by the Moravians – a Protestant group of people that began in what is now known as the Czech Republic.

6. The Highland Games Grandfather Mountain, N.C. The Scottish people have a long and rich history in the state of North Carolina. After the battle of Culloden in 1745, highland clearances left many Scottish clans with no home and nowhere to go. During the time after the clearances, North Carolina became one of the most popular destinations. The local government in North Carolina urged Highland Scots to come to North Carolina by offering them land and tax exemptions.

7. Northhampton County Courthouse Jackson, N.C. Greek Revival features of this structure include the 'temple of justice' form, with an Ionic portico and a raised basement.

8. Charlotte, N.C. Charlotte is named after Charlotte Sophia, wife of King George III. Mecklenburg County is named for Queen Charlotte’s homeland

9. Raleigh, N.C. The city of Raleigh is named for Sir Walter Raleigh, explorer and noblemen who funded the first expeditions to the coast of modern-day North Carolina.

10. Roanoke Island, N.C. In 1584, 1585, and 1587, Sir Walter Raleigh funded expeditions to Roanoke Island (located on what is now called the Outer Banks). On March 25, 1584, Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter allowing Raleigh to “discover, search, find out, and view such remote heathen and barbarous Lands, Countries, and territories … to have, hold, occupy, and enjoy.”

11. Edgecombe County, N.C. Formed in 1741 out of Bertie County, the county is named after Richard Edgecombe, a member of England’s Parliament and a lord of treasury, who became the First Baron Edgecombe in 1742.

12. The Wild Horses of Corolla on the Outer Banks of N.C. For centuries, wild horses freely roamed many areas of the Outer Banks. Detailed information from 16th Century Spanish ship logs and journals indicates that the first horses arrived on the Outer Banks via Spanish explorers' vessels as early as 1520.

13. Belmont Abbey College Belmont, N.C. The church is constructed in the gothic-revival style out of brick and granite, built in the shape of a Latin cross.gothic-revival styleLatin cross

14. St. Thomas Episcopal Church Bath, N.C. A historic church on Craven Street in Bath, North Carolina. The church building was constructed in 1734 and is the oldest surviving church building in North Carolina.Bath, North Carolina

15. Belle Chere Festival Asheville, N.C. Bele Chere (pronounced Bell Cher), the largest free outdoor street festival in the Southeast. The three-day festival on the streets of Downtown Asheville features live, original music all day and night for 200,000 festival-goers. Bele Chere means "beautiful living" and comes from an ancient Scottish dialect. Bele Chere offers the unique opportunity to see, taste and hear some of the region’s finest art, cuisine and music.