A Nessie-like monster supposedly lurks in this lake.

A young state senator's deathbed plea to be buried inside a rock resulted in this unusual grave site.

An annual celebration of the region's successful elk reintroduction program.

This handcrafted, old western-style town is filled with deserted cars, retired movie props, and other forms of Americana.

Down the road from where the Wright brothers lifted off is another flight tribute practically hidden from sight in the woods.

Every week, a festive public jam session breaks out in downtown Asheville.

A maritime museum holding the remains of Blackbeard's pirate ship.

This too-low North Carolina railroad trestle is still a notorious big rig executioner.

A historic dam made famous for its turbines and feature in a Hollywood classic.

This winding road of 318 curves is a must-visit for (careful) motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts.

From failed port town to Civil War fort, the ruins of this former defense saw their finest day in the television age.

A monument to the sheer amount of oddities one can collect over a lifetime.

The final resting place of the hundreds of bodies originally buried where Badin Lake sits now.

This stunning home looks like it belongs in medieval Europe, not North Carolina.

This shifting North Carolina sand dune is an odd little desert surrounded by oceanic forest life.

A wedding chapel, vintage clothing shop, and bar all under one roof.

Burial site more than 300 years old.

Divinely-inspired village houses 6,000 dolls, plus strange and lovely outsider art.

Perhaps the oldest vine in North America, this sprawling plant helps make a sweet wine.

Some North Carolina Cherokee have been keeping their history alive for decades with a single play.

This ceremonial mound is one of the first officially recognized Native American historical sites in North Carolina.

These strange large stones served as a campsite and lookout post for generations of Native Americans.

This abandoned lighthouse looks like a rusting oil rig, but has managed to survive a number of storms.

An eerily abandoned stone tower is all that remains of a demolished dam on Cape Fear River.