First time visiting Beech Mountain during their summer concert series. Went and seen Lord Huron…read moreperform. We arrived somewhat early and was able to park in the lots at the gate; shuttle options are available as well. I was a little thrown off with how many buildings were closed. One of the breweries, so there was only one with food open and it was super crowded. No other food was accessible without having to wait until the music festival opened up. Once we got inside the venue area, where were a good amount of food trucks lined up. Early is always the key; shorter lines, quicker service. The lawn seating for the concert was first come first serve. You just found a good spot and pitched your chairs. Everyone is pretty nice about not over crowding or moving your items. The speakers from the stage could have been a little better. Sounded like they were going to blow the speakers through some of the songs. Nice chill evening after the rain. Beautiful view behind the stage. Bring a coat cause the mountains are mountains for a reason. Cold and scattered rain

I haven't been skiing in forever, and because our holiday cruise fell through, we chose to do a ski…read moretrip that was within driving distance to Atlanta, GA. Little did I know, or maybe I just forgot, that my girlfriend frequented ski resorts growing up, but hasn't been in over a decade. Having done extensive research, I chose Beech Mountain. This is a resort town and the surrounding areas felt like we weren't in the U.S. The quaint village was so welcoming and relaxing and it was amazing to hear several different languages at this resort - Ukrainian, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and more. We arrived after it had snowed so it was the perfect winter escape. I recommend renting your equipment, if you don't already have yours. We chose White Wolf lodge to rent our skis, poles, and boots and the process was quick and the workers were friendly. Heading to the mountains, we decided to do the twilight and the entire resort and property felt like a real vacation overseas vacation. They had various buildings and houses that operated as standalone restaurants, rental shops, and more. Additionally, we were so excited to be there we didn't realize we got on the wrong lift that took us up to the very top for a black diamond slope. Because I haven't been skiing as much as my girlfriend, I took her lead and followed her, which was a big mistake. Let's just say I have never had more fun then wiping out face first in front of experience skiers and snowboarders. Once we eventually made it down the slope we found a more user friendly slope that we conquered with perfection and then we upgraded to intermediate slope. We continued skiing for several hours and the night time views from the lift were stunning. The pictures here don't begin to reveal how beautiful it was. SIDE NOTE: for any beginning skiers, it is not as intimating as you may think. Just be confident, listen to instructions, and by all means don't be afraid to fall.

App Mtn is a small resort that definitely caterers to families. They are cashless and it's kind of…read morea pain in the ass that you have to reserve everything in advance, including your arrival time. The RIFD card is used for everything. It's a nice resort and everyone is helpful & friendly. Not challenging terrain but enough if you are just trying to get a nice 1/2 day of skiing. The cafeteria is nice with good food choices. A good place for snowboarding. Three parks to choose from. Reasonable lift prices.

I come here every year for my snowboarding trip, the staff is always amazing and helpful!! The…read moreprocess was smooth and easy, especially the lockers!!!

THE place to learn to ski and snowboard. The instructors are well trained and are friendly. You…read morewon't regret taking a lesson. Make reservations for group and private lesson online.

Great time at Sugar Mountain! Been 2x so far this year. Of course it's an east coast ski resort but…read morethe best in NC in my opinion. Was fortunate to have some good snow. Most runs are now open, the bartenders are friendly, the food is OK. Tuesdays are the slowest days. Weekends and Mondays are packed with long lift lines starting around 11:30 am. My fave time to go is Tuesday/Wednesday mornings if you have the flexibility. Ready for my 3rd this season!

The ski patrol needs to get off their high horse of power. They took a guys pass for the entire day…read morebecause he accidentally nicked his ski. Talk about ruining someone's day and taking money out of their pockets.

J- Bear employees make use of corporal punishment against children, as well as verbal and mental…read morediscipline. They are deprived of things such as water when they ask. When it is hot outside, the children are denied water until a set time when they give water to all students at once. This can be up to an hour of denied access to basic necessities. Children are not safe or properly care for at this school. Physical discipline is used in classrooms on a daily basis.

My wife and I have tried 1 other daycare that happened to be a corporate daycare. They corporate…read moredaycare couldn't care less about our children. At J-Bear they have teachers that actually care about your kids. They have specialist that help with speech and fine motor skills. I have noticed a big difference with my son and now my daughter.

My family and I came at the very end of season- end of March. Luckily there was still some man-made…read moresnow available and we were able to enjoy our time. The staff were all nice with us, especially the guys at the first lift to the easy slopes, and the guy at the bunny slope. He helped my young daughter and gave us kind smiles. Prices were fair, and it offered a nice, long easy slope for beginners. Great place for first timers, and there are also challenging slopes for the experienced skiers. I liked it here and would come again.

Sugar Mountain Ski resort is a no-frills ski mountain, so if you're expecting a ski town vibe like…read moreBreckenridge, you'll be disappointed. Sugar is no pressure, most people out here look like they're beginners. We enrolled our kids in ski lessons through the ski/snowboard school. The instructors were patient, kid-friendly, and knowledgeable. Kids had a blast. Kids also went tubing, which they enjoyed. Both tubing and ski lessons must be booked in advance, and for ski school it's best to pick up rental equipment the day before to avoid long lines. Kids get a cubby at the ski school, so send them with a bottle of water and an extra snack if they're doing the ski school from 10 AM to 3 PM. Parents can watch their kids while in school from the upper deck or stay warm in the cafeteria. Upstairs is Last Run Lounge (adults only). The resort does get pretty crowded for its size, so plan accordingly. Parking fills up fast, leaving early helps. You're allowed to bring your own food and drinks, though there are food options available for purchase on site. Pro tips: wear sunblock and UV-protective sunglasses or ski goggles (even as a spectator). Bring cash (single dollar bills) tip the shuttle drivers. Overall, Sugar Mountain is a practical, beginner-friendly option that works well if you plan ahead and manage expectations.

We love Stephen's camps. He works with each child at their respective level and helps them…read moreadvance. Private lessons with Stephen are also excellent. He continues to help my son advance and reach his goals.

From the owner: Private Wakeboard/Wakesurf Lessons. Adult and Kids Camps. Call Today!read more

There's not a lot of places to kayak on lake normal surprisingly but if you can get a reservation…read moreat aloha it is always a great experience. It's quick and easy. You walk about 20 yards from the parking lot to sign in and then another 30 yards to hop in your kayak and go. Absolutely beautiful spot on the water and you can cruise around as long as you want. So tranquil.

We rented paddle boards for our recent family vacation on LKN. We had an amazing experience…read more playing on the water together as a family. Aloha delivered and retrieved quality boards and paddles. We will definitely be renting from them again.

This place was fun! During the summer they have concerts…read moreand you can bring your blanket and chairs and enjoy the music. They have several places where you can buy beer and other drinks as well as food. You can whitewater raft, go on hiking trails and zip line too. Ample parking but beware, it can get packed during certain times and events.

I have never been to Charlotte NC before, and as I did my research on what to do, the US National…read moreWhitewater Center often came up as 1 of 2 must-visit attractions. Not being a real outdoorsy person, and only having whitewater rafted once, I felt the $89 day pass was very reasonable. I arrived at the USNWC at open time, and paid $13 for parking. Once parked, I lined up at the Outfitters center to sign up for activities. It was already busy, so I was probably in line for about 20 minutes to get my spot for whitewater rafting. They make it sound like you can only do whitewater rafting once, but after speaking to my guide, you can only have one reservation at a time. Once you finish you trip, you can immediately sign up again if there are spots. As I was there relatively early, I was schedule for a 10am rafting start, which gave me plenty of time to walk around the check out the area before getting to rafting. My general thoughts: - Whitewater rafting was terrific. It was the main focus of my visit, and completely made my day pass worth it. My guide was fun and informative. The conveyer belt bringing the raft back up was operational while I did it, but later in the day, it looked like the conveyer was out of service, so everyone had to carry the rafts back up, which is quite a bit of extra work. Between the heat and extra carrying, I decided not to go back, otherwise I would have. - The bin storage service made it easy to rent a bin to store my gear. It often had lines, so I would recommend minimize the number of times you need to access it. You can access as many times as you want. - I did the kayaking at the flatwater area. It was a much more relaxing area that you can go at your own-pace. - The ziplines were a bit disappointing, unless you pay extra for the longer lines. The lines that don't require reservations are very short, and frankly, not worth doing unless it's your first time trying it. - Most of the rock climbing areas were closed off, and the few areas open was packed with small children. So I decided not to try it. - Because by late day, it was getting uncomfortably hot, so i decided not to do the rope courses, but they looked pretty good. - Entry to the area is free, so a good number of visitors hang out just to have picnics and watch. Overall, I enjoyed my visit, only because of the whitewater rafting. It's much more affordable then what I could do back at home. The ziplines are good for first timers. Ropes courses looked good, and flatwater activities are nice to move at a more relaxed pace. I can see why it's a popular place.

I've shopped here four or five times now and always had a good experience. Always cool floor staff…read more But management must have changed or something because they implemented a really intense return policy. They wouldn't let me return unworn pants because it had been longer than 14 days... Hey dude some of us are busy and that was the first chance I got. If you are that concerned with nickel and diming your customers then I'll make sure my money goes elsewhere

From the owner: Lake Norman's premier source for all your wakesurfing, skating and watersports needs, located only…read morea short drive from Charlotte. Swell Board Shop features the lake's best selection of surfboards, wakeboards, stand-up paddleboards, rentals, long boards, sunglasses, footwear and apparel. Whether you are a beginner or professional, Swell Board Shop has you covered.