North Carolina Tourist Traps

Carolina Beach Boardwalk

by Astrobuck

Back in the day, this used to be full of life. There were many types of carnival games (ie throwing darts at baloons to win a stufdfed teddybear, etc).The last time I was here, all there was left was an arcade, a tiny restaurant, and a donut shop (Britts Donuts, which I VERY highly reccommend), and several bars. Although it has been several years, I have heard from the people I grew up with, that the area is turning around, and the bumper cars, shooting galleries, and gift shops are coming back.

Harrah's casino

by goingsolo

Harrah's operates a resort/casino in Cherokee, North Carolina. Its quite a popular place as it draws tourists from Great Smoky Mountains National Park and locals (so it seemed) from the surrounding areas. The casino has all the games and machines you;d expect, along with entertainment (the Village People were playing when I was in town, to give you an idea of the headliners this place attracts) and a buffet that I would not recommend. The majority of the town of Cherokee is a tourist trap since it exists to accommodate tourists from the park. Harrah's fits in quite well in its location across from stores with giant teepees and advertisements of "authentic" Indian arts and crafts. Although it is, undoubtedly, a tourist trap, it is worth a visit if you want to do some gambling. I wouldn't recommend staying here because prices are so outrageous in comparison to other hotels in the area. I'd...

gem mines

by MandaJ320

you'll see these places throughout the mountains, places where you can go and buy a bag of dirt from a mine and sift through them in water to find gemstones. you WILL find gemstones like garnets, citrine, emeralds, sapphires, rose quarts, topaz, tourmaline, and amethysts, but it's definitely a tourist trap. i have found some nice pieces in these sorts of places, but you just get the feeling that you're cheating.... i would recommend this for kids, definitely, because it can be fun. but just beware, they only want your money. bring your kids. kids love it. i did when i was a kid. it taught me about gemstones. find your own mountain stream and look for your own rocks!!! :-)

Guildford Courthouse. Its a...

by dlandt

Guildford Courthouse. Its a battlefield from the Revolutionary War. Its free, and there's a few things of interest, as well as a couple obelisks and war memorials. There is for instance, a very good museum on the grounds. Other than that, its pretty much a boring place. If the weather is nice yhis is a great place for a stroll through the countrydie with a picnic basket, bottle of whiskey, or girl, depending on your interests.

Gambling alert

by darthmilmo

I'm not much of a gambling man, but I can say one thing: the Cherokee Harras Casion is not worth a stop. This place just doesn't pay a nickle, not to anyone. All the players I saw in there were losing big time and no one was making money. Better save your money and spend it elsewhere!

I feel that Nags Head is a...

by jaybird199

I feel that Nags Head is a tourist trap. It is highly publicized and in the summer extremely crowded. And you would think that with all that, it would have something to show for it. Well, unfortunately, it seems to be rund-down and not that beautiful. While it has more shopping than most NC beaches, that hardly makes up for the loss of atmosphere.

Cherokee is the reservation...

by lyricalblue

Cherokee is the reservation for the eastern half of this tribe. But the majority of it is very commercialized. However, you can take some really great tours to learn about true Cherokee culture, and get tips on what to avoid in town. Also, ask about events that recall the Trail of Tears.

Cherokee shops

by phildeni

The many,many shops in Cherokee have pretty much the same items and the same prices.."overpriced" is the key word. Fun to browse, but if you have seen one shop you have seen them all.

no life without a car

by Toja

don't you even think of seeing the area without a car.. literary no other transportation.. well, except in big cities, a couple of buses. get a car

Pool closes at 10:00 pm! :(

by Goddess_Isis