NC offers alternative spring break options for Pirates

For those not rushing off to spend their spring break partying away down in Panama City or flying up to spend the week shopping in prestigious Manhattan, don’t fret – there are still plenty of fun and relaxing things to do right here in North Carolina!

For those who enjoy sand between their toes with a heavy dose of relaxation, North Carolina is really the place to be. Kure Beach, Carolina Beach and Wrightsville Beach all are perfect destinations for a spring breaker deciding to stay close to home. These three beaches all offer different selling points that would do any spring break justice.

If relaxation is enormously needed, try out Kure Beach. These sandy shores are all about a casual, uncrowded atmosphere where visitors can just relax. And for fans of fishing, Kure Beach has an amazing fishing pier that serves as a major attraction.

Carolina Beach offers visitors a completely different atmosphere – complete with resort-style hotels, popular beach entertainment, including surfing, scuba diving and top-notch restaurants. For those who want a little excitement in their spring break, this just might be the place to visit.

If neither of these beach destinations are quite right, maybe Wrightsville Beach is. This beach combines the relaxation from Kure Beach with the excitement of Carolina, seeing as how Wilmington is only a few minutes away.

For those who aren’t tired of the cold and snow, maybe the beach isn’t the right destination. Instead, try visiting the mountains of North Carolina, which offer snowy ski slopes complete with winter resort-style housing. Sugar Mountain Resort, North Carolina’s largest winter resort, offers visitors skiing, snowboarding, tubing, ice-skating and snowshoeing day and night.

For those looking to only venture off during the break for a night or two, maybe checking out a live performance is the right option. Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Larry the Cable Guy will be performing at the RBC Center in Raleigh on March 12, while Gary Allen will be performing that same night in Durham. For those who don’t mind driving down to South Carolina, REO Speedwagon with Edwin McCain and Ben Folds Five will be at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach on March 12 and 13.

Sports fans also have many options for their break – one being catching the Carolina Hurricanes versus Pittsburgh Penguins on March 11 or Carolina Hurricanes versus Phoenix Coyotes on March 13, both at the RBC center in Raleigh. The 2010 Women's ACC Basketball Tournament Championship will also be happening in Greensboro on March 7. AMP Tour's "Thunderslam" Monster Truck Spectacular will be happening next week in Fayetteville on March 13.

So no matter the interest, North Carolina offers plenty of fun spring break activities that should provide that much-needed relaxation, along with some fun, that the majority of the ECU campus is looking for.