Enter to win tea for two at the beautiful Washington Duke Inn in Durham, N.C, a Four Diamond Hotel.

Four years ago in January, I published my very first blog post on the HinesSight Blog. I had just turned 42, my first child was about to go to kindergarten, and my baby, Liza, had just turned one.

A lot has happened in four years.

Boy, time flies when you are having fun. Fast-forward four years, and I'm now older, wiser, even more silly, and my baby girl is about to start kindergarten.




A child starting kindergarten again. Wow!  What's next for us?




Well, you guessed it. It's January again, and I've decided to birth another baby,  but this one will hopefully, sleep through the night. My new baby is an extension of this blog that I've named #Outaboutnc. It's a social media community of people who love North Carolina, and all it has to offer in terms of travel and hospitality. Outaboutnc.com will eventually be an online travel guide sharing the best of North Carolina and you are going to help be a local guide in your hometown by tagging your social media photos #outaboutnc. We will be able to get the conversation started about all that North Carolina has to offer from the coast to the mountains, and all places in-between.

We have a great state to visit, and when I was in Italy and talking to bloggers from all over the world, I realized that I have the tool that  can help people learn about our state.  Travel guides are my favorite things to read, and any time I go to a city on vacation, I pick up a hard copy to read.

Photo by Leigh Powell Hines, A North Carolina Morning on the coast.

Photo by Leigh Powell Hines, A Visit to Valle Crucis, North Carolina and one of N.C's most historic general stores.

Each time, I post a North Carolina travel related post,  it will always lead with my new hashtag and will be talked about and shared more in the #outaboutnc social media community. You can also have the option of signing up for an OutaboutNC newsletter by entering your email at the top of the Outaboutnc site. The #Outaboutnc social media community of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, will feature North Carolina  travel and hospitality content only.

The HinesSight Blog, as it was developed in 2011, will continue to be my creative and very Southern outlet where we will talk about some of the best hotels in the world, recipes, health, travel and lifestyle stories. My popular "Pack Your Bags" hotel features will continue to be a travel feature, as well, as exploring awesome hotel package deals. We all want a little luxury at a better price. I will continue to travel outside of North Carolina, and showcase the best in upscale family travel.

As a a writer for Visit Raleigh, Skimbaco Lifestyle, and Examiner.com, it became very clear to me as my own online publisher that I needed a  new social media channel/site where I could focus on North Carolina, but still have the flexibility and creative ability not to be just travel related here. The audiences are just too diverse, and have different interests.  Some of my most popular posts here on the HinesSight Blog are my parenting humor pieces and recipes. My simple baked ziti recipe is probably being made in China right now it has been pinned so many times on Pinterest. Baked Ziti, Buckyeye Brownies,  my Southern Shoe Peg Corn Salad bring me more traffic than any post I've written.

Travel Insight: Antler Hill Village on Biltmore Estate is Great for Family Travel

Since I've been writing about travel on this site for awhile now and you trust me to tell you like it is, I will call Asheville our sexy city. It's kind of the destination that everyone lusts after to go visit.

You've got luxury, adventure, nature, arts, music, awesome beer, and fantastic food in one place. I am too lazy today to get real stats for you, but if I were a betting woman (and I'm not) I would put my money on Asheville as North Carolina's number one traveler destination. The Biltmore Estate certainly is, and I have gotten that stat in the past.

We have tons of other great places in North Carolina to visit as well, and we'll eventually get to those here. This is why I think North Carolina is such a wonderful destination. Asheville is a certainly a place that has international appeal. Many Europeans will visit larger cities for a U.S trip, but two weeks in North Carolina would really give people a diverse vacation. You can have the mountains and the coast with lots of great things in between in one visit. Aside from the U.S, several European countries are where a lot of my readers live. In 2015, I plan to give you more information so you can come visit. 

Where to Stay: 

I only have personal experience staying at the Inn at Biltmore  (Stayed twice. Loved it more as a guest as a traveling couple than as guests with kids, but there is something magical about staying on property. Just like what they say about Disney) and the Hilton in Biltmore Town Square.  Both are recommended by me as good places to stay.  The Doubletree Hotel at Biltmore is owned by the same group who owns the Hilton in Biltmore Town Park, and its location is ideal for visiting the Estate, in my opinion. It was recently renovated in December 2013. The location is fabulous for visiting the estate because it is right near the entrance and very close to the shops in the Village at Biltmore. They rebuilt it around the old creamery where I used to have ice cream as child.

The Doubletree has an indoor pool just like its sister location, and that is great for kids in the winter and spring. At rates hovering at $214 and below in February, it is an affordable, upscale option for families to stay and visit this exhibit. The hotel is also offering a Biltmore Package that includes Estate admission. A family of four would range $300 per night and below on weekends, depending on room category choice.  This price includes breakfast. 

The Inn at Biltmore is offering a great deal for weekday rates at 50 percent off.  This would put rates starting at $169. That weekday special rate does include estate admission or breakfast. 

I also have these properties on my list to visit for Asheville. 

Omni Grove Park Inn (Haven't stayed there in 18 years but have eaten there)

The Grand Bohemian Hotel in Biltmore Village

Sweet Biscuit Inn

And this suite in Hotel Indigo in downtown Asheville. 

Asheville has tons of quaint Bed and Breakfasts, limited-service chain properties, full-service hotels and resorts, and vacation rentals. Visit Explore Asheville to get started on your planning.