As a proud Michigander through and through, the worst thing about living in the Tarheel State is not living in beautiful Pure Michigan! All jokes aside, adjusting to the frequency of natural disasters in North Carolina would be challenging – such as:
- Intensely humid summers
- Frequent hurricane risks
- Flooding
- Severe weather
Dealing with these types of weather concerns would probably be the most difficult because, for the most part, Michigan is fairly safe from most natural disasters, such as hurricanes, mudslides, tsunamis, or earthquakes, that other areas of the United States experience.
Oh yeah, sharks in the water being one of the worst things. Depicted in the photo above is my son with a gentleman fishing and showing him all the sharks swimming below in the waters we were in just a few hours prior! Grateful to be shark free in the Great Lakes.
Thankfully, I have firsthand knowledge of what it’s like to live in North Carolina, as my aunt and cousins have lived there for more than thirty years. Throughout these years, I have visited and vacationed many times during all seasons, for all occasions, including holidays, graduations, tragedies, weddings, and birthdays.
It does get cold in the winter, very hot in the heart of the summer, and stormy in early fall, but springtime is my favorite time to visit (minus the intense pollen!). The spring gets warmer more quickly than it does here in Michigan, so visiting for Easter holiday/spring break is a wonderful time of year.
Let’s see what the experts have to say about the pros and cons of living in North Carolina. According to PODS, “Whether you’re after abundant green spaces in the mountains or a seaside lifestyle along the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll find it in the Tar Heel State. That said, of course, no place is perfect.
Pro: The Tar Heel State Is a Dream Come True for Nature Lovers
At the top of the list of North Carolina pros and cons is the great outdoors. There are over 40 state parks, 10 national park sites, and four national forests — including the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are also seven state lakes and four state rivers. These beautiful outdoor hot spots provide plenty of activities for everyone, including swimming, biking, camping, and kayaking.
Con: It’s Also Prone to Natural Disasters
Among all the pros and cons of living in North Carolina, this con is perhaps the most worrisome.
Because the state is on the coast, it isn’t unusual for hurricanes to hit North Carolina — in fact, the average landfall is every one to three years. Other storms the state endures from time to time include mountain blizzards in the winter. The result of these disruptions, besides tragic loss of life and property, includes the need for additional — and increasingly higher-cost — insurance coverage.
Con: Poor Roads and Infrastructure Quality Are a Challenge
Pro: Lots of Highways Make It Easy To Get Around,”.
What are North Carolina summers like?
Well, I can tell you from personal experience, at least in the Outer Banks area from June to August, that it is so flipping hot first thing in the morning. What is that? Is it because it’s on the East Coast, and they get a hot summer sunrise? Seriously, I couldn’t even drink my morning coffee when I was there! Oh, we get hot as well in Southeast MI, and very humid because we’re a peninsula state like Florida, but our high for the day is usually from 3-5 pm, not at the crack of dawn.
When I would take my sons on vacation with our family in North Carolina in the summertime, we would get to stay at our family’s resort camping spot in Emerald Isle, on the Outer Banks (OBX). We have had some of the most fun on the OBX islands. So far, including but not limited to, we have explored these islands:
- Beach time on Newport Beach, Outer Banks, NC
- Exploring and sightseeing while looking for wild horses on Shackleford Island, Outer Banks, NC (our favorite, very secluded beach in OBX!)
- The North Carolina Aquarium in Atlantic Beach, Outer Banks, NC
- Visited the iconic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, NC
- Shopping in Morehead City, Outer Banks, NC
- Camping in Emerald Isle, Outer Banks, NC
- Seafood dinners in Swansboro, Outer Banks, NC
What’s the best month to go to North Carolina?
Like I mentioned earlier, I think the best time to go to North Carolina is in the spring, in March, April, or May. The summer is too hot for me (plus I love being in Michigan during the summer), and the winter isn’t much warmer than Michigan’s. I’d rather have Michigan cold and snow versus North Carolina cold and ice storms.
As I write this article, I cannot help but reflect on all the memories I have of my sons and I traveling to see our cousins in North Carolina. Before my mom passed away, we rented a large RV to travel down, as she was having mobility issues and was unable to sit through a twelve-hour road trip in a regular vehicle.
At that time, my oldest son was four, and my youngest was just over a year old but very mobile and busy. So, he and his Nana could appreciate the freedom to move around the vehicle while we were traveling. Although if any of you have ever ridden in a large RV and tried to move about the cabin as it was motoring down the highway, you know it’s not as easy as you might imagine!
Being a curious little four-year-old, my son enjoyed learning what states we were traveling through. Our family had fun as we crossed state lines, slowly sounding out the state we were leaving, with a buildup at the end as we crossed the state line, shouting the new state we entered. The route we took went from Michigan to Ohio, then to West Virginia and Virginia, and finally to North Carolina.
After a million questions of, “Are we there yet?” we pulled up to my aunt’s house (my mom’s sister). She lived in a long, sprawling stone ranch house that ran up the hills of her property, forming three tiers. Even though it was a ranch, it had three levels! They lived at the bottom of the mountain on a street called Mountain View, and for a good reason (ha-ha).
The driveways were treacherous as they wound around a large creek. This meant that if you missed the turn by only a small amount, you had no room for error, because the driveway was literally on the edge of the creek, with a three-foot drop!
Needless to say, my husband at the time had to back up and maneuver that rig several times before we were safely parked. Once we finally stopped and started to get out of the RV, my four-year-old son said, “Gosh, did we go through one Ohio and two Virginias just to go back and forth in driveway?!”
We understand that West Virginia and Virginia are two separate states, but oh, how we laughed and laughed after our little boy made such a declaration!
Worst things about living in North Carolina
In conclusion, North Carolina has undeniable charm, but between the brutal summers, hurricane risks, and missing Pure Michigan, I’ll happily keep it as my favorite vacation destination.