North Carolina Spot Named the Best ‘Secret’ Vacation Area

North Carolina is truly a paradise when it comes to vacationing. The state has glorious beaches, beautiful wilderness and plenty of tourist destinations. But, what if you want to travel to somewhere that's a bit more under the radar than all the usual areas? What if you want to switch it up? Well, one North Carolina spot has been named the best "secret" vacation area in the state.

Thetoptours.com has put together a list of these great, undiscovered places. "The State of North Carolina is home to many enticing attractions that not even many locals know about, they write. "These secretive spots offer allure and solace and take visitors away from the usual swarming crowds."

Before I get to No. 1, let's look at the No. 2 best spot. It's Castle Mont Rouge in Rougemont. According to Thetoptours.com, Castle Mont Rouge used to be more popular amongst travelers, but today it's "more of an abundant attraction." The area is located deep inside the North Carolina Forest. The lovely Castle Mont Rouge is a work by Robert Mihaly, who is popular for his achievements, including National Cathedral and Duke University.

So, what's No. 1? The abandoned Henry River Mill Village in Hildebran. Wow. That's definitely an area that I wouldn't have thought to visit. The town was established in 1905 and had a big boom, but now, it's pretty much a ghost town. "Offering a step back into the last century, the Abandoned Henry River Mill Village is a less explored spot in North Carolina," the article state. They add that, "individuals who try exploring the place often claim that they heard noises or experienced paranormal activities." It sounds like the perfect spot to travel to during the spooky season. Find the full list of the best secret spots and hidden gems to visit in North Carolina here.

Everyone knows of the obvious places where you have to worry about experiencing an earthquake. But sometimes, there are less obvious spots, too. So, what is our currently, calculated risk of an earthquake in North Carolina and South Carolina?

A new study looks at the locations with the highest potential of earthquakes. A lot of them are in major cities. A few include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Memphis. That's according to government research done by FEMA.

In case you were wondering, earthquakes are costly. That's not to shame the states that have the most earthquakes, of course. Hurricanes are costly, too. So, whether you live in California, where earthquakes are likely, or in other areas across America where hurricanes happen, chances are, your area is taking up funding to cover these disasters. As it turns out, southern California coastal counties and the Bay Area are the most costly when it comes to earthquake damage. "Los Angeles County with $2.68 billion in annualized losses is more than three times greater than the second highest county (Santa Clara, California)," the FEMA report states. "The counties containing the Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake, and Memphis metropolitan areas also have relatively high AELs."

North Carolina ranks No. 22 and No. 28, respectively, out of the states for the report's "Ranking of States by Annualized Earthquake Loss and Annualized Earthquake Loss Ratios (AELR)." South Carolina ranks No. 8 and 12, respectively.

Find the interactive map via CNN below and see where your area lands. You might be surprised by some of the areas that actually have a fairly high risk for activity. The map was "derived in part from a US Geological Survey study that created earthquake models to help inform municipalities and insurance companies about such hazards," according to CNN.

While you might think of a handful of cities who are in danger of earthquakes, and those are on the West Coast, there is earthquake activity all around. "Although most economic loss is concentrated along the West Coast, the distribution of relative earthquake risk, as measured by the AELR, is much broader and reinforces the fact that earthquakes are a national problem," FEMA says. "Relatively high earthquake loss ratios are throughout the western and central United States (states within the NMSZ) and in the Charleston, South Carolina, area."

You've heard of the Big Four, right? In metal music. Anyway, the Big 55 are the cities that experience the most earthquake activity. "Fifty-five metropolitan areas, led by the Los Angeles (including Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Anaheim) and San Francisco (including San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley) Bay areas, account for 85% of the total AEL," FEMA says.

The FEMA report states, "Within the central and eastern United States, the New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ) and the Charleston, South Carolina, area pose substantial earthquake threat." As for safer areas, "The NMSZ covers parts of eight states: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. Together, they amount to approximately 15% of the total national exposure."

This is an interactive map of the United States showing each area's risk for earthquakes. You might be surprised by some of the areas that actually have a pretty high risk for activity. Click the link below to go to the interactive map via CNN.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/23/us/us-earthquake-risk-map-dg/index.html