Raleigh's location also opens up a lot of roadtrip options, too: It is just several hours from the nation's capital, the outer bank islands, the Appalachian Mountains, and "big city" events at Charlotte and/or Atlanta. When going to the mountains or beaches, there are the options of exploring something more commercialized (Boone, Wrightsville Beach) or more rural (Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Maggie Valley, etc).