Huntersville, NC Outdoor Activities

The Bobcats made their NBA debut in the 2004–05 season. The franchise gradually improved its performance every year until the 2009–10 season, when they posted their first above-.500 record and first playoff appearance. The team makes its den in Time Warner Cable Arena, where 20,000 fans cheer and taunt the players with cans of tuna to intensify their hunger for a first league title.

Haunted rides amble through picturesque stretches of the Latta Plantation Nature Preserve, surrounding guests in the season's spine-tingling chills and frightful sights on select October evenings. Rolling through the dark shadows of the haunted forest, the ride activates guests' latent scream sensors while it creeps past eerie haunts and awkward zombie family reunions. After hopping off the macabre vehicle, groups are free to peruse the premises' plethora of fall activities, such as a jaunt through the twists and turns of the straw maze ($3), a ride on the cow train ($2), or malicious marshmallow roastings over an open flame ($1) (additional activities are not included with this offer).

Former professional driver and expert instructor Randy Baker and his team have been guiding drivers toward greatness for more than 20 years; past pupils include Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jeff and Ward Burton, and the shadowy pit mechanic known only as Racer X. At SpeedTech Auto Racing School, Randy combines a fleet of super-speedy rides—authentic, metal-bodied vehicles boasting 650-horsepower V-8 engines—with a serious emphasis on safety to prepare drivers for any mishap on the track. Gearheads, speed junkies, and people who still sleep in a racecar bed despite their adult children's protestations soak up Randy's knowledge during one of SpeedTech's many race programs, varying in length from 3 laps to more than 100. With the school's built-in HD video feeds, drivers can commemorate their laps or prove to the family car it's been cheating on them with the hotel's valet.

PGA professional Jason Rockhold stows shiny nuggets of golf wisdom up his argyle-print sleeves accrued from a competitive career as a mini-tour golf professional and a coaching tenure that includes more than 10,000 private lessons. Endowed with a keen eye for swing deficiencies, Jason analyzes his students' swings as they crush orbs, patiently proffering corrective advice to help players add distance to their drives, precision to their short game, and flair to their post-swing pose. With covered and heated hitting stalls, clinics can be conducted year-round regardless of weather conditions, and video lessons enlist V1 video analysis to provide pupils with intricate data about their swing, as well as a visual aid to complement Jason's analytical explication.

Greenville Glides' experienced guides shuttle bands of merry sightseers through Downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods. The fun-loving leaders' history lessons wash over group and private tours propelled by such trusty steeds as segways, vans, and mechanical bulls. Restaurant tours delight palates with local gourmand delights, and city tours explore the history, architecture, and quirky aspects of each locale.

Darth Vader mingles with the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Bikini-clad contestants strut in front of audiences as arachnids, reptiles, and insects lurk behind glass cages. Ordained actors unite their fans in matrimony. The sleek, modern interior of the Blake Hotel bears witness to these happenings during the three days of the annual Mad Monster Party. Created by filmmakers and co-editors of Mad Monster Magazine Eben McGarr and Joe Moe, the convention presents a family-friendly celebration of horror films through celebrity guests, special events, vendors, and screenings.

Meet and greets let attendees shake hands and trade self-autographed headshots with storied sci-fi and horror actors such as Rutger Hauer, Linda Blair, and Brad Dourif alongside other celebrities such as Marky Ramone and Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley. Screenings include the director's cut of Nightbreed and other cult films, paired with horror-themed twists on speed dating and karaoke. A monster-mask-making competition tests artistic prowess, and live music and displays of silver-screen vehicles such as the '58 Plymouth Fury from Christine and the Duel truck can frighten serial jaywalkers into rehabilitation. Mad Monster Party hosts many of its events at the 100-year-old Haunted Mill, which also thrills weekend guests with full-run tours comprised of 40 live actors and special effects.