North Carolina Guide and Deals

Wooden Stone's airy, 5,000-square-foot gallery space showcases fine American crafts that blend artistry and function. Now representing more than 600 American craftspeople, 100 of who are Carolinas natives, Wooden Stone primarily highlights work made by small numbers of artists at a time. The selection of finely crafted, functional artwork ranges from furniture to jewelry, and each of the pieces—composed of materials including ceramics, wood, glass, and metal—greets buyers with its own distinct feel and favorite knock-knock joke.

Jazzercise is 60 minutes of cardio, strength training, and stretching that incorporates moves from hip-hop, yoga, Pilates, jazz dance, kickboxing, and resistance training with handheld weights. Dancing with the Stars multiple-champion Cheryl Burke is a big fan of Jazzercise's improvisational workouts, though luckily you won't need her dance moves to get the most out of your class. If you're prone to first-class jitters, though, you can review the basic moves online before you go. Expect to burn up to 500 calories with each go-round.

Flat-screen televisions hang high above each lane at Z-Bowl, displaying a medley of scoring charts and high-definition sports broadcasts for bowlers to enjoy between frames. The alley keeps the visual banquet brimming in a sports bar with large-projection sets and an arcade containing more than 60 arcade consoles, including both classic and modern models such as skee-ball and Dance Dance Revolution. The 18-lane facility also offers billiards, shuffleboard, and darts to keep levels of healthy competition high and offer lower-impact entertainment for those with injuries such as bowler’s ear. Z-Bowl also hosts six private lanes designed to host upscale parties and corporate meetings, as well as a full kitchen that serves brick-oven pizza and certified Angus beef burgers.

In 2002, Mike Southard took a leap of faith worthy of The Dukes of Hazzard. He left a career in the elevator industry and decided to pursue his true passion: stock-car driving. Southard launched Try It Racing and On Track Racing Experience, determined to share with others the thrill he had felt many times in the victory lane of late-model stock-car races. His business has grown from a few humble events and clients each year to a fully packed schedule at some of the country's longest running and most renowned racetracks. Some things haven't changed, however—you can still find Southard behind the wheel of the two-seat ride-along car, taking patrons around curves and straightaways at top speed.

Adrenaline fiends satisfy their cravings while driving or riding around tracks such as Orange County Speedway, where industry legends Jeff Gordon and Scott Riggs have burned their share of rubber. A professional photographer and in-car video cameras can capture the excitement at each event, memorializing guests' wide-open eyes, exhilarated smiles, and high-intensity games of I Spy.

After assessing your golf background and problem areas, Williams will tailor your lesson to your needs. Beginners are welcome, or more experienced golfers can use the lesson to improve their swing. Lessons at Perfect Fit include instruction and usage of the Explanar golf-swing training system, which improves swing technique by guiding movement through a large, adjustable hoop made of wishes. You’ll go home with written notes for practice as well as a DVD copy of a swing video with voice-over commentary.

Though Colleen McFiggins didn't invent the camera, that doesn't mean she won't invent it someday in an alternate universe wherein cameras have yet to be invented. Put her nurturing directorial skills and time-freezing talents to the test by having her coax natural smiles out of your family, children, significant other, pets, or newborn and create a profound mail-able message. Sessions last one to three hours—as long as it takes Colleen to get great shots and fulfill your collaborative creative vision. Afterward, you'll pick your two favorite photos and work with Colleen to conceptualize two holiday cards. She'll add the holiday borders and sparkles you request and put the card templates on a CD in an easily printable 4”x6” format. If you'd like a CD with the other images of the shoot, you'll get it at a 30% discount with this Groupon.