Weekend and day trips are always fun. Combine them with attractions that allow the viewing, touching, and feeding of animals and such excursions suddenly become adventures. If you have ever dreamed of feeding reindeer, listening to the howls of a New Guinea singing dog, trekking through the mountains beside a llama, or seeing your first Siberian chipmunk, then Animal Adventures in North Carolina is the guidebook for you—and you won’t even need a passport.Animal attractions draw over 200 million visitors in the United States each year. These attractions provide many Americans with their only connection to nature. Throughout North Carolina, facilities dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation of various animal species abound. Through a variety of exhibits, programs, and personal encounters, these facilities heighten appreciation for animal conservation while offering exciting educational experiences for everyone in the family.In Animal Adventures in North Carolina, Jennifer Bean Bower shares 77 animal attractions that she has personally discovered throughout her travels of the entire state. Each entry provides contact information, driving directions, possible fees, hours of operation, and useful travel tips, accompanied by photographs and detailed descriptions of the attraction’s offerings. An extensive appendix lists additional opportunities for viewing and interacting with animals in North Carolina, including wildlife refuges, farm tours, nature preserves, and working farm vacations.