Hook up with a fishing guide who has fished on this lake for more than 30 years. Buggs Island Guide Service (B.I.G.S.) specializes in helping you reel in striper bass and crappie no matter what time of year you visit the lake. If you’re into the latest bells and whistles, you’ll be into B.I.G.S. 22-foot center console, with all the latest technology aboard: low range depth finder with side and down scans, a Minnkoto trolling motor, live well system and Penn cannon down riggers. You’re in for a good time, a tour of the best places to drop a line, and a whole lot of fish on this adventure.

Great music meets flip flops, meets outdoor tables with colorful umbrellas and plentiful drinks--welcome to the Shady Shack. Located on the shores of Lake Gaston, this is the perfect place to meet a few new friends, have a few drinks, maybe even buy a boat. (NOTE: Drinks and boat purchases are unrelated, in most cases).

Lace up those hiking boots for a 15-mile round-trip jaunt down the Panhandle Trail in Occoneechee State Park. Find the forest hush on the secluded, lightly traveled trail which takes you along a peninsula poking into Kerr Lake. Perfect for spotting wildlife native to the area and working up a sweat, this is definitely the scenic way to get your steps in. Be sure to leave time to check out the visitor center and museum where you can learn about the history of the indigenous Occoneechee people that give the park its name.

Perhaps the only thing better than a cold beer after a hike is enjoying it on a lakeside patio. Grab a Without a Paddle IPA and wander outside to the shaded wraparound deck of Buggs Island Brewing. From there you can scout a seat at one of their lakeside picnic tables or snag a spot by one of two fire pits. There really is no better setup for unwinding after a day of exploring. Try one of their flagship beers like the Kerr Lake Kolsh or the Life Jack Required IPA. Heck, you may just want a tasting flight. With this view at the only brewery on the water, you are going to want to hang a while.

Leave Mecklenburg County with a new perspective on life–not kidding. This morning, take off on an aerial tour over Virginia’s lake region. See what we mean when we say we have more miles of shoreline than highway in the county. Heck, even the Dam looks small from 1,500 feet. Seasonal service. Check before going.

Two words: S’mores sundae. Just as you pass the John H. Kerr Dam, right before you get to North Carolina, stop into Lucky’s Dairy Bar and Grill. Open from May-September, Lucky’s is the spot to recharge after a day of boating, paddling, fishing, and swimming. Order from their old school grill menu of hot dogs, burgers, and fries, and, of course, don’t forget the ice cream.

Attention Foodies: Get ready to be schooled. South Hill’s newest culinary find is housed in a converted elementary school. But you won’t find cafeteria trays and angry lunch ladies in this establishment. Instead you’ll be treated to signature cocktails, served along a fresh catch of the day, and paired with a local Rosemont wine. Hands down, this restaurant is the valedictorian of the class.

Once you have worked up an appetite hop on over to the Bridgewater Bar and Grill, It's located right off the lake in downtownClarksville. They serve up hand-cut steaks, seafood specialties, burgers, salads and more. Find a seat and order up.

It’s not just water under the bridge at Kerr Dam. Built in the 1950s to control floods and produce energy, the Kerr Dam is a modern feat of engineering. Standing over 15 stories tall, it contains over 624,000 cubic yards of dam concrete, 578,000 barrels of dam cement, and 1.2 million tons of dam stone andsand. Its seven main generators average 425,000-megawatt hours of electricity annually. That’s enough to power over 42 million homes for a year. That’s Dam fantastic.

Pop over to the Bondurant Brothers Distillery and sample a bit of history served up one mason jar at a time. This family owned distillery first made a name for itself as an illegal moonshine operation during prohibition. Their spirits were in such high demand they quickly became the envy of the county--and the enemy of local law enforcement. Today, the entire operation is entirely legit. As owner Rober Bondurant says, “The only difference between a distiller and moonshiner is taxes." Check times before going.