Mountains or beach?

This one's for the planners

A few hours from the mountains, a few hours from the beach: it’s one of our living-in-Raleigh benefits.

But as the planner of most vacations — I’m most relaxed after I’ve compiled a robust Google Doc of vetted options — I’ve found it more challenging to plan a vacation to these nearby destinations.

Specifically, North Carolina Outer Banks beaches and th…