Gas prices too high for a long trip this summer travel season?

Or maybe it's the high hotel rates or inflation that's making you think of an old-fashioned staycation.

No matter your reason, here are more than five reasons to stay close to home this summer.

"Every day is a good day to be on the water if you are in Gaston County," boasts Gaston County's tourism department.

Gaston County has taken advantage of its Catawba and South Fork rivers as it tries to become a destination for water sports, particularly kayaking and paddle boarding.

This Carolina Thread Blueway starts at Spencer Mountain and continues down river to Cramerton. Along the way, visitors can enjoy paddling through more than 1,300 acres of permanently protected land by the Catawba Lands Conservancy.

Access the 8.4-mile stretch of water (one way) in Belmont, Cramerton, Lowell, McAdenville or Ranlo. The Spencer Mountain access area is temporarily closed for construction.

There are currently nine access points for the South Fork Catawba River blueway.

The most popular paddling trip is from Spencer Mountain River Access to the R.Y. McAden River Access; this access point is 5.5 miles downriver and the trip takes approximately 2½ hours. Depending on current water level, the river features may vary from slow moving water with a few Class I/II rapids to more concentrated rapids at approximately mile 3.5.

Nine businesses to help you get on the water:

Crowders Mountain has long moved past the status of a hidden gem in Gaston and Cleveland counties. The park neared 1 million visitors in 2021 — 958,744 to be exact, a 26% jump over the 763,919 visitors recorded in 2020.

"I'm really surprised we did not hit 1 million last year," said Park Superintendent Glen George, "but I'm sure that day is coming."

Despite constructing new and bigger parking lots over the past five years, Crowders still sees more prospective visitors than those lots can handle "on just about any weekend day that's pretty."

South Mountains State Park, to which many residents of Gaston and Cleveland counties head when they think Crowders will be too crowded, also had a big jump in visitation last year.

South Mountains had 526,897 visitors in 2021, a 29% increase over the 409,043 who visited in 2020.

"If we have half-way decent weather on a weekend day, we're going to have to be directing traffic and people are going to have to wait," said Park Superintendent Jonathan Griffith.

Due to the steep topography of the park and its location along the Jacob Fork River, expansion of parking spaces is not really an option at South Mountains, Griffith said.

"We basically have 200 spaces," he said. "We have our main parking area, and we have the Cicero Branch parking area, and there really is nowhere else to go."

Griffith noted that even on weekdays, the remote park probably has three times the number of visitors it had a few years ago.

Other state parks relatively close to Gaston and Cleveland counties also saw jumps in visitation last year.

Lake James State Park, off I-40 in western Burke County, saw 634,241 visitors in 2021 compared to 468,589 in 2020, an increase of 35%.

And Lake Norman State Park, located about 30 miles north of Charlotte off I-77, saw 857,481 visitors in 2021 compared to 763,962 in 2020, an increase of 35%.

Ten state facilities reported more than 1 million visitors in 2021, including Jockey's Ridge, Carolina Beach, Eno River, Fort Macon, Pilot Mountain and Umstead state parks, and Falls Lake, Fort Fisher, Jordan Lake, and Kerr lake state recreation areas.

French botanist André Michaux rode and walked across the property where Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden now sits in 1795. The late textile executive Daniel Stowe founded the 380-acre botanical garden on property that includes rolling meadows, woodland and lakefront.

A walk through the Scroll and Serpentine Garden and Perennial Garden will show visitors what's in bloom, but Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden has even more to see, said Debra Plosky, director of visitor experience.

"Hike the Persimmon Trail located outside the Visitors Pavilion. This half mile loop is an easy hike for those just wanting to do a short hike," Plosky said. "Or you can follow the Persimmon Trail down to where it connects to the Carolina Thread Trail and take in the views of Lake Wylie."

The Butterfly Bungalow, a seasonal exhibit, is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Visitors can see the lifecycle of the butterflies, all native to North Carolina, from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly.

Other highlights include the William H. Williamson III Orchid Conservatory, which features orchids, air plants and other tropical flora on view in an 8,000 square foot glass enclosure.

No longer do you need to travel to Atlantic City, Las Vegas or even Cherokee to gamble.

Two Kings Casino opened July 1, 2021, just off Exit 5 of I-85 in Cleveland County.

The casino is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For now the casino just has slot machines and electronic gaming tables. 

Discovering Gaston County doesn't have to take all day either. Here are five things to check out in Gaston County.

1. Schiele Museum and Planetarium in Gastonia

2. Pump bicycle track at Poston Park in Lowell

3. C. Grier Beam Truck Museum in Cherryville

4. Pick your own fruit at Lineberger's Maple Springs Farm in Dallas

5. African American Museum at Loray Mill.

You can reach Kevin Ellis at 704-201-7016 or email him at kellis@gastongazette.com.