Edited sentence: Either way, wide Atlantic beaches are your reward at the end of the trip.From Murphy in the mountains to Manteo on the coast, this 700-mile route traverses the state from west to east.On the way, you'll pass the loftiest peaks east of the Mississippi, traverse portions of the Blue Ridge Parkway, then drop 2,000 feet from the Blue Ridge escarpment to the rolling foothills of the Piedmont.Once past Raleigh, the flat land of the coastal plain makes the ride to the coast seem easy.Quiet rural lanes take you through lush farm country to most of the major cities in the state.Several miles from the end of the route, you have the choice of taking the ferry to Ocracoke and the Outer Banks or continuing to Manteo