Asheboro is a small Piedmont city with one exceptional reason to visit: the North Carolina Zoo. The zoo is not a token local attraction. It spreads across thousands of wooded acres south of town and is one of the largest natural-habitat zoos in the world, with long walking routes through Africa and North America habitats.
That alone can justify a day, especially for families. Asheboro also has a useful second identity as the service town for Randolph County's pottery country. Seagrove pottery country, a short drive south, has dozens of studios and the North Carolina Pottery Center, making the area more than a one-sight zoo stop.
The town itself is modest but pleasant. Downtown has a few cafes, old storefronts and the Sunset Theatre, while the North Carolina Aviation Museum and Pisgah Covered Bridge add enough local interest to round out a weekend.