Seven hours of drive time from the Metro ATL gave me plenty of time to belt out some tunes without anyone having to be subjected to my off-key, but enthusiastic songbirding. My journey took me from the concrete of Gwinnett County to the rolling hills of the river country of North Carolina. So many rivers wind in and out of the area as they seek the Atlantic that it has kept the swell of population at bay since well before the War of Northern Aggression.
In fact, historian, Edward Barnes Ellis, Jr. explains some of the reasoning for the lack of a population explosion in his book, “New Bern History 101”. It seems that the “long curving coastline” coupled with a good many shoals that extended far out into the ocean kept much of the shipping traffic at bay. Travelers opted for more accessible ports which resulted in a less populated, but highly desirable and rich farming operations (pines and turpentine). That is to say, the folks who did settle the area were fairly successful which led to the building of the town of New Bern. To find out more about the bears seen all around town, stop in at Next Chapter Books and Art to get a copy of Ellis’ book.
Now, on to were the barracks takes on importance. Just down the road from New Bern is MCAS Cherry Point. And somewhere in those buildings is my favorite sailor. My second-born. We are proud of him as he serves the Marines as a Navy Corpsman.
We enjoyed a long holiday weekend together at a great Airbnb settled nicely on the Neuse River. Here, we were greeted by some emu and their Great Pyrenees, some ducks, chickens, pond frogs, and a few very bouncy goats. Oh, and a super friendly white cat with one green eye and one blue eye named Gizmo.
From the shore of the river we were able to relax in giant Adirondack chairs during the sunshine hours as well as the moonlight. There were kayaks and paddle boards for our river touring and a lovely little beach for sitting and watching the sailboats glide by. The night sky glittered and glowed with the stars as it was far enough from big city lights.
And food. I am a foodie. New Bern did not disappoint. Our favorite restaurant turned out to be MJ’s where we dined on rich crab cakes and perfectly grilled shrimp. Beaufort yielded wonderful seaside outdoor dining at City Kitchen on the edge of the marina.
However, we both agreed that the Oceana Pier Restaurant– just steps from the beach – was by far the freshest fish we encountered. It was nearly still swimming. From our beachside seating, we could watch the surfers bob around in the water waiting for the perfect wave.
A trip with either of my lads would not be complete without some history. We completed our lessons by visiting Fort Macon State Park -worth a couple of hours for certain. The beach there is beautiful and not too crowded.
As far as long weekends go, it was perfect. I managed a quick pit-stop at the famed Buc-ee’s and rolled past the old South of the Border on 95. People were nice, the weather was beautiful, and while I managed to spot both barracks and beaches, aside from the artistic renderings, I never actually spotted a bear.
FreelanceBeth 