2019 - West New Bern

23 December

Rocky Mount, Oh My! – Part Two

Jackie B2019-12-23T14:37:51-05:00December 23rd, 2019|Blog, Uncategorized|

You may recall from last month’s post that I stayed an extra day in Rocky Mount because there was so much to experience. That decision was a good one, and it began with my nighttime accommodations. Oh My! #3 – A Tiny Night A minimum of space affords a maximum of enjoyment at the River and Twine, a tiny house hotel! How excited I was to read about River and Twine, a tiny house hotel in Rocky Mount Mills. I had never been in a tiny house before, and here before me were over a dozen of them! How

13 November

Rocky Mount, Oh My! – Part One

Jackie B2019-12-23T13:21:14-05:00November 13th, 2019|Blog, Uncategorized|

Of all my childhood travels to Eastern Carolina, along with my frequent visits to New Bern, I had yet to head northwest up the road to Rocky Mount. As with the other cities and towns visited in North Carolina, this one had quite a few surprises up its sleeve. Oh My #1 – Beer! I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Rocky Mount, population of about 55,000, is home to several breweries. I also learned that Rocky Mount Mills houses many of them. Actually, it is a brew incubator program with Nash Community College, where students learn the brewing business while

14 October

A Whirlwind Day in Wilson

Jackie B2019-10-14T14:51:07-04:00October 14th, 2019|Blog, Uncategorized|

I have fond memories of visiting Great-Aunt Ruby for my mom's family reunion. I vividly recall the tobacco fields and rich farmland on the way to her home. Since Wilson is only 75 miles from New Bern, it was definitely time to go reminisce about my childhood summers. The good news: Wilson is still a wonderfully charming town. A Whirlwind of Creativity The Whirligig Park in Wilson is one of the coolest outdoor places I have ever seen! "You must go experience the Whirligig Park." The whirly what? Everywhere I stopped, a friendly local told me it was on

12 September

A Red, Bites and Blue Day

Jackie B2019-09-12T17:27:12-04:00September 12th, 2019|Blog, Uncategorized|

About 37 miles right down U.S. 17 from New Bern, you will discover another charming town, Jacksonville. While I had often visited the city in Florida, the North Carolina version was refreshingly different. It all started with my visit to an actual distillery. Walton's Distillery includes a fantastic gift shop for unique finds. Red in the Face Walton's Distillery makes moonshine, whiskey and bourbon. It is a working, small-batch facility with mashing, fermentation, distillation and bottling of spirits. Daily tours (except Sunday) showcase the process and experience of seeing a functioning moonshine still. Better yet, the owners have incorporated

15 August

I Like the Original, Little Version of Washington

Jackie B2019-08-18T17:05:00-04:00August 15th, 2019|Blog, Uncategorized|

On one of my recent trips to New Bern, I blocked out extra time to visit Washington. The town in eastern North Carolina, and yes, it is named after the first president. Where’s Opie? I remember visiting Washington many years ago to see my Great-Aunt Ruth. I recalled the quaintness as if I was were in Mayberry from The Andy Griffith Show. On this visit, I half-expected to see the likes of Andy Taylor or Barney Fife. The drive to Washington is an easy one, about 36 miles up north on U.S. 17. The town boasts a scenic waterfront along the

16 July

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore

Jackie B2019-07-16T11:25:33-04:00July 16th, 2019|Blog, Uncategorized|

There must be something about a city named Greenville in the Carolinas. The city in South Carolina is one of my favorite places to visit. Believe it or not, I had never taken the time to drive to Greenville, North Carolina, just 47 miles away from New Bern. Nicknamed The Emerald City (I can only assume due to the city name and the amount of green space), North Carolina's Greenville is a magical city to visit, and no ruby slippers required! Ahoy, Matey Trustees Fountain at ECU is a landmark and gathering place on campus. Greenville may best be

17 June

Row, Row, Row Your Raft

Jackie B2019-06-19T13:32:37-04:00June 17th, 2019|Blog, Uncategorized|

When I visited New Bern for the first time in 2017, I heard stories about this really cool raft race on the Trent River. Apparently, it was a big deal for the city back in the 1970s and 1980s. Locals told me it drew tens of thousands of people. So why wasn't it still going on, I asked. I heard a number of different reasons from the same number of people, therefore who really knows. It was just one of those unanswered questions. Last year, The Great Trent River Raft Race returned to New Bern. Fast forward to June

13 May

A Weekend to Remember

Jackie B2019-05-13T19:02:30-04:00May 13th, 2019|Blog, Uncategorized|

New Bern is a wonderful place to be at any given day of the year. Being here on a holiday weekend seems to be even better. Memorial Day Weekend is the last one in May, and New Bern has plenty of activities to keep us entertained. Below are three to enjoy. Footloose and Fancy-Free The annual concert series kicks off on May 24! Friday evening kicks off with the first outing of Footloose on the Neuse Summer Concert Series. Join your friends at Union Point Park, a beautiful backdrop at the convergence of the Trent and Neuse Rivers. Be

12 April

Wilmington Has Browsing History

Jackie B2019-04-12T17:09:37-04:00April 12th, 2019|Blog, Uncategorized|

The USS Battleship North Carolina is an authentic on-board museum. As I have written in the past few posts, New Bern is perfectly located near really cool places. So, when you feel the need to get out and about beyond the city, you have plenty of options. A place I love to visit this time of year is Wilmington. The city is less than 100 miles down U.S. 17. There is much to do here, so I am breaking my visit down into two posts. This post focuses on three unique museums for history buffs. Don't Sink This Battleship

15 March

Goldsboro, A Gold Mine for Nostalgia

Jackie B2019-03-15T15:58:12-04:00March 15th, 2019|Blog, Uncategorized|

As I have said before, one of the many cool things about New Bern’s location is its proximity to other cool places. Just 60 miles west up the road is Goldsboro, a small city that is the epitome of North Carolina. When I was younger, we would travel from Florida to visit my grandmother, who lived in Goldsboro. I thought it was time to visit the place that held fond childhood memories. Many of my favorite places are no longer there, but the beauty of this town remains, as evidence by Beech Street. Beech is the street my Granny lived on,

Yearly Archives: 2019