Review of Beaufort, NC (North Carolina) waterfront and historic site

 

Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina 

Welcome back!  My wife and I (and our Pomeranian dog) have been slow traveling across the eastern parts of the United States since our early retirement in August 2020.  We’ve spent a month in Ocean City, Maryland and spent 3 months in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina.

It was during our 3 months trip to Atlantic Beach, North Carolina that we got to see all the hidden gems nearby, including this one, which is about 8 miles east of Atlantic Beach.  

As usual, I looked up on Google to search scenic spots near me and came up with several choices.  This one was the one I decided due to the close proximity to Atlantic Beach.  We wanted to come back to our place before lunch time...

The drive on NC Route 70 is such a joy!  I love the bay and ocean views all around.  The views really open up whenever we’re crossing a bridge, affording a better view of the surrounding areas.  

It took us about 15 minutes to arrive at our first destination:  Beaufort Historic Site.

Beaufort Historic Site sits on a 2 acre plot of land near the Beaufort waterfront.  It depicts a village life of the 18th and 19th century coastal North Carolina.  

Beaufort was North Carolina’s third oldest town, and it was originally a fishing village and a port of safety dating back to the 1600’s.  Approximately 150 restored homes and buildings survive to this day, occupying about 12 block area, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Our Pomeranian instantly fell in love with the cute streets and the Historic Site!  He started running around, happy as he can be!  It was a cold January day, but the sun was out.  We didn’t mind the cold.  We know our Pomeranian didn’t mind either!

These are the points of interest you won’t want to miss:

  • Leffers Cottage & Gardens:  Built c. 1778, the rustic cottage was home to Samuel Leffers, a merchant, a schoolmaster, and clerk of the court.  The primitive house showcases artifacts used during the Colonial period.  Leffers Gardens depicts a typical Colonial style garden found around the 1800’s.
  • Carteret County Court House:  Built c. 1796, this is the oldest wood-framed courthouse in North Carolina.  
  • John C. Manson House:  Built c. 1825, this elegant Federal style house showcases the prevalent style architecture in Beaufort.  
  • Josiah Bell House:  Built c. 1825, served as residence of influential Bell family.  
  • The Old Jail:  Built c. 1829, the jail has 28 inch thick walls and boasts legends of ghosts.  The jail was used until 1954.
  • Apothecary:  Built c. 1859, largely unchanged in appearance since its build.  Housing priceless collection of medicines, and pharmaceuticals.
Beaufort Historic Site 

The Carteret County Courthouse 

After spending some time at the Beaufort Historic Site, we started to walk towards the waterfront area, which is only a block away.  

We walked the Boardwalk area from start to finish.  Boardwalk is only about 3 blocks long but it affords awesome views of the bay and the ocean.  There are many boat access ramps with beautiful boats moored.  It made for a beautiful day trip!

One striking thing about Beaufort’s waterfront is that the street facing the waterfront (Front Street) showcases beautiful collection of restaurants and beach themed stores.  The street is pedestrian and dog friendly.  Streets are clean and the county is obviously taking good care of the flower beds on Front Street.  

The waterfront area extends out quite a bit along Front Street, and you’ll see joggers and people walking their dogs.  This was definitely a place we’d love to visit again and again...

Here are some points of interest:
  • Grayson Paul Town Park:   A small park on Front Street with benches and picnic tables.  Has great views of the ferries to the Cape Lookout National Seashore and all kinds of birds. 
  • Boardwalk on waterfront:  Short Boardwalk but has benches to relax and to take in the views of the water.  There are shops/restaurants fronting the Boardwalk.
  • Front Street:  One of the nicest, cleanest waterfront streets I’ve seen in awhile.  It felt nostalgic walking along the Front Street.  It felt like a movie set right out of the 1950’s.  Myriad restaurants, shops, and beautiful homes are found along Front Street.  
***If you like Mexican food, I found a good one on Front Street.  Look for ‘Mezcalito Beaufort’.  They offer lunch specials on weekdays!

Beaufort waterfront 


Water views!


Beautiful house on Front Street, Beaufort 

Beaufort waterfront on Front Street

I hope you enjoyed this review of Beaufort waterfront area.  Be sure to check out my other reviews on locations such as Ocean City, Atlantic Beach, and Bushkill Falls/Grey Towers below.  

Thank you all for reading!


Jake

Wandering Money Pig 


Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Ocean City, Maryland’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Bushkill Falls and Grey Towers.’

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 natural attractions in Las Vegas’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Zion National Park’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Vdara Hotel’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Chateau at Coindre Hall’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Oyster Bay’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Ocean Casino Resort’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Wildwood Park and Fort Hunter Mansion’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Ottawa’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Fiore Suite and classic room at the Borgata’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 places with awesome views near Harrisburg, PA’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Quebec City, Canada’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 quintessential places to visit in New York City’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Ricketts Glen State Park, PA’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Beaufort, NC’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Vernon, NJ’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Harrisburg, PA’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Montreal, Canada’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Falls Lake Dam Recreation Area, Wake Forest, NC’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 parks to visit in Bogue Banks, North Carolina’.


Please check out our YouTube channel ‘Wandering Money Pig’ showcasing our travels and our Pomeranian dog! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kl9f4W9sfNG5h1l-x6nHw


Popular posts from this blog

AirBNB horror story: How we got a refund from AirBNB due to a noisy neighbor…

Image
  Letchworth State Park, NY My wife and I (and our Pomeranian Toby) have been slow traveling since our early retirement last August.  We rely on AirBnB or Vrbo when we travel, and this past April was no exception. We chose a monthly rental via AirBNB in the month of April, in a town called Claysburg, Pennsylvania.  The rental was a studio unit that has a bed, a futon, full kitchen and a private bath. On the day of our arrival (April 1st), we were greeted by snow falling at the condo.  It was a beautiful sight to behold! We checked in with no problems and slowly settled in.  The next three days were uneventful.  We did our usual unpacking, then we went shopping for food from a nearby supermarket the following day.  We enjoyed the sights nearby and were having a good time at a new location. By Monday of the following week, our luck had changed for the worse.  The neighbor upstairs did what sounded like to us, either deep cleaning and renovating! We ...
Read more

Review of Fiore Suite and classic room at the Borgata, Atlantic City, NJ (New Jersey)

Image
  Classic Room at the Borgata, Atlantic City My wife and I have been going to the Borgata hotel and casino since its opening 18 years ago thanks to my dad.  My dad had a loyalty/player’s card which allowed free hotel stays (comped rooms).  We couldn’t resist free hotel rooms when my dad asked if we wanted to go! Fast forward to now. I now have a loyalty/player’s card that I use to take my parents to the same hotel for free.  Funny how roles switch...My dad used to treat us to free rooms, so now I’m treating him...Favor returned! Borgata Hotel & Casino was built in 2003 to huge fanfare when it opened.  Costing then $1.1 billion, it rivaled the best hotels in Las Vegas and New York City.  It features 2000 rooms, outdoor / indoor pools, a spa, a buffet, 3000+ slot machines, and many high end restaurants. Since its opening, it added the Water Club (a boutique hotel) in 2008 at a cost of $400 million, which added another 800 rooms to the available room capa...
Read more

Review of Falls Lake Dam Recreation Area, Wake Forest, North Carolina

Image
  Falls Lake Dam Recreation Area, Wake Forest, NC After my wife and I sold our home at the end of August 2020, we headed down to Wake Forest, North Carolina.  This would mark the beginning of our early retirement.  We wanted to spend time with my brother in law and his family, who we haven’t seen in over a year.  It was during this visit that we discovered this fantastic recreation area. Falls Lake Dam Recreation Area is a man made reservoir located in the upper portion of the Neuse River Basin, nestled near North Carolina’s bustling Triangle Area.  The reservoir covers nearly 12,500 acres of water and is surrounded by 25,500 acres of public land.   The lake stretches 22 miles upstream to the confluence of three rivers: Eno, Flat, and Little Rivers. Falls Lake Dam Recreation Area boasts hiking trails, fishing, water sports, biking, wildlife viewing, etc. See my notes below when visiting the Recreation Area: The main entrance to the Recreation Area is access...
Read more