Tour of Eastern North Carolina: Beaufort

I’m sitting here this morning thinking of all the wonderful things that are available to do here along the Crystal Coast. Let’s start with Beaufort, NC and Down East. From Lighthouses and ponies to small town charm, this part of the Crystal Coast is full of history and opportunity.

Downtown Beaufort on the Waterfront

For a nice afternoon out, Beaufort is a great little town, full of history, good food, and quaint boutiques and galleries. Beaufort is the 3rd oldest city in North Carolina. The downtown area runs along the waterfront and has plenty of Antebellum architecture, giving it old southern charm. Everything is in walking distance! The Maritime Museum is a must see, it holds one of the largest collections of sea shells and has a wonderful display of relics brought up from the shipwreck, Queen Annes Revenge, Black Beard’s pirate ship. For a quick lunch, I recommend Beaufort Grocery, a delicious little bistro housed in a restored house off of Queen Street.

The Banker Ponies on Shackleford Banks

I highly recommend a visit to Shackleford Banks, the barrier island just offshore from Beaufort. It is a barrier island that is completely uninhabited, except for the oldest documented wild horses in the United States. There is a wonderful tour you can take called The Wild Horse and Shelling Safari. Shackleford can only be accessed by boat, my favorite ferry company is Island Ferry Adventures. Shackleford is part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, along with two other barrier islands: Cape Lookout and Portsmouth – both to the north. It’s refreshing to be able to go somewhere along the coast and not see condos.

Exuma Cay Grouper

If you’d like to head over to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, you’ll have to take a scenic drive Down East to Harkers Island. From there you can catch a ferry over to visit our area’s signature lighthouse on an uninhabited island with pristine beaches and amazing wildlife. Be sure and check out the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center while you are in beautiful Down East, North Carolina.

These are just a few of my favorite places to visit along the Crystal Coast. Try to imagine a fun filled day of sight seeing and beach going – and then walking into your beach house and smelling the aroma of Exuma Cay Grouper, a beautiful salad already plated, and knowing that your supper is ready and waiting for you. No shopping, no lines, no mess to clean up, just sitting down and enjoying a meal full of the flavor of the Crystal Coast!

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