History is Just as Important as the Beach in NC’s Southern Outer Banks
It’s wedding week. I am so grateful that a few blogging friends have agreed to guest post so I can spend time with my daughter and get her ready for her big day.
No doubt, our North Carolina beaches are great family destinations. The water is crystal clear and the sand is great between your toes. But, North Carolina also offers its coastal visitors a glimpse of history. When traveling to North Carolina’s Southern Outer Banks in Carteret County, a great family stop for educational learning is Fort Macon State Park. Kids will love exploring this civil war fort where they can imagine life as a civil war soldier. Admission is free.
No one wants rain while visiting the coast, but we can’t control Mother Nature. Sometimes, you just need a break from that hot sun, too. The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knolls Shores gets you in touch with life’s ocean creatures. This interactive aquarium is great for all ages. The Aquarium offers programs, tours, and outreach efforts to help bring your experience to life. It also offers The TREE-mendous playground which features a long swinging bridge, a treehouse lookout platform, and much more.
Love quaint, charming waterfront towns. You will adore Beaufort, which is N.C’s third oldest town. The homes are historic, and every June, homeowners open their homes and gardens for the Beaufort Historical Associations annual Old Homes and Garden Tour.
Pirates walked the dirt streets of Beaufort. Yes, that includes the famous Blackbeard. His ship Queen Anne’s Revenge was located off the coast of Beaufort, and you can learn more about this discovery at the Maritime Museum. Located on Beaufort’s main street, the museum gives visitors a taste of coastal cultures and maritime history. One unique program offered by the museum is boatbuilding. The Museum offers boatbuilding classes for all skill levels throughout the year from traditional and contemporary boatbuilding classes to the popular build a boat in a day class.
Beaufort is a great town to explore on your own or with a group. The double-decker bus tour, operated by the Historical Beaufort Association is a lot of fun and provides great information for those not wanting to walk or ride a bike. Port City Tour Company is a fun stop to dress like a pirate and take an old-timey family photo. This theatrical led tour company brings history to life with its daily pirate and ghost walking tours. The ghost tour is at night, of course, and includes a stop in the Old Burial Ground.
Do you want to visit North Carolina and travel like a local? Sign up for the OutaboutNC.com Travel Guides with special offers and perks so that you can curate the North Carolina vacation of your dreams. Leigh Powell Hines is a former TV journalist turned online publisher/storyteller. As the owner of the HinesSightBlog, Leigh gives her Southern spin on food, travel, and life. She is based in Raleigh, NC and is the founder of OutaboutNC, a popular social media community. She is debuting OutaboutNC Travel Guides, where visitors can travel like a local in the fall of 2019.
