Beaufort, NC Road Trips

Beaufort became big news when the Queen Anne's Revenge, the pirate ship belonging to Blackbeard, was discovered under 20 feet of water in the Beaufort Inlet in 1996. It's still underwater, but retrieval and restoration processes are underway. Until it rises above the waves, there are various Blackbeard-related activities around town, including a walking tour around town and a display highlighting his ship in the Maritime Museum. Beaufort is renowned for its dozens of restored historic homes. The Beaufort Historical Association, founded in 1960, mounts plaques on the outside of homes that are over 80 years old and which have not been greatly altered. The oldest is considered to be the Hammock House of 1698, which was once an inn that regularly served Blackbeard. The Beaufort Historic Site offers tours of ten of these buildings, clustered in two acres of the downtown area. There's also a picturesque old cemetery, the Old Burying Ground on Ann Street, dating from 1709. Many of the gravestones are unmarked, the earliest inscriptions being from 1756. Tours are given June through September, from Tuesday through Thursday at 2:30PM, for $6 (adults). However, you can visit any time of the year before sundown for free. In fact, if you're interested in all things historical, the best thing to do would be to stop by the Beaufort Historical Association at 138 Turner Street, +1 252-728-5225. The Beaufort waterfront was revitalized in the 1970s, and now boasts a wooden boardwalk by the water's edge, and lots of gift shops and restaurants.

Go for a guided tour of historic Beaufort; specialties include the Ghost Walk, the Legend of Blackbeard tour, the Dolphin Adventure and airplane tours of the Crystal Coast. Take a relaxing harbor tour along the historic waterfront in a covered Captains Launch. The Beaufort Old Homes and Gardens Tour is held annually during the last weekend in June. Narrated tours take visitors through restored and under-restoration private homes, gardens and other local attractions. An antique car show is also held the same weekend. The tour starts at the Beaufort Historical Association at 138 Turner; tickets are $16 in advance, $20 at the door. Beaufort Music Festival, ☏ +1 252-728-0707. The. Free admission. Comes to town for one weekend in April/May, featuring musical groups on several performance stages in town. The nine-mile-long island of Shackleford Banks is home to the locally-famous Shackleford Ponies, the descendants of horses that reportedly swam ashore from a sinking Spanish ship in the 16th century. Today, the horses are endangered, but can be seen on cruises to the island for around $22 (adults). Rachel Carson Estuarine Research Reserve. Is a sanctuary covering 2,675 acres on a string of islands on the Taylor Creek, between Beaufort and Shackleford Banks. The reserve is also home to marine laboratories from the three main Research Triangle universities, conducting marine research and education. Features a half-mile interpretive trail highlighting the reserve's native flora and fauna, and special features. Shackleford ponies often swim across to the islands for food.

Blackbeard's Grill and Steam Bar, 1644 Live Oak St, ☏ +1 252-728-3335. Open for lunch and dinner M-Sa from 11AM-10PM with a late night menu on Friday and Saturday from 10PM-2AM. Free Delivery. Delicious daily specials. Offers only local seafood, fresh cut steaks, and sushi. Family friendly atmosphere. Unique Grog cocktails. Exciting nightlife every weekend. Aqua, 114 Middle Lane, ☏ +1 252-728-7777. Open for lunch Tu-F 11:30AM-2PM; and dinner Tu-Sa from 5:30PM. Fresh seasonal food inspired by Spanish tapas. ($4-12 per "little bite".) Clawson's 1905 Restaurant, 425 Front Street, ☏ +1 252-728-2133. Open for lunch and dinner M-Sa. Formerly a general store at the turn of the 20th century, now an award-winning restaurant famous for their mud pie. Offers seafood, steaks, pasta and "dirigibles" - large potatoes stuffed with vegetables, cheese, and meat or seafood. Front Street Grill at Stillwater, 300 Front Street, ☏ +1 252-728-4956. A waterfront restaurant with excellent views of Taylor's Creek and Carrot Island. Raw and baked oysters, gourmet appetizers and salads, and entrees with an emphasis on seafood. (Entrees range from $9.95-30.95.)

City Kitchen, 232 W Beaufort Road, ☏ +1 252-648-8141. Restaurant and tiki bar. Open daily for lunch and dinner; closed Sundays during the off season. Great views enable diners to watch the fishing boats and spectacular sunsets in the Caribbean-style outdoor bar. Live bands perform on weekends.

The very nature of Beaufort is sort of anti-giant-chain-hotel; instead, the town has several quaint bed-and-breakfasts and vacation rentals for visitors who are looking for a little something special to complete their stay. Inn on Turner, 217 Turner St, ☏ +1 919-271-6144. 4 rooms. Built in 1866 and considered by many to be Beaufort's most authentic historic bed and breakfast. Antique guest rooms, three common sitting areas, an upper and lower porch, an English courtyard garden and a complimentary continental breakfast. $88-124. Langdon House Bed and Breakfast, 135 Craven Street, ☏ +1 252-728-5499. 4 rooms. Built in 1733 with first and second floor porches, a parlor and landscaped gardens. A two-course full breakfast is served in the morning, including fresh fruit, Belgian waffles and stuffed French toast. $78-115 off-season, $88-125 peak season. Pecan Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast, 116 Queen Street, ☏ +1 252-728-6733, toll-free: +1-800-728-7871. 7 rooms. Originally a Masonic lodge and schoolhouse in 1866. Three breezy porches, a 5,000-square-foot flower and herb garden, and a bountiful complimentary continental breakfast. $100-140 off-season, $130-175 peak season. If you want someplace less intimate but with a similar down-home feel, there are a couple of larger inns in town: 1 Inlet Inn, 601 Front Street, ☏ +1 252-728-3600, toll-free: +1-800-554-5466. 36 rooms (most waterfront), complimentary continental room-service breakfast. Room prices vary with season. Check website for rates and availability.

As with practically every other town in the area, you'll reach Beaufort via US-70, which runs through the middle of the town before turning north toward Atlantic.