I know there have to be some beet lovers out there. I find you're either a lover or a hater, and there are few people who fall in between. But I believe the right beet recipe can turn a hater into a lover.  Chapel Hill's Carolina Inn is steeped with Southern tradition. It's been serving guests in North Carolina's quaint college town for 95 years.

Leading the culinary scene at the Inn's Crossroads Chapel Hill restaurant is Hillsborough native Jeremy Blankenship. One salad plate at a time, Chef Blankenship hopes to turn every Tarheel in town into a glorified beet lover with his Arugula and Beet Salad Appetizer with Toasted Walnuts, Point Reyes Blue Cheese, and Citrus Gel. 

Photo by Curious Notions Photo in Chapel Hill

I met with Chef Blankenship in March to get a feel for his culinary influence. He is no stranger to the Carolina Inn. In fact, the Inn and past North Carolina prestigious Southern chefs have been a huge part of his own culinary training. From an internship and Sous Chef training at the Carolina Inn to being hired as Chef de Cuisine at Crossroads in 2005 following his tenure with the well-known, Magnolia Grill, located in Durham NC.

Photo by Curious Notions Photo in Chapel Hill

It was at the Southern icon Magnolia Grill, under the ownership of Ben and Karen Barker who both were James Bearn Award-winning chefs that he really developed the food philosophy that he uses daily. It was quite evident during our chat at the Inn, this was a special time in his and in truly molded him into the talented chef he is today.

Blankenship told me he doesn't label himself as a Southern cook, but rather he takes Southern ingredients and uses worldly techniques in the kitchen that embraces seasonality and regionalism.

“It’s not just about farm-to-table, it’s an exchange of ideas, it’s a relationship, it’s about integrity in the entire process of food preparation from finding and sourcing ingredients to educating the team that works with you every day about how to be creative with what is set before you," stated Blankenship.

Blankenship pays homage to his past mentor with a special Karen Barker inspired dessert that will soon debut on the Carolina Inn menu.

Photo by OutaboutNC  Contributor Tatiana Amador

Just as with anyone who builds a career, Blankenship left the Inn for higher culinary roles and returned finally returned back to the Carolina Inn in 2016 to serve as Executive Sous Chef. He was in that role until his appointment of Executive Chef this year.

Photo by Curious Notions Photo in Chapel Hill

Being an Executive Chef of a hotel always comes with many challenges because unlike a regular restaurant, the kitchen is rarely closed because guests are with you 24-hours a day. The Carolina Inn offers breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and a bar menu. All items are different and all are what you would expect at a luxury hotel. It sounds exhausting, but Blankenship loves the culinary challenge. The Carolina Inn is one of North Carolina's largest event and wedding venues as well.

The Carolina Inn for Southern Afternoon Tea 

The classic Carolina Inn is one of my favorite places in North Carolina for afternoon tea. They have delicious scones. The tea service is traditional and does not steer too far away from its British roots.

Not as many chefs are in love with hotel afternoon tea service as much as the guests because I got the feeling it can be kind of mundane.  Chefs can't mix it up too much because people like me expect a scone, a smoked salmon and a cucumber sandwich a certain way as a UNC-Chapel alumnus want. Sometimes, even the scones are piped in Carolina blue.

Photo by Curious Notions Photo in Chapel Hill

Chef Blankenship may not love afternoon tea as much as me, but he knows his guests expect the best and he'll deliver. Carolina Inn offers special teas throughout the year, and tea reservations must be made 48-hours in advance.

He joked with me, "We're not going to change up your cucumber sandwich and scones. So don't worry!"

Photo by Curious Notions Photo in Chapel Hill

Busy days are ahead for Blankenship and his culinary team. Spring in a University town is one of the busiest. He has Easter, Mother's Day and UNC Graduation within weeks of each of other. When he's off, he has busy kids at home, but he loves to hop on his motorcycle and enjoy other's culinary talents.

Since beets are still at the markets right now, he is sharing with me the exact recipe he has on the dinner menu currently.  I took one look at it and immediately said, "I love it, but how can we do shortcuts?"

Photo by Curious Notions Photo in Chapel Hill

He told me that the beet confit could be served as a side alone. They are time-consuming due to the time of being in the over, but that is really it.  He firmly believes that beets pair best with Arugula so no substitute there, but if you do not have time to make a citrus gel then he told me to toss in some sliced oranges.  During our conversation, he admitted that about ten years ago, the salad would have been on the menu with orange slices, but menus have evolved into even more creativity.

Beets are still plentiful at your local farmer's market so pick some up and try this sensational recipe at home.

Photo by Curious Notions Photo in Chapel Hill

Arugula & Beet Salad 

Toasted Walnuts, Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Citrus Gel

Ingredients
1 each large red confit beet, peeled and ½ inch dice
1 each large yellow confit beet, peeled and ½ inch dice
1 cup toasted walnuts
½ cup citrus fluid gel  (See recipe below for gel)
4 oz Point Reyes Blue Cheese crumbled
8 oz fresh Arugula
½ cup vinaigrette  (See recipe below for vinaigrette)
¼ cup toasted walnut oil
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation
Place your diced beets in a mixing bowl and season with salt and a splash of the vinaigrette and toss to coat

In a separate bowl add your arugula  and season with salt and enough vinaigrette to coat and toss to coat

Evenly distribute the seasoned beats between 4 plates.

Between the beets add dollops of the citrus gel

Add your toasted walnuts between the beets and gel

Place your seasoned arugula on top of the beet salad making sure to not cover up everything

Drizzle the walnut oil over the salad and serve

Serves 4

Photo by Curious Notions Photo in Chapel Hill

How to make the Confit Beets

5 Each Medium sized beets
1 Each Shallots peeled
1 Each Zest of orange
1 Each Rosemary sprig
Oil to cover the beets

 
METHOD: 
Place first 4 items in a pot and cover with oil
Place on the stove top and heat until the oil is warm
Cover with foil and place in the oven at 275 degrees for 1.5 hours
Check to make sure they are tender
Uncover and cool in the oil

Note: Store these beets in the fridge in the oil. That is the key. 

How to Make the Orange Citrus Gel 

     4 cups of Fresh squeezed OJ Strained
     3 teaspoons of Agar Agar
     1 teaspoon salt

METHOD: 
Bring the orange juice to a simmer and add the salt
Whisk in the agar really well while still simmering
Let it simmer for 10 more seconds
Strain through a chinois into a hotel pan and cool in the fridge
Once cold and set up cut into tiny square and blend in the vita prep until super smooth
Push through a fine strainer
Store in airtight containers in the fridge

How to Make Toasted Walnuts

Let's talk trash in North Carolina.

In the South, we have a way of making even our trash look pretty. Mid-March is a great time to see Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill get beautified in a very unusual way.



It's not every day that you see ordinary trash bins become a canvas for beautiful blooms. But, it happens every single March in North Carolina to promote the NC Museum of Art's popular Art in Bloom flower festival.



The vibrant floral trash displays are available a good ten days of public viewing before the festival opens. The 2019 Art in Bloom Event at the NC Museum is scheduled for Thursday, March 21-Sunday, March 24. Art in Bloom is a special museum fundraiser where more than 50 floral designers design floral installations based on works in the NCMA's art collection. Last year, more than 18,000 visitors came to the art museum to see Art in Bloom.

2018 Floral Display

2108 Floral Display

During the four days of Art in Bloom, tickets are required for admission to the permanent collection in the Museum’s West Building. East Building and Museum Park will remain open and free to visitors. 

$13 Members
$18 Nonmembers        
Free for children 6 and under
Tickets available at ncartmuseum.org/bloom or (919) 715-5923

Related events are ticketed separately. Additional fees are charged for select workshops, presentations, and other events (schedule below).

Hours for 2019 Art in Bloom Festival Thursday, March 21, 9 am–5 pm; last entry 4 pm Friday, March 22, 9 am–9 pm; last entry 8 pm Saturday, March 23, 9 am–9 pm; last entry 8 pm Sunday, March 24, 9 am–5 pm; last entry 4 pm
During the four days of Art in Bloom, the Museum’s West Building opens at 9 am, an hour earlier than usual. East Building galleries open at 10 am, as usual.

Getting to the museum
Parking is available on the NCMA campus. During this popular event, visitors are encouraged to carpool or take public transportation via the GoRaleigh bus route 27 to the NCMA. Information about the bus is available on GoRaleigh’s website. The NCMA is also home to a Citrix Cycles bike station. For visitors who need assistance, marked shuttle vans will circle the parking lots during Art in Bloom.


Pin for Future Travel in North Carolina 




All photos were supplied by the NC Museum of Art for publication.  However, I will be having a private tour of Art in Bloom on Wednesday before the event is open to the public so be sure to follow me on social media. 


My thanks to Wells Family Dental Group with a new dental office on Leesville Road in Raleigh, for sponsoring my blog and writing. Thank you for keeping me at my desk writing. 

This post was originally written in 2011, but updated in 2019.  This soup recipe is also part of an All Things Irish post with Chapter Two Collective, check out their story for other St. Patrick's Day related recipes, decor and travel ideas. 





I have very fond memories of a trip I took to Ennis, Ireland in 1998 with my college roommate. We stayed at the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis and toured the area for a week. It was an alumni trip with UNC-Chapel Hill and it was spectacular. This getaway was way before social media and cell phone photography. My photos are in an album stored away.

After a quick web update almost thirty-one years later, The hotel still welcomes guests in this Irish town, looks totally refurbished and I would stay there in a heartbeat again. This little town was perfect in every way. It was walkable. It was small. The entire experience was probably one of the best trips I've taken on a tour.

One of my favorite places in North Carolina is the city of Asheville, N.C.  No matter what season you are in during my home state, this Western North Carolina nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains is great to explore any time of year.  I spend a lot of time in Asheville in the summer months. This Asheville travel guide was initially published in 2017, but the company InVideo recently worked with me to develop my content into a video for YouTube.  They have done work for CNN, CNBC, Travel Channels, and now me. I love the way it turned out.

Five Reasons Why I Think You Should Vacation in Downtown Asheville

Asheville is often referred to as the "Paris of the South," and having been to both places, I can certainly see the resemblance. Like Paris, Asheville has lots of cafes with outdoor seating, live music, art galleries, and some impressive churches. The Basilica of St. Lawrence, which houses the largest elliptical dome in the U.S., is a gorgeous landmark, just like the scenic Biltmore Estate.

But at the same time, these two cities are quite different. Chic black dresses and heels in Paris are replaced with outdoor wear and comfortable sandals. Food is not pretentious in Asheville. Instead, it is gourmet simple, with most restaurants sourcing from local farms. Parisian perfumes are replaced with shops that sell holistic essential oil-infused homemade soaps and candles. Asheville thrives itself on wellness and environmental sustainability. The city is also the nation's first Bee City USA, which means it works to support bee health and pollinator-friendly habitats. Asheville is proud of its Urban Bee Trail, and the hotel I used as my base for my Asheville adventure, Renaissance Downtown Asheville, has 70,000 bees on its roof and is the base for Asheville Honeybee research. I didn't see the bees on this trip, but I certainly buzzed around the city like a busy bee.



No doubt. Asheville is buzzing with things to do, but I believe your stress levels drop as soon as you embrace the dynamic Asheville culture. While there, you are eating whole foods. You are walking. You are taking in the fresh, mountain air. My feeling is that the mountain town of  Asheville does a body good, and you'll leave the city with a sense of rejuvenation.

Like most cities, Asheville is laid out with different quadrants, and it also has suburb type towns within half an hour of it such as Black Mountain and Weaverville. Other mountain towns like Hendersonville, Brevard, Waynesville, and Cherokee are not too far away either and make fabulous day trips if your time allows.  I think you could book a hotel anywhere in the city of Asheville and absolutely love your stay. For this post, however, I'm going to concentrate on the area known as Downtown Asheville.



North Carolina's number one tourist attraction, the Biltmore Estate, and the quaint Biltmore village are incredibly close to this part of town, about two miles away. However, the entrance to the estate is not what I call within walking distance. Don't stay in downtown Asheville and expect to walk to the estate. The closest hotels to the estate are on the Biltmore property or in Biltmore Village, which is a charming village dotted with Tudor architecture.



Here is my list as to why I think downtown Asheville makes a great place to stay.

1. You Can Walk Everywhere, Ride the Trolley or Take a Comedy Bus to Tour

Downtown Asheville is very walkable. It's easy to walk from the historic Thomas Wolfe Memorial, the boarding house where the famous Asheville author grew up on Woodfin Street, to the breweries on the lower end of Biltmore Avenue, which is about a ten-minute walk.



You feel safe and secure. Now, I'm a middle-aged woman with two kids under the age of 12. I'm not walking around at 12 a.m, but we quickly walked from Wicked Weed Brewing on Biltmore to our hotel, Renaissance Downtown Asheville, as late as 9 p.m.  People were out walking everywhere. Asheville has the Urban Walking Trail for touring.  I saw some of the spots as I walked around town. There is a lot of history in this mountain town and many, many walking tours are available for you.

You can also hop on and off the Asheville trolley. Tickets are needed, but the trolley conveniently picks up outside the Renaissance Downtown Asheville. The trolley will take you to the River Arts District, Biltmore Village, and the scenic Grove Park Inn.  The trolley also offers additional tours such as a Ghost Tour, if you dare. It sounds so creepy, but I know some of you will love it. It's important to note that if you take the trolley to the Biltmore Village, the Biltmore Mansion is about a five-miles from the gate and you will need your car so use the trolley to explore the shops and restaurants in the village.



LaZoom Tours are also based in downtown Asheville. They have a kid-friendly tour on Saturday only. It looks like a pretty wild comedic ride. We waved at the bus as the tour guide directed onlookers to the monument that my daughter was standing on while eating her delicious French Broad Chocolates' ice cream. This small creamery called Milk + Chocolate, is adjacent to the Chocolate Lounge.


2. Walk Anywhere in Downtown Asheville and Get a Darn Good Meal 

Sure, some restaurants are better than others and/or have famous chefs, but what I love about Asheville is that I'm pretty confident that you can walk into almost every restaurant in downtown Asheville and get a decent meal. I asked my Facebook friends before I departed for the city to give me their recommendations. There were hardly any repeats on the list. Top contenders were  Chestnut, Curate, Cucina 24, Chai Pani, Rhubarb, Posana, Early Girl Eatery, Buxton Hall BBQ, Farm Burger, Nightbell, Salsa's, White Duck Taco, Limones, Tupelo Honey,  Wicked Weed, and the list goes on and on. There was no way we could eat in all of those places in two weekends. Some places you will need a reservation.



On our first night in town, we decided on a whim to go to Salsas on Patton Avenue, a Mexican and Caribbean restaurant. We were headed toward Farm Burger, but Will did not really want a burger, and once we were standing out front, I did not really want counter service for the evening. See, that's how we roll. We do whatever the mood strikes.

 Salsa's was next door. We enjoyed our meal at Salsas so much that we ate there twice while in Asheville this summer.  It's a small little place. The food was divine, and I can tell you that no one will probably ever eat my guacamole again in my house after tasting this restaurant's version. I think this is now a Hines favorite, and we may go every time we are in Asheville.

For brunch/lunch one day, we ventured into Green Sage Cafe on Broadway. No one had recommended it to us, but we loved it. Will found it as an option when looking at the map and things close to our hotel.  It was a quick walk from our hotel, the Renaissance Downtown Asheville.

The Green Sage refers to itself as "Asheville's Healthy Restaurant" The kids got pancakes and smoothies. I ordered a yummy rice bowl with lots of things that they sell at Whole Foods. I will go back. It's pricey for counter service for lunch.  Our bill was about $50, including smoothies and drinks.  Liza spilled her smoothie, and they replaced it at no charge. The excellent customer service made this establishment even more memorable for me.



Pack Tavern, located in a historic building adjacent to the popular Pack Square, was also extremely close to our hotel, the Renaissance Downtown Asheville.  You could see our hotel from the restaurant entrance. This restaurant is true to its roots...a tavern, and that means it is very kid-friendly and has a lot of options for all parties. I would go back when in town. My chicken sandwich was good.  I like this restaurant because it is reasonable for a family of four to dine, and it is a good local, simple option. They have an outdoor space with live music during the evening.

Another restaurant near the Renaissance Downtown Asheville where we dined in on a rainy night, was Twisted Laurel Eatery. What impressed me about this restaurant was its customer service, atmosphere, and its' special treatment of kid and dog guests. They have a doggie menu in addition to a good kid's menu.  For $10, your four-legged best friend can get the Woof Meal with treats, veggies, rice, and protein choices. I've not seen this at a restaurant before, and I thought it was a neat perk, especially since the restaurant has a great outdoor seating area overlooking Pack Square.



And finally, I had a great meal in Writer's Bistro in the Renaissance Hotel. This will be a good story to tell you at a later date. The Writer's Bistro is a farm-to-table restaurant located in the hotel lobby, and dining here for lunch absolutely saved our day. We should have gone here to start, but you know how it is when you travel...not all things go as you think they should, and that is especially true when traveling with children. The restaurant is more upscale than what we were planning to experience that day, but let me tell you....my $14 black bean burger with sweet potato fries was worth every penny. More on that in another post.





3. Art Galleries and Shopping are Plentiful in Downtown Asheville 

There are so many wonderful shops to explore in downtown Asheville.  Just outside the Renaissance Downtown Asheville is the Appalachian Craft Center.  This jewel of a store is located on Spruce Street and is filled with folk pottery, traditional crafts, and mountain-made collectibles.




 A short stroll from the hotel is the historic Grove Arcade.  This shopping and entertainment center is worth seeing just for the architecture, but it also houses some delightful shops, art galleries, and an artist's market.  The Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar are worth a look, too.  You could get lost in there for hours with a good book.  If you are in the market for shoes or even if you are not in the market for shoes, you must visit Tops for Shoes on Lexington Avenue.  This is one of the largest shoe stores I've ever seen, and it covers an entire city block. It has the best selection of children's shoes in North Carolina.

4. The Downtown  Asheville Breweries are Awesome. Asheville Makes Great Beer




In downtown Asheville, you can brewery hop, and it's easy to do. Several breweries are located near each other (Sierra Nevada and Highland Brewing Company are not located in downtown Asheville, but each brewery is worth a visit when in town. More on those another time).  You can easily walk from Wicked Weed Brewing (we always dine here, too, and it is where I first fell in love with the Gose style beer) to its Funkatorium, which specializes only in sour beers. Burial Brewing Co, Green Man Brewing, and Catawba Brewing--South Slope locations are all so close to each other. Catawba has these great Eno hammocks, and they kept our children entertained, which we loved. What parent doesn't love that?   It's also next door to my number 5 reason for staying in or around downtown Asheville.



5. Vortex Doughnuts and Double D's Coffee and Desserts

I could not talk about downtown Asheville without mentioning these two businesses. We discovered these businesses last year, so no matter how many times we go to Asheville, we always go to Vortex Doughnuts on Banks Avenue and Double D's Coffee and Desserts on Biltmore Avenue.  If we didn't, my kids would be unbearable. These are their absolute favorite places in downtown Asheville.  Liza gets a Vortex shirt every year and sleeps in them. We love the vanilla yeast doughnut. We go here more than one time a visit.



 Vortex is on Banks Avenue. It also has the heaviest door in Asheville. I kid you not. Go and try it.  Bet you can't use just one arm!

A London bus and the fact that you can eat ice cream or drink a latte in it. What's not to love about that? Double D's has coffee, ice cream, and milkshakes. My kids always get milkshakes. This is a busy little place, and be sure to bring cash. They do not accept any other forms of payments, but cash.



Renaissance Hotel Downtown Asheville-Our Travel Base

My hotel base for exploring Asheville was the Renaissance Asheville Hotel, located at 31 Woodfin Street. This hotel is part of the Marriott brand and is a full-service hotel with room service, a gourmet restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, and a large, gorgeous indoor pool.  Room choices are one king bed or two queen beds. Cleanliness and service were excellent in this Asheville hotel.  I spent a lot of time at this hotel and checked in not once, but did two separate weekend stays in this property.  Both stays were top-notch, and we felt right at home.



Higher floors have better mountain views. Corner rooms are larger in size. Bathrooms are on the smaller side, but very clean and up to date. Each room has a refrigerator, plenty of spaces to charge electronics, and a coffee/tea maker.  Parking and Wifi are free, and every Thursday, the hotel hosts live music. It is a pet-friendly hotel. Complimentary coffee is also served in the lobby every morning.

The decor theme of the hotel is literary, which makes perfect sense with its location next door to author Thomas Wolfe's memorial.

Weekend rates hover in peak season around $350 per night for Marriott Rewards Members.  Stay where I stayed and book your Renaissance stay in Asheville directly from Marriott, which are the guaranteed lowest prices.

You and your kids will love this pool.



For more information on Asheville and the surrounding area, visit ExploreAsheville.




Disclosure: I stayed at the Renaissance on a special rate negotiated for media. This travel post is sponsored by Mile High Smiles, the best Lakewood, Colorado Dentist. 

North Carolina has four distinct seasons and as a result, we have people wanting to visit North Carolina 365 days a year. Unfortunately, In September, my home state took a gut punch with the arrival of Hurricane Florence. Like many tourists, she loved the Carolinas so much that she stuck around for days leaving a path of widespread destruction in many places in North Carolina.

Interstate 40 flooded. That's not a river. That's a highway!

Raleigh N.C and West Toward the Mountains of North Carolina and Charlotte

If you have a vacation planned in Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, Asheville, or Boone then you should be able to arrive at your planned destination without any issues. Some flooding and downed trees did occur during the storm, but tourism in these areas are back to normal.



Our Mountains are one of the best places to experience fall. The Chihuly Exhibit on the Biltmore Estate will wrap up in October and beginning November 3, Christmas at Biltmore opens.

North Carolina Beach Communities




Southeastern North Carolina was hit hard by devastation and flooding. Recovery will take time. Clean up is ongoing. Many North Carolina roads, including Interstate 40, toward Wilmington are still flooded in parts. Several inland counties remain flooded with washed out roads. If you are traveling to North Carolina, bookmark Drive NC.gov to see what roads are open for travel.  It is also advised that you call your hotel or vacation rental manager before heading on your vacation.

Brunswick County Beaches

Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Holden Beach, Caswell Beach Oak Island--OPEN to Visitors
SOUTHPORT, NC: State of Emergency 
BALD HEAD ISLAND-State of Emergency


North Carolina's Brunswick beaches except for Bald Head Island and the seaport town of Southport, weathered Hurricane Florence better than expected. These beaches are open to residents and visitors, however, Brunswick County is currently under a travel warning. Inland roads remain flooded or washed out which makes it more difficult to get to the Brunswick beaches.  Neighboring Inland county, Columbus County is also under a travel warning which many people use roads in this state to get to Brunswick County.

The town of Leland, in Brunswick County, is still under a State of Emergency as is the cute little seaport town of Southport and beautiful Bald Head Island, only accessible by ferry.  Photos from Bald Head Island after the storm looked as if the entire island was flooded. All guests who were scheduled to visit Bald Head Island will be contacted.

New Hanover County Beaches and Wilmington, N.C.
Figure Eight Island, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wilmington, N.C. 




Hurricane Florence made landfall over this area. Clean-up and disaster recovery work is ongoing. If you have plans for this area, it is best to stay in contact with the New Hanover County tourism site. They are updating a lodging list daily.

The Wilmington International Airport is operational.

Figure Eight Island is a private island in Wilmington available to homeowners and renters only. If you have a vacation scheduled there then contact your homeowner or Figure Eight Realty about your rental. 



Topsail Island Beaches in Pender County
Surf City and South Topsail Island
http://www.topsailbeach.org/

Interstate 40 has lanes closed in Pender County and many inland cities remain flooded in this county. The beaches of Surf City and  Topsail Beach are closed to visitors until further notice. Only residents and contractors are allowed on the island. There is a curfew for the Pender County side of Topsail from 7 pm to 7 am.

North Topsail Beach in Onslow County

North Topsail Beach is under a 9 pm to 7 am curfew. The island is open to the general public, but use caution when traveling. All town parks including beach access are closed until further notice.

The Crystal Coast, North Carolina's Southern Outer Banks
Emerald Isle, Indian Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Atlantic Beach, Morehead City, Beaufort, N.C., Harker's Island and Cape Lookout




The storm surge was extremely high in this area during the duration of Florence. Clean-up and storm debris removal are underway. Each beach is working hard and making progress daily. Curfews are lifted.

Cape Lookout is closed until further notice. To stay updated on this area, continue to visit the Carteret County Official Tourism website. 


New Bern, North Carolina 

The historic town of New Bern, N.C. experienced epic flooding in Craven County during Hurricane Florence and the historic downtown part of New Bern was hit very hard. Tryon Palace is currently closed as is many businesses, especially downtown. The tourism site is not operating with current information at this time so be sure to check the New Bern town website regarding updates.

North Carolina's Outer Banks

The coast is clear in North Carolina's Outer Banks. Businesses and hotels are ready to welcome you. The islands received very minor damage from Hurricane Florence. For more information on vacationing in this area, visit https://www.outerbanks.org/

Recovery will take time.