Pitt County, North Carolina

 I visited Pitt County on September 7, with the main goal of attending the Ayden Collard Festival. Ayden's a town of a little5.000 people, and I loved the idea of a festival celebrating collards! 

Mother Nature (rain, in this case) cancelled this year's Saturday morning Collard Festival Parade, and some vendors were delayed in setting up. I missed other things too, like the Collard Eating Contest, but I did enjoy walking around Ayden (my first visit
there).

Before I left Ayden, I stopped for lunch at Skylight Inn BBQ and had some yummy barbecue! A cousin recommended it to me when she heard about my upcoming trip, and I'm so glad! (I might've driven right past it)

After I left Ayden (where I found a geocache, too!), I drove to Greenville, the county seat of Putt County. It's a college town, home of East Carolina University, I enjoyed exploring Greenville, where I found the Pitt County Courthouse and

five more geocaches! I also found a local Planet Fitness, where I was able to exercise before the drive home. 

This wasn't my first trip to Pitt County, but it won't be my last! I really want to return to the Ayden Collard Festival when the weather cooperates! I think it's such a great idea for a festival!

Tyrrell County, North Carolina

On Saturday, October 12, I drove to Columbia, Tyrrell County, NC, for the Scuppernong River Festival. Columbia, the county seat of Tyrrell County, had a population of 610 people in the 2020 Census. It sits on the Scuppernong River, hence the festival. 

Tyrrell County was created in 1729, and became a county in 1739. The

2020 census tells us the county population was 3,245, making it the least populous county in the state! It's a rural county, for sure, but very pretty.

While walking the length of the festival, I enjoyed finding the Scuppernong River waterfront (pretty!), the Tyrrell County Courthouse (built in 1903, it's on the National Register of Historic Places), the Blue Juniper Inn, and the Tyrrell County Public Library (which is usually opened on Saturdays, but was closed for the festival).

After I finished up at the Scuppernong River Festival, I drove to the Alligator River Marina to find a geocache. It seems to be a nice marina! After finding the geocache, I drove across the Alligator River Bridge, a swing bridge the connects Tyrrell and Dare counties. I love a good bridge, and it was a fun and peaceful drive over to Dare County and back to Tyrrell County. 

I enjoyed my daytrip to Tyrrell County, and would definitely recommend it if you enjoy exploring the state! The rest of my Tyrrell County photos are here.

Washington County, North Carolina

 On June 1, we headed east for the 10th Annual Black Bear Festival in Plymouth, the county seat of Washington County. The festival has a well-organized and informative website, so we knew we were in for a treat!

We left home about 6:30 that morning, to make sure we could find a parking place--and maybe beat the heat. With an early drive, we didn't have any issues with traffic, a good thing. Thanks to the nice festival map on the website, as well as directional signs in Plymouth, we didn't have any trouble finding parking within easy walking distance of the Black Bear Festival in the downtown area. Fortunately, our walking course took us right by the Washington County Courthouse, which was nice! It's a pretty courthouse, with some monuments in front.

Before our first ticketed event, a jet boat ride on the Roanoke River, we walked around downtown Plymouth to see the vendor booths and food trucks--fun! We also got to meet one of my Facebook friends, someone I connected with in my running days. She was working a booth in front of the Bear-Ology Museum in downtown Plymouth. (Beyond the Black Bear Festival, it's open Monday though Friday, 9-4, so I'm sorry we didn't go inside on the Saturday we were there.)

We also enjoyed an additional Roanoke River boat tour, this time aboard the Albemarle Queen, a paddle wheel boat. This was bigger and longer (in time) than the jet boat tour, and offered on-board entertainment and refreshments, to boot! Eventually, we ascended to the upper level of the boat, where we enjoyed the pretty scenery from a higher vantage point.

Later in the day, we went from the waterfront to the skies! The Black Bear Festival also offered helicopter rides, and in the late

        afternoon, tethered hot air balloon rides!

This is a picture of me during the helicopter ride. It wasn't on my bucket list, but I'm glad I did it! It was fun to see Plymouth and the area from above the trees! 

This was our view from inside the hot air balloon, looking up. It was another fun offering at the Black Bear Festival, and I'm glad we did it. The hot air balloon and basket were tethered to nearby things, so we didn't go too far up in the air, and the ride didn't last very long. Still, it was a colorful and fun thing to do during our day in Plymouth. 

I would definitely recommend visiting Plymouth and Washington County, whether or not you time it with the Black Bear Festival. I would love to go back! Here are the rest of my photos.

Rowan County, North Carolina

 On May 26, George and I traveled down the road to Rowan County to explore! 

Rowan County was formed in 1753, when the country was still under British rule. Before British rule, the Native American tribes Saponi and Catawba lived there. The first European explorer in the area was Juan Pardo in 1567.

Our first Rowan County stop was in the village of Gold Hill, a couple of hours from home. This area started developing after gold was discovered there in 1824.

It's a cute village, though several businesses were closed because it was a Sunday. We really enjoyed walking around, though, and enjoyed the company of a friendly cat. We also enjoyed lunch at the local Flynn's Village Grill.

 

Next, we traveled to the county seat, Salisbury. We stopped by the headquarters of the Food Lion grocery store chain for a photo op. Then we hit downtown
Salisbury for photos of the Rowan County Courthouse, which is a pretty one.

Our last stop in Rowan County was in Spencer, known for the North Carolina Transportation Museum. We enjoyed riding the train around the museum campus, as well as the railway turntable.The museum was comprehensive, including different exhibits. We enjoyed our time there, and I can see why it's popular, especially if you're into trains!

My Rowan County photo album is here.

Pamlico County, North Carolina

On May 11, 2024, I took a fun day trip to Pamlico County, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. It was a great day!

Pamlico County was formed in 1837, named for Pamlico Sound, which is one of the county's borders. The popular sailing town of Oriental, located in Pamlico County, is on the sound. Oriental was named after a ship called the Oriental, which was used during the Civil War, but ran aground in 1862. I enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant called Brantley's--a cup of clam chowder and a grilled shrimp wrap. (It was yummy!)

  Before I landed in Oriental, I found the county seat of Bayboro. I took a  photo of the Pamlico County Courthouse Annex, thinking it was the courthouse.(I thought it was small, but it's a small town!) 

Camp Sea Gull

From Oriental, I traveled to the town of Arapahoe (named after the horse of a resident in the area at the time). The town is home to several camps, including Camp Sea Gull (for boys) and Camp Seafarer (for girls). (My nieces attended Camp Seafarer as girls, and enjoyed it!)

Next stop was Minnesott Beach, where I had a short weight for the Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach Ferry across the Neuse River. The ferry takes vehicles (and their passengers) for a short ride across the river. This ferry ride was one of my favorite things about the day! It was very relaxing to get out of the car and let someone else do the (ferry) driving! I met and chatted with a woman from Beaufort who's a veterinarian at the nearby Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock (in neighboring Craven County). While we were talking, she

On the Ferry

pointed out the Blue Angels flying in the distance--they were having an air show from Cherry Point, and we could see the planes from the ferry, amazing timing! 

The rest of my Pamlico County photos are saved here.

 

Randolph County, North Carolina

 On April 20, I visited Randolph County, just a little over an hour from home. I didn't get to see everything I wanted to, but I really enjoyed my visit! It helped that it was a lovely spring day, weather-wise.

Randolph County was formed in 1779, and named for Peyton Randolph, who served as president of the First Continental Congress. Before European settlers arrived, the area was inhabited Siouan Native Americans.

Since it was a beautiful Saturday morning in April, I decided to start my day trip at the North Carolina Zoo in the county seat of Asheboro. I'd been to the NC Zoo before, so I didn't do any research before arriving (other than checking on opening time and looking at the weather forecast). It was fun being spontaneous, but a little more pre-trip research might've been good. I still had a fun time, and would recommend it! It costs $15 to get in (a good deal, in my book), and parking is free. I enjoyed exploring the North America and Africa areas, and look forward to the Asia area opening (ETA 2026). My advice--get there early! I arrived about 10am, and the wait at the Ticket Office was short. On my way out around midday, the line was maybe a football-field long! Whoa! 

I could've spent all day at the North Carolina Zoo, but I wanted to see more of the county! Next on my list was the Randolph County Courthouse in Asheboro. It was closed, being Saturday, but it was nice to find. Afterward, I decided to find a local place for lunch. I found a parking spot in downtown Asheboro, and stumbled upon The Flying Pig. I enjoyed a Turkey Reuben sandwich with a side of broccoli slaw before heading on. It was a nice stop, and I'd return!

My next stop was the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove. Seagrove is a quaint small town, known for the many potteries in the area. The two-lane roads in the area are spotted with local potteries, so charming! The North Carolina Pottery Center was an excellent stop, part-visitor-center, part-museum, part-store.

After leaving the Pottery Center, I found a geocache nearby, a fun way to end my day in Randolph County. I gave a nod to the lovely Pisgah Covered Bridge, near Asheboro, one of two remaining covered bridges in the whole state! I didn't visit that day, but George and I had a fun time finding it during the COVID-19 pandemic. I'd recommend checking

it out, if you're in the area!

Famous people from Randolph County include Richard, Lee, Adam and Kyle Petty of NASCAR fame, Braxton Craven (second president of Duke University), and author and current resident Jerry Bledsoe.

The rest of my Randolph County photos are on Flickr, and can be viewed here.

Jones County, North Carolina

 On April 6, I took a day trip to Jones County. It was my first county visit in over a year, and it felt great to get back into the North Carolina travel groove! 

 Jones County is in eastern North Carolina, a rural county with the fourth-least county population in the state. The county has three incorporated towns. Trenton, the county seat, is one of those towns. Just 238 residents lived there in the 2020 census. It's a cute little town, though! I stopped to take a few photos of the downtown area, including the Jones County Courthouse. Jones County is an agricultural area; most of its land is farming (and swampland).  Only 8 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, Jones County doesn't border the ocean, but the Trent River and the White Oak River run through it. I found a little bit of water during my Jones County travels, enjoying a surprise stop at the lovely Brock Mill Pond.

I enjoyed a stop in Maysville, the largest town in Jones County. One of the highlights of my day was finding the Maysville Public Library. It's closed on Saturdays, but  I found a geocache in the landscaping!  

 A little bit of Jones County history: the area was inhabited by Native Americans (members of the Tuscarora tribe) before European (German and Swiss) settlers arrived. Jones County was named for Willie Jones, a planter from Halifax County, North Carolina. (Jones Street in Raleigh is also named for him.) Jones County was formed in 1779 from part of neighboring Craven County.

On a personal note, I've driven through Jones County a number of times on my way to visit family in Emerald Isle. It was fun to slow down and explore the county, and to learn more about the area!

The rest of my Jones County photos have been uploaded to Flickr, and you can find them here.