New Bern NC

Saturday, April 29, 2017 - Beaufort to New Bern NC

We leave Beaufort at high tide for a 44-mile run to New Bern, traveling 20 miles in the ICW, followed by 24 miles up the Neuse River.  We pass a few areas with potential shoaling but the worst is behind us for now and we breathe a sigh of relief!

Adams Creek, still in the ICW

Once in the Neuse River, we pass near a car ferry, similar in size to the smaller Port Aransas ferries.  This crossing is about 2 miles; the river is almost 5 miles at its widest.

Minnesott Ferry

By 3 pm, we are tied up at Galley Stores Marina.  Seems we have just missed their weekly wine tasting.  Darn!  The ship's store is a gourmet grocery, also carrying a large selection of wines and craft beers.  Guess who picked this one?  Well, more on that later ...

Sunday, April 30 - Friday, May 5, 2017

New Bern is a delightful town of 30,000 with a vibrant downtown filled with historic buildings and homes.  The town was founded in 1710 by a Swiss nobleman from Bern, Switzerland, naming his new home New Bern.  A variety of architecture can be seen walking around this very accessible town.

Craven County Courthouse, 1883

City Hall, 1897

Numerous churches are located in the downtown area.

Christ Episcopal Church, founded 1715, building 1824

Christ Episcopal Church

St Paul's Catholic Church, founded 1821, building 1840

First Baptist Church, founded 1809, building 1848

Centenary United Methodist Church, founded 1772, building 1904

A variety of homes, spanning centuries, are an easy walk from our marina.

Aerie Bed & Breakfast, 1882

W. B. Blades house, 1903

Coor - Bishop house, 1778, remodeled 1907

Historic home, New Bern

Historic home, New Bern

Lots of shops and restaurants in town, including Bradham's Pharmacy where Pepsi Cola was invented in 1898.

Bradham's Pharmacy

"Bern" in Swiss means "bear", so New Bern uses the bear as its town symbol.  Bears are everywhere!

City Hall

City Hall

Chamber of Commerce

In 2010 to celebrate its 300th birthday, New Bern commissioned whimsical bears as street art.

City Hall bear

Liquor store bear

Wooden bear

These power poles are being installed right next to our marina.  We finally had to ask what's going on and learned they are for a power company lineman's competition here in a few weeks.  We'd never have guessed!

Power poles at marina

We are hunkered down for a couple of days, waiting for a cold front to pass.  We've had high winds, lots of rain, and rough water.  We've been rocking and rolling in our slip - not fun!  So about our choice of marina - Robert wanted to stay at another marina because he thought this one was too exposed to the wind.  I assured him we weren't going to have any windy weather and it would be fine.  Well, after a total of 4 days of severe pitching in our slip and fears the boat next to us would break loose and hit us, I won't be picking any more marinas for awhile.

Stormy weather at Galley Stores Marina

Finally the weather begins improving, just in time to meet fellow boaters at the marina store for the Friday night wine tasting.  Plans are to leave Saturday, weather permitting, for a 3 - 4 day run to Norfolk.