From New Bern on to Washington

In addition to the quirky musings Larry had about New Bern we spent an enjoyable few days walking the streets of the historic town, the second oldest town in NC.  They do a fantastic job of sharing their history; with interpreters at the replicated Tryon Palace and at the historic Stanley home.  Everything is made easy by the staff at the North Carolina History Museum.

Tryon Palace, not so much a palace as the colonial governor's home and the seat of colonial government in the North Carolina Colony, was constructed in 1770.  After the American Revolution it served as the first Capitol of North Carolina.  The Palace burned in 1798 however the foundation and the stables remained.  In the twentieth century the original plans and drawings were discovered and eventually the structure was reconstructed.  While not a palace it certainly must have seemed palatial to the colonists of that time.  In the photo below the Palace is the building the center, the original stable building is on the right side of the frame, and the kitchen building is on the left of the frame. Behind these structures the grounds slope down to the Trent River.

Our timing was perfect, the North Carolina Symphony was playing a free concert on the back lawn of Tryon Palace the Sunday we were there.  We discovered this info while we were uptown that afternoon and met a local couple in the pharmacy where Pepsi Cola was originally formulated.  They were telling us about the community and then mentioned the free concert that evening.  The music and surroundings were simply fantastic and the weather was perfect for enjoying the outdoor venue.  While at the concert we met other locals and generally had a great time.

The back lawn of the Palace where we watched the concert

Soon enough it was time to move on and we once again picked up the Magenta Line on our chart and followed it to Oriental.  After a brief stop we had to decide whether to visit the outer banks and Okrakoke or the little town of Washington, NC.  Since the weather on Pamlico Sound was not so pretty we decided on Washington, sometimes called Little Washington so as not to confuse it with Washington D.C.. 

Founded in 1776, and the first city in  in America to be named for General Washington, Washington, NC is on the Pamlico River and has a beautiful riverfront, they offer boaters a free dock -with no power or water, or a full service dock.  Since it was hotter than blazes we choose to pay and have air conditioning!  The town is small and charming but unfortunately they do not do a very good job of sharing their history.  They do however have some good restaurants!