“My favorite thing to do is to go where I’ve never been.” —Diane Arbus
We only had three miles to travel this morning from our anchorage to the New Bern Grand Marina, so we weren’t in a big hurry, which ended up being a good thing since we had two thunderstorms pass over dumping a lot more water. Even with the rain we were docked by 10:00 and had all day to explore the historic town of New Bern.
New Bern was founded in 1710 and is the second oldest town in North Carolina. The town was named after the colonists' original home, Bern, Switzerland. In the late 1770s, the town served as the first capital of independent and post-Revolutionary War North Carolina, with Tryon Palace housing the governor's mansion and political center. New Bern quickly grew and by the 19th century was one of the largest cities in North Carolina. By the late 1890s, the town had also become one of the largest lumber suppliers in the south.
In the early 20th Century, New Bern became the home of Pepsi-Cola, which started as a local drink called "Brad's Drink" in the Bradham Pharmacy. You can still visit the drug store downtown where Pepsi was born in 1898. Today, New Bern is a beautiful waterfront community with historical attractions, museums and homes to visit. The downtown area is full of antique stores, boutiques, galleries, cafes and restaurants and there are wonderful waterfront parks to enjoy the view of the river.
It was our first time to visit New Bern and we had an enjoyable day exploring the historic downtown area. We didn’t have enough time to visit the museums or historic homes on this trip, so we’ll need to return one day. We did make time to have a great visit and enjoy a wonderful meal with boating friends. New Bern is a little off the beaten track for most boaters making the trek north or south, but it is well worth the trip. New Bern is full of southern charm and hospitality.
Arriving in New Bern
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