Carolina Coast

On the Pamlico in Little Washington, North Carolina

Looking east along the waterfront in Washington, North Carolina

Much like the rest of these United States, it’s been a long cold winter in eastern North Carolina. But, just in the last week or so, things have begun to warm up.

Heading into Washington from the east with Izzie leading the way!

Along the coast, folks are beginning to test out boats and make sure things are still running after all the cold. I was fortunate last week to spend some time with a friend on the Pamlico River in Washington, North Carolina. [Read more…]

Little Washington Sunsets!

By Mark

The Southern Girl Travel kids checking out a Little Washington sunset.

At the spot in North Carolina where the Tar River meets the Pamlico River and salt water mixes with fresh, you’ll find a town called Washington, the first spot in these United States named in 1776 after then-general George Washington. It’s often known as Little Washington, and it’s the county seat of Beaufort County, North Carolina. [Read more…]

Time Traveling in Beaufort County, North Carolina

By Mark

It’s awfully cold here in North Carolina these days.

While a 70 degree day in the middle of winter is pretty commonplace, this year we’re getting used to the temperatures in the teens, and some of us are having constant dreams of palm trees and rum drinks!

With a high in the 20s last Sunday, I wrote this post enjoying a little sun from the inside of the south side of Southern Girl Travel’s Eastern Office – our house down in what’s affectionately known as Little Washington, North Carolina. Also known as the Original Washington (because it was the first town named after the good general and president, George Washington back in 1776), it’s the County Seat of Beaufort County, North Carolina.

Sunset over the Pamlico River along the waterfront in Washington, NC

Starting now, it’s pretty easy to get confused.

Little Washington is in Beaufort County, North Carolina. There’s also a Beaufort County, South Carolina, though it’s pronounced Bew-fort and opposed to Bow-fort, as we say here in North Carolina. And while the town of Beaufort, South Carolina is in Beaufort County, South Carolina, the town of Beaufort, North Carolina (one of our favorite getaways) is actually in Carteret County, North Carolina.

Beaufort County is about 50 miles north of Carteret County, though Bath, North Carolina, also in Beaufort County, has a Carteret Street. [Read more…]

An Afternoon at Hunting Island State Park

By Mark

Hunting Island Lighthouse

While we are a North Carolina family, partial to our own home state and particularly to our own North Carolina Coast, we recently spent some time farther south around Beaufort, South Carolina. There’s just a twinge of irony in this because we love sending clients and friends to Beaufort, North Carolina (check out Bringing Home Beaufort) and had never visited the South Carolina namesake (learn about the pronunciation differences between the two towns).

We had a ball and want to tell you about one of the highlights of the trip: the afternoon we spent at Hunting Island State Park.

Hunting Island is a small island with 4 miles of Atlantic coastline about 40 miles or so south of Charleston, and about 15 miles southeast of Beaufort.

The island is home to one of South Carolina’s most popular State Parks, the Hunting Island State Park. [Read more…]