Heritage

Time Traveling in Beaufort County, North Carolina

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…]

Exploring the Eno!

By Mark

You might be asking, what exactly is the Eno?

The Eno is a small river that snakes about 40 miles through central North Carolina’s Orange and Durham Counties, until it joins a few other rivers and streams to form Falls Lake and the Neuse River. The Neuse goes on to empty into the Pamilco Sound not too far from one of our favorite travel spots anywhere, Beaufort, North Carolina.

Back when I was a kid, the Eno was one of my favorite spots for adventure. [Read more…]

Remembering Through Travel…Manassas, Northern Virginia, and Remembrance Day

By Mark

The Manassas National Battlefield Park near Manassas, Virginia

For travelers like us, Northern Virginia can be unsettling to the nerves.

It’s at once steeped in history, almost ancient by U.S. standards, but also disgustingly modern, the home of legendary urban sprawl, traffic, and all the negative consequences of close proximity to Washington, D.C., capital of the most powerful government known in the annals of human history.

Despite those negative consequences, we’ve been fortunate over the last year to have taken quite a few road trips through Northern Virginia and the areas surrounding that Capital, including western Maryland and the environs of Gettysburg, PA – only a few hours’ drive from Manassas. [Read more…]

Defenders Day in Baltimore and the Unexpected Pleasures of Travel

By Mark

The Old Defenders (photo from the Maryland Historical Society)

Helping busy families relax and reconnect through travel is one the main reasons we do what we do at Southern Girl Travel. But, I am often struck by those unexpected pleasures of travel that go far beyond mere relaxation.

We have a circle of close friends who live in the Baltimore area and we are active with a non-profit headquartered there. As such, we travel to Baltimore a number of times a year, sometimes more. While Baltimore does not immediately come to mind for most folks as a U.S. vacation paradise, there are great things to enjoy around Baltimore, especially from a historical perspective.

Listen for it…

ugh comes the sigh from the kids – he said historical perspective. [Read more…]

10 Reasons to Visit Fort Macon State Park

By Mark

A little “guy” time along the highest walls of Ft. Macon

State parks are the unsung heroes of the domestic travel world here in the United States.

Much less grand than their cousins, the national parks, state parks still feature great locations around the country that might otherwise be missed. North Carolina has more than a few state parks that are perfect for that busy family looking to relax a little. [Read more…]

Sign up and receive regular updates on relaxing with your family AND a free copy of our ebook: 8 Simple Ways to Relax With Your Family at Disney World!