NORTH CAROLINA’S CRYSTAL COAST
A Destination That’s All Wet
The area includes about 80 miles of coastline, with more than 55 miles of it in the protected Cape Lookout National Seashore. In addition, many bays, rivers, creeks, and other bodies of water provide even more coastal environments for those who work or play on the water.
Originally published in TrailBlazer
“Whether you call our area Carteret County, the Crystal Coast, or the Southern Outer Banks, the water is our calling card,” says Carol Lohr, a 30-year county resident and the long-time executive director of the Crystal Coast Tourism Development Authority. “Throughout our county’s history, the water has provided a lifestyle and livelihood that both locals and visitors love.” Visitors to the area may find it interesting that Lohr’s office and the Crystal Coast visitor center overlook the Intracoastal Waterway. Those seeking information can’t help but become immediately immersed in the county’s relationship with the water.
There’s no better place to start an exploration of area’s water-based history than the Carteret County’s museum, The History Place, which opened in 2001 on bustling Arendell Street in Morehead City. The sprawling 12,000-square-foot modern museum welcomes folks with several galleries, a popular museum store, an auditorium, a library, a classroom, and a tea shop and café. Hundreds of pieces of history are on display in exhibits that include an old general store, an early schoolroom, a Victorian parlor, and a doctor’s office. Many longtime county families contributed to the museum, with items ranging from American Indian artifacts to fishing gear.
The Rodney B. Kemp Museum Gallery is a local favorite. Named for the historian and award-winning storyteller, this gallery changes exhibits every month. “The History Place captures the essence of the county’s past,” says curator Les Ewen. “One of our most popular programs is ‘Lunch with a Dash of History,’ with Rodney Kemp. Rodney donates his time to the museum and is very active throughout the community.”
Kemp has lived in the county since 1949, when he was 2 years old. “One of my first adventures in moving here was when my brother took me down to the waterfront,” Kemp recalls. “The smell of salty, humid air mixed with fish is as wonderful now as it was then. This is the only home I’ve ever known.”
Kemp attended a time capsule ceremony as a youngster back in 1958 and enjoyed its reopening last year. The event, which is now highlighted in The History Place, coincided with 150th anniversary celebrations for Morehead City. “I am fortunate to have lived here almost all of my life and this aids me greatly in the historical perspective," he says. "To be part of the 150th anniversary of a place I love so much is an honor for me beyond compare.”
Just two blocks over from the waterfront, legendary seafood restaurants like Sanitary Fish Market Restaurant serve up the local catch with a view. Originally opened by Ted Garner and Tony Seamon in 1938 as a fresh seafood market, the partners paid $5.50 rent per week with a promise to their landlord that they wouldn’t sell beer or wine and that the premises would be kept clean. They selected the name to reflect that oath of cleanliness. The original location featured just 12 stools. Today, the restaurant seats 600 people, and Garner’s grandchildren run day-to-day operations.
In 1945, John Tunnell started working at the restaurant, and he hasn’t stopped since. “I’ve done everything here--and still do,” says Tunnell. He rarely forgets a face or a name and still loves fish, the famed Sanitary hush puppies, and the Crystal Coast, where he’s lived since his early childhood.
Nearby, the historic town of Beaufort overlooks Taylor Creek and the uninhabited Rachel Carson National Estuarine Research Reserve. There are lots of shops, restaurants, and great water-based rentals and excursions, but Beaufort is also an ideal base for exploring Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Several ferry services, like waterfront Outer Banks Ferry Service, take visitors out to various parts of the protected seashore, where it’s often possible to spot some of the wild horses that are part of a 120-strong herd on Shackleford Banks, a nine-mile island that’s part of the National Seashore. “I love sending people out there,” says Outer Banks Ferry Service manager Cindy Smith. “It’s obviously a highlight of a visit.”
Beaufort is also the home of the North Carolina Maritime Museum. Located just across the street from Taylor Creek and Outer Banks Ferry Service, this fascinating museum interprets all aspects of North Carolina’s maritime heritage. An array of exhibits vividly document commercial fishing, watercraft, lifesaving history, navigation, coastal marine life, and much more. From boats to a huge shell collection and lots of decoys, this is another must-see area museum. Across the street at the museum’s Watercraft Center, visitors can watch the renovation and restoration of various wooden boats and ship models.
Nearby, Beaufort Historic Site features three centuries of preserved coastal Carolina history. Situated on Turner Street, this two-acre plot includes 10 historic buildings that date from the 1730s to the mid-1800s. Visitors find cottages, a jail, an apothecary shop, a doctor’s office, and even the Old Burying Ground--one of very few cemeteries listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The area is known for welcoming two-legged visitors, but Beaufort is also becoming well-known for welcoming the four-legged variety. Several local businesses welcome dogs. “You will find dog watering bowls in front of several shops and restaurants, as well as doggie clean-up stations along the boardwalk,” says local dog lover Molly Wood. “We even have a dog-friendly pub and a coffee shop/wine bar that love to have four-legged visitors come in with their humans.” Several restaurants even have dog-friendly outdoor seating.
Beaufort and Morehead city aren’t the only Crystal Coast towns of note. Located just inland, the small town of Newport is the home of the Newport Pig Cookin’ Contest each spring. And pork lovers can walk off a few of those eastern-style barbecue sandwiches on the nearby Neusiok Trail, which runs about 20 miles through woods, bogs, and marshes.
Though technically not part of the Crystal Coast proper (it‘s barely in Onslow County), the quaint waterfront town of Swansboro is another great base on the coast. With a flavor similar to Morehead City and Beaufort, Swansboro is well worth a water-based visit or stay.
Beach communities like Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, and Emerald Isle await just across the bridge from Morehead City. These spots are home to waterfront dining and accommodations, Fort Macon State Park, and the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.
Fort Macon State Park provides a unique peek into early Carteret County history. The oceanfront location led to Fort Macon being garrisoned in 1834. It was seized from Union forces by the state of North Carolina at the beginning of the Civil War, but it fell back into Union hands in 1862 after they attacked Confederate forces. It served as a coaling station for Union navy ships during the rest of the war and as a federal prison from 1867 to 1876. The fort closed in 1903, after additional use during the Spanish-American War.
Fort Macon was sold to the state in 1924 for $1 and became North Carolina’s second state park , following towering Mount Mitchell out west. A four-year renovation was completed in 2003, resulting in a new museum facility. A quiet visit today includes varied exhibits about life at the fort, cannons, occasional living history and weapons demonstrations, and 385 acres of incredible views over the Atlantic Ocean, Beaufort Inlet, and Bogue Sound.
The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores reopened in 2006 after major renovations and an expansion. From shark-feeding scuba divers to sunken ships surrounded by exotic colorful fish, this aquarium makes it easy to dive right into the area’s aquaculture.
Of course, this sandy stretch is also popular for simply strolling the wide beach and sitting in the sun. Two popular piers make catching "the big one" a distinct possibility (as do lots of county-based boats that welcome visiting anglers).
When the big ones get away from amateur anglers, commercial fisherman haul them in for local restaurants specializing in fresh seafood. “We are proud to be part of Carteret County’s culinary heritage,” says Libby Eaton, who is co-owner with chef and husband Tim Coyne of Morehead City’s Bistro-by-the-Sea. “I’m on the executive board of Carteret Catch, a nonprofit organization developed to educate the public on the history of Carteret County fisherman.” Carteret Catch has a program that ensures that seafood like the triggerfish often found on the menu at Bistro-by-the-Sea can be traced to the area’s commercial fisherman who caught it offshore (several other county restaurants participate).
Those who also enjoy seeing their seafood underwater as well will want to pursue another fishy Crystal Coast draw--scuba diving. With the area dubbed the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” because of the numerous wrecks just offshore, wreck diving is big business here, with lots of big fish swimming through the remains of dozens of big ships. Several dive shops in the area cater to scuba divers (and those who want to learn).
A visit to the Crystal Coast wouldn’t be complete without heading across the North River bridge and into the easternmost parts of this varied county. This even quieter Down East section features Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum, and Cape Lookout National Seashore, which can be accessed easily by ferry.
The 12,500-acre Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge is a nature lover’s paradise. Here, hiking, bird watching, and boating are all enjoyable pursuits. The northern end of Cedar Island is also home to the ferry terminal for the Cedar Island-Ocracoke Island ferry service, a favorite ride in the ferry system (RV size restrictions may apply).
At the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum, exhibits detail the water-based life of this area, including a special emphasis on the decoy carving culture of Harkers Island and beyond. In addition, from Harkers Island, several ferry services offer mostly seasonal service over to several parts of Cape Lookout National Seashore, where an even quieter Carteret County beach lookout awaits.
But it’s what’s just across Core Sound that lures visitors back to the Crystal Coast again and again. This secluded North Carolina coastal gem never ceases to fascinate, and it takes many visits to take it all in (if that’s even possible). Along with the previously mentioned Shackleford Banks and the famed wild horses, the National Seashore includes 22-mile-long South Core Banks, home of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, and the approximately 20-mile North Core Banks, an even quieter National Seashore destination.
Of course, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse is a Carteret County beacon. It was completed in 1859, it's 169 feet tall with 201 steps, and it flashes every 15 seconds. The lighthouse complex also includes the Keepers’ Quarters, with a small museum and bookstore.
Up on North Core Banks, devoted coastal explorers can head to the former village of Portsmouth (established in 1753). With a small array of homes, churches, stores, and even a post office, Portsmouth provides fascinating insight into Crystal Coast life before bridges, although the importance of water in this county is still certainly afloat practically everywhere. The relationship between this area and water has served residents and visitors very well--and it likely will for many generations to come.
For more information, contact the Crystal Coast Tourism Authority, (800) SUNNY NC (786-6962), www.crystalcoastnc.org.