I came in here for my anniversary as a date night idea planned by my boyfriend and we loved it!! We…read morebrought a bottle of wine and everything else was supplied for us. The instructor, wish I could remember her name, was so kind, helpful and entertaining. The class was simple to follow and we came out with great paintings. She mentioned that they host a lot of events, one being "lights out"painting classes. I'll definitely be coming back for that. All in all, this would be a great date night idea, birthday event, baby shower idea, whatever you name it they have it.

Awesome place my wife and I had a fabulous time painting. The Staff was super helpful and our…read morepaintings turned out amazing.

Excellent custom framing shop. They spent almost an hour working with me to get the perfect look…read morefor some illustrations I had purchased from Paris. Yes, they were a little pricey, but they did a wonderful job and had an artistic eye for what would look perfect. Definitely recommend them!

Love this place! They refinished a few pieces for me and I get so many compliments on them!!! I…read morecan't wait to get over to their new location to take a class and check out everything they have to offer! This place truly is like nothing else in town and is a must see for the crafty person or for those that wish they were crafty and need a little help :) the staff is very friendly also :)

The New Bern Firemen's Museum is a great place to stop to learn about New Bern's history and also…read morefirefighting history. Admission is $7 for adults and $4 for children. The museum is two stories and you get a guided tour. My tour lasted about 75 minutes but that could vary depending on interest level. There are vintage fire trucks so you can see how firefighting evolved. There are steamers; wagons; ladder trucks. I was impressed with how intricate these vehicles were for their time. The hoses also varied and some needed to hang to dry. The Atlantic and the Button Companies occupied the same space in the fire station. They each were given half the space and their own pole. The rivalry between the two stemmed from their competitions and equipment. New Bern had a devastating fire in two neighborhoods that destroyed a third of the city in 1922. Those that lost their homes lived in tent city at the cemetery. There is an exhibit of the town with different colors to mark the areas destroyed by the fires. I highly recommend visiting this museum if in the New Bern area.

I always enjoy a good firemen's museum when I'm visiting a different town. I have nothing but…read morerespect for the men and women who run in, when others run out. Most firemen's museums are run by volunteers who used to be firemen, so the stories that they can share will keep you entertained during your entire visit. This museum is very unique, because it is quite literally split right down the middle between two groups. I can't even begin to explain the backstory on that, but you'll be able to see it as soon as you walk in, and throughout the tour. The old fire engines are great to observe and admire, and I was even able to find a patch from my hometown fire department on the wall in the back. The museum is well worth the cost of admission.

The Aurora Fossil Museum is well worth the visit! Upon arrival go to the museum entrance and check…read morein. They have some cool items to purchase and then lots of interesting artifacts, fossils, etc to view. You can purchase small shovels and screens for fossil digging but you can also bring your own. After checking out the museum go outside and find a spot in one of the fossil pits. I found a shark's tooth on my first shovel full of dirt!! We spent about an hour or so just having fun digging in the dirt and finding shark's teeth. I also got to pet a lovely tuxedo cat named Phobea. What's not to love!!! Best yet, this was all FREE because Aurora is a nonprofit. Any items you purchase in the gift shop the proceeds will go to support the museum. I would highly recommend this trip if you are in the area. Kids and adults will love this!

Aurora Fossil Museum is located in Aurora, NC. The museum is in two buildings and there are three…read morefossil pits (two official and one left over from a festival) that you can dig. Admission is free for all of this. There is even a parking lot. Some of the fossils in the first building are local fossils that came from a nearby phosphate mine. But others are from all over the world. The other building across the street has mostly gems. The museum has a nice gift shop and restrooms if needed.

It was a bit of drive and the front wasn't very alluring with a few old cutouts to take pictures…read moreof, but the staff was very friendly, the prices very rea, and the mums were gorgeous (only yellow)! Also check out the hertiage pumpkins and gourds. They were so unique and perfect for decorating your porch. If you have kiddos, the pillow jump is fun, the shade kind of sits low (hits your head if you're tall) but at least there's shade. Watch out for the ants, they're in the sand box and by the fence if you want to look at the goats. Definitely get a mining bag. They have a fun water tower to sift your dirt and find some fun gems. I'd skip the ice cream shop but take a look at the flowers and the pumpkins. Bought both of those and they didn't break the bank. The corn maze should be open by now so that's probably fun. The place wasn't too busy and luckily not too hot. They have two restrooms available and plenty of parking.

We came by on a Sunday morning right when they opened at 10 with our 1 year old and bounced around…read morethis little farm (but like actually bounced... on the huge in ground inflatable jumper, $5 per kid, parents jump for free). There were two goats, plants for sale, and veggies/fruit for sale as well as homemade ice cream. They do strawberry picking in the summer and pumpkin picking in the fall. Worth checking out if you're in the area!

Small Batch never fails to excite me! It's the cutest & most unique #smallbusiness in New Bern!…read more Anytime I need a gift, I know I can always find it here. Score...I found the perfect cloche to give to my husband for smoking bourbon & cheese! The owners are friendly and attentive. We always manage to share a few stores while we visit too! Anytime you're in need of a unique gift, Small Batch is the place for everyone on your list! Beautiful selection of home decor, glassware, pottery/ceramics, body care, candles, cocktail mixers and more. Plus, they feature local artists, so it's the best way to #supportlocal #shopsmall. @wilmingtonyelp @shopatsmallbatch

He surprised me, "How's your foot, because we are going dancing tonight." Immediately visions of…read moreStrictly Ballroom, sequins, and intense instruction dedicated to preserving the age old craft came to mind, however Rivertown Ballroom is decidedly (and thankfully) casual and ever so slightly romantic. We paid $15 for 2 for an hour group foxtrot lesson. We started out learning "the basic" slow, slow, quick quick step which progressed further into a box step and eventually we added the turning dance move the twinkle. I started out with two clumsy left feet and awkward, stiff body positioning, "frame" as they called it. But as the class went on I eventually smoothed out the steps and looked somewhat proficient with my dance partners and was fairly comfortable with the three basic steps we learned. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and would recommend this class or the studio itself to anyone interested in learning just the basics of Ballroom dance. I'd definitely come back to Foxtrot or try some of the other dances they offer like the Waltz or even Belly Dancing!

I'm new to the area and wanted to get back into ballroom dancing after 10+ year hiatus. Great…read moreinstructors, nice group of class attendees. Highly recommend.