One of our mornings while at the beach, my wife and I got up early and drove down to Fort Macon…read moreState Park. We were told this would be a good spot to find trails to go for a short run, and it was true. There was plenty of trails, to safely walk and run on, rather than along the busy road with beach bums driving by at crazy speeds. There is plenty of parking and nicely maintained trails we found. After our run, we decided to poke into the fort it self, which was free to enter, and we explored some of the space, and some of the educations exhibits. They had a little bit of something for everyone, and tried to make the visitors center exciting and fun for kids. I'd 100% visit this spot again, maybe when it's not so hot, but either way, we enjoyed our visit. The park and fort are well maintained, and preserved, with clean restrooms, and staff to answer any questions you might have.

Okay, this place is quite the gem of beaches in the area. Tons of free parking. Lots of shelters…read morewith grills. Convenient and clean bathrooms. Even a massive covered shelter with a snack bar and lockers to keep your stuff in. Oh yeah, did I mention all of this is FREE?? Even at 3:00pm, the beach wasn't over crowded and there was plenty of parking. On rainy days, you can forgo the beach and check out the Fort Macon museum. There are even trails you can walk! Not hard to spend an entire day here! There were park rangers patrolling to keep everyone safe and maintain the beauty of the park. Not much more you can ask for.

Maritime was a great little place with lots of history. The exhibits were well done and easy to…read morefollow. It was easy to read off to a 7 year old for homeschooling history class!

The North Carolina Maritime Museum has free admission. You need to find parking somewhere in town…read moreas there is not a parking lot for visitors. It was really busy on my last visit likely because people were seeking the air conditioning. My main focus was to see the additions from the conservation lab in Greenville to the Queen Anne's Revenge exhibit. I know how long of a process it is to recover and preserve the remnants. Beaufort's location on the coast has a lot of history, besides learning about the pirates, you can learn about the shipwrecks and life-saving stations, lighthouses and the Fresnel lens, the Rachel Carson Reserve, commercial fishing, whales, surfing and other recreational activities. The museum does a great job showcasing the town's history with the interactive displays. They even have a scavenger hunt sheet for the children. The library was closed to the public on my visit. If you are in Beaufort or nearby, the museum is worth a visit.

When you travel, do yourself a favor and see if the town you are visiting has an actual visitor's…read morecenter. I do this when I can and usually you can find out some unique and interesting points about the location you have chosen. This time when we visited Beaufort we encountered some of the local people who gave a run down of the town. These ladies were also dressed in period outfits of the early 1800s which added to the narrative. In addition to the displays we saw a flag that was in great condition and very old. I truly appreciate the information that was given and hope you take the suggestion.

When I returned to Beaufort, NC, I knew that the Beaufort Visitor's Center would be my first stop…read more I bought a ticket for the Double Decker bus tour as that seemed like the best way to get better oriented. Seating on the bus is either on the lower level or the top level and it is possible to switch if it gets too hot up top with the sun. It is a 1967 bus. A tour guide narrates as we went along discussing Beaufort's culture and history. The tour covers a lot of areas and the bus driver did an awesome job of getting us into tight spaces. I was fascinated about the spy Emilene Pigott who was a spy for the Confederates during the Civil War. She hid items in her hoop skirts. She even ate documents so they wouldn't be found. The Josiah Bell house was a Victorian styled house built in 1825. The Leffers cottage was built in 1778 and is an example of a story and a jump. It had a demonstration of weaving. I also got to visit the Courthouse which is where people came to be entertained. It was built in 1796 and is wood framed. I saw the Old Jail where one person was hung. It has 28 inch walls and was a home as well as a jail. The building was built in 1829. It has a pillory outside. The Apothecary Shop and Doctor's Office, was built in 1859 and has various items sold in the shop and the doctor artifacts. The bus tour and the historic sights are must sees while in Beaufort.

I cannot recommend Captain Oliver enough! We had the most fun, joyful experience with him. He…read moreunderstood our needs (I.e. that I do poorly with ocean motion) and adapted without complaint. My ten year old said our day with him was the best day of her life. Please, if you're considering chattering a boat to visit a few islands and skip the rigid cookie-cutter experience offered by others - CALL CAPTAIN OLIVER!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND CAPT. OLIVER!! Went on a 2 hour dolphin charter with captain Oliver and It was…read moreAMAZING!! He is the nicest guy and knew everything about the area and animals. Him being so knowledgeable of the area was huge since we did this to see more of the east coast (we are from the west coast). We saw wild horses, beautiful houses and SO many dolphins. My daughters favorite part was when she got to "drive" the boat. He was the best captain we could have asked for. This tour exceeded our expectations!!

My family and I had the pleasure of going on a boat trip with Captain Monty this past weekend, and…read moreit was truly a wonderful experience. We joined Captain Monty and Roy from Royster's Oysters for a tour of the local waterways, along with a visit to Roy's oyster farm. Both Captain Monty and Roy were exceptional hosts--friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what they do. The experience was a highlight of our trip, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable and unique outing.

What a fun and engaging experience! Due to weather and time of year, my husband and I ended up…read morebeing the only passengers, making it a private tour. While we hoped to see horses, the incoming storm scared them away. Despite this, we saw dolphins, birds, seashells, and learned so so much about the area, environment, history, and marine practices. We recommend this to anyone considering it and hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

This bike tour was AWESOME! My husband & I went on a date…read moreon the Hidden Beaufort tour & really enjoyed ourselves. Liz is fun & very informative. Can't wait to go back for another ride!

We had a fantastically delicious tour with Betsy in Beaufort! If you want to know more about this…read morequaint and beautiful town, while sampling foods at the locals' favorite spots--- the culinary walking tour is a must. It was wonderful spending over 3+ hours, walking through a progressive food experience. Appetizers first at Finz (fresh- catch tacos)...then Front Street Grill for lunch...Clawson's for huge desserts....and all with the best tour guide providing us the rich history and folklore of Beaufort. We will definitely come back for a few more of her tours--so much fun, learning and eating all rolled into one!

The Beaufort Historical Society is a non-profit organization that runs the Beaufort Historic Site…read moreand the Visitors Center. The organization's goal is to preserve the area's history and culture. The Beaufort Historic Site is on two acres and has restored buildings to look as they would have in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Mattie King Art Gallery is in the Rustell House, built in 1732 and shows the talent of artists in the area. It is the oldest house on the Beaufort Historic Site. The house showcases American and Colonial architectural styles. The Leffers Cottage, built in 1778, showcases cooking on an open hearth, as well as sewing, spinning, weaving, and candle-making. It is a "story and a jump" house, aka a one-and-a-half-story house. The original Carteret County Courthouse was built in 1796 and is the oldest wood-framed courthouse in North Carolina and the only English-Circuit courthouse remaining in the state. The Josiah Bell House, built in 1825, is a Victorian-style house with elaborate furnishings inside. The attic may have been used as part of the Underground Railroad. The John C. Manson House was also built in 1825. This house shows the Bahamian architecture, which was common in the area. The wood frame, double porches, and symmetry are features of this style. The Carteret County Jail was built in 1829 and has 28-inch-thick walls. The bricks were made by the masons who built Fort Macon. It was designed to prevent inmates from escaping. The jail was used until 1954 and housed the jailer, his family, and the inmates. The first floor was the family's living quarters and included a kitchen. The second floor was the family's bedroom and prison cells. A doctor's office and apothecary were built in 1859, and show what the doctor's office and pharmacy would have looked like. There are many artifacts of equipment, drugs, and herbs used for care. The organization runs tours and events throughout the year.

This past Wednesday I did the Historic buildings tour. I was at first concerned when I was the only…read moreperson who had purchased a ticket. I know some places will cancel tours if the group isn't large enough. Happily, that was not the case, so I basically had a private tour. It was about 1.5 hours and was very interesting!! there were a couple houses from different time periods, and the court house, jail and apothecary. every house was fascinating, beautifully furnished with period matching furniture. the brief stories of the people who lived there and some of the pieces were fascinating. My schedule did not allow for the bus tour in the afternoon, but I will definitely make time for it in the future. overall, spending some time to tour a little bit of Beaufort makes for a nice break from the salt and sun. the staff was very nice too. if you have some time and love seeing how people used to live, give the tours a try!!

FAVORITE PLACE HERE. We spent hours finding the most amazing shells. The water is crystal clear and…read morethe wanes aren't bad at all. I would come back in a heart beat.

We had so much fun on Shackleford Island. We saw so many horses, found a lot of cool shells, and…read morethe beach was beautiful. It's about a 30 minute ferry ride from Beaufort. There is a restroom but NO amenities or food available for purchase. Bring everything you need with you. Once we arrived, there was a tour guide but it wasn't much of a tour. She walked us to the other side of the island to show us two horses on the beach and then walked all the way back to where we started to show us where to find the best shells. Her "tour" lasted about 30 minutes. We did most of the exploring on our own and that's when we found the majority of the horses. As long as you aren't looking for a super guided tour, this is a great day trip!