Shar & Cin's Motorcycle Journeys: East Coast Tour

Alright all ready....enough with the rain! We were packed up and on the road by 9 am on Sunday. That has to be a record for Cin & Shar. Since everyone was at church there was NO TRAFFIC on the road! Continued on Rt 17 north with a goal to get as close to the outer banks and also find a hotel with laundry. We had traveled 125 miles before noon and stopped at Morgan"s Tavern and Grill in New Bern NC for lunch. Apparently we were meant to spend some time in this historic town because as we were leaving Morgan's it began to sprinkle. Thunder and pouring rain ensued so we decided to trust our instincts and checked into the hotel on the riverfront. The temp dropped 30 degrees between Sunday and Monday morning so we decided to spend another day and head out early Tuesday.

Ventured off on foot Monday mid morning with our trusty umbrellas in hand. With the winds, this proved to be a futile effort and as the rain subsided we bagged the umbrellas.

New Bern NC is home to Tyron Palace, the original capital of NC and the residence of the fourth Royal Govenor of NC. We toured the palace and several homes dating back to the revoluntionary times.

New Bern is also the birthplace of Pepsi...who knew? Caleb Bradham created "Brad's Drink" that was later marketed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898. Aunt Pris the ultimate Pepsi fan would be impressed but as a dedicated Diet Coke gal, I declined the 50 cent Pepsi's being offered at the original pharmacy.

The townspeople are very friendly and proud of their heritage. The downtown has been refurbished and they are quick to mention that Good Morning America voted New Bern NC as one of the five best places to live in the U.S., with it being the "Best Undiscovered Place to Live".

Ended a nice day of sightseeing with a couple of pops and dinner at Morgan's.

We have enjoyed our time here but tomorrow we will definitely head to the outer banks.

Cin & Shar

Tyron Palace