There are more undergraduates at UNC than there are people living in all of Perquimans County. What Perquimans lacks in population, it makes up for in natural beauty, situated on the northern shore of the blue waters of the Albemarle Sound. Perquimans County is also the home of America’s only S-shaped bridge which legend says inspired the popular 1920s song “Carolina Moon.”  During an evening stopover in Perquimans, my daughter Katy and I discovered it’s pretty much impossible to get a picture from the ground that shows the shape of the bridge and almost as much of a challenge to get the moon and the bridge in a photo together! Katy managed this one that, if you look carefully, at least captures the bridge in the left corner and the beautiful Carolina moon on the right.

Perquimans is next door to historic Edenton (Chowan County), where Katy and I were heading for an overnight spring break stay. Our first stop along the way was Bertie County to see the Hope Plantation, home of one of North Carolina’s early governors, David Stone. Katy and I were both impressed that, even in a visitors center with a budget so limited that displays signs are handmade and taped to the wall, every effort is made to tell the full history of the plantation and the area. The perspectives of indigenous people, people who were enslaved, and those who came from Europe are all included, a welcome change from the narrow version of history I learned as a child.

Edenton itself was a picturesque place to spend a beautiful spring day and I appreciated the way the town honors and celebrates its history. As in Bertie County, the stories we heard in Edenton encompassed all of the peoples who have lived there over the centuries. Most fascinating of all was the saga of Harriet Jacobs, who hid in her grandmother’s attic in downtown Edenton for nearly seven years before eventually escaping her slave owner and writing her autobiography. I don’t know why she isn’t better known today but someone needs to make a movie of Harriet Jacobs’s’ life – I’m looking at you, Oprah!

Our drive to Elizabeth City in Pasquotank County in search of dinner yielded an unexpected treasure. Tucked away in Elizabeth City’s somewhat depressed downtown is a picturesque alleyway where several restaurants have outdoor seating. We listened to a surprisingly talented band there while eating an amazing meal of catfish and pimento cheese grits at Hoppin Johnz. Elizabeth City has the feel of a place that needs just one push in the right direction to revitalize and reinvigorate.

This is such a dark time in our history. The combined timelessness and adaptability of Bertie, Chowan, Pasquotank, and Perquimans were a needed reminder that hope is always present and that the Carolina moon shines on.

April 17 – 18, 2019, Counties #37, 38, 39, & 40 – Bertie, Chowan, Perquimans, and Pasquotank