True friends are one of life’s real treasures and my daughter Katy is lucky enough to have such a friend in her former colleague Courtney. Courtney herself is lucky enough to be raising her children in her hometown of New Bern, an idyllic river community in Craven County that could be straight out of a Nicholas Sparks novel. It’s a place where you can sit in your backyard taking in a view of the Trent River, a place where water play is part of kids’ daily routines, and a place where there’s no better way to get to the country club than by hopping on the back of a boat. No wonder New Bern is reminiscent of a Nicholas Sparks novel – Courtney pointed out the author’s house to us as her husband steered us down the river and we took in the sights and sounds of a lazy summer day on the Trent with friends.

July 25, 2021, County #48 – Craven

When I heard that Catawba County, in Piedmont North Carolina, is home to one of two original covered bridges in North Carolina, I figured why not check it out! My right-brain self was not able to appreciate the unique lattice truss that went into the engineering of the bridge but Bunker Hill Bridge did make for a scenic photo op. After our less-than-thrilling bridge experience, my daughter Katy suggested we look for a nearby historic mill site she had read about. We found Murray’s Mill still operational and open for visitors along with a nearby general store, open since the 1890s, all in a tranquil setting that was worth the trip.

Katy and I left Catawba County and drove through Iredell on our way back home, stopping in Statesville for lunch. What a pleasant surprise Statesville turned out to be, a small town with a picturesque and thriving downtown! Even better, Statesville is the hometown of one of Katy’s fellow teachers and she and her son (one of Katy’s former students) joined us for a fun lunch at a restaurant, Groucho’s, with a sign over the door that made us feel right at home.

June 19, 2021, Counties #46 and #47 – Catawba and Iredell