October is a beautiful month in North Carolina. This past October 21st, I awoke to blue skies and balmy temperatures (I’m not sure when being woke became a pejorative; it seems like an excellent frame of mind to me!). A monumental election was just around the corner. It was the perfect day for a road trip.

I headed east and made my first stop in North Carolina’s least populous county, Tyrell. Not surprising that in a county of just 3,245 people, the first road sign after crossing the county line is a bear warning.

What may be surprising is that a county with so few human residents is home to the absolute best rest stop in all of North Carolina. I would say it’s the best in the whole United States but I had the good fortune of stopping at the Lewis and Clark Rest Stop in Chamberlain, SD a few years back and, as much as I appreciate the Scuppernong River winding its way through Columbia, NC, the view of the Missouri River from the bluffs of South Dakota is hard to beat. Still, the quiet beauty of a boardwalk stroll along the banks of the Scuppernong, at the gateway of the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is a welcome respite for travelers and one many vacationers headed to the Outer Banks take advantage of. If the natural beauty isn’t enough, this rest stop includes a friendly gift shop featuring dark chocolate bars with Bertie County peanuts. I could’ve ended my trip right there and called it a success but more coastal NC counties were calling to me.

Next on my route was Beaufort County which you may be as surprised as I was to know is not the home of the city of Beaufort. It is home though to Bath, our state’s oldest town, a fact I still retain from Ms. Winner’s seventh grade NC history class. Coming upon Bath’s historic district, I discovered that it was the site of our first public library and, judging by the many Kamala Harris signs I was heartened to see in the neighborhood, is still a place that values learning.

From Bath I drove to Washington, a town known by many people who aren’t from there as Little Washington – to distinguish it from our nation’s capital – and known by many people who are from there as Original Washington. It was a beautiful night to experience downtown Washington, stroll along the Pamlico River. and make the exciting discovery that my first extremely serious crush, Roy Rogers himself, once rode his horse Trigger up the steps of the local theater.

The next morning took me to Pamlico County, where I stopped in the village of Oriental, a sailing mecca that sits along the Neuse River and attracts sailors from up and down the Atlantic coast. From Oriental, I made my way to Beaufort (the town, which is in Carteret County) and was surprised when my GPS took me along a road that ended at a Neuse River ferry stop. The ferry ride was an unexpected treat, free of charge thanks to our state government, and it made for a direct and scenic route.

Shortly before my trip, I’d read a romance novel that was set in Beaufort. Maybe it was the book that colored my perceptions or maybe Beaufort is just that idyllic (and romantic!), but during my short visit I fell in love with this historic community. I was staying in a picturesque inn overlooking Front Street and Taylor Creek, within walking distance of amazing coffee shops, friendly neighbors, fun boutiques, a historic cemetery, and more Kamala Harris signs than I could count. I sat outdoors on an unseasonably warm day, drinking iced coffee, and enjoying the cordial banter among locals.

It was one of those experiences that seemed to capture all that is good in the world. I was so filled with hope and joy, taking in the moment, and anticipating a future in just a few short days in which our country celebrated our democratic ideals.

It’s hard to write about and think about that trip from my post-election perspective, when my prevailing emotions are now fear and dread and anxiety. Still, I’m hanging on hard to the idea that all the tiny moments of kindness and beauty and delight that can surprise us in isolated rest stops or ferry landings or small-town coffee shops will somehow come together and empower us to carry through in these dark days ahead.

October 21 – 23, 2024 – Counties #57, 58, 59, and 60 – Tyrell, Beaufort, Pamlico, and Carteret