Morehead City

Downtown Morehead City is a must-stop for visitors. Known for its fine restaurants and wide variety of seafood, the town also features dozens of shops and boutiques featuring local art, clothing, books, collectibles, antiques, stationery, jewelry, nautical gifts and more.

The waterfront is home to a fleet of charter fishing boats scheduling all-day or half-day outings. In June, the Big Rock Blue Marlin Fishing Tournament offers cash prizes in excess of $1 million. The annual North Carolina Seafood Festival -- the state's second largest festival -- is the first weekend in October and attracts more than 125,000 visitors to the waterfront for fun, eating and shopping.

The closest barrier island, Sugarloaf, is now a city park accessible by ferry or your boa with walking trails through thick vegetation and creeks leading from open water into marsh areas -- perfect for kayakers.

In downtown Morehead City they keep track o the past at The History Place, located at 1008 Arendell St. Here visitors can visit an old country store, early schoolroom, Victorian parlor and doctor's office. The museum showcases Native American artifacts, vintage clothing, period furniture, military memorabilia, artwork and many other aspects of Carteret County's past. Researchers come from far and wide to use the library with its notable genealogy collection and one of the best arrays of Civil War artifacts in Eastern North Carolina. Call 252-247-7533 for more information.

While the historic area encompasses the eastern edge of town, the western edge's beautiful 18-hole golf course draws golfers from far and wide. Morehead City's hotels and motels are popular homes away from home for visitors and vacationers. Arendell Street, running the entire east-west length of Morehead City, is lined for its whole distance with restaurants, stores and shops of every description. It may be a small town by most measures, but because of its location near the center of the Crystal Coast, Morehead City offers something for everyone.