New Bern has earned a special shout out in one of the best Virginia travel guides highlighting travel destinations around the world.
Virginia Travel Tips, a site focused on travel outside of Virginia, has highlighted New Bern as one of the top 20 charming small towns in North Carolina.
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The city has been recognized for the diversity of attractions that New Bern offers to visitors, and of course the history surrounding it.
New Bern has been described as a city of cultural diversity, beautiful nature, and history and is “technically classified as a city these days but still exudes that small-town feel and comfort.”
The travel blog also noted that New Bern is the second oldest European settlement and North Carolina’s first colonial capital located near eye-catching waterscapes. The historic town is located 40 miles north of the Emerald Isle and near the Crystal Coast.
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Indigenous people and business owners in the area said they would have to agree with the blog’s point of view, but they also feel that New Bern continues to embrace the many reasons the city attracts a diverse group of visitors.
“There’s a visitor’s book that we ask people to sign and we have people from all over the world. It always amazes me,” said Julie McKeown, New Bern Farmers Market Manager. “I hear it all the time. New people moving to New Bern say the small town atmosphere is why they moved here.”
The city is home to many historic buildings such as Tryon Palace, North Carolina’s first independent war and post-revolution capital, and is also one of the best sites for tourists to add to their to-do list.
New Bern was the birthplace of Pepsi and the birthplace of the Pepsi-Cola store, and has also been highlighted as a reason for attracting visitors to the area.
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The historic city center, the must-see attractions, and the general ambiance of the city are why business owners feel that people will continue to make New Bern a travel destination.
“Even in our slow season, the hotel is filled with people who come to spend time in New Bern,” said Cindy Patton, general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton New Bern Riverfront. “I think it has a lot to do with all the historical things to do. Word is spreading more about New Bern and more and more choices for people to do when they are here, like shopping.”
McKeown joked that she would like to keep New Bern small and even secretive.
“I think we get it really well,” she said. “The bigger it gets, the worse it can get.” “That is the draw for the tourists. People come from the neighboring towns and spend the day because everything is there. They can go to some places downtown like Tryon Palace, go shopping and have breakfast. They have got it all there.”
McKeon and Patton both agree that visitors to the big town make their way to New Bern for a change of pace, but in addition to that, it’s the people that make it even better. Patton said she gets a lot of guests from Northern Virginia or New York who might want a change of scenery and a friendlier element.
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“I think they just enjoy the downtown atmosphere and the friendly people that are here,” Patton said.
McKeown has lived in New Bern all her life and said maintaining the charm of the small town is essential.
“They are the ones I love the most,” she said. “A lot of times when I ask people why they come here, they say the people are very friendly. I think keeping a small town benefits you with a community spirit.”
Reporter Simon Graham can be reached at sgraham@gannett.com. Do you have a story or idea? Send her on her way.