Greenville Magazine - Summer 2023

G reenville

Growing on the river

Paddle sports see increasing popularity as facilities improve on the Tar

INSIDE: CAMPING, KAYAKING, RV-ING, BASEBALL, NATURAL SCIENCE & MORE

Publisher

Mark Cohen

Editor

Bobby Burns

Contributing Writers

Bob Garner, Kim Grizzard, Pat Gruner, Ginger Livingston, Patrick Mason, Nathan Summers

Photographers

Bobby Burns, Scott Davis, Pat Gruner, Montrell Outlaw Jr.

Regional Advertising Director

Kyle Stephens

Advertising Representatives

Christina Ruotolo, Lewis Smith & Christina Spencer

Creative Services Director/ Layout Design

Jessica Harris

Greenville: Life in the East is a publication of The Daily Reflector and Adams Publishing Group ENC. Contents may not be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.

CAMPING CITYSIDE

OUTDOORS ON THE ROAD

GROWING ON THE RIVER

NATURE’S GATEWAY

ANGLING INSTITUTION

SUMMER PASTIME RETURNS

NC’S INNER BANKS TOWNS INVITE BIG DREAMS

4-7 9-11 12-17 20-22 24-27

28-30 32-34

Shavonne Brumsey has a teriffc story. As a girl, she developed an interest in kayaking, an interest that later in life she was able to develop into a business. Now she operates Riverside Recreation, which provides rentals, classes and more at the Greenville Town Common and the city’s new Wildwood Park. Visit the parks most weekends these days and there’s a good chance her boats will be foating nearby. Brumsey is a part of a growing effort to capitalize on the region’s natural features and an interest in outdoor activities that has surged since the pandemic. This edition of Greenville … Life in the East spends some time with Brumsey and explores other ways we are taking advantage of the nature that’s around us. How about taking a camping trip without leaving the city limits? You can do it at River Park North. Not a fan of roughing it? Then maybe an RV is more your style. We checked out what Greenville has to offer. Like to fsh? Don’t forget to stop by Greenville Marine for supplies and the latest on where they’re biting. From our look around, opportunities to spend some time outside are growing. Pretty soon, they will even include a chance to take in a Coastal Plain League game at Guy Smith Park. Baseball, kayaking, camping and fshing. Greenville’s got it all.

— Bobby Burns

Ronnie Davis, a local pastor, paddles at Wildwood Park in Greenville during an outing with Riverside Recreation.

CAMPING CITYSIDE

Sites to enjoy the great outdoors are right in Greenville’s backyard Story and Photos by

Getting away from it all doesn't always require hours on the road or weeks of planning. Sometimes, a night under the stars is just a short hike or paddle away.

While Greenville is one of the largest cities in eastern North Carolina, there are a handful of spaces where people looking to escape the shopping centers and asphalt can go for respite.

That includes River Park North, 1000 Mumford Road, which ofers traditional primitive sites where visitors can access the Tar River by watercraft, as well as drive-to sites near the front of the park. A larger group site with a shelter is a popular spot for groups like Scout troops.

"We send a lot of our customers out (to River Park North) because they have kayaks to rent," said Michaela Langley, manager at Great Outdoor Provision Company in Greenville. "It's easier for younger kids starting out, the trails and (the)

Pat Gruner

little nature center inside where kids can learn about 'leave no trace' and stuf like that."

As a Pitt County native, Langley would know. Her family moved from Grifton to Greenville when she was young, and she particularly loves fshing along the Tar and other local watering holes.

Even with Greenville continuing to grow, she's grateful to see how nature holds up within the city limits. She's also a fan of the area's proximity to nearby state parks like Goose Creek in Washington or Clifs of the Neuse in Seven Springs.

While those are great spots favored by advanced campers like her, picking a spot in the city is more forgiving to anyone regardless of skill level, she said.

"You're closer to home if anything were to go awry," Langley said. "If it's someone's frst time camping, you want to have the best weather or it's just going to ruin their perception of what

Andrew Wimsatt, programs assistant at River Park North, stands on the deck of park's camping platform, which is a 1.2mile hike toward the Tar River. The site features a picnic table and seating area and is accessible from Tar River for campers with kayaks or canoes. The platform is one of two operated by the City of Greenville and one of four within the city's limits.

camping is going to be.

"If you were to go six, seven hours into the mountains, you never know what weather you're going to get. Especially if you planned it months in advance. With it being outdoors this close to Greenville, if you end up forgetting something like a frst-aid kit, your tent, you can still have an enjoyable experience and the whole trip is not ruined."

River Park North also features one of four camping platforms which dot sections of the Tar River and are available by reservation to the public. Wildwood Park, 3450 Blue Heron Drive, boasts another platform operated by the City of Greenville while  two platforms operated by Sound Rivers, the Phil Carrol Platform on Airport Road and the Tim Barkley Memorial Platform on Barber Creek, are local spots that can be accessed by kayak or canoe.

The platforms at River Park North are a hit with some of the area's conservation bufs.

"As close to the city as it is, it feels like it's not," said Dan Sokolovic, who operates the youth leadership and conservation group Love A Sea Turtle. "You don't have to go far to be out of the city and enjoy it.

"It's easily accessible, and not really just to (experienced campers), but to people who want an introduction to primitive camping, that's a good place to try before they go invest a ton of money into equipment."

Sokolovic worked through Love A Sea Turtle to help fund the camping platform at River Park North along with State Farm Insurance and Sound Rivers, the private, nonproft dedicated to protecting the Tar-Pamlico river basin.

River Park North GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

An aerial photo from the City of Greenville shows part of a 1.2-mile trail that leads from the parking area at River Park North to the Tar River. Aaron Hines/City of Greenville

, a map of River Park North produced by the city Recreation and Parks Department shows trai

River Park North's platform is accessible through a roughly one-mile hike from the main entrance back toward the river, or via kayak and canoe.

Sokolovic said the screened-in section platform protects from bugs in the summer, with the help of a little insect repellant, and in the winter helps ward of the elements.

The screened-in shelter lies across the river from a section of the South Tar River Greenway bordering the College View neighborhood. Despite the proximity, tree cover and the fowing water help drown out the sights and sounds of civilization.

Andrew Wimsatt is a programming chair for the Central District of the East Carolina Council of the Boy Scouts of America whose day job is spent as a programs assistant at River Park North. Being able to give Scouts under his tutelage some hands-on time with nature occurs in what's practically his backyard.

"They have focused on requirements for advancement or specifc badges," Wimsatt said of the Scouts. "When used by Scouting units, we see most of their activity taking place either in the fall (or) spring seasons."

Scouts also use River Park North for fshing derbies in April and the annual Twilight Camp in June.

"Out here, our focus is on environmental education," Wimsatt said. "We want to encourage people to come out, explore nature, learn about the wildlife that is in this area as well as giving them a place to get away from it and enjoy the outdoors in a diferent way than they would at one of the other parks, or to a playground environment."

Sokolovic said that his children have enjoyed their outings at the park, while for him being able to unplug is a great beneft for his mental health.

"I think it's one of the most important pieces of mental health," Sokolovic said. "It's a destressor. You turn of your cell phone if you're so inclined. For families it's a way to be together, to stay together. I think it's vital to personal selfcare."

Sokolovic said the Wildwood camping platform is "even more remote" than its counterpart, while Langley said amenities like a mountain biking trail open up a diferent experience for visitors to that park. Langley also is excited about coming attractions like a challenge course which could be constructed by the summer of 2024.

A fr r t t t t r tur

R v r P r N rt f rs t r r v -u s ts t t

Top: Wimsatt said the screened-in platform helps protect campers from bugs and the elements while enjoying a rest among nature. He said that the doors of the platform latch to keep out animals and to give campers peace of mind.

Middle top:

s seating for roasting marshmallows, telling ghost stories and a singing camp songs.

Middle bottom:

are ADA accessible. One site was constructed by East Carolina University interns, another was constructed as part of an Eagle Scout project.

Bottom: A 1.2-mile trail at River Park North leads travels through wetlands to the Tar River and several campsites. Aaron Hines/City of Greenville

For folks who'd rather foat than travel on foot, Sound Rivers' platforms provide regular stops along the river. That was something Clay Barber, the group's programs director, tested in October of 2020 when he and Riverkeeper Jill Howell went on their 10-day "Tour de Tar" paddling tour. The experience, which featured a stop at the Phil Carrol platform on Airport Road, was a far cry from your typical visit to Greenville.

"It only takes like a day or two and you feel like you've adopted a new life," Barber said, laughing. "A lot of the worries and concerns you have about your daily life kind of melt away whenever you know you're not really going to have to deal with them.

"It's a nice, peaceful, relaxing feeling that it's just you, the river and whatever activities you have planned. When you're camping, activities we take for granted as being easy and quick in our daily life, like food prep and shelter, they kind of become your priority."

For Langley, having places for herself, customers and others to get out and stay out is what makes her city special.

"I think that Greenville is growing rapidly and we're in our circle but, once you're out of that circle, there's still nature and trees. You've seen on social media, all the bear and deer that have been seen recently. It's not like a normal metropolitan area," Langley said.

RESERVE A SPOT

To reserve a camp site at River Park North or Wildwood Park, visit greenvillenc.gov/government/recreation-parks and follow the facilities tab. Anyone interested in reserving platforms managed by Sound Rivers can email info@soundrivers.com or call their ofces at 946-7211

Top: Kayakers head out from River Park North on to the Tar River. Aaron Hines/City of Greenville

Middle top: Kayaks are available to rent along with other craft at the park and visitors can bring their own.

Middle bottom: Michaela Langley, manager at Great Outdoor Provision Company, 530 S.E. Greenville Blvd., shows a sleeping bag that people might wa t t ac f r a tri t a c vered ca i g atf r i Gree vi e. She says spots in Greenville are great for novice campers who want to give it a try.

Bottom: Langley checks products on a shelf at Great Outdoor Provision stocked with insect repellant, a must for camping in the summer in eastern North Carolina.

WE ARE ACHIEVERS

OUR STUDENTS ARE CAREGIVERS, DESIGNERS, ENTREPRENEURS AND BUILDERS.

WE ARE PITT CC

OUTDOORS ON THE ROAD

Back in the day they were campers; now they are RVs

By Bob Garner

When I was young and working a summer job, my parents decided to leave me behind and travel coast to coast towing a 15-foot travel trailer — behind an automobile, no less.

Since I was the only child, it was just the two of them until I joined them for two nights near the end of their three-month journey. Dad had just retired from a career as an ofcer in the U.S. Navy.

There was a toilet and a sink big enough to take a bird bath. They used the campground showers at most places they stayed.

The dining nook had a fold-up table and cushions that could be arranged into a double bed. There was a small stovetop, a small gas-powered fridge, a settee, a second small sleeping place and a merely adequate air conditioning unit.

Needless to say, travel living in a camper trailer has changed a lot since my parents took of cross-country in the early 1960s. Today’s RVers are focused on things like WiFi, better ofroad ability, solar-powered charging and outdoor kitchens.

And these days, it seems like RVs and camper trailers are everywhere.

So on an assignment from Greenville Magazine, I checked out the local RV scene with help from the city's dealerships to see just how much things had changed and fnd out whether a COVID-infuenced boom had waned.

By Bobby Burns

The short answer is, while sales are returning to more normal, pre-pandemic levels, millions continue to hit the highway.

Higher interest rates and infation helped cool a market fueled by pre-vaccine requirements that pushed people into the great outdoors for recreation in 2020-21, the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association reported.

Unit shipments from factories to dealers dropped more than 50 percent through the frst four months of 2023, compared to the same period from the previous year, according to the RVIA.

The slump was enough to prompt Congress to consider legislation that would re-classify travel trailers, which account for 88% of all recreational vehicles, as "motor vehicles" to allow dealers to write of all their inventory tax costs and help them with more competitive pricing, the RVIA said.

Still, a May 2023 survey by the RVIA  indicates that 44 million Americans plan to go RVing this summer, with 12 million going over the Memorial Day weekend.

What’s more, the survey showed 72 million Americans planning to take an RV trip during the year ending in May 2024.

Thirty-two percent of leisure travelers — those having taken a leisure trip during the past 12 months — said in their survey response that they planned to purchase an RV during the next 12 months.

That's enough to keep the sales staf jumping at Red Banks

Emi Carter, a product specialist with TravelCamp in Greenville, shows travel trailers to a customer on the lot at 2320 N.E. Greenville Blvd.

Road location of Camping World as well as the new Travelcamp on Northeast Greenville Boulevard.

Travelcamp, with its corporate headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida, is a growing business with 14 locations in the Southeast. There are North Carolina locations in Greenville and Statesville, with a third serving the Charlotte metropolitan area from adjoining Rock Hill, South Carolina.

The Greenville dealership opened in 2022 and sales are above expectations, said general manager John Hantz. “We’ve already turned over practically our entire inventory several times,” he said.

Hantz is a Pennsylvania-born and ECU-educated vehicle sales veteran who has owned and managed auto and RV dealerships in the Carolinas and beyond. He said Greenville is perfectly situated on the way to the coast and not too far from Kerr Lake and Lake Gaston to the north. And it's  one of a few dealerships in the region with a full-service garage.

And Hantz said nowadays he has customers who are turning their trailers into investment properties, buying an RV, parking it on a nice piece of property near the ocean, river or a lake and renting out as for a week or a weekend.

“This can create a secondary income stream to help pay the cost of owning the unit,” Hantz said.

Camping World, with some 200 U.S locations, is America’s largest retailer of RVs, related products and services. Its Camping World and Good Sam brands have been around since the mid-1960s.

Good Sam is a Camping World partner, not only in terms of connection and discounts with campground owners but also in providing price reductions on Camping World’s array of RV supplies and services, including warranty work, repairs and of-site mobile repair services

As part of a bid of nearly $38 million, Camping World acquired Greenville-based Overton’s marine supply stores, along with a Overton’s site in Raleigh, according to Camping World’s general manager.

“Our main goal is to make sure everything’s within the fnancial reach of those who want to get out there and go camping,” said Mark Phommachanh (Pom’-a-chon), who heads Camping World here. “We have the best prices out there anywhere.”

“On the other hand," Phommachanh added, “we want to build a continuing relationship with customers by ofering everything they possibly need, including tutorials on operation and fxing any problem an RVer comes to us with, whether they bought the unit from us or not.”

One of Camping World’s Greenville customers says the company earned his loyalty by quickly repairing a water leakage issue on his frst camper, a “ffth wheel” unit he bought elsewhere. Fifth

Trave Ca ge era a ager J h Ha tz, ce ter, sta ds i the sh wr with Carter and business support administrator Tammy Cherry, right.

wheels are larger trailers that extend over the bed of the heavy duty pickup truck needed to pull them.

Dave Garvey of Vanceboro told me the Camping World staf got him speedily on the road from North Carolina to Texas several years ago so that he, his wife and other family members could attend his daughter’s wedding.

“They solve that one major problem headache for me, and ever since, I have considered myself a loyal customer,” said Garvey.

This is where the diference between today's RVs and the little trailers of my parents' day really comes into full view.

The modern-day equivalent of the trailer that can be pulled by a car is the cute little tear drop — about big enough for two but with modern luxuries like a fatscreen, a self-contained toilet and full-on HVAC with a chef-quality kitchen under the rear hatch.

From there the choices progress to pop-ups and hybrid trailers to travel trailers and toy haulers, which allow the owner to convert a rear living space into a hauling space big enough for motorcycles, ATVs, golfcarts and even small cars.

Garvey and his wife Debbie are both retired from the military but still work full-time: Dave in his early 50s, Debbie in her late 40s. All their children are grown, and their nest is empty except for two dogs, who happen to be service-dogs-in-training.

Garvey bought a Keystone travel trailer from Camping World, and they traveled as far as the North Carolina mountains with it, using a threewheeler motorcycle for local transportation up and down the hilly highways.

They later moved on to another “ffth wheel” purchased from Camping World, a 40-foot Keystone Montana.

“To be honest, we would love to have a full-sized diesel motorhome, but that would be like $200,000, maybe $300,000 if new,” Garvey admitted, “We’ve always been very careful about how we spend our money, and it just isn’t in the budget.”

Motorhomes range from the Class B and B+, which simply put are converted vans, to Class C and Super C, which are campers built on a truck chassis with bunks extending over the cabs to the Class A and Class A Diesels, the mobile home buses to which Garvey referred.

This is all according to an excellent Texas-based blog called RV Texas Y'all at rvtexasyall.com

Many RV experts, including blogger Alan Warren of San Antonio, who bills himself as the "RV Wingman," recommend that vacationers who are considering purchasing an RV rent one or two types frst to see what they like and how well they handle on the road.

There are no perfect RVs, Warren and several other bloggers say, and matching 80 percent of a family’s preferences and tastes is considered due diligence.

Apparently, many RV newcomers who took to RVing because of COVID ended up with units they had to try to sell when they found through experience that they wanted something diferent.

Potential RV customers also can use a site called “Outdoorsy” to fnd a rental spot in their vicinity: Google “Outdoorsy RV rentals near me” to locate one in the Greenville area.

“Don’t do too much homework, though,” opines pundit Warren.

“Be careful, but don’t miss the great RV life experience by waiting too long and being unable to come to a decision. None of us is getting any younger.”

Bob Garner is an award-winning author and broadcaster and an Order of the Long Leaf Pine recipient. He lives in Greenville.

“Our main goal is to make sure everything’s within the financial reach of those who want to get out there and go camping...”

All the comforts of home are packed nicely inside even in some of the smaller trailers like the ones here sold by retailers in Greenville, opposite and above.

GROWING ON THE RIVER

Paddle sports see increasing popularity as facilities improve the Tar

By Ginger Livingston

By Bobby Burns

rowing up in Grifton, Shavonne Brumsey always wanted to explore Contentnea Creek, which winds its way through woods and countryside as it fows on its way to the Neuse. Her family liked to fsh. She had uncles and cousins with canoes and jon boats they used to get to their favorite fshing holes, but she didn’t go out with them.

“I didn’t want to fsh. I wanted to paddle. I wanted to do things. They were very sedentary. They had their fshing spots and it kind of bored me,” Brumsey said.

Eventually, her parents found a solution.

“They said you want to learn how to do that, we’ll send you to camp,” she said. “I went to a church camp and they had sailing and kayaking, all the things, canoeing and all the water activities that my heart could desire and I absolutely loved it.”

Those early days inspired a life on the water, Brumsey said, and what started out as a hobby is now a growing business. She and her husband, Javon, own and operate Riverside Recreation, which has shared Shavonne’s interests and skills in Greenville for four years and has become a part of a local industry that’s helping to build an interest in paddle sports.

“For this area, I think it appears kayaking is becoming popular because there is a focus to push outdoor recreation,” said Brumsey, whose business ofers rentals, classes and tours and manages kayak, paddle board and peddle boat rentals for the City of Greenville at the Town Common and Wildwood Park.

“There are more frst-timers out on the water, the Tar River included, but I believe that’s due to businesses like myself and Greenville Recreation and Parks Department collaborating to highlight the natural resources that are here,” Brumsey said.

Outdoor enthusiasts say interest boomed during the pandemic when everyone was looking for something to do outside. Since then, the city developed Wildwood Park, which includes a kayak launch and access to the Tar River, to complement similar facilities upstream at the Town Common. Sound Rivers, a nonproft that advocates for the conservation of the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico river basins, also worked with the state Wildlife Commission to install launches at Port Terminal in Greenville, Tranters Creek in Beaufort County and on the waterfront in downtown Washington, N.C.

Sound Rivers Director Clay Barber said a number of factors are contributing to an increased interest in paddlesports.

“I think the periods of quarantine from COVID instilled a renewed appreciation for outdoor spaces and outdoor activities and public health,” said Barber. “I think a lot of people are fguring out that kayaking is a great way to stay healthy and be outdoors and get in touch with nature and themselves. It seems to be something that a lot of people are looking for these days.”

ROWING ON THE RIVER

Brumsey continued paddling through her college years at East Carolina University and when she began teaching in Pitt County Schools. She would go to River Park North and rent a kayak and paddle around the park’s pond.

“I’m an introvert. For me (kayaking) is recharging. I can go out and spend time on my own and come back feeling energized and at rest. My mind kind of calms down,” Brumsey said.

Eventually, she realized she could aford her own kayak and she really wanted to get out on the Tar River and explore. Because she’s black, however, it wasn’t always the relaxing experience she sought, she said.

“As a minority, I haven’t always felt welcomed in these spaces. That was a problem I hoped to solve opening this business,” she said.

She stopped teaching in 2019 to open Riverside Recreation after the business received a startup grant through the city’s Small Business Plan Competition. Introducing a more diverse population to paddling became one of their core philosophies.

“In our business, we are very intentional about marketing to all ages, all socio-economic levels and backgrounds because that refects us,” Brumsey said. “Typically you don’t see everyone refected in marketing when it comes to outdoor recreation, particularly water sports. So we’ve always been very mindful and try to intentionally include all ages and backgrounds.”

She just concluded a six-week kayaking class for seniors at the lake at Wildwood Park, located just north of the Tar River. Lori and Ronnie Davis of Winterville were her students.

The couple first tried kayaking 25 years ago while honeymooning in Bermuda. Ronnie, a local pastor, said the beautiful blue water surrounding the island made it quite appealing. They tried a few other times over the years.

Lori was the one to suggest taking kayak classes.

“Our son has gone of to school and on Saturdays we weren’t doing much of anything so I thought it would be fun to do,” she said.

Ronnie needed some convincing. He likes relaxing on

Javon and Shavonne Brumsey faced skeptics when they started Riverside Recreation but the business has more than stayed afoat.

Saturdays after doing yard work. He also thinks about his sermons.

“He wasn’t enthused about it at frst but he’s said many times he’s glad he did it now. He’s enjoyed it a lot more than he thought he would,” Lori said. “It has been fun. It’s been good to get out there and to do something like that together.”

“It was tough; it will wear you out because you are using muscles you don’t normally use,” Ronnie said. Brumsey showed him several core strengthening exercises and he found a few others on the internet. They quickly made a diference and he started enjoying the classes.

“It’s beautiful out there, and we just love the water,” Ronnie said.

The couple hiked the trails around Wildwood Park before starting the kayaking classes. While both activities are peaceful, kayaking is winning out.

“I always think the water is very peaceful. And this is something diferent that we haven’t done in a long time,” Lori said.

TEACHING THE TAR

As the Davises and Brumsey paddled to their practice area on a recent Saturday, Jay and Kayla Vincent of Greenville were readying their infatable tandem kayak for an afternoon on the water.

It’s the frst year the couple has kayaked together.

“We wanted to get out, get outside into nature and do something together with people,” Jay said.

“I like the water and anything outside. I fgured it would be fun,” said Kayla. “I loved canoeing as a kid so I fgured kayaking would be interesting to try out.”

The couple, who have been together for 3½ years and married for six months, said tandem kayaking is a good team-

building and relationship-building experience.

The couple said the opening of Wildwood Park has been a boon for Greenville. When they frst started kayaking on the lake at Wildwood Park, no one was around. As recent Saturdays have shown, the lake and park are now flled with people enjoying the outdoors.

“It’s hard to fnd things to do in Greenville unless you go into the downtown area,” Jay said. “So to have someplace to get out in nature, and something like this is a good hobby to get into.”

“You should try it,” Kayla said. “It can be scary, I know I was scared of it because the boat is so small … but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.”

Brumsey said fear often keeps people from trying the activity. It’s understandable, she said, for a number of reasons.

“Anytime I’ve heard anything about the Tar it’s about catastrophic fooding,” she said. “But with education you can show people that the Tar in its normal state is very calm and you can paddle both ways very easily. It’s providing that piece, that education piece for anyone who has not been on,” Brumsey said.

Other people hesitate because they believe they are too big or too old to be successful. Again, education can show people kayaking can be adapted to suit their skills, she said.

Riverside Recreation has formed partnerships with other businesses and nonprofts to help reach more people with that message.

It works with Trillium Health Resources to provide service for the disabled and individuals with special needs. Classes range in age from seniors to the very young.

“If I’m not reaching everyone, I’m not doing my job,” Brumsey said. “We were very intentional from the grand opening we were going to market to everybody. We want to show all ages, all abilities, frst timers, professionals, the elderly.”

Brumsey instructs Lori and Ronnie Davis on paddling techniques at the City of Greenville's Wildwood Park.

Brumsey and Melissa Harrell, an art teacher and owner of Honeybee’s House of Art, ofer a family Paint and Paddle session for families with young children.

Harrell, who started Honeybee’s in 2020, teaches at Wintergreen Intermediate School. She knows Brumsey’s twin sister, Talia Edwards, who also teaches art and does marketing for Riverside.

“It’s just a fun combination,” Harrell said. “I do love nature and when Talia came to me it just sounded really cool.”

The art teacher loves kayaking. When Riverside Recreation first opened, Harrell said she rented kayaks at the Town Common.

“Being in nature, kind of grounding myself. It’s just calm and it helps me forget any kind of stress or things you have in your life. You have that moment in nature,” Harrell said. She has similar experiences when painting.

At Wildwood Park, Riverside operates out of a pavilion with several picnic tables where Harrell set up the frst portion of Paint and Paddle.

Harrell guides participants through an art project that allows parent and child to create together. Once the work is completed, Brumsey and her crew ft them with life vests, give them a paddling demonstration and guide them out on the lake.

“I feel like a beautiful environment goes hand in hand with art. People are happy to be in a setting in nature and let their creativity go free,” Harrell said.

PADDLING AHEAD

Hosting complementary events is a great way to draw people to kayaking and paddle sports, enthusiasts said.

Inner Banks Outftters of Washington, N.C., hosts an event where people paddle out to a sandbar called Castle Island for

a wine and cheese party, said Paula Stephenson, Washington Tourism Development Authority director.

“People travel here to spend the weekend and kayak. I think it goes along with that we have a really relaxed, laid-back vibe in Washington,” Stephenson said. “Strangers speak to you whether they know you or not. People come for relaxation. They come here to relax, whether it’s in a restaurant or on the water with a kayak.”

River Vibes and Pamlico Boat Rentals are two other Washington businesses that ofer kayak, stand-up paddle board and other watercraft rentals.

River Vibes has a kayak instructor who teaches groups how to crab from their watercraft. Another guide ofers tours highlighting the natural resources and wildlife of the area.

“It’s a good place to learn to kayak, to get a feel for it,” said Elena Hill, who’s worked at River Vibes since it opened in 2020.

“It’s not a stringent exercise and you get to see beautiful things when you go kayaking,” Hill said.

“There’s nothing like getting out on the Pamlico River with your sense of adventure and letting it take you where it will,” Stephenson said.

If there is anything that is holding back the growth of kayaking, it is the lack of access points and rest areas.

Greenville has three kayak launches and Washington has two with no launches or access points between them. The distance between them is more than 20 miles.

“If we were to plan a tour from here to the coast there aren’t many places to pull of and have a snack or to have rest breaks or go to a restroom. For paddlers, those types of access points are important, especially if you are a beginner,” Brumsey said.

The Tar-Pamlico Water Trail, an extension of Sound Rivers, is trying to get those amenities in place.

“For me (kayaking) is recharging. I can go out and spend time on my own and come back feeling energized and at rest. My mind kind of calms down...”

Riverside Recreation won a contract with the city to provide rentals at Wildwood Park and The Town Common. Facilities at Wildwood, above, are ideal for kayaking, paddle boards and pedal boats.

MORE INFORMATION

To learn more about kayaking opportunities in the area, visit the following websites:

riversiderecreationrentals.com

tarpamlicowatertrail.org

nnerbanksoutftters.com

facebook.com/rivervibesonthepamlico

washingtonncmarinas.com

visitgreenvillenc.com

washingtonnc.gov/visitors

Using a combination of grants and private donations, the organization has built 13 camping platforms along the river, starting in Franklin County through Beaufort County. Nearly half the platforms are found in Beaufort and Pitt counties.

The organization also put in the kayak launches at N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission boat ramps at Port Terminal in Greenville, Mason’s Landing on Tranter’s Creek and Haven’s Garden, on the Washington Waterfront near Backwater Jack’s restaurant and Inner Banks Outftters.

“The goal is to have launches spaced out enough so people can do some fun day trips or multiple days on the river, because it’s quite the experience,” Barber said. It also will give people more time to explore the creeks and tributaries found along the lower Tar-Pamlico.

“For us, as a water quality conservation and advocacy organization, the more people love the river for whatever reason, the more likely they are to help us advocate for it and keep it clean,” he said.

Brumsey has thoughts on how she can get more people on the water.

“I would love to expand. Right now our focus has been on Greenville,” she said. This is the frst year Riverside has operated at both the Town Common and Wildwood Park.

The business is looking at opening a new branch in a diferent location, either upstream or downstream of Greenville.

“I’ve been in talks with diferent municipalities because I believe you have to have good relationships with diferent recreation and parks departments,” she said. “I don’t own property alongside anything, and if this is going to work there has to be a need I’m flling.”

So far she’s been in talks for three diferent communities.

“The interest is there for communities that have water access,” she said.

That stands in stark contrast to the skepticism she and Javon heard when they frst started discussing a rental and tour businesses.

“I was told everyone who wants to kayak already has one and you don’t need to pursue it,” Brumsey said.

Many people prefer to rent because they don’t have a place to keep a kayak, a vehicle to haul it in or maybe they just want to try it out a few times before making an investment.

“So it does feel good as a business owner to prove those naysayers wrong,” she said. "I think they’ve been surprised how many people do want to enjoy outdoor recreation.”

Top: Brumsey was a teacher with Pitt County Schools before starting her business full-time.

Middle: Melissa Harrell of Honeybee's House of Art partners with Riverside to combine art classes with watersports at Wildwood Park.

Bottom: Brumsey's instruction includes stretches and conditioning on land before hitting the water.

Photo By Michelle Durdaller

NATURE’S GATEWAY

Natural sciences museum continues to rely on great outdoors in Grifton

By Kim Grizzard By Montrell Outlaw Jr.

The closing of science museums during the pandemic opened up new possibilities for some exploration to be done the old-fashioned way – in the great outdoors.

At the time, A Time for Science, which operated centers in Greenville and Grifton, had just become part of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. While the Greenville location remained closed for more than a year to undergo renovations, its Contentnea Creek counterpart had enough open spaces to be able to provide outdoor classroom experiences.

Three years later, as the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at Contentnea Creek awaits the opening of the Nancy and John Bray Environmental Education and Visitor Center, it’s back to nature again. Except for summer camps, which draw dozens of kids each week to 949 Contentnea Lane, there are no organized events planned until fall.

“Because there’s going to be so much construction happening, we’re not doing a lot of public programming,”

Director Emily Jarvis said. “It’s going to be open for people to do self-guided hiking and come out and spend time any time during daylight hours.”

When completed, the building will provide space for classroom instruction as well as exhibits. The 6,000-squarefoot building will replace a small trailer known as the green resource center, the frst structure placed on the property after the Brays obtained a conservation easement and began A Time for Science in 2009.

“It’s going to kind of change the way that we do things out here,” Jarvis said, adding that the visitors’ center will be stafed during opening hours Tuesdays through Saturdays. “This is going to be so diferent than anything we’ve had before. We’ve worked out of the little green trailer for so many years but never had a place where we just could have people show up, pull up and have something to do.”

The new center will feature a large fsh tank donated by the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. With a 14-foot

Students attending a summer camp program at N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at Contentnea Creek prepare to walk one of several trails on the property.

viewing window and able to hold 5 feet of water, it is expected to create quite a splash.

“We’re excited to ofer this,” Jarvis said. “We are going to have a living exhibit of what’s beneath the surface of the ponds and the creeks right here on this property.”

Despite the anticipation of the new structure, which will be located beside the Chia-Yu Li Planetarium, the property itself remains the crown jewel of the museum’s Contentnea Creek location. Among the 400 acres, visitors will fnd ponds and creeks, swamps and wetlands, grassland and forests. About 1.5 miles of looped trails, with names such as Beaver, Spirit, Lawson Point and Cypress Swamp, offer nature lovers a chance to view native plants and wildlife from great blue heron to white-tailed deer.

A sign that reads “Welcome to Our Naturehood” directs museum goers to features including a picnic area, kayak pond and nature playscape. Aside from a few hammocks stretched between trees, the playscape is void of manmade distractions. Instead, kids are invited to climb on fallen trees and hop from stump to stump.

“Families love to come down here and spend time,” Jarvis said. “They just let their kids run, have fun.”

Nearby is a fossil dig where kids can search for sharks’ teeth and a picnic area where they can sit down to meals with their

family.

The property’s pollinator garden is a feeding ground for monarch butterfies and other species, featuring milkweed and other plants to create a habitat for butterfies. The garden, now in its third season, is open for viewing.

“Morning is a great time to walk through,” Jarvis said. “This time of year, especially mid- to late summer, the butterflies are really active.”

A recent addition to the property is the Solar Stroll, located near the planetarium and the Kitty and Max Joyner Observatory. A scale model, the outdoor, walkable feature includes photos and facts about Earth’s nearest neighbors.

“It’s the whole inner solar system along this path,” Brian Baker, the museum’s deputy director, said. “You start at the sun. Each step you take would represent about 3 and a half million miles.

“There are all sorts of facts about the planets themselves,” he said. “We have some more detailed descriptions and high-resolution images. The really cool part is a scaled image so it represents the sizes and distances accurately, which is pretty tough to do in any other situation.”

Jarvis said the Solar Stroll was formerly one of the museum’s program oferings for organized groups before being installed

The Solar Stroll, a self-guided, outdoor exhibit installed at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at C te t ea Cree i Ju e, r vides a sca ed model exploration of the solar system.

E i y Jarvis, direct r f N.C. Museu f Natura Sciences at Greenville and Contentnea Creek, assists volunteers who are helping to maintain a pollinator garden on the property near Grifton.

Flowers at a pollinator garden at N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at Contentnea Creek are designed to create a butterfy habitat.

“We’re excited to offer this ... We are going to have a living exhibit of what’s beneath the surface of the ponds and the creeks right here on this property.”

as a self-guided outdoor exhibit in June.

“This is a program that we’ve done since the beginning, but it was never done in a way that people could just come here on their own with their families and participate,” she said. “(Now) the general public can come out and start at the beginning and fnd their way all the way through the solar system.”

Because the Solar Stroll is self-guided, it will be accessible during daylight hours this summer during construction of the visitors’ center, which will remain one of the few structures on the property.

“As for building new additions, we can’t do that,” Jarvis said of the terms of the conservation easement, which prevents development on the land and guarantees public access. “It’s all conservancy land.”

The new visitors’ center is designed to complement, not compete with, the property’s natural resources.

“We always talk about it as being a gateway,” Baker said, “to bring people into nature and to explore what we have to ofer out here.”

WANT TO GO?

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Contentnea Creek, 949 Contentnea Lane, Grifton, is open to the public Tuesdays-Saturdays during daylight hours. There is no admission fee. Camping and kayaking also are available by reservation. Visit atimeforscience.org.

Kayaking is available by reservation at N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at C te t ea Creek, which has fve ds.

Whe re YourChild Ca n “ Jump” Ship!

PiratePortisapirate-them ed play place.

We offe r: Bo unce Ho uses

Gam eArea • Afte rSchoolProgram

To ddle rPlayArea • PartyRoo ms

Senso ry Ro om forSpe cial NeedsKids

Snack Area • Su mm er Camps& Mo re!

PiratePort

832 W15th St., Washington,NC27889

www.washingtonpirateport.co m (252) 916-9849

Wed-Sat10am-6pm • Sunday 2pm-6pm

Pr ivateParties forolde rkids!

YE STE RD AY ’S GR EA TE ST TR EAS URES

ANGLING INSTITUTION

Greenville Marine a year-round mecca for boats, baits and banter

By Nathan Summers By Scott Davis

Anyone with a passion for chasing local fsh from here to the Atlantic Ocean either goes to Greenville Marine regularly or they're missing out.

It's not just the wall-to-wall rods, reels, lures and equipment or the lot full of boats either. It's also the phenomenon of people from all diferent walks of life, diferent occupations and diferent backgrounds converging on the same place over and over again for the same common purpose.

Almost all towns and cities across American have tackle and boat shops, but Greenville Marine is truly an institution. It began as a boat seller in 1972 and expanded with a tackle shop in 1993. It also ofers hunting supplies and even has a full archery range and shop.

The one thing that's not printed on the menu is the camaraderie that is a natural fringe beneft of hanging out regularly in places like tackle shops.

Greenville Marine is bustling with anglers almost every day of the week. They don't just want lures, line and jigheads, either. Often, they want intel on where the bite has been best, what color lures the fsh like lately or how muddy the Tar River is. Some of them want advice on replacing a broken rod tip and some just want to talk.

The man on the other side of the counter for the last 30 years at the Greenville Marine tackle shop, and the one felding all of those questions, is Joe Varnell.

"There are people that are coming to me for answers and coming to me to make their weekend better, so if they've got a question that they think is dumb or something they should already know, I don't look at it that way. They're looking for help and I try to help them," said Varnell, who estimated that 25 percent of his clientele are regular, returning customers.

Top: Joe Varnell is the man in the know about fshing at Greenville Marine.

Middle: Rods and reels are plentiful in the store's showroom.

Bottom: Every fsh has its lure.

Varnell said there are plenty of beginners and plenty of weekend warriors that fle through his shop each week, but it's that 25 percent that is the backbone of his clientele and in turn is part of the backbone of year-round fshing in this part of the state.

"You've heard the saying 10 percent of the anglers catch 90 percent of the fsh," Varnell said. "There's a lot of truth to that, because that's the group that's going all the time and that's what it takes. To really catch a lot of fsh, over and over and be successful throughout the year, you need to go a lot. That 10 percent does go a lot. They don't worry so much about the weather unless it's going to be a terrible day. A chance of rain for them is like nothing. They're going to go no matter what and that's why they're successful."

When that 10 percent is actually 25 in Varnell's case, business is usually good at Greenville Marine.

The year-round fshery helps too. Although the summer brings plenty of what Varnell says are quite literally fairweather fshermen, he is serving some of those true hardcore anglers during the winter as they chase big speckled trout. In fact, Varnell said those trout fshermen and his bass fshing clients are the hardest of the hardcore.

"Of all the types of fshing tackle that we sell, those two are probably the biggest 'seasons' even though they're both year-round," he said.

For all of the things that have changed since Varnell opened the tackle side of the business in 1994, fshing is still fshing, and that's a good thing for him.

"Fishing itself hasn't really changed," Varnell said. "You can still get as simple or as technical as you want. I still have people come in here and buy cane poles, crickets, worms. And then I've got guys coming in here buying bass baits that cost $50. Even now with the trout fshing, they're buying $4,000 sonar units where they're seeing every fsh they catch, they're watching them swim, watching how they react in water. You didn't have that just a few years ago.

"Things have changed, but the passion for fshing, guys just going out and enjoying the day ... they just want to fsh, they want to catch something, they want to get out in the outdoors, and we still have a lot of that, and that's probably what's keeping it going," Varnell said.

He said Mirrolures are by far his top-selling saltwater lures, but said it's ever-changing with bass fshermen and often depends on the national trends.

Varnell said he tells people Greenville Marine sells baits for everything from bluegill to blue marlin, though he concedes there aren't technically any marlin baits for sale.

"Greenville Marine has the best selection of inshore tackle in town," said Zac Domire, and avid angler from Greenville and

Top: A glers li e u t ay f r su lies Tuesday after , Ju e 20.

Middle top: A regular talks fshi g at the e d f a l g r w f tackle a d gear.

Middle bottom: Fishing bobs are not in short supply.

Bottom: Flynn Nease, Lucas Deis and Cameron Dally check out the huge selection of lures.

Greenville Marine is an institution for local anglers who need the scoop what's biti g a d h w t catch it. I additi t  a g i g su ies, the busi ess re airs a d services ew a d vi tage b at t rs a d fers a wide variety f fshi g vesse s.

regular Greenville Marine shopper. "Their prices on reels are competitive with online stores."

FLOATING GREENVILLE'S BOAT

Just across Marine Drive, his wife, Kathy, runs the boat sales for the company  after taking over that role following the passing of her father, who founded the company.

And because the fshing is year-round here, so is the boating, although options for some non-fshing activities also become available when the weather warms and schools are out for the summer.

"Normally our busy season is from March frst until the end of September," Kathy Varnell said, adding that Greenville Marine also does a lot of engine servicing, registrations, part sales and accessory sales. "That's when most people get out and go boating, go fshing. We try to keep a lot of the boats in stock that fshermen would have in mind, everything from a 17-foot aluminum to a 24-foot bay boat. We try to cover all the seasons."

For the non-anglers, Varnell said the months between May and August are prime for pontoon boat riders, tubers and jet skiers.

"Thank goodness in North Carolina you can use your boat all year round contingent on the weather," she said.

When Greenville Marine began, Varnell said it was as much about boat riding and even speed boats as it was fshing. Since then, it has survived and fourished in an ever-changing market, including the unexpected boat boom during the pandemic that has now subsided.

"It's had a lot of ups and downs, but the fun side of it is getting to see people get out and try new things and try boating, try things they've never done before," Varnell said. "Now, we've got second and third generations of people coming in from the people that initially came in the '70s, so we've been able to see a transition of grandpa to grandson. We've sold boats anywhere from Canada to Guam.

SUMMER PASTIME RETURNS

Excitement builds as Coastal Plain League prepares to field team at Guy Smith

By Patrick Mason By Scott Davis

Baseball may not be the frst thing that comes to mind in the category of outdoor activities.

On the other hand, many consider it America’s greatest outdoor pastime. And next summer, the boys of summer are coming back to Greenville.

The Coastal Plain League will feld a team at Guy Smith Stadium for the frst time since the Greenville Greenies were a charter member in the original CPL, which competed from 1937 to 1941.

A league history said World War II forced a stoppage before it returned in 1946, where it continued as a Class D minor league system through 1952.

The CPL came back as a collegiate summer league in 1997, but Greenville’s franchise did not return with it. The CPL has had its eye on the Emerald City ever since, ofcials said.

Capitol Broadcasting, which bought the CPL in 2022 and already owns two teams, reached an agreement with the Greenville City Council in May to operate a franchise beginning in 2024.

The team will again play at iconic Guy Smith, completing the long-awaited return of summer ball to the area.

CPL Commissioner Chip Allen said that the pairing between Greenville and the summer league has been a long time coming.

“Greenville has been on the map for the Coastal Plain League for long before I've been here and long before Capitol Broadcasting bought a team in the CPL,” Allen said. “It's been an ongoing discussion. The hurdle has always been, where do you play? I think that's always been the hurdle.

“It's not about a question of whether I think people will support it, because I think 100 percent know they will. It was a great baseball city. So it's always been, ‘OK, how do you make the stadium work?’”

Working with city leaders and Greenville baseball legend Ronald Vincent, coach of the J.H. Rose High School and the Greenville Babe Ruth teams that currently use the facility, the league was able to develop a solution, Allen said.

The solution has been to make $1 million in improvements and upgrades to Guy Smith. The league and the city of Greenville

Fans enjoy a Babe Ruth League game at Guy Smith Stadium in June. Babe Ruth players will share the stadium with a Greenville Coastal Plain League team in 2024

each committed $500,000 for renovations of the 84-year-old park.

Allen said priorities include expanding the facility from 1,000 seats to at least 1,500, along with upgrading bathrooms and concessions while making sure it’s up to code and ensuring an enjoyable experience for fans.

Capitol Broadcasting will lease the stadium for 10 years, paying $30,000 the frst year and increasing the amount by 2 percent each year.

The lease period is between May 15 and Sept. 30 to coincide with tje Coastal Plain season. The league will work with the Babe Ruth league to schedule games so both can use the feld. The two also will hold at least one fundraiser together under the agreement.

Capitol also will obtain a license to sell beer and refreshments and will have rights to set ticket, food and beverage, retail and parking prices for its home game events.

Among other specifcs set out in the contract with the city:

• Capitol will have the exclusive right to sell sponsorships and will keep all revenues from such sales.

• The league will partner with the city to provide one baseball day camp per year, operated with coaches and players of the Greenville team, for youth within the west Greenville community.

• The league shall ofcially ofer at least two current collegiate baseball players that previously participated in the Pitt County Babe Ruth program a spot on the Greenville League team’s ofcial roster for the summer season.

“I see this as a multi-year plan, and we're not going to get it all done in the frst year,” Allen said. “Particularly, that is a

pretty heavily-used feld. I think it starts in January or February that they'll start using it for high school and on throughout the summer. So we got to fgure out how to get it all done in a timeline that works for all the teams that play there, but it’s also what can we do with that $1 million to make it efective for the community.”

Currently, 14 teams in the CPL across Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, and it is ever-growing. Allen said that there is no ideal number or cap limit on teams, just what makes sense. Greenville leaders said it makes sense for the city.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for the City of Greenville,” Mayor P.J. Connelly said in April.

Connelly was a pitcher for East Carolina in 2004 and 2005 where he posted an 8-1 career record. Connelly played in three separate summer college leagues before graduating and playing baseball professionally in the Los Angeles Angels organization.

“I think, as somebody who played in different summer leagues, it’s great for the city to welcome college players who play throughout the country to our community, to provide some entertainment for the citizens of Greenville,” Connelly said.

Aside from the CPL ofering more high-level baseball following ECU’s Division I-level spring baseball season, the new summer franchise will ofer more opportunities to show of the city’s amenities, ofcials said.

Andrew Schmidt, president and CEO of the Greenville-Pitt County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said that having a CPL team will bring more of what he calls “backyard tourism” to Greenville. Residents and nearby visitors will have more

A deal to bring the Coastal Plain League to Greenville will pump $1 million in improvements into Guy Smith.

ASHEBORO ZOOKEEPERS

BOONE BIGFOOTS

FLORENCE FLAMINGOS

FOREST CITY OWLS

HP-THOMASVILLE HITOMS

COASTAL PLAIN TEAMS

The Coastal Plain League is set to begin play at Guy Smith Stadium in May of 2024. The league’s season runs through September. Greenville’s team is yet to be named.

Here are the teams they will play:

HOLLY SPRINGS SALAMANDERS

LEXINGTON COUNTY BLOWFISH

MACON BACON

MARTINSVILLE MUSTANGS

MOREHEAD CITY MARLINS

PENINSULA PILOTS

TRI-CITY CHILI PEPPERS

WILMINGTON SHARKS

WILSON TOBS

options to experience the various activities, restaurants and culture of Greenville.

“It has the opportunity to increase backyard tourism where people from adjoining counties come to your community,” Schmidt said. “They can come early and get something to eat, stay in the hotels, and get exposed to the growth of Pitt County.”

He said that a summer league team is just what the area has been looking for, and a baseball team fts in with the athleticsrich community.

“The city has been ready for something like this,” he said. “I’ve never lived in a place as baseball crazy as this city. When you’re selling out games on a consistent basis (like ECU) it’s like what’s good for visitors is good for the residents. ECU baseball fnishes in May and then you roll right into CPL baseball.”

The new Greenville team will embark on a few important milestones on the march toward the summer of 2024. The team will need a front ofce, a head coach and staf, players.

“It's fascinating if you're a GM of a Coastal Plain League,” said

Allen, who was the assistant general manager, sales for the Triple-A Durham Bulls before becoming the CPL commissioner.

“It is a pretty demanding job just because there are so many things to do,” he said. “But it's a fascinating job because you get to be part of the actual baseball side of it. You're fnding the coaches, you're helping build that team. In the front ofce, you're helping build that team on the feld. You have your hands in everything.”

And while not everyone can be in charge of a team, everyone can feel included as the community will be tasked with picking a name for the squad. Details are in the works and specifcs will be announced at a later date.

In any case, Allen said that this could be the most fun portion of the entire process.

"We want the community to help us name this team,” Allen said. “There's a lot of really great ideas out there and they come from a lot of diferent people. I think it's always fascinating to see what the towns come up with and what they think it should be.”

Guy Smith was home to the Greenville Greenies minor league team in the frst of half of the 20th century.

NC’S INNER BANKS TOWNS INVITE BIG DREAMS

Scenic waterways make perfect settings for extended stays

Story and Photos by Visit NC

For travelers tuned in to the call of the water, Visit North Carolina has rolled out Dream Big in Small Town NC on the Inner Banks, a region shaped by a far-reaching river and a history-making sound. The initiative arrives with a sweepstakes that showcases hurry-free destinations with wide-open beauty, water-based adventure and unexpected experiences.

“Now is the perfect time to discover destinations along the Albemarle Sound and the Roanoke River,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC. “For travelers visiting towns on the Albemarle, this summer’s launch of Harbor Towns Cruises will enhance the experience with tours and between-town trips. And 2023’s Year of the Trail celebration draws attention to the

newly designated Roanoke River State Trail and its connect-thedots River Towns.”

Dream Big in Small Town NC, created by the General Assembly as the Rural Tourism Recovery Pilot Program, targets 16 counties at risk for population loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative aims to boost local economies with an infusion of visitor spending plus an introduction to the quality of life in under-the-radar locations. The initiative targets Chowan, Gates, Hertford, Martin, Perquimans, Tyrrell and Washington counties for the Inner Banks following previous promotions of designated counties in the Scenic Mountains and Northeast Lakes & Rivers region.

Travelers who want to explore the Inner Banks destinations

might start by entering the sweepstakes for a chance to win:

● A $1,000 voucher from program partner Airbnb.

● Three $100 gift cards for a choice of restaurants, shops and activities including Harbor Town Cruises, Native Girl Kayaking, Beechwood Country Club and Old Colony Smokehouse.

● A $500 gift card from Visit NC to assist with travel expenses.

Scenic beauty, singular attractions and intriguing histories shape the Inner Banks towns that have blossomed in the homeland of the Meherrin, Chowanoke and other Native American tribes. Traveling among the destinations, nature lovers can fnd opportunities to spot black bears, Tundra swans and

The sun sets at Lake Phelps at Pettigrew State Park.

alligators while history afcionados can immerse themselves in a host of stories, ranging from the feats of Edenton socialite Penelope Barker, the frst American woman to organize political action, to Hertford’s Jim “Catfsh” Hunter, the Baseball Hall of Famer.

“Anytime I go to Hertford, I stop at the Catfsh Hunter Memorial and then head to Captain Bob’s for barbecue,” said Tuttell, a die-hard baseball fan and barbecue afcionado. He also notes that Williamston has a city park named for its hometown hero, Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry.

Harbor Towns Cruises, launching this summer with a pair of custom-built Hysucats (hydrofoil-supported catamarans), will make good use of the placid Albemarle Sound with tours and ferry trips that include the Dream Big communities of Hertford, Edenton, Plymouth and Columbia. The destinations brim with local character that complements the expansive beauty of the sound, the largest freshwater lagoon in North America.

“Travelers fall in love with Edenton and other Inner Banks destinations,” said Erienne Mizell, Visit Edenton’s tourism director.

“Beyond the romance of the water, people connect with our stories and often want to become part of the places that have seen so much history built amid such beauty. Our free parking and complimentary two-night boat docking speaks to the hospitality that defnes our community. It is that same spirit that fows into our passion for preservation, which in Edenton includes everything from our welcome center at the Penelope Barker House to the restored 17th-century ice house that is now The Herringbone on the Waterfront.”

Like Hertford, Edenton enjoys a place on both the Harbor Towns lineup and as a designated river town on the Roanoke River State Trail, which was ofcially designated in November 2021. At 410 miles, the Roanoke is North Carolina’s longest river, loved by locals and visitors alike for fshing, paddling and platform camping. Roanoke River Partners, which is based in a former Rosenwald School in Hamilton, helps adventure seekers connect with Native Girl Kayaking, Frog Hollow Outftters, and other rental and guide services.

State parks, museums and singular attractions convey the region’s special sense of place. In Gatesville, old-growth cypress trees draped in moss make Merchants Millpond State Park an enchanted forest, and it’s the American alligator’s northernmost habitat. Between Plymouth and Columbia, Pettigrew State Park displays centuries-old dugout canoes dredged up from Phelps Lake. Nearby Somerset Place State Historic Site presents a comprehensive and realistic view of 19thcentury life on a large North Carolina plantation.

In Murfreesboro, the Brady C. Jefcoat Museum of Americana features a mind-blowing collection with everything from an RCA Dog and a sofa from “Gone with the Wind” to butter churns and a dog-powered washing machine. Native American artifacts are also on view. Plymouth’s NC Black Bear Discovery Center ofers a lesson in the region’s black bear population, the densest in the world. A fveminute walk leads to the Port O’Plymouth Museum, which tells the story of the CSS Albemarle, the Confederacy’s most efective ironclad ram, and its sinking in a daring nighttime raid. Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft in Columbia is a makers mecca with classes, events and a fne craft gallery on the Scuppernong River.

“With all the dreamers who have made this region special, there’s much to inspire today’s travelers,” Tuttell said. “These destinations are ready to welcome them.”

Visitors paddle their canoe at Pettigrew State Park in Washington and Tyrrell Counties.

Platforms along the Roanoke River invite campers to stay for a while in Martin County.

The Chowan County Trolley rides past the Barker House in Edenton.

The serene Merchants Millpond State Park is a great place for a peaceful paddle.