Known as Fishtown until it was renamed in 1722, the charming 18th-century town of Beaufort (pop. 3,800) has quiet streets lined with churches, cemeteries filled with weather-stained monuments, and whitewashed houses with narrow porches. The nautical-themed shops and restaurants along the water on busy Front Street, three blocks south of US-70, attract tourists and boaters traveling along the Intracoastal Waterway. The spacious North Carolina Maritime Museum (daily; free; 252/728-7317), at 315 Front Street, features many informative exhibits on the region’s nautical and natural history, as well as a truly impressive display of over 1,000 beautiful seashells. The museum also sponsors the annual Wooden Boat Show, held the last weekend in September.
Beaufort has one great place to eat: Clawson’s (252/728-2133), a burger and seafood place housed in an old grocery store at 425 Front Street, that’s been in business “since 1905.”
While Beaufort may be prettier, you’ll find the best food in burly Morehead City, three miles west of Beaufort and across the bridge. Try the homemade seafood-cocktail sauce and Tarheel hush puppies at the Sanitary Fish Market & Restaurant (252/247-3111) at 501 Evans Street; it’s easy to find amidst the sportfishing boats a block south of US-70.
The Outer Banks
