There are a handful of times in my life that I’ve set foot in a place that just felt right: In 11th grade, coming up the escalator from Penn Station to visit my father while he was stationed in New York, in college and law school, first stumbling on each of my favorite nooks in Butler Library at Columbia and Langdell Hall at Harvard, standing outside on Disney’s Boardwalk on a fateful October evening shortly after my father passed, when it was room temperature with a breeze outside and I thought, for just a moment, “I think I could live here”…and now, my first visit to New Bern–a coastal town on North Carolina’s Inner Banks.
They joke that one minute you’re coming for a quick visit and the next you’re moving in, and I can see why.
I’m embarrassed to say that, until about a month ago, I had never heard of New Bern. It’s the home town of Nicholas Sparks, and the backdrop for many of his books, but I haven’t read them and so wasn’t even familiar with the town in fiction.
That all changed around 4 weeks ago when I got a DM from an Instagram friend asking for my opinion on a future race course. I gave him some feedback and we traded a few messages and then he mentioned that he was in his boss’s office and she was looking for a content creator runner from Orlando–and I clearly fit the bill. And before I knew it I was getting onto a mystery Zoom call to find out exactly what they had in mind.
What they had in mind turned out to be working with the town’s Visit New Bern team on a half marathon called Trail to Tryon that they have been hosting for the last several years. They suggested I come up before the race itself, try out the course, experience the town, and share my thoughts with them and, if I saw fit, my community. Breeze Airways had recently begun a nonstop flight from MCO to New Bern’s Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (EWN), which made the race–which is super flat and prime turf for a PR–readily accessible to us folks here in Orlando. If you’re up in the Hartford, Connecticut area, I understand they have a similar nonstop flight to New Bern from there.
I expected to enjoy the race course–but I had no idea I’d be falling in love with a whole town.
Breeze Airways Nonstop: MCO to New Bern (EWN)
Before this weekend, we’d never flown Breeze Airways. After this weekend, I’ll be flying them whenever they’re an option. They say they’re “redefining low-cost air travel with an elevated experience to highly desirable destinations.” They also say they’re nice people flying nice planes to nice places. Both of these things are true. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a flight with nicer pilots or flight attendants and everything about the process was smooth as silk.
They’re also effectively reconnecting people across small(er) town America by serving 30 states and 66 cities with 170+ roundtrip flights. More than 90% of those routes have no direct nonstop competition, which means that for 9 out of 10 of their flights, they’re the only ones offering a direct route home (or wherever you’re headed). It’s been awhile since I’ve been so excited about a travel option.
Map courtesy of FlyBreeze.com
Apparently it’s not just me, because Breeze has been voted one of the best domestic airlines by Travel + Leisure’s readers for three years in a row. They also strive to create an environment for everyone to feel comfortable while traveling, and were the very first domestic carrier to be certified by Autism Double Checked, which strives to find autism-friendly airlines, resorts, and hotels for neurodiverse travelers.
When flying Breeze into New Bern, you’ll arrive at their Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (EWN)–which is tiny and relaxed and a quick less-than-10-minute drive into the heart of town. Flights leave MCO on Friday evenings and return late Monday afternoon, so you’ll have a nice long weekend to run or spectate and then enjoy everything that New Bern has to offer. I’m told they’ll have bib pickup for registered runners near the start line until an hour before the race itself begins, so no worries on timing there. And once you’re in town, pretty much everything–including the start line–is a 5-10 minute walk from everything else, so no need to budget for additional rideshares etc.
The Race
I have so so much to say about our experience in New Bern, but I was mainly there to learn about the Trail to Tryon races, so I’ll start there. This will be New Bern’s third year hosting the Trail to Tryon 5K, 10K, and half marathon. This year, all of the races are on the morning of Saturday, November 9th and start near sunrise over the water to actual cannon fire outside of New Bern’s beautiful, historic Tryon Palace.
The half course is certified and the flattest I’ve ever seen. You start outside of New Bern’s historic Tryon Palace and run through the heart of town, then onto a straightaway through some of their residential areas, and then back where you started.
Trail to Tryon Half Marathon Course Map
I tested out the entire course with one of the people who designed it and it’s lovely and relaxed. The early and ending views over the water are stunning. It was already cooler this past weekend–come early November the weather should be just as PR-friendly as the elevation map. (The water keeps New Bern fairly moderate across all seasons so they have people traveling to visit from the north in the winter for the warmth and from the south in the summer for the cooler temps.)
If you are looking for a great potential proof of time race for runDisney, this is a very, very good option. Between the temperatures, the flat course, the lower crowds, and the ease of travel both to and within New Bern, I can’t imagine a race with better prospects going in.
If you are interested in registering, they’ll be offering $15 off registration now through October 4th with the code 15OFF. (This applies to the 5K and 10K happening that day, too!)
Where to Stay
The Harvey
There are a number of places to stay in New Bern, but Visit New Bern was excited to let us experience The Harvey (221 South Front Street, @theharveync), which just opened less than a year ago. They call themselves an e-boutique hotel and are, as I’d describe it, somewhere between the best of a hotel, a bed & breakfast, and an Airbnb: a hotel in that every guest has their own private bedroom and bath, a B&B in that you are in an old house where every room is quaint and unique, and an AirBnB in that you have the place (or your portion of it) to yourself – there is no lobby or front desk, you just have a key code to enter the front door and your own room as you please and a direct line to call or text the very responsive staff who live nearby in town.
The Harvey – Entry Area
The Harvey – Guest Room
The location is also ideal–you’re right in the center of town and most everything that you’d want to do is within a very comfortable walking distance. The main streets of the downtown area are a few minutes in one direction and Union Point Park on the water is a few minutes in the other. If you are running the races, the start line is about a 10 minute walk from the front door of the hotel.
The Harvey – Guest Bath
The only downside is that there is only one family-friendly suite with all other rooms having just one king-sized bed, but if you can work it out so that you split into rooms of 1 or two people each with an adult, or are just two or more adults traveling alone, it’s the perfect option.
As you’d imagine, The Harvey doesn’t have a ton of rooms, so they book up quickly, but they were kind enough to offer my readers and wider community 10% off with the coupon code CASTLE. The code will be effective now through December 31, 2025.
If The Harvey is full when you’re visiting or you otherwise don’t think it’s the place for you, there’s also a Doubletree by Hilton on the waterfront and other hotels in town. There also seemed to be a lot of Airbnb options and I’d imagine there are some gems among them since New Bern is full of stunning homes that are hundreds of years old.
Where to Eat
For a quaint historic town, New Bern has no business being at this level of culinary excellence–from low key breakfast spots to higher end bistros. We sampled as many as we could over the course of the long weekend. While there are plenty of other great spots in town, here’s what we can personally recommend based on our experience:
Baker’s Kitchen
227 Middle Street, @bakerskitchennc
Baker’s Kitchen
You’ll find Baker’s Kitchen (and everything else on this list) a short walk from The Harvey. They’re a relaxed breakfast spot that’s known for their butter syrup–an alternative to plain maple that’s infused with butter and tastes like melted toffee. (If you’re curious to try it before you arrive in New Bern, you can order it online as well!! At the kids’ request, it was one of the first things we did when we got home.)
I talked to the owner, Buddy, for a long time while we were there and you’d be hard pressed to find a nicer guy. He also owns Poppy’s Bites & Barrels around the corner, which we didn’t get to visit, but I’ve heard nothing but great things about them as well.
Morgan’s Tavern & Grill
235 Craven Street, @morganstavernandgrill
Morgan’s Tavern & Grill
Morgan’s is a very cool place–great menu, fun drinks, and set in a cool old building that, according to our waitress, was an original Buick car and motorcycle dealership back in the 1920s. If you’ve read Nicholas Sparks’ The Wedding, I understand it’s one of the book’s settings.
Cypress Hall Kitchen + Bar
219 Middle Street, @cypresshallfood
Cypress Hall Kitchen + Bar
This place was PHENOMENAL–incredible food and drinks in a gorgeous space on the same street as many other locations on this list. Don’t miss this place if you’re a bit of a foodie. And if you’re a fan of the deviled eggs at Homecomin’ at Disney Springs (or any good spin on this old fashioned app), I’d put theirs up against them any day. They also did a toasted focaccia with olive oil and mustard seed dip that made my eyes roll into the back of my head in the best possible way.
Cypress Hall Kitchen + Bar Deviled Eggs
Captain Ratty’s Seafood & Steakhouse
202 Middle Street, @captainrattysnb
Breakfast at Captain Ratty’s Seafood & Steakhouse
We had an excellent Sunday brunch here and I understand their dinners are just as good. They also have several rooms upstairs where they host events if you’re looking for a good space for a group.
Harry’s Blind Tiger
243 Craven Street, @harrysnb
Harry’s Blind Tiger – Outdoor Seating Area
Harry’s is right next to Morgan’s and was such a cool place–with indoor and outdoor seating, plenty of ambiance and good food and drinks, and prices so reasonable that we mistakenly ordered two full-sized pizzas (and another entree) for the three of us. Needless to say, we had leftovers for later that night…
Bella’s Cafe & Catering
323 Middle Street, @bellascafeandcatering
Bella’s Cafe & Catering
The rest of the street is a little slow to wake up some mornings, so if you need a coffee and some breakfast, Bella’s is the place to be. They have a nice assortment of baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, coffee, and tea that you can eat in their cozy space or take to go.
Bear City Fudge
236C Middle Street, @bearcityfudge
Pickle Cotton Candy at Bear City Fudge
The kids asked to visit this spot every single day. They have a nice assortment of fudge in traditional and creative flavors, lots of old fashioned sweets, and pickle cotton candy–which we tried for the heck of it and can confirm tastes just like you’d guess pickle cotton candy would taste. (If you like the pickle milkshake at EPCOT, you’ll probably be a fan.)
The Birthplace of Pepsi
256 Middle Street, @birthplaceofpepsi
Birthplace of Pepsi
The original site of Bradham’s Drug Store, where Caleb Davis Bradham would invent Pepsi-Cola, originally called “Brad’s Drink”, in 1898. These days you can stop in and grab an old fashioned Pepsi in a glass bottle while you wander around and enjoy the memorabilia.
Where to Shop
Mitchell’s Hardware
You won’t find many (if any) chain stores in New Bern. Instead, the main drags where you’ll find most of the above-listed restaurants have a ton of kitschy ma and pop-style shops that we enjoyed browsing. Among our favorites were Surf Wind & Fire, an outdoor lifestyle store complete with a bar where where you can grab a coffee, soda, or local beer on tap, Mitchell’s Hardware, an old fashioned general store with hardware, gardening supplies, and lots and lots of creative and handmade gifts, and Snapdragon Toys (@waycooltoys), a cool little toy store full of fun stuff for kids–from books to board and card games to puzzles, dress-up clothes, and build-it-yourself models. We might’ve spent more time here than anywhere else and definitely left with lighter pockets. There are also lots of antique shops and malls, including Franklin’s and Poor Charlie’s Flea Market and Antiques.
Snapdragon Toys
The Surfing Pig Sip + Shop at Surf Wind & Fire
Other Things to See and Do
New Bern’s Tryon Palace
While you’re in town, there are also plenty of other things to see and do beyond food and shopping–the area is chock-full of festivals, live music events, and other entertainment. New Bern is also home to the reconstructed Tryon Palace, which was largely burned to the ground in 1798 only to be lovingly rebuilt with incredible attention to detail by a group of determined women in the 1950s. You can also learn a ton about the history of the area in the adjacent North Carolina History Center. I’d also highly recommend doing a trolley tour while you’re in town–they spend 90 or so minutes taking you around town and telling you incredible stories about the local homes and other locations. New Bern also has their fair share of graveyards dating back to the 1700s–we were able to visit several between the trolley tour and where we wandered on foot.
Trolley Tour with New Bern Tours
Anchors Up Boat Tours
If you want to see the area from a different vantage point, boat tours like Anchors Up will take you out on the Neuse and Trent Rivers that border the town. Their owner, Matthew, taught us so much out on the water.
The Accidental Artist
If you’re the crafty sort, The Accidental Artist is an amazing paint-your-own pottery shop with more options than I’ve ever seen at a place like this, from mugs and plates to garden gnomes and butter dishes. After you paint them, they’ll fire them in a kiln and have them ready for you in as little as 4 hours. They also offer shipping so you don’t have to try to pack your creations in your luggage if you’re short on space.
And, last but not least, maybe tied with The Accidental Artist as the kids’ favorite spot, Beary the Hatchet Axe Throwing Co., where you can really hone your axe throwing skills.
You can also travel the town looking for the dozens upon dozens of bear statues decorated by local businesses. New Bern is the sister town of Bern, Switzerland–where its founders were originally from. Bern means “bear” and the town fully embraces it–you’ll see bear theming worked into so many business names, on the town flag, and in decor all over the area.
One of the many bear statues around town.
It was with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to New Bern when our Breeze Airways flight boarded late Monday afternoon, but we are so grateful that this very special place was brought to our attention and will absolutely be back. A friend who lives there joked that it was like living inside of a Hallmark Card and I can’t agree more. There aren’t a lot of places like New Bern left in the world–perfectly balancing a respect for history with development that always strives to improve upon itself.
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Important Notes: Our trip to New Bern was generously hosted by Breeze Airways and Visit New Bern. While our travel and accommodations were provided, all opinions and experiences shared in this article are, as always, entirely our own.
Additionally, sometimes, on my site, I will share products that I’ve personally used and that consistently work for me. If you buy these items through links on my site, I may earn a small commission. It won’t affect the price that you pay but it does help to keep the lights on around here so that we can bring you more like this, so thank you!
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Please join me on Instagram for my day-to-day adventures living a mile from the magic.
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Planning a run while you’re in the Walt Disney World area? You can find my complete guide to running trails on Walt Disney World property RIGHT HERE. And if you’re planning a runDisney race weekend, you can find my tips for gear to have on hand right HERE.
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I take pictures too!! (It’s sorta my thing…) If you’re missing Disney (or love someone who is) and are looking for a way to bring the magic home, I’d love for you to check out my fine art photography prints over at Thousand Circles Images. And if you’re interested in a portrait session while you’re in town, use my contact form to schedule a consult.
