In This Post: Explore things to do in New Bern, NC – a riverfront city off the coast of North Carolina that is packing with small town kindness and charm.
After a run on the beach to conclude a family trip to the Outer Banks last month, my sister, my niece, and I hopped in the car. Instead of heading back to Pittsburgh like the rest of the family, the three of us made our way to New Bern – a loveable little city that sits right where the Neuse and the Trent rivers merge just a little ways off the coast in North Carolina. After a little more than a three-hour car ride from the Outer Banks, we had swapped oceanfront access for riverfront views and were ready for a few quieter days before having to get back to real life.
As I drove over the bridge that leads into New Bern, I could tell that my big expectations for this small town were about to be met. It took everything in me not to wake up my sleepy sister to share my excitement with her. We arrived ahead of schedule, so I took some time to drive around the centuries-old structures and historic streets, before pulling up in front of The Jarvis at 220, the Bed & Breakfast we were lucky enough to call home during our two days here.
One of the biggest things that fascinated me about New Bern was the dynamic. Despite being named one of the South’s Best Retirement Towns 2019 by Southern Living, there’s a modern, entrepreneurial spirit throughout the town, too. The Jarvis at 220 was a prime example of the supportive atmosphere businesses local to New Bern are surrounded with.
On the nightstand in our room was a small box of locally made butternut fudge, which you can also find at Bear City Fudge Company as an exclusive flavor called “The Jarvis at 220”, while the bathroom was collaboratively complete with business cards for Magnolia James, a local salon, and refreshing unisex shower gel from Small Batch Gallery + Goods, a small business just a short walk away (I’m actually so sad that I didn’t get a chance to go in and buy it to take home because it smelled so wonderful).
The creative partnerships Denise (one of the owners of The Jarvis at 220) has facilitated are a sign of her passion for the community. She also teams up with Sweet Peas Cafe to cater weddings and events, and works with Savi’s Wine for the unique wine pairing dinners hosted at the B&B. Another notable touch is that the main floor of the property serves as a gallery for artwork from local artists at Carolina Creations. She’s even in the process of coordinating a B&B crawl of the Eastern North Carolina Region – how cool is that?!
Here’s what I recommend when it comes to things to do in New Bern, NC
Where to Get Ice Cream in New Bern, NC
Thanks to Denise’s recommendation, we loved Bear City Fudge Company so much that we visited their shop not once, but twice! The first time, we had delicious ice cream sandwiches, and the second time I grabbed a bunch of chocolate covered pretzels because I was craving something sweet!
Where to Eat in New Bern, NC
Our first night, we had dinner at Pollock Street Pub – A Wiener Haus, since it was just a few doors down from our B&B. After opting out of lunch on Day 2 from the fulfilling breakfast we had at The Jarvis at 220, we ate at Savage’s Wood Burning Pizzeria, somewhere I’d recommend if you’re looking for something super casual and budget-friendly (which is typically how I roll when I travel). There are a number of more upscale options, too! We were recommended Persimmons Waterfront Restaurant (we heard it has the best views of the river!), The Chelsea (the inventor of Pepsi once used this space!), and MJ’s Raw Bar & Grille countless times if you’re looking for other options.
Shopping in New Bern, NC
Speaking of Pepsi, it was actually invented in New Bern! You can even visit The Birthplace of Pepsi-Cola Store, which is located at the exact spot of the original drug store where Pepsi was created. It has a bunch of Pepsi merchandise and also a lot of neat vintage artifacts to browse through. I always love seeing how a brand’s marketing aesthetic has changed throughout time! My sister was pretty disappointed because she was expecting a full museum experience, which I could tell was not what we were walking into given that it’s free to stop in. She did, however, say the Sierra Mist that they poured for her was the best one she’s ever had.
Right around the Pepsi-Cola Store, you’ll find all kind of shops and local businesses to explore. While I always enjoy shopping in small towns, New Bern had some of the best small town shopping I’ve ever seen! You can tell just by the shopping selections and window displays that New Bern really values its local artists and creatives! There were so many chic boutiques, and I appreciated how you could walk down multiple streets without spotting a chain business. I particularly fell in love with Lula Balou (the main boutique is located in Wilmington, and this one is their second location), which was a unique boutique that had a great assortment of both on-trend items and also items that you could tell were inspired by the coastal, waterfront feel of New Bern. I picked up a beautiful pair of tassel earrings that reminded me of the town, which you’ll be seeing on The Gem soon!
Other Ideas
There are bears everywhere! Not like live bears, but the town is themed in bears because “Bern” in Swiss means bear. According to the Tryon Palace website, New Bern “was founded in 1710 by a Swiss nobleman who named it after his native city of Berne, Switzerland.” Make it a game to spot as many bears as you can while exploring around town!
I’d also recommend taking a trip to Tryon Palace (closed on Mondays), which is considered to be the site of North Carolina’s first permanent state capitol. Not only is it a beautiful place to visit, but it has quite a notable history! A fire burned almost everything in 1789, leaving just the kitchen and stables offices, and everything was forgotten for nearly 150 years. Then, the original plans for the home were found in the mid-1900s, and after over 20 years of planning on construction, it opened to the public in 1959. Read more on its story here. While you could enjoy everything the North Carolina History Center (which has lots of hands-on exhibits for kids) and Tryon Palace have to offer for $20, we opted for the $6 passes to just visit the gardens since it was our last day in town and had a long drive ahead of us. The garden pass gave us access to 16 beautiful acres of gardens and grounds.
My biggest suggestion is to bring bug spray! I’m always one to linger and explore longer than my sister would like, so when she was complaining about bug bites 20 minutes into our adventure, I thought she was being dramatic. So, I kept wandering along, making her take photos along the way. About 15 minutes later, I noticed these huge welts on her legs and felt terrible because it really was as bad as she was making it out to be! Karma always comes back around, because I woke up with about 20 massive bug bites the next day as well, haha. When we walked in, we went to the left side which was nice, but I wish we would have started on the right because as we were running away from the bugs, there were all these magnificent French-inspired sections that we bolted through without getting a chance to enjoy them.
Our time in New Bern might have had an eventful ending, but our time there was peaceful and rejuvenating. Small towns always seem to have a way of slowing me down, which I greatly appreciate. I hope to visit again in the future!
