The City at the End of the Highway: Oriental, NC

Today's destination: Oriental, NC. This nautical cross between Bath and Edenton is located at the end of Hwy 55 on the elbow of land situated between the Pamlico River (south of Bath) and the Neuse, where it runs into the Pamlico Sound.

Though Oriental is out of the way, it's worth the travel time to get there. According to the "Visit Oriental, NC!" site, this upscale villa was established in the 1870's, making it a young pup compared to other NC coastal cities. This is obvious in the architecture (some of the trees look older than most of the houses) and the set up of the city, which seems to have been built along the water instead of centralized around a downtown area.

If you've ever seen an article or program on Oriental, you probably know beautiful, pastel coastal houses overlook the Neuse, deep and blue in this region, where yachts, sailboats, and ships rest in the marinas or glide lazily along the water. But I didn't get the impression this place is pretentious. During our first stop in Oriental--the General Store located at the Oriental Harbor Marina—a gentleman who kindly provided an overview of the city told us everything in Oriental is casual. He pointed to my outfit (a beige turtleneck sweater under a brown, fitted corduroy jacket, blue jeans, and for some reason, my hiking shoes) and told me I was overdressed. In other words, it's North Carolina's version of Pawleys Island.

And a dragon keeps watch in a lagoon.

From what we saw and heard in the few short hours we were there, the people of Oriental seem bent on enjoying life, which means appreciating the vast water supply sitting at the tips of their toes. One can see rocking chairs, porch swings, and a variety of unusual wooden chairs and benches crammed on porches and scattered in yards and waterfront parks. I'm told they often have wine tastings (Croakertown, one of the shops in the area, hosted a wine tasting that evening.) Kayaking is also a favorite pastime.

As I mentioned earlier, Oriental is located where the Neuse meets the Pamlico Sound, and if you look at a map, you'll see three creeks snaking their way into the land nearby. At least one shop rents kayaks. We're going to give it a shot in the spring.

For more information on Oriental, go to http://www.visitoriental.com/history.html

Bath, NC

"Bath. The oldest town in North Carolina. Founded in 1705. Notable residents: Edward Teach and a surveyor named John Lawson. Notable visitors: George Whitefield."

And so I began my short story, "Saints and Sinners", which I set in Bath, North Carolina. Like my characters, we learned that much and more during our visit to the state's oldest town.

Historic Bath, as it's called, is located on the southern portion of the Ablemarle-Pamlico peninsula, between the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. We'd looked forward to exploring this area, especially after visiting New Bern and Edenton. Because the three towns are often grouped together as being the oldest in NC, we had some expectations before we arrived. Consequently, we were surprised.

Where Edenton and New Bern are home to streets lined with fabulous examples of architecture, Bath resembles a friendly residential neighborhood, not a once bustling port town or home to the notorious pirate, Blackbeard.

Bath is a town of firsts: the first established town, though not the first established settlement. That would be the lost colony of Roanoke. Site of the first colonial shipyard and library*, and though I'm having trouble finding the reference, I believe it was the site of the first Post Office, or postal route.

And the first town in North Carolina to have been cursed by George Whitefield. As the story goes, residents, who decades before had hosted Blackbeard, kicked the great evangelist out of town.

Delana pointed to a one-room brick church in the midst of a cemetery. A carpet of leaves, dry and brittle from lack of nutrients, coated the ground. Several lifted on a gust of wind and swirled above the heads of concrete angels praying over weathered headstones tilting in the soil. --Saints and Sinners

We walked around the quiet streets for a while, admiring the view of Bath Creek, historic houses and churches, and the cemetery at St Thomas Episcopal Church. The little church has a history of its own, dating back to 1734.

And then, like my characters, we left Bath, but not the memory of this charming little hamlet.

Together, we walked outside where cherubs bowed their heads in silent prayer. Water from a pillow of cloud above us saturated the air. I inhaled the refreshing scent, and leaving Bath, I finally felt clean. - Saints and Sinners

An interesting, and informative excursion. While we're discovering much of what eastern North Carolina has to offer, we're learning there's more to see than we had anticipated.