I really enjoyed my visit to Tryon Palace! I learned a lot about the history of New Bern, which was…read morevery cool. This house is a very nice reconstruction, as the original one burned down. The guide was very knowledgeable, and they even had fake food set out in the dining room! The gardens were lovely, and you could wander in them for a while (we didn't, just because it was so hot). Definitely a reasonable price to pay for a 45-minute history lesson.

I enjoyed the history of this Palace and thought that the docent giving the tour was quite…read moreknowledgeable. The history was so interesting and I asked a lot questions as well - she didn't seem to kind! And I actually stumped bet on one of the equations. Make sure you walk around the grounds and the gardens as well. They have a pretend military camp based in 1774, so that was very interesting. Well worth it! If you are a senior make sure you ask for the discount - not advertised!

I was originally directed to this location to update VIN # info for taxes due on a recently…read morepurchased vehicle. They further directed me to the NC DMV office (contrary to the info provided by the clerk manning the NC DMV '800' #). Everyone was friendly & mostly pleasant. In the end, I made my way to the local DMV office. I knew I should've followed my gut instinct & started there...

Had a phone call last week had a phone call last week. I went to the office the same day and…read moreeverything went well. They are very nice and they know what they're doing. Thank you so much for everything.

Mr. Martin was so helpful and polite. All of the staff were kind and efficient. If you need to go…read moreto a Social Security office this is the one to go to

Pretty much the middle of nowhere along US Highway 17, this marker is not far from Deppe Park and…read morethe Deppe Fire Tower. The marker reads, "Hofmann Forest. Named for J. V. Hofmann. Research forest of 80,000 acres in Jones & Onslow counties. Acquired, 1934, for use by North Carolina State University." Online, there is more information. "Hofmann Forest is located in the coastal region of North Carolina and is a major project of the Forestry School of North Carolina State University, encompassing nearly 80,000 contiguous acres. Dr. Julius V. Hofmann arrived in Raleigh to establish the program in 1929 after working in a similar project in Pennsylvania. Hofmann and the North Carolina Forestry Foundation purchased the property in Onslow County to serve as a field laboratory for forest studies." "Since Hofmann's pioneering work, the work of the NCSU Forestry School has expanded to include several other study forests. Hofmann Forest continues to support academic programs through graduate fellowships, basic and applied research, and outdoor-classroom instruction. Recent research has studied a wide range of topics including fire ecology, wildlife, seed quality of pond pine, survival and growth of the Atlantic white cedar, forest hydrology, bio-diversity, tree spacing, cattle grazing, forest economics, and water quality." I'm not a camper (at least not in a tent) so I'm not going to be exploring the forest. But maybe that's something that appeals to you? [Review 18888 overall - 3373 in North Carolina - 2411 of 2022.]

The marker is located in front of the famous Pepsi Store where Caleb Bradham invented the…read moreworld-famous drink. Yes, it all happened here. "Is Pepsi okay?" The marker reads, "Caleb Bradham, 1867-1934. 'Brad's Drink' which he created in pharmacy here, was marketed as Pepsi-Cola after 1898." Online, there is more information. "Around the world, from Prague to Bangkok, the name Pepsi-Cola is known to the masses. The carbonated soft drink's popularity stems in part from shrewd marketing, driven for decades by the company's rivalry with its competitor, Coca-Cola. Both products originated in the American South, Coca-Cola in Atlanta, where the corporation is headquartered and visitors are welcomed to a Coke museum, and New Bern, the small eastern North Carolina town where Pepsi originated." "In the mid 1890s he produced a popular item which he called "Brad's Drink" and later "Pep-Kola." The key ingredients were coca leaf and kola nut. In 1898 Bradham changed the name to "Pepsi-Cola" and, in 1902, left the pharmacy to devote full time to the soft drink business. "Pepsi-Cola" was filed as a trademark in September 1902 and registered in 1903. The Pepsi-Cola Company was incorporated in December 1902. Bradham's friend and New Bern neighbor, pioneering female photographer Bayard Wootten, created the distinctive first logo." "The name of Caleb Bradham and the name of Pepsi are well-remembered in New Bern and in North Carolina. Bradham endowed an annual prize at the pharmacy school at the University of North Carolina. At the height of his acclaim and influence, he had his name mentioned as a potential candidate for governor. He was an active Shriner, bank officer, and a rear admiral in the North Carolina Naval Reserve." Me, I avoid cola drinks. Too much sugar, too many chemicals. I haven't had a Coke in at least five years and a Pepsi in even longer. But they've both diversified and acquired. Minute Maid is owned by one. Aquafina and Dasani water are owned by them too. [Review 18896 overall - 3380 in North Carolina - 2419 of 2022.]

This marker is located across the street from the Craven County Courthouse and points out that an…read moreimportant court case was decided here. The marker reads, "Bayard v. Singleton. American precedent for judicial review of legislation set nearby, 1787, by Samuel Ashe, Samuel Spencer, John Williams." Online, there is more information. In 1787, Elizabeth Cornell Bayard filed suit to reclaim lands and property of her father, Samuel Cornell, which had been confiscated at the close of the American Revolution because of Cornell's loyalist sympathies. "Bayard's attorneys argued that the 1785 confiscation acts passed by the state violated a provision set forth in the state's 1776 constitution that guaranteed anyone a trial by jury in a case involving the potential of loss of landholdings or property. The court was faced with a troubling situation. Although it appeared clear that the confiscation acts did indeed violate the state constitution, there was no real precedent in the 1780s for a court to refuse to enforce a legislative act." It was the first American decision to recognize the principle of judicial review. The precedent led to the famous Marbury v. Madison case where the Supreme Court asserted its authority to strike down a law as unconstitutional. [Review 18898 overall - 3382 in North Carolina - 2421 of 2022.]

Craven County is named for William Craven, who was the 1st Earl of Craven and was a Lord Proprietor…read moreof colonial North Carolina. This building is the main courthouse and houses the County Superior Court and the County District Court of the 3rd Judicial District. The rectangular-shaped red-brick building is two stories and faces east. There is a tall square tower with an entrance on the ground floor with a steep roof that rises above the roof line on the east front. At the north and south extremities are one story arched porticos, while the second story windows are arched. The structure's roof is mansard-shaped. The first story's interior has a cross hall layout with a central hallway. The second-story courtroom takes up the entire width of the structure. Street parking and a dedicated lot are nearby. [Review 18899 overall - 3383 in North Carolina - 2422 of 2022.]

Located not far from the tourist district of New Bern, this marker points out a historical figure…read morewho spent time here in the city. It reads, "French marquis, State purchasing agent in Martinique, 1781-82, fought at Guilford Courthouse, Councillor of State. Home was nearby." Online, as is usual with North Carolina's markers, there is an essay with more information. Born Charles-Francois Sevelinges, he claimed the title Marquis de Bretigny. In the spring of 1777 he began writing petitions to Benjamin Franklin, offering his services along with that of ten of his closest comrades. A captain in the French Army who served in the Guards regiment of the brother of King Louis XVI, Bretigny was born in Soissons in 1758. De Bretigny briefly commanded North Carolina militia cavalry, and led a company in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Afterwards he was appointed North Carolina's intermediary between the state and the French government. De Bretigny operated out of the island of Martinique, and helped organize financial transactions between the two governments as well as shipments of military material and goods. At the war's conclusion De Bretigny retired from public service in New Bern. He apparently lost his entire fortune during the French Revolution, and died in poverty in Philadelphia on June 27, 1793. [Review 20319 overall - 3494 in North Carolina - 1297 of 2023.]