A Tasty Trek on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast | Listen

Take a beautiful, culinary-inspired bike tour of North Carolina’s Crystal Coast

North Carolina’s Southern Outer Banks—collectively known as the Crystal Coast—offers 85 miles of barrier island shoreline with historic port towns, low-key oceanfront communities, and thousands of acres of protected public lands. A breezy weekend bike tour along 26.5 miles of paved, mostly flat public greenways, boardwalks, and scenic streets lets you explore the area’s startling wealth of natural beauty,
architecture, restaurants, and beverage spots.

DAY 1

Check in at the stylish, boutique Beaufort Hotel where you’ll find spacious rooms with private balconies and views of undeveloped islands in the 2,300-acre Rachel Carson Reserve on Back Sound. Settle in with a craft brew or glass of wine on the waterfront porch at on-site 34 Degrees
North restaurant, then take a 2.3-mile evening pedal south to downtown Beaufort through historic neighborhoods brimming with coastal cottages, boat slips, and Victorian homes.

Enjoy soft seating on the cozy, multistory deck at Rhumbar at Front Street Grill overlooking Taylor’s Creek and nearby marinas. Start with a Caribbean-hued cocktail, fresh- caught fried grouper bites with sweet pepper mayo, and a delightfully spicy housemade pimento cheese dip served with pickled okra and crispy lavash crackers. Take in the sunset with a magnificent entrée of sautéed, parmesan-crusted local flounder served with seasonal veggies and lemon beurre blanc sauce.

Have a nightcap at Backstreet Pub, a beloved local dive situated off a cobblestoned alleyway and housed in a brick building that dates back to 1870.

DAY 2

Indulge in a crabcake benedict with country ham and a bloody mary (or two) from 34 Degrees North, then pedal along scenic Taylor’s Creek—part of the Intracoastal Waterway—to the Beaufort Historic District. There you’ll catch views of elegant, coastal, colonial-style homes from the late 18th and mid-19th centuries that mark the outgrowth of a humble fishing village established in 1709. Turn left onto US 70 just beyond town and pass over a series of islands, protected estuaries, marinas, and channels on the Newport River via the Beaufort and Morehead City high rise bridges.

Pass a complex of small industrial ports to enter the funky, revitalizing town of Morehead City. Take Fourth Street to Evans Street, then follow the sailboat-lined boardwalk—with views of Harbor Channel, protected Sugarloaf Island, and Money Island Bay—past a series of art sculptures honoring 200-plus years of marine history. Take the near-mile-long Atlantic Beach Bridge over Bogue Sound, then head to the Atlantic Beach Boardwalk and Idle Hour Biergarten. Catch your breath and a North Carolina craft brew with a scrumptious, house-baked soft pretzel on the sandy, palm tree-lined outdoor patio.

Dip your feet in the ocean then set out on a 19-mile southward jaunt through a series of beachfront byways and sound-side greenways that ferry you through the communities of Pine Knoll Shores, Salter Path, and Indian Beach into Emerald Isle. Along the way you’ll pass through neighborhoods filled with historic cottages, cross bridges or wooden boardwalks over tidal creeks and coastal marshlands, and delight in magical, canopied paths through mature live oak forests. Upscale golf carts and beach cruisers parked by sprawling, hammock-strewn live oaks signal you’ve arrived at the legendary Fish Hut Grill. Celebrate your near-completed ride on the covered outdoor tiki patio with an ahi poke bowl, steamed local-caught shrimp, and to-die-for mojitos.

An easy final mile delivers you to oceanfront accommodations at the luxe but dressed-down Islander Hotel & Resort. Spring for a suite-style Island Palm room with beachy décor, two sitting areas, a kitchenette, and a roomy private balcony. Freshen up, then head to nearby Caribsea Restaurant for casual fine dining at a rooftop martini bar. Start with oysters Rockefeller then proceed to pan-seared cumin-and-paprika-dusted scallops over creamy, Cajun-seasoned Carolina Gold rice grits. Round out the night with inspired—and inspiring—craft cocktails at
speakeasy-themed Bar 1957. 

DAY 3

Kickstart your northward return at Trading Post Southern Food & Spirits with a spicy bloody mary and finger-lickin’-good fried chicken and Belgian waffles drizzled with bourbon-infused honey. Bask in the salt air en route to Atlantic Beach, then stop for lunch and ocean views from
the wraparound porch at Bahia Beach House & Surf Bar. A trio of appetizers—crispy crab croquettes, luscious burrata and heirloom tomato salad, and local-caught yellowfin tuna ceviche with pickled onions and lime avocado—washed down with a Hemingway-inspired daiquiri
makes it easy to linger.

Recross the bridge then follow Arendell Street to Morehead City’s Arendell Room Bar, where veteran “bar chef” Denny Shrock mixes made-to-order artisan cocktails in a dark and moody 900-square-foot shotgun room. Continue to the Beaufort Hotel to spruce up then close out the trip with wine and French-inspired cuisine from chef Jayson Foster at Beaufort’s Blue Moon Bistro. The novel elk striploin with Carolina Gold rice, maple carrot puree, shiitake mushrooms, and haricot vert almondine is a dish meant for commemorating the journey.

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