Ahhhh, Beaufort-by-the-Sea! Crossing the new bridge for the first time in almost 1.5 years, windows cracked to smell the ocean air, and get the view, I (Gerry) immediately felt at ease. That view has always been special as you enter this historic seaside community. It is a little higher up now, with the new bridge, but still special. The quaint little Beaufort Inn is one of the first things you see, along with assorted boats and ships cutting through the water. Coming off the other side of the bridge, we began seeing again, all of the other landmarks, giving new life to recent memories of our time spent there. A stormy 1.5-hour trip also made the feeling of arrival that much better.
The Windsor House (1886) was to be our dwelling for the next three nights. The house is a quaint little historic home on the corner of Queen and Broad streets. It even had the old house floor slant, which many do, due to 150 years of settling.
Pulling up and unloading our things, we stood on the front porch for a photo opportunity, featuring our new Béis luggage. The day suddenly swung in a new direction- good vibes abounding. Since our 12 years spent living in Historic Downtown Wake Forest, I have known that I feel best in a Historic Downtown area, but Beaufort reigns highest due to it sitting by the ocean, and still has its small-town charm.
The confines felt cozy, and so did we, already entertaining the idea that the place could be haunted (fun!). Our activities would be limited, due to Covid, but we didn’t care. Being able to take walks on their historic streets was reminiscent, and a nice change of pace. We brought Betty’s stroller so she could accompany us, in comfort. Restaurants have curbside and drive-thru, so we hit up our old favorite, No Name Pizza– not once, but twice. We made many a walk together and I took one exceptionally long hike on my own. I ventured out for my first post-quarantine haircut at the place I used to go, wearing my mask through the duration. The highlight of the weekend were the evenings spent sitting on our porch: wine, beer, and a little light music. We altered our current quarantine “toasting the sunset” to about three times the length, and three times the beverage count. Vacation standards, you see.
Beaufort lived up to its home away from the home quality that it has always offered us. Our trip was too quick, as usual, but quality time at the highest level.
