Local Attractions

Big Mill B&B is going to be part of the Tar River Quilt Trail How did the Big Mill B&B barn quilt idea and project happen? In essence, I read about the American Quilt Trail and I wanted to be part of it. I picked a favorite quilt pattern – one that my mother made… Click to read more about Barn Quilts in North Carolina …

Updated October 2025. Built in 1823, the Ocracoke Lighthouse is North Carolina’s oldest lighthouse still in use. In fact, Ocracoke Lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse still in use in the entire United States, although this is controversial. It has been in constant use since 1823, except for a brief period during the Civil War when the… Click to Read More about the Ocracoke Lighthouse

Somerset Place Plantation in Creswell, NC, is off the beaten path. In 1860, Somerset Place Plantation near Creswell, NC had 328 slaves, making it the third largest plantation in North Carolina.  At one time it encompassed 100,000 acres of land and swamp sitting on the shores of Lake Phelps right in the Great Dismal Swamp of… To read more about Somersest click here

All the cows at Simply Natural Creamery dairy in eastern NC  have a name – and they are all women. This wonderful North Carolina dairy and creamery produces some of the BEST ice cream around. And to think – it was started as a project for the children of the owners. Neil Moye bought three… Read more about Cupcake and her life at Simply Natural Creamery

All across North Carolina there are some hidden art gems on the walls of old post office buildings. Here in eastern North Carolina, in this small town of Williamston, we have a real art jewel.  The First Flight mural was painted in 1940 on the wall of the post office on Main Street, and it… Read more about WPA Post Office murals

(Updated October 2025). Bodie Island Lighthouse – a Beacon for Seamen since 1848 Bodie Island Lighthouse was constructed in 1848 on North Carolina’s Outer Banks near Oregon Inlet – but it had to be abandoned in 1859 because the foundation was shifting. And for those who don’t know – it is pronounced body, like all… Read more about Bodie Island Lighthouse

I love old hardware and farm stores but they are fast-disappearing lost treasures  Martin Supply has been in Williamston, NC for as long as I can remember. It is one of those old-time feed stores that’s disappearing all across the U.S.A. When you walk in the front door you know you have entered a time past… Read more about Martin Supply Old time store

For Civil War buffs, April belongs to Plymouth, a small town on the Roanoke River in eastern North Carolina. On April 18 & 19, you can be a part of Living History in Motion “Odyssey of an Ironclad – The Incredible Journey of the CSS Albemarle.” This 2-day trip on the Roanoke River retraces the… Read more

Did you know that Grits are made from corn? And stone ground grits are the best. Atkinson Milling Company in Selma, NC produces some of the best grits.  I’ve tried many kinds and theirs are the best. I was looking for local stone-ground North Carolina grits to serve at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast and… Read more