New Bern sits where the Neuse and Trent rivers meet, a small eastern North Carolina town with more history than its quiet waterfront first suggests. It was North Carolina's first permanent colonial capital, and the restored Tryon Palace still gives the town its anchor.
The old centre is compact and easy to walk. Brick storefronts, churches, porches, and Federal and Victorian houses fill the historic district, with the river only a few blocks away. New Bern is also the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola, which adds a slightly odd, very American stop to the old capital story.
Come for a half day if you are passing through coastal North Carolina; give it a full day if you like old houses, local museums, and river towns that still feel lived in. It is not a big-city destination, but it clears the bar as a good detour from the coast or the Outer Banks route.