Havelock, NC

In January I drove down to North Carolina for a class in Havelock, NC. I decided to make the 6-7 hour drive, because by the time you get to the airport an hour and a half early, make the hour flight to Charlotte, NC, have an hour to two hour layover in Charlotte, make the hour flight to Jacksonville, NC and then drive an hour to Havelock it seemed a bit of a wash. Also, last time I flew to the area I had a bad experience on US Airways and I don’t want to give them any more money.

While it may sound exciting to go to the Eastern Carolina Shore, Havelock is not the “Outer Banks.” Also, since I was there during the off season, all the good restaurants that were recommended to me in Morehead City (a twenty minute drive south) were closed. I ended up eating at Wendy’s my first night there and Panera my second night if that tells you anything.

A couple of things were noteworthy on my trip. First, Marines swear more than any other branch of the Armed Forces. You would think that being a “lady” I would have slowed them down, but they were completely undeterred. I am not complaining or being prudish, it was as if they had taken the cursing to a new level. In a way, I almost admire their creativity.

Second, I actually found some amazing sushi down in Morehead City. I didn’t expect to enjoy the food as I had been having pretty low expectations of the area, but it was the best sushi I have had since moving to the East Coast. One of my students recommended a sushi bar and Japanese steak house called Kabuto. I went in because I had no where else to go, and ended up eating at Kabuto's two nights in a row – an unprecedented move for me. I would highly recommend the California Rolls (I know it is “gringo” sushi, but I still love them) and the hibachi filet mingon. I know it is hard to have a bad filet, but was fantastic.

There is a local place called Ham’s, but I found the service to be slow and the food forgettable. The only reason I really ate at Ham’s was because I could walk there from my hotel. On that note, if you are going to Havelock, the Hampton Inn was recently built and is a perfectly fine place to stay.

It may have been a less than exciting trip, but I did miss out on all the storms in the DC area so I still list my Havelock experience as a win.

Next trip: Gettysburg, MD