Small towns in North Carolina evoke feelings of home…and that’s a weird statement for a west coast guy and a girl who grew up in Colorado, but I blame “Forrest Gump”.
This sweet 1994 Robert Zemeckis film had a lot of scenes filmed in southern states. This Oscar winner about a simple southern boy who accidentally becomes a firsthand witness to American history in the 60s and 70s was a box office hit for three solid summer months. It is the ultimate underdog story and you can’t help rooting for, and loving Forrest for his compassion and perpetual optimism. It’s setting often reflects its main character in easy going American small towns that feel comfortable even in all the tumult taking place in these eras and comfortable is just how the town of Washington NC in Beaufort County feels.
This less-than-8-square-mile town packs in a lot of maritime culture, heritage and activity along its river waterfront including colorful crab statues. It also has a thriving downtown said to be great for foodies and beautifully restored Victorian, Craftsman and Antebellum properties. It has a community college and its nearest airport is either a 45 minute drive to New Bern or just over 90 minutes to Raleigh. It didn’t quite check all of our retirement boxes, but we still enjoyed this small town.
We only had an afternoon here and likely missed a lot, but I think this hidden gem would be a wonderful weekend getaway and if you haven’t watched “Forrest Gump” lately, grab your popcorn, a cozy throw, a few tissues, and enjoy.
