North Carolina Christmas

[pawpaw]

My wife and I are headed to North Carolina for Christmas, going to visit her sister who is stationed at an airforce base in Goldsboro. We don't need to stay in Goldsboro while we're there, but we're also pretty clueless on where to go in that part of the state. I'm guessing that some of you on here are familiar with that area, so where is a cool area to go within 3 (or so) hours of Goldsboro? We're looking to spend a few days in a cool town, with some good bars and restaurants, that also cleans up well for Christmas time. The coast? College towns? Specific bars and restaurants? Is Goldsboro worth staying in? Has anyone ever heard of Goldsboro???

[primushead]

You've come to the right place my friend.

I've been through Goldsboro many times, but have never really hung out there.  Now that you've given a 3 hour buffer around it, I'll be happy to name a few places within a car drive of there.

1.) Greenville is not to far from there.  East Carolina University is located here, so it's a very college-y town with many cool bars.  And, if you're into barbeque, I would recommend B's Barbeque with no reservations.

2.) If you want to go a little bit farther, Washington N.C. (the ORIGINAL washington) is where a lot of my family is from.  Again, it's an excellent BBQ place and they've got a really cool/historic downtown area to check out.  If you do go to Washington, check out Bath which is very, very close to it.  It's the first town ever incorporated in NC and was once home to Blackbeard the pirate.  :o

3.) If you are feeling beachy, the coast really isn't that far from Goldsboro (2 hours-ish) and you can add 30 minutes onto that if you want to get to the outer banks...Morehead City, Atlantic beach and what not.

I hope this is somewhat helpful.  The eastern part of the state really is awesome in the right areas, so you should enjoy it.  Have a good trip!

[TheBigChicken]

was in east nc couple of months ago at beach wedding...truly beautiful :)

[pawpaw]

Cool, thanks for the advice Gregg. Even my sister-in-law, who has only been stationed out there for 4 months, is pretty clueless about the area. It's going to be a quick trip, but we're looking forward to exploring a new area. And definitely going to get into some good barbeque...

[pawpaw]

I'm back from North Carolina, had a really nice visit. Gregg, I didn't really get a chance to check out any of your recommendations, really only had three days there and in the end, we decided to spend time around my sister-in-law's base and apartment, meet her friends, see her 'hood.

There's not a lot going on in Goldsboro, but we had a fun time. Went to some KICK ASS barbeque at a place called Wilbers. Now, this is my only exposure to NC BBQ, but it was really fucking good, some of the best I've ever had (I actually did research online to find this place...it's amazing how many websites are devoted to NC barbeque). We got a tour of an old, abandoned, train station and some beautiful old houses from a nice lady who we randomly met on the street. We drank a ton of vodka, mulled wine and Miller Lite, and cooked a huge Christmas dinner. I got to sit in the cockpit of an F-15. Our last day there, we went into Raleigh, saw some older neighborhoods, visited a Confederate cemetery; Raleigh seemed like a nice city, someplace I might enjoy living.

Mostly, it was nice to see my wife's sister. She was really happy to see us too. Even in Winter, it's easy to see that North Carolina is a pretty place. I never knew that it was so heavily wooded! I'd like to head back in the Spring or Fall sometime in the future.  

[primushead]

Glad to hear you had a good time!

YES!! Wilbur's!!

I've eaten there and it's very, very decent BBQ.  Anytime you're back in the state, you should try some other BBQ joints just to see what you think in comparison.  It's fun.