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A weekend in...

A WEEKEND IN | Edenton, NC

If you’re wanting a romantic getaway consider Edenton, North Carolina! It’s an adorable small town in Albemarle County in the Inner Banks of NC. You get that wonderful bay breeze but also that warm weather you want when visiting the coast. This was my second time visiting, but from not remembering much the first time, this time was wonderful and changed my outlook! It seemed like the other people also visiting Edenton were super friendly and warm. We went on Valentine’s Day weekend and the weather was PERFECT.

A quick history lesson, Edenton got its name in 1722 after Charles Eden. Edenton was the first colonial capital of North Carolina…then New Bern and then Raleigh! We learned a ton of history about Edenton on the trolley tour. We recommend it for an overview of the town’s vast history or you can read some on the town’s website.

Where to stay

During our stay in Edenton, we were welcomed at the Inner Banks Inn. Susan is an exceptional host and we were more than grateful we had the opportunity to stay there!! The room was super comfy, the food was some of the best we’ve had, and the staff were super friendly. You can check out our in-depth review on our website.

Where to eat and drink

We ate breakfast and one of our dinners at The Table, which is Susan’s restaurant at the Inner Banks Inn. There are also tons of spots downtown to eat. We’ll share the ones we went to and the ones we wanted to go to!

Breakfast

Let me tell you…the breakfast at the Inner Banks Inn is one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had. They offer you juice, coffee, water, etc.. You start out with a smoothie and a muffin. Then you have a ton of choices for your main plate. The waffles were crispy but so fluffy at the same time. Our server, Tarek, served us and we looked forward to seeing him the second morning. If you’re looking for a quick bite i’d suggest the Coffee House!

Lunch

For lunch, we went to 309 Bistro and Spirits. They had a fish and chips special and a really tasty chicken wrap with a spicy ginger sauce. They had a ton of drink options and we tried a couple, they were pretty good! I had a couple of people recommend this place, Michelle from Old House Life enjoys going here when she visits Edenton. I would definitely eat here again!

Dinner

I would highly recommend going to The Table at the Inner Banks Inn for dinner. I’m not sure if you have to have a room reservation in order to eat at the restaurant. We got the fried green tomatoes with goat cheese, I wish we got another order they were so good. Then we got filet mignon and the salmon for entrees, truly some of the best we’ve had! They had a good selection of desserts to choose from, we got the flourless cake and strawberry cheesecake!

Drinks

We got drinks everywhere we went. The Governer’s Pub had a good beer selection, 309 Bistro had some good mixed drinks at a decent price, and The Table at the Inner Banks Inn had a wine/beer list and amazing mixed drinks! I loved the mermaid water from the 309 Bistro and the lavender lemonade from The Table. We wanted to stop by Surf Wind & Fire but we didn’t have time. It’s a surf shop/bar that has coffee, wine, and beer!

What to do

There is a ton of history in Edenton, you could spend all day taking tours of houses, the lighthouse, and the town as a whole! There are cute shops, delicious restaurants, etc..

On Saturday, we walked around downtown most of the day. We walked through the cemetery where Charles Eden is buried and is also the site of the second oldest church in North Carolina, St. Pauls Episcopal Church. We then stopped by the farmers market across the way where I picked up some gorgeous Czech earrings and the best peanut butter cookies! I think my favorite little spot downtown is the coffee house, mainly because they make their ice cubes from brewed coffee!! I’ve never seen a place do that before. We hit the bistro for lunch before making our way to the Trolley tour.

The trolley tour was about an hour and there were only 6 people including us who got tickets. It was honestly super relaxing and the hour went by quickly…we could’ve sat on that trolley and listened to more history for another hour! The amount of history in this town is insane! The church you see in the first picture actually just got approved a grant of 2 million to be restored!! The stained glass windows are Tiffany by the way. It has a ton of history behind it as it is one of the most important African American sites in the state. The white house in the last picture is the oldest house in North Carolina, built in 1718 but it’s not in its original location. A cool fact, there is a beam in the house that dates back to 1558! Michelle from Old House Life recommended that we do the trolley tour and so do we!

Some tips

  • You can get tickets for tours at the community center
  • The wind is no joke at night so prepare accordingly
  • The Farmer’s Market is open every Saturday from 9am-1pm
  • Bring comfy walking shoes or a bike for the downtown area
  • We recommend staying at the Inner Banks Inn

Let us know if you’ve been to Edenton and how your travels were!

Check out our other, A Weekend In…, articles on our website, The Travel Life!