Belhaven is a small town with less than 2,000 people living in the town, located right on the Pungo River. The Pungo feeds into the Pamlico Sound and the community maintains a historical and coastal connection. The Pamlico Sound separates the Inner Banks from North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and the waterfront views, fishing, boating, and small town community make Belhaven the perfect getaway. It’s location is also a perfect stopover for us before heading south on Pungo River.

I won’t lie, when people recommended us stopping in the Ace Hardware, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But we were pleasantly surprised with the home decor and women’s clothing selections, plus they have wine and cheese for sale. It was a fun and unexpected shop to stop and browse. I bought some stainless steel bolts and Claudia bought a sweater. Imagine that – Claudia, the fashion maven, bought a sweater from a hardware store.

Later the couple from Annapolis that followed us earlier invited us to dinner at a highly recommended local Mexican restaurant. We enjoyed their company but the food, not so much. But that’s on us for picking Mexican food and not Barbecue in North Carolina.