2025 U.S. Van Tour: North Carolina

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Beth and Orville Wright launch the World's First Powered Manned Flight


As we neared our scheduled rendezvous with family in Maryland, our trip north accelerated.  We switched gears a bit and followed a pattern which illustrates how we integrate other activities into our travel routine.

The way we do this is to reserve a period during the day to hit the gym, a market to reprovision, refuel the van,  and find a spot to spend the night.  We have a nationwide membership to Planet Fitness.  This gives us access to all their facilities, including their showers.  From examining towns along our route of travel, we found the town of Dunn North Carolina allowed us to complete all of these tasks within a tight radius just off the freeway. 


Enjoying the Massage Chair at Planet Fitness


The first stop was the gym.  We completed a good workout to offset the sedentary nature of van travel.  Next was a nice hot and unlimited shower.  This avoided using the shower in the van where water is rationed and then fills up the gray water tank, which once filled must be dumped.


Cracker Barrel - Our stop for the night


Refreshed, we reprovisioned at a local Market and then we headed to Cracker Barrel to find a spot for the night.  They allow overnight parking and often have a designated and marked area for RVs to park.  They are consistently clean and have restrooms which open early to minimize the filling of the black water tank.  Their breakfast is consistently good, coffee is hot and tasty, so it is a great start to the day.  Properly fortified we departed for our next North Carolina stop.




A Decommissioned Lighthouse relocated to Edenton




Many Colonial Era homes are preserved in Edenton


Cannons Purchased from France for Defense during the Revolutionary War


Along the way we stopped in Edenton North Carolina.  This town dates to Colonial times and is very proud of its heritage.  Many structures have been preserved and can be visited.  We used this opportunity to get out of the van and stretch our legs with a good walk


A Replica of the Wright Flyer


We next headed to the Outer Banks.  We wanted to see the site where the Wright Brothers conducted the world’s first powered manned flight.  We experienced a heavy rain storm while crossing the causeway.  We had doubts about proceeding.  Fortunately, as we reached the island the storm cleared, and we were needed to compact our visit into 30 minutes as the park closed at 5pm.




Returning to the mainland, we headed to our overnight destination with a dinner stop at Coinjock Marina.  This is a well-known and popular stay for boaters doing the Great Loop.  Our Loop route was through the Dismal Swamp, so we missed Coinjock.  This was our chance to enjoy their restaurant.  It didn’t disappoint.  Beth had scallops and I had a good steak.  We both had leftovers which we placed on top of a salad the next day. 

With full tummies we drove a short distance to Morris Farm Market, another Harvest Host.  We parked in the back using trees as a windbreak.  It was a quiet and peaceful location allowing us to enjoy a good night’s rest.


Useful Links


Location: Coinjock, NC, USA

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