Morehead City was originally called Shepherd's Point and marked the confluence of Newport River, Bogue Sound and Beaufort Inlet. Governor John Motley Morehead envisioned a great commercial hub, so he designed a town built around city blocks with a system of alleys between each block in the form of an "H." In this way, all houses and businesses could be serviced from the alleys. Each block contained 16 lots, and much of that "Philadelphia plan" remains today.

This is home to numerous fishing charters offering deep-sea adventures. Wahoo, tuna, bluefish, king mackeral and the coveted blue marlin are sought here. Since the 1950s the town has hosted the annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, one of the oldest and largest charity tournament in the country. Speaking of fish, if you find yourself here the first weekend in October, you will be in the midst of the North Carolina Seafood Festival with bands, local vendors, an oyster shucking contest, cooking demonstrations and the annual flounder fling. (You just have to see it.) It closes out with fireworks on Saturday night and the Blessing of the Fleet takes place on Sunday. 

Just across the Atlantic Beach Bridge from Morehead City are several beautiful beaches and Fort Macon State Park. (Transportation required.)