Weekend Roadtrip #4: Eating and Touring Down East

Keeping with the coastal Carolina theme of the past couple of weekend roadtrips, this week’s suggestions get you in the kitchen and on the move. Guides for preparing seafood, bird watching, and visiting historic architecture after the jump…

• A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Eastern North Carolina, by Catherine W. Bishir and Michael T. Southern – This multiple-award-winner is part of a three-part regional series exploring some of the oldest and most distinctive architecture North Carolina has to offer. Featuring more than 400 photos and 30 maps, this volume introduces you to more than 1,700 buildings in 41 counties east of Interstate 95. See country churches, factories, small farmsteads, market towns, and more.

• The North Carolina Birding Trail: Coastal Plain Trail Guide – More than 440 bird species make their home in eastern N.C. throughout the year. Grab your binoculars and hit the road with this guide to 102 birding destinations east of I-95. This spiral-bound guide features maps, detailed site descriptions, and beautiful color photos. It also includes special “while you’re in the area” listings with each of 16 site groupings, so you can visit a handful of birding sites and other nearby attractions as well!

• Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas, by Joyce Taylor – Of course, your Carolina beach trip won’t be complete without some glorious local seafood. If you’re cooking seafood yourself, you can benefit from the wisdom of the tasters and testers of the Seafood Lab Kitchen, a group of representatives from home extension clubs in Carteret County who have tested ways of handling, storing, and preparing fish and shellfish caught off the North Carolina coast since 1973. In Mariner’s Menu, they share safety tips, helpful hints, and delicious recipes, including this Tangy Crab Dip!