| |
In Pictures: Breakfast with Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, then ghosts in Swansboro, North Carolina
By Tom Adkinson
October 27, 2023
SWANSBORO, N.C. – The waterfront heart of Swansboro is tiny, covering only about nine blocks of businesses, residences and docks, but this is where you can enjoy a hefty breakfast under the alluring gaze of Marilyn Monroe in the morning and stroll through town that evening listening to a Swansboro native’s tales of ghosts. This picturesque community (population approximately 4,000) is about 70 miles up the coast from Wilmington, and it packs a lot into a small space along the Intracoastal Waterway. In between time with Marilyn Monroe and the ghost stories, you can take a selfie with a statue of Elvis Presley, prowl through boutiques, ponder why Muscovy ducks wander freely on city streets, sip a craft beer and step on a boat for an outing to hunt for shark teeth.
‘That’s all right, Mama’
Decide for yourself what song Elvis is singing at the entrance to Yana’s Ye Olde Restaurant, a breakfast and lunch favorite on Front Street. The restaurant, themed to the hilt with 1950s décor, is famous for fruit fritters generously coated in confectioners’ sugar. Image by Tom Adkinson
|
Dining with Marilyn
Marilyn Monroe is a popular figure at Yana’s, and she makes a fine companion for this group’s hefty North Carolina breakfast. A photo of Monroe’s playful smile and a come-hither look that hangs in the restaurant’s men’s room might be a bit too much for publication in a family newspaper. Image by Tom Adkinson
|
Getting ready to retail
The shopkeeper at Silver Line Jewelry, Art & Unique Finds places decorative pieces outside the shop on Main Street at the beginning of a shopping day. Silver Line is one of several appealing boutiques in downtown Swansboro. Image by Tom Adkinson
|
Pretty duckling, ugly duck
Muscovy ducks, distinctive because of their warty faces and mottled feathers, are abundant in Swansboro. Residents can’t explain why the odd-looking ducks hang out here, but they are attention getters and traffic stoppers. Image by Tom Adkinson
|
Ghostly tales are abundant
Claire Jones, owner of Crystal Coast Ghost, begins one of her tours at the corner of a cemetery just a couple of blocks from Swansboro’s shops and restaurants. She uses skills learned in hospitality management to lead informative ghost tours that she says are intended to be respectful of spirits and not designed to frighten her clients. Her stories unveil much of Swansboro’s history. Image by Tom Adkinson
|
Hunting for shark teeth
Shark teeth, shells, frolicking dolphins and coastal scenery are what Capt. Darryl Marsh delivers on his boat tours from a dock just steps away from Bake Bottle & Brew, a Front Street destination for wine, beer, coffee and ice cream. Image by Tom Adkinson
|
Trip-planning resources: OnlyInOnslow.com
(Travel writer Tom Adkinson’s book, 100 Things To Do in Nashville Before You Die, is available on Amazon.com.)
|
