Beaufort

There's a feeling of having stepped back in time in the small seaport with a bustling boardwalk; residents take great pride in the city's restored public buildings and homes—and in their homes' histories, which sometimes include tales of pirates and sea captains. Don't make the mistake of pronouncing the town's name as "BEW-furt." South Carolinians call that state's city of Beaufort "BEW-furt." North Carolina's Beaufort is pronounced "BOW-furt." Established in 1713, the third-oldest town in North Carolina was named for Henry Somerset, duke of Beaufort, and it's hard to miss the English influence here. Streets, at least those in the historic district, are named after British royalty and colonial leaders.