Goin' to Carolina? Let yourself be surprised by New Bern.

Byline: Bill Reed

NEW BERN, N.C. _ Think of North Carolina, and you might picture lighthouses on the Outer Banks, prestigious universities on Tobacco Road, or the breathtaking drive along the Blue Ridge Mountains.

What about New Bern?

Never heard of it?

It is the state's first capital and second-oldest town (only Bath is older).

Still nothing?

George Washington, Will Rogers and Elvis Presley have played here.

Not impressed?

Pepsi-Cola was concocted in a corner drugstore where you can still sit on a soda-fountain stool and sip a cold one.

If that doesn't get you packing your bags and mapping the route, how about this:

The "Town of Two Rivers" offers enough sailing, boating, fishing, swimming, water-skiing and kayaking to satisfy the most active vacationers. Add championship golf courses and a historic district filled with colonial and Civil War-era sites, and you have a great spot for an exciting and stimulating getaway.

Our resort, Fairfield Harbour, is what attracted us to New Bern. It has two of the eight local golf courses, four pools, lighted tennis courts, and a recreation center with a full schedule of activities. But it was this town, known as "A Southern Surprise," that surprised us with all it has to offer.

The town's crown jewel is Tryon Palace, which Royal Governor William Tryon built in 1770 as a residence and colonial capitol. The Georgian-style brick mansion resembles the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Va., which was 48 years older, but with one glaring difference _ the entrance to the Governor's Palace is filled with muskets, bayonets and sabers, while Tryon Palace has no military presence.

"The building is dedicated to art, morality and justice," explained Sylvia, our tour guide, wearing a colonial-style dress.

The palace was designed as a showplace, for Tryon to host the wealthiest and most powerful men and their families. The 15 {-foot-high ceilings,…