Kinston (North Carolina)

Kinston is the seat of Lenoir County in North Carolina's Coastal Plain.

Understand
Though a bit down on its luck, Kinston is a moderate-sized town and has a rather intriguing background for its size. For starters, the first governor of North Carolina, a Revolutionary War hero, had his home here. And in Civil War times, Kinston saw two notable engagements between the two sides. Moreover, it's where one of the Confederacy's ironclads, the CSS Neuse, was scuttled to avoid capture, and where the Confederacy was eager to hang deserters - nice.

The cotton and textile industry was big in Kinston for much of the 19th and 20th centuries, and for a while DuPont made its presence as well. Since then, diversification and stagnation have occurred; however, a number of personalities have bloomed here, including the musical brothers and former James Brown band members Maceo and Melvin Parker, and Vivian Howard with her show A Chef's Life from PBS.

Get in
Kinston is on US 70 about midway between Goldsboro and New Bern. The only form of public transportation to speak of really is Greyhound which stops at Lunch Box at 522 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.

Do

 * Go to a Minor League Down East Wood Ducks game at Grainger Stadium, or attend the town farmer's market.
 * Go to a Minor League Down East Wood Ducks game at Grainger Stadium, or attend the town farmer's market.

Sleep


You can also camp at the Neuseway Nature Park and be close to the animals.