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In this episode, we dive into an exploration of two charming travel destinations in North Carolina: Edenton and West Jefferson. Susan Martin Cyr, owner of Edenton's Inner Banks Inn, shares insights about the historic bed and breakfast, the significance of Edenton’s preservation efforts, local attractions, and culinary delights. The episode also features a discussion with Lily Memmel, general manager of the West Jefferson Hotel, about the hotel's rich history, substantial renovations led by her father Mark Beck, and notable local activities including shopping, hiking, and river excursions. Both guests offer detailed travel tips and underscore the importance of preserving local history.
00:22 Exploring North Carolina's Hidden Gems
00:53 Discovering Edenton: A Historical Treasure
03:10 Edenton's Must-See Attractions
06:12 Edenton's Culinary Delights
13:12 West Jefferson: A Mountain Retreat
13:37 West Jefferson Hotel: A Historic Revival
17:14 Dining at the West Jefferson Hotel
20:16 Top Activities in West Jefferson
23:16 Summer Fun in West Jefferson
25:29 Conclusion and Farewell
Creators and Guests
What is What’s Up, Wake?
What’s Up, Wake covers the people, places, restaurants, and events of Wake County, North Carolina. Through conversations with local personalities from business owners to town staff and influencers to volunteers, we’ll take a closer look at what makes Wake County an outstanding place to live. Presented by Cherokee Media Group, the publishers of local lifestyle magazines Cary Magazine, Wake Living, and Main & Broad, What’s Up, Wake covers news and happenings in Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, and Wake Forest.
44 What's Up Wake - NC Travel
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We are on week three of our New Year's resolutions and travel is on my vision board every single year. One thing I think we can all agree on is that we live in the most beautiful state in the country, making travel easy, affordable, and totally doable to see different, unique spots for weekend getaways throughout the year.
Today we're covering both the mountains and the coast. So let's unpack why Edon and West Jefferson should be on your 2026 itinerary. First, I'm welcoming a guest from beautiful, historical, serene Edenton, North Carolina.
Default_2026-01-14_1: Owner of [00:01:00] Interbank Inn, Susan Martin Seer. Thank you so much for coming.
Melissa, Susan, thank you so much for having me today. And you drove here from Edenton this morning. I so it's an even bigger treat for you to be here. Well, thank you so much. I love Carrie, and we love welcoming our guests from the Triangle. So first tell us about Interbank Inn and how you came to be the owner of a bed and breakfast.
Sure. So Interbank Inn, we are a 21 room. Bed and breakfast. In the historic district, we sit on about 2.75 acres, and our buildings are anywhere from a hundred years old to 250 years old. Wow. So there are five historic structures on the property. Mm-hmm. One is the oldest original house on Broad Street, so in Edenton that is saying something.
So the Satterfield house is from 1801. So we have two homes that have been moved there, which were for preservation purposes, the Pack House, which is a converted tobacco pack [00:02:00] barn, and then we have the Ban Cottage as well as a. A a large Victorian mansion, so quite a plethora of architecture. And I became the owner.
It had all been auctioned off in 2009 and I was just there helping the owner that owned two of the buildings get ready to update the website. And he had a health event he wanted to exit. And so he offered me. The properties for sale. And then within 90 days, the other three original buildings that had been auctioned off to different individuals came back together and the property was back together for the first time in many years.
Let's talk about Edenton as a whole. Yeah. You've mentioned some of the history. It is really, um, one of North Carolina's most historic towns, so I, I am a history lover myself. I know that I would love Edenton. I'm ashamed to say that I have never been to Edon, although it's definitely on my bucket list.
[00:03:00] Especially after reading and I brought the, um, the magazines here today, especially after reading this amazing story that was written about Edenton and all the beautiful photography. Um, if somebody had only 24 hours or 48 hours in Edenton, what would you say are the must do things? Oh, there's so much to do.
People get there and it's hard to get in and out in just 24 hours, but I would say you are coming for the beautiful. Water views as well as the historic setting. And so I would always recommend the trolley tour to be, I love a trolley tour. It goes through our streets of just buildings that are hundreds of years old and the preservation has been going on for a very long time.
There, as a matter of fact, preservation in Edenton started six months officially before it did in Charleston. South Carolina. So we have had that going on a long time and we are the benefactors of the [00:04:00] generations before us that saw the importance of, of preservation and getting these buildings in historic trust and private partnerships and that type of thing.
So it truly is an amazing place because of all of the original buildings. So the trolley tour is going to allow a visitor. To really s see a little bit of everything and then focus on what they would like to do. So, and it's a, it's a wonderful tour. It's a narrated tour and it starts at the Penelope Barker house, and then it goes all through the town and it talks about the restaurants and sort of the bed and breakfast and where things are.
And then from there you can do a walking tour. And state historic sites has several buildings that are a part of the portfolio that you can arrange tours to go into, including the courthouse, the oldest. The oldest, continuously used courthouse in North Carolina has a beautiful green that overlooks the water.
Edenton [00:05:00] Bay, the lighthouse that is on the cover of the magazine, right? This is, it's such a unique lighthouse too. This is the last screw pile lighthouse, and that was moved here. And saved preservation. The Edon Historical Commission oversaw this project and now the historic Edenton State historic sites manages it.
So this is the last screw pile. Lighthouse in existence anywhere. Oh wow. Mm-hmm. It's functional right in our right there by the shore and it's available to go in for tours and the Penelope Barker house as well as there is a new property that has joined state historic sites that was purchased and is managed by the Elizabeth Van Moore Foundation.
And that is Hayes Farm. And the article mentions Hayes Farm a little bit. We went out there, it's 140 acres with 28 original outbuildings, so it is well [00:06:00] preserved and a lot of work is being done to it. It is truly a magnificent project and so much history there. It will be significant to not just Edon, but all of North Carolina.
And Edenton is also, I keep, I keep hearing it mentioned for it being a burgeoning foodie town. It is coming along, it really is. Mm-hmm. So downtown on the waterfront there is herringbone. It's a wonderful, it is a converted ice plant. So the owners of that building along with the. Down East Preservation did a complete restoration on it.
It's truly beautiful and we love sending our guests to the herringbone. There are other restaurants, Waterman's and other small restaurants along there. Lunch, a great lunch place is Downtown Roots. And then we have a restaurant at our end the table at Interbank. So we do a five course dinner. We're a farm to table restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights.
And then we offer [00:07:00] some optional dining options. For our guests on Sunday through Thursday where our chefs will provi, prepare meals and then they can be ready in the room when you get back, as well as a three course breakfast each morning. And the the table at inner banks. Am I understanding this correctly that it's in a converted carriage house?
It is. So it was originally a carriage house to the Satterfield house, the oldest original house on Broad Street, and it actually housed. It actually housed Civil War originally, the original carriage house civil War soldiers, and then USO members during World Wari. Wow. Yeah, I mean, everything that you're saying about Edenton has some sort of historical element, and again, I am a history nerd, so I love that.
And in my mind, I keep thinking I'm a Raleigh native and I keep thinking, gosh, I hope we have people in Raleigh and I'm sure we do. Somebody tell me if [00:08:00] we do and make me feel better. But I, I hope that we have people in Raleigh that are also taking the time to preserve history because it is so important too.
To preserve and to always remember, um, our past. If you had to describe Edenton in three words mm-hmm. I know this is going to be very difficult, but three words to describe Edenton, what would you, what would you say? I would say probably prolific. For the wide water views with the, they're just amazing with the west facing sunset on Edenton Bay, as well as the open green spaces, such as the historic courthouse lawn.
So I would say prolific historic because of the vast amount of original buildings. It's so unusual to have that and they're so well preserved. And then I would say the third one would be dynamic. I think it's where the, where the historic preservation [00:09:00] is, is catapulting forward progressive business and that is a dynamic what is good and right for, for preservation is good and right for business and it is working and it is thriving in Edenton and we're very proud of that.
It sounds like Edenton is going through a little bit of a renaissance type of period. I've heard something called the Almar Queen. Can you tell us what the Almar Queen is? Sure. So the Almar Queen is an 85 foot dinner boat and with an open deck on the top. And then the inside is a beautiful, enclosed restaurant salon with a full bar, and it is the first authentic paddle wheeler to be placed in service on the album moral sound in over 100 years.
It is run by, and it was put in service by Harbor Towns Cruises, and that was funded through our North Carolina legislature [00:10:00] as a, as an initiative for tourism in our area and our five harbor towns.
What other things are you looking forward to say this year or this year, or in coming years? Sure, so this is a big year for all of North Carolina and especially Edenton because it's our 250th. Very true. Yeah. And American anniversary. And so there are so many wonderful things going on and historic, um, historic events that are happening.
So you can visit, you can go to visit edenton.com and take advantage of all of those things. And then of course, we're gonna have many themed dinners and events on the album Royal Queen that we will arrange for our guests. And we're on the boat doing a lot of catering. That type of thing as well. So we love the boat and we love the fact that it brings the history of the water and gives people a brand new appreciation for that aspect.
And to see all of the beautiful, his history [00:11:00] of Edenton from Edenton Bay and the album Royal Sound. And I will say, um, I, I highly encourage people to go look at pictures of this boat because it's not just, you know, a regular dinner boat. It really does harken back to. Old, old olden days type of boat.
There's like a spinny thing on the front. You You said what? It's called what it's called, and I'm gonna call it a spinny thing. It's the paddle wheel. Yes, the paddle wheel. That's a, it has two paddle wheels. We'll call it the spinny thing. Paddle wheel. So tell us where we can find more about Interbank Inn and where we can book a stay.
Sure. So just go to interbank in.com and all of our rooms are there. You can call us as well. 2 5, 2, 4 8, 2 3, 6, 4 1, and one of our innkeepers are happy to help you select a room and book your stay as well as help you pull your itinerary together based on what you would like to do as far as trolley tickets, and.
Things that are [00:12:00] going on, dinner reservations, cruise reservations, and we're happy to help you pull all that together in one place. Thank you so much again for coming into town and meeting with us, and I have definitely added edenton and interbank in to my 2026 itinerary. We can't wait to host you. Thank you.
Thank you.
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Melissa: Now let's toss our weaken bag in the trunk and head to the mountains.
I'm joined by Lily Meel via video. Lily is the general manager of West Jefferson Hotel, a century old landmark that Lily's father turned into a boutique hotel combining historic charm with modern mountain luxury. Lily, thank you so much for calling in today.
Lily: No thank you. So excited to be here.
Melissa: The town of West Jefferson was founded in 1915 when the railroad came to the area creating a need for a hotel. I'm definitely oversimplifying this. The, the history of this, this hotel is actually really fascinating. It was a really bustling town back then, and when the railroad tracks left in the late seventies, the boom was over and [00:14:00] thus the hotel sat empty for quite a while.
Is that right? Then walks. Your dad steps in and, and takes over. Your dad's name is Mark Beck.
Lily: Yep, that's correct. Um, so it was empty about 50 years or so.
Melissa: oh, 50 year? Yeah. I mean, I guess, you know, I think it's 2026 and in my mind, 50 years ago, I don't know, it just doesn't seem
Lily: I know
Melissa: that long.
Lily: it wasn't quite empty is not quite the right word. It just, it wasn't a hotel. It was kind of a hodgepodge of retail and office shops for a while. And then in 2019, that's when my family purchased it.
Melissa: So what made your dad want to spearhead such a massive project, and what are some key features of the hotel that he was determined to keep?
Lily: Yeah, definitely. Um, so he has experience with this. It's, um, kind of, I call it his retirement hobby. It's not really a hobby, it is a full-time job for sure. Um, he's very interested in historic preservation. So the West [00:15:00] Jefferson Hotel here is his third. Historic commercial property that he's completely redone and it's not just, you know, a little bit of renovation work.
I mean, it's completely fixing structure, all of the bones. Um, and, you know, seeing what's there, seeing what should be salvaged and reused. Yeah, I mean, it's a whole process, multiple years. So, um, his first project was in Mooresville, North Carolina, um, right in their, um, cute little downtown. His second project was in Charleston, South Carolina.
And this is his third one. So he's just got an interest in it. And, um, anyways, we, my family has been in the West Jefferson slash Ash County, um, area for over 25 years now. Um, at least part-time, um, over, you know, more recently, in the last decade or so, more full-time. Anyways, we just grew to love the area and um, the hotel was just sitting right in town and, um, although it wasn't on the market, it was for sale, so we kind of just got connected with the right people and, um, it [00:16:00] was a little bit of a match made in heaven.
So that's kind of how he got to it. Some of the key features that he decided to keep, um, as always in his process. Um, artifacts. You know, um, salvageable i items that are important to the significance in the history of the hotel. Um, for example, um, the original railing in the hotel hallway that was kept in, um, reused lots of woodwork, reclaimed woodwork, um, taken from the building.
Maybe it was structural lumber and they turned it into flooring. And then, um, historic doors too. There's several, um, sets of doors that are original to the hotel. So those are just a few examples. Um, in addition to other little artifacts that made their way like the original key box and the original telephone too.
Melissa: I have seen pictures of this renovation and, and what the, the hotel currently looks like, and I've got to say it is so charming and so beautifully [00:17:00] done, and I, I just love when somebody takes over a, a project and really does try to keep. The history of it, and your dad definitely paid attention to as many details as he possibly could about that, so kudos to him. I can't talk about travel without talking about food and I've, I've read a little bit about the restaurant that's at the West Jefferson Hotel. Is it called O
Lily: We call it. Oh, it's kind of, you know, some people call it, oh, some people call it h it means o old hotel restaurant. So that's where it comes from.
Melissa: Oh, gotcha.
Lily: Um, yeah, so, um, we've got them in the bottom floor of the building. Um, a little tidbit about the hotel too. Of, it's from the year 1917 and it was one of the earliest buildings in town, and for that reason it, the second floor is all hotel rooms only.
There's no hotel rooms on the first floor. The first floor was always, um, shop level spaces, and those [00:18:00] originally helped. Kind of create the infrastructure for the town of West Jefferson. So for example, early on, the police station was there, the bank was there, um, the barber shop later on the bus station.
Um, so these pieces were always on the first floor. Um, where I'm going with that is the restaurant is on the first floor too, and the hotel rooms are still only on the second floor. So, um, we've got a great restaurant on site with a great team. They are so talented. Um, our, um, executive chef Trent Pruitt is just.
Um, really ambitious, so creative in the kitchen. And something I like to point out is that they don't buy hardly anything frozen, pre-made. They make all their own stocks, sauces. I mean, everything is pretty much made from scratch down there. So they really go above and beyond to make sure that you're not just getting the same thing that you could get anywhere.
Melissa: Yeah, I read on your website that it says the restaurant is a new take on [00:19:00] Appalachian cuisine, so what? What kind of dishes would you consider an Appalachian type of, of recipe or dish? And do they really try to use, you know, local ingredients from local farms and things?
Lily: Yes. Um, they work very hard to have relationships with local. Farmers to get local produce or, um, for example, local mushrooms, high country fungi. We work with them. They have things that look like they're from Mars. It's crazy. But, um, so delicious. And, um, the kind of Appalachian take on that is, you know, I think typically people think, you know, fried chicken, biscuits and gravy and um, you know, mashed potatoes, that kind of stuff.
Um, barbecue. So. Um, it's kind of taking the base of that and expanding onto it. And a side note that I'll say about that too is we have both casual and fine dining in the restaurant, so something for everybody. Um, you know, if you're [00:20:00] looking for something kind of more laid back first, come, first serve, um, we've got our casual or more casual menu.
And then if you're looking for more of a culinary experience, we've got the fine dining menu too. So two different options to be able to take advantage of.
Melissa: Okay, so talk to our listeners who might not have been to West Jefferson before. I have been there. It is absolutely a beautiful, small but beautiful town. What would you say your top three spots or things to do? That you would help somebody that's been come, that's coming for the first time.
Lily: Right. If I'm doing a sales pitch for West Jefferson, um, shopping, hiking. And, um, I don't know if a immediate third comes to mind. I
Melissa: Well, the yoga you guys have, what is that? Um, the butter factory. Is it a butter?
Lily: it's a cheese factory. Yeah. Ash County Cheese. Um.
Melissa: That's a must. [00:21:00] Right?
Lily: Sure. Oh yeah, it's definitely, I kind of grouped that into the shopping a little bit, but, um, definitely worth it seasonally, I'd say, um, maybe the third option could be the Ash County Farmer's Market or, um, coming to get your Christmas tree here. So those are kind of some
Melissa: Oh, good. Yeah.
Lily: um, Ash County is well known for their Christmas farm or Christmas tree farm, so, um, of course we're just past the season now, but when that season is here, um, it's really exciting.
Kind of talking about some of those things. The shopping, we have a great walking shopping strip here. It is. So cute, so charming. And um, something about West Jefferson that typically attracts people here is, um, you know, you might have heard of Boone and Blowing Rock, which are great towns too. Boone is a little bit bigger.
Um, west Jefferson is quite rural. Um, and it's got, um, you know, the town and then the rest of the county is pretty. Remote compared to other mountain towns here. So for that reason, it's a little bit more quiet, kind [00:22:00] of, I would call it more of a retreat. Um, but it's got, you know, once you come into town, you have those amenities to be able to kind of explore stuff.
So, um, yeah, great shopping, hiking, outrageous, really, really good. Um, there are some true hidden gem trails here and some others that are, um, more well known. One that I recommend off the top of my head. Um, it's actually just outside of Ash County, but West Jefferson is the closest town to be able to access it.
Um, is in Grayson Highlands. It's just north of the border in Virginia. It is some of the best hiking, I mean, my favorite spot for sure. Um, it takes you to the highest point in Virginia. So anyways, even though that's not, you know, in the county, it's very close. So highlights like that, I'd say, um, are reasons that you should come.
Melissa: And one thing I love about the mountains so much is that. All four seasons, like you mentioned, really bring different things to do. Um, I am not a cold weather lover and I do not ski or [00:23:00] anything like that, so my favorite time in the mountains is the summertime. So I definitely would like to come back to West Jefferson and must stay at West Jefferson Hotel when I come back.
Um, but I wanna come back in the summer and, and go to the farmer's market, like you said, and do the hiking like you've mentioned.
Lily: Another great summer, um, pretty big culture, um, up here is getting on the river. So the new river travels through Ash County and it actually forks at one point, so it kind of splits into three prongs per se. Um, a lot of people love to go fishing, get into a canoe, go kayaking, or, um, probably more famously tubing down the river.
Um, so there's several spots you can rent some of that equipment to be able to just kind of float. And it's not a very fast moving river, so it's really a great time to just enjoy the sunshine, get in the water a little bit, um, with friends and family, probably some dogs too. And, um, really, really just see the beauty of Ash [00:24:00] County kind of in slow motion a little bit.
Melissa: Before we go, I want to mention, and I've, I've told you this before, Lily, there is a video on, on your Instagram page, which is at West Jefferson Hotel and PBS. The PBS show, North Carolina Weekend came. And did a, a, a video about the hotel, the history and the remodeling. And it is truly a must watch. It covers what we've talked about today plus so much more.
So I highly encourage everybody listening to go check that out. And also your website is west jefferson hotel.com where you can read more about the history and um, how to book a stay. So thank
you so much, Lily.
Lily: Absolutely. Lots of information there. Um, and one other thing I'll mention is, of course I'm here today, but, um. Mark Beck. My dad is the one that really deserves all the credit for the hard work here, so I can't, um, take all of it, of course, but just wanted to call him out and also mention.
When you [00:25:00] visit the hotel or West Jefferson, maybe you're not staying with us or maybe you're just eating in the restaurant. We offer tours all the time. Anybody is welcome to stop in and witness the history and the beauty and the renovation and preservation that's happening here. So, um, you know, even if you're not planning to stay here, we welcome everybody to take a stop in, take a look around.
Melissa: I am glad you mentioned that. Well, thank you so much for being here today, and it was really nice meeting you.
Lily: Yeah. Nice to meet you too. Thanks so much again for having me. This was fun.
Melissa: Absolutely.
Default_2026-01-14_1: Thank you to both Susan and Lily for joining me to find out what makes Edenton and West Jefferson top destination spots for a perfect weekend getaway. [00:26:00]