North Carolina Town Proves a Top Contender in "America's Coolest Small Town" Contest

BEAUFORT, N.C., Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Boasting more than 300 years of historical legacy, the town of Beaufort on North Carolina's Crystal Coast has been nominated for "America's Coolest Small Town" by Budget Travel magazine and after proving a top competitor, the Carteret County town is encouraging fans to vote. As the only southern town represented, the competition has pulled support from the region earning more than 30 percent of the votes. The intense competition highlights the best of Beaufort and supports the community of less than 4,500. Voting is permitted every 24 hours and ends Jan. 31. http://www.budgettravel.com/contest/americas-coolest-small-towns-2012,11/

Located on the Crystal Coast – North Carolina Southern Outer Banks – Beaufort possesses an old-world southern charm, wrapped in exquisite coastal beauty. With deep roots in both history and adventure, its charisma is unparalleled. Boats dot the marina with the daily catch and cozy inns line the harbor, inspiring Nicholas Sparks to choose Beaufort as the setting in several of his novels. Once home to Blackbeard the pirate, the town sits on the edge of the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" where divers can swim amongst more than 2,000 shipwrecks including Blackbeard's own Queen Anne's Revenge. As the coolest town both above and below sea level, Beaufort captures the hearts of all who visit there.

Each town met several requirements to be considered in the contest. The town's population had to be below 10,000 and must have "that indescribable 'something'," according to Budget Travel. "In other words, cool doesn't necessarily mean quaint: We want towns with an edge and a heart."

Dangling like a delicate strand of pearls off the coast of North Carolina, the favored Atlantic beach destination of generations represents one of the only remaining natural barrier island systems in the World. The Islands are strung together with 85 miles of silken coastline along the southern Outer Banks, 56 miles of which are in the protected Cape Lookout National Seashore. The barrier islands take a southward curve, blessing the Crystal Coast with beaches that course east and west with views of the dazzlingly bright sun rise to greet the day and then slip into the shimmering translucent blue waters during a spectacular North Carolina sunset.

For more information on Beaufort and North Carolina's Crystal Coast, call (800) 786-6962 or visit www.crystalcoastnc.org or www.facebook.com/crystalcoast.

SOURCE Crystal Coast Tourism Authority