Attendee Information for 2024 Friday Teacher Retreat in Beaufort
This page is for REGISTERED participants of 2024 William Friday Retreat in Beaufort, NC. Please read all details carefully so that you are prepared to have the best frustration-free arrival possible. We also recommend making a plan for how you think you’d like to spend your free afternoon on Tuesday well before arriving, to ensure you get the most out of your time. Make sure you also pack according to what you will need based on what you decide. Questions about the retreat can be directed to CarolinaK12@unc.edu.
Event Date & Agenda
The 2024 William Friday Teachers Retreat will take place Sunday, June 23–Tuesday, June 25.. (Please remember that attendees must be able to attend all sessions, including Sunday’s Teacher Appreciation Dinner.)
Cancellations
Please remember that this retreat, valued at over $1,200 per teacher, is being provided FREE OF CHARGE by the North Caroliniana Society. There is an extensive waiting list to participate, so if you are registered and find at any point you cannot attend, it is critical you contact us with a cancellation notice by contacting our Paul Bonnici at CarolinaK12@unc.edu or (919) 962-1544. Failing to cancel and then not showing up results in extreme financial and resource waste, and prevents another teacher from filling the coveted spot. A $75 “no show” charge may be applied to your credit card if you do not show up or cancel in a timely fashion. (***Please note that cancellations related to an emergency or sudden illness will not be subject to a charge, but it is imperative you provide as much notice as possible so that our staff can plan accordingly.)
Sunday & Tuesday Location & Parking
Our first and last days will be held at the Beaufort Hotel, located at 2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort, NC 28516. Signs will be available to direct you to the rooms.
- Sunday Location: Sunday’s opening lunch and sessions will be in the Marlin Room, which is on the second floor of the Beaufort Hotel’s Boat House Marina. If you are coming from the self-park lot, the Marina is right across the street. If you are coming from the main lobby of the Beaufort Hotel, walking out of the hotel’s front doors, this is a separate building to the left of the main hotel. Take the outside staircase up to the Marlin Room.
- Tuesday Location: On Tuesday, we will be in the main hotel in the Horse Island Room. This room is on the second floor of the main hotel, accessible via the stairs in the lobby or the elevator. Horse Island is the conference room facing the water.
The self-parking lot is located on the LEFT, right BEFORE reaching the right-hand turn into the Beaufort Hotel. Look for signage on the LEFT of Lennoxville Road that says “EVENT PARKING” in red – it is a gravel lot with iron fencing. The walk from the parking lot to the hotel entrance is less than 4 minutes. Valet parking is also available at the hotel for $15 per day. If you choose to valet, you will need to cover the cost on your own by providing a separate credit card for the parking charges.
If you are self-parking and have luggage, you may want to pull up to the front of the hotel, drop your luggage off with the front desk, and then return to the self-park lot.
Our event will kick off on Sunday, June 23 with lunch and registration between 11:30am – 12:15pm. Please plan to arrive in Beaufort no later than 11:45pm to give yourself time to park, make your way to the Marlin Room, and get your lunch.
Overnight Guests/Hotel Information
Click here for information about the hotel’s rooms and accommodations. The hotel also has a pool, fitness center, and shuttle service.
Hotel guests can check into your room at 4:15pm. (You can either leave your luggage in your trunk until this point or leave it with the front desk upon arrival. A few rooms may be ready for early check in before our 12:15 pm start time. You are welcome to ask at the front desk about early check in, but know there is no guarantee rooms will be ready early. Please also ensure you will still have time to join us in the Marlin Room no later than 12:15 pm.
***When you check in, you will simply provide your name at the front desk and let them know you are with the Teachers Retreat. You will need to provide a credit card for incidentals, but your card will not be charged unless you make a purchase (i.e., put a meal or drink from the hotel restaurant or a purchase from the gift shop on your room; utilize valet parking, which is $15 per day; etc.) Typically, your statement will show a “hold” from the hotel on your list of “pending transactions”, but this hold does not become a charge if you do not make any purchases. Remember, the cost of your room is entirely covered by us. (If you do not have a credit card that can be used for incidental security at the hotel, please send a message to CarolinaK12@unc.edu so that we can make an alternate arrangement for your room.)***
While we will cover your room cost, you might like to leave a gratuity in your room ($5-10 or so) upon check out for the cleaning staff.
***If you would like to book an additional night at the Beaufort Hotel using your own funds, they are offering a discounted rate for teachers for Sunday evening and/or Wednesday evening ($219 a night, plus tax.) To extend your stay, you will need to call the Beaufort Hotel directly and speak with Alyce Kelly, Senior Sales Manager, at 252-838-7237. While Carolina K-12 will be covering the cost of your room for Sunday and Monday evenings, you will need to provide a separate credit card to cover any additional nights you choose to add.***
Monday Event Location & Parking
Monday will be an truly experiential day, so pack your sense of adventure, patience, and sea-sickness pills if you need them! We will meet first thing in the morning on Harkers Island at the Cape Lookout National Seashore Visitor’s Center, located at 1800 Island Road, Harkers Island, NC 28531. Make sure to give yourself time to check out of the hotel and make the 30 min. drive to Harkers Island – you’ll need to arrive between 8:45-9:00am. (You may want to give yourself extra time for the drive, as you’ll be taking the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway for a portion of this drive!) We suggest locking any luggage in the trunk of your vehicle.
Parking is available in the lot of the Visitor’s Center, and also at the adjacent Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center, located at 1785 Island Road (where we will end up for the end of our day.)
Dress Code/What to Bring
Our time in Beaufort will be during the summer, so prepare for the heat – but also prepare for being potentially chilly in-door spaces.
- For Sunday & Tuesday:
- The dress code is professional/business casual while at the Beaufort Hotel.
- While summer will be quite warm outside, we recommend packing a sweater or jacket in case the seminar room is chilly.
- Our day on Sunday will end with a private bus tour of Beaufort and a trip to the Maritime Museum. Following our bus tour, we will host a Teacher Appreciation Dinner at the Beaufort Hotel. Dinner is also business casual.
- Check the weather in Beaufort before leaving home; you may need to bring an umbrella and rain gear, as our activities are rain or shine (if conditions permit.)
- The Beaufort Hotel does have an outdoor pool and a fitness center. There is also an abundance of access points throughout the area to fresh salt water for swimming, kayaking, and other water sports – as well as nature trails and hiking possibilities. Pack accordingly depending on how you like to spend your free time!
- Technology? You are welcome to bring your laptop on Monday & Wednesday if you choose, and free WiFi is available. However, you will not need a computer for the sessions and we invite you, in the spirit of a true retreat, to unplug!
- For Monday’s excursion, make sure to dress for being outside in the elements – this includes sun and heat, sand, mosquitoes, etc. When choosing your clothing and footwear for Monday, remember that we’ll be climbing up and down from the back of flatbed trucks and out in sandy terrain. We recommend COMFORTABLE athletic shoes or athletic sandals. It is highly recommended that you avoid flip-flops, any shoe with a heel, and/or open toed shoes in general. There will not be a lot of shade, so we recommend wearing a UV blocking, long sleeve shirt. Also bring:
- Water (no glass bottles are allowed on the ferry)
- Sunblock, a well-fitting hat & sunglasses
- Insect repellent (ideally unscented)
- Any medications you might need for your comfort (i.e., prescriptions, motion-sickness preventatives, etc.)
- Please make sure any backpack or tote is as small as possible; space (especially in the back of the trucks) is limited.
- You may want to bring an umbrella to shade yourself from the sun while sitting on the beach.
- We will have some snacks, but feel free to bring your own if there is something in particular you like. Heat zaps energy, so we’ll want snacks and water to sustain ourselves!
Meals
- Lunch and snacks will be available for all participants throughout all three days of the event. A plated breakfast will be provided on Wednesday, and a transportable continental breakfast on Tuesday before our ferry ride to Cape Lookout.
- A Teacher Appreciation Dinner will be provided on Sunday night at the Beaufort Hotel.
- To allow you time for independent exploration, your afternoon is free and dinner is on your own on Monday evening. There are many dining options throughout Beaufort and beyond. The hotel offers shuttle service to/from downtown.
Pre-Readings
It is impossible to even being to cover the expanse of NC history, heritage, and culture in just three days, so understand that the goal is that you leave excited and wanting to learn more. (And you’ll leave with several free resources to continue your explorations!) To get the most of your time with us, please read and view the suggested resources below. While these items will not necessarily be discussed, they will provide an important foundation to your time in Beaufort and Harkers Island.
- “We Are Five Africans Seeking Freedom:” A Civil War Story from Beaufort, NC
- The Last Daughter of Davis Ridge
- “IT’S BORN IN US”: A Conversation with Barbara Garrity-Blake and Karen Willis Amspacher
- Catch: North Carolina Seafood
- Hatteras Island Weather
- Harkers Island Boat Builders
- “They have got hold of the Bible”– Beaufort, N.C. and the Civil War
- The Color of Water (This is a 10-part series by David Cecelski that explores Jim Crow in North Carolina’s coastal region. Scroll to the bottom to read each entry in order.)
- Menhaden Chanteymen: Music was on the Water
- Core Sounders: Living From the Sea – The Emmy-nominated television documentary about the community of fishermen on Core Sound in the area known as Down East in North Carolina.
- The Carolina Brogue – Two excerpts of this documentary are available at the bottom of the page.
Area Information/Things to Do on Your Free Afternoon
A true retreat involves time to rest, reflect, ponder, and explore. Choose your own adventure for the remainder of the afternoon, which might involve one of the suggestions below, a dip in the pool, or even a nap in your room! (We recommend making a plan for how you think you’d like to spend your afternoon before arriving, to ensure you get the most out of your time. Make sure you also pack according to what you will need based on what you decide.)
- Beaufort Historic Site: North Carolina’s third oldest town, Beaufort lies on the coast bordering the southern tip of the Outer Banks. Originally a fishing village and port of safety dating from the late 1600’s, Beaufort has been visited by patriots, privateers, merchants, and skilled craftsmen who built Bahamian and West Indian style homes and public buildings. Approximately 150 of these restored historic homes proudly bear plaques noting names of earliest known owners and dates of original construction.
- Use this map for a self-guided walking tour of the town. The Beaufort Historic Site’s Old Burying Ground also offers a self-guided tour map, as well as an online app available for download,
- NC Maritime Museum in downtown Beaufort reflects coastal life and interprets lighthouses and lifesaving stations, the seafood industry, motorboats, and more. Parking and Museum admission is free.
- The Watercraft Center, across the street from the Museum, is a working boatbuilding facility that comes alive with the sounds and smells of traditional North Carolina wooden boat-building. It is open to the public and makes for a lovely quick stop.
- Atlantic Beach is around 20 minutes (pending beach traffic) from Beaufort and offers lots of beach access, dining options, shopping, and more.
- Fort Macon State Park is an 89-acre park along Atlantic Beach, which features a pre-Civil War fort that offers daily guided tours and frequent demonstrations. Extensive exhibits educate visitors on fort history and the natural surroundings. Gorgeous inlet views, beaches, and hikes are at every turn. (Fort Macon is free; it is a 20+ minute drive from The Hotel Beaufort, pending beach traffic.)
- NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores takes you on a journey from North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains to the open Atlantic Ocean with thousands of aquatic animals. (Tickets are $12.95 and sell out; reservations are required and should be booked as early as possible.)
- Rachel Carson Reserve is a scenic slice of preserved natural landscape that is an enticing destination for birdwatchers, kayakers, hikers, and nature enthusiasts. A number of ferries & water taxis depart from the Downtown Beaufort waterfront along Front Street, or book a private adventure tour from the hotel.
- Other tours and experiences: https://www.beauforthotelnc.com/adventure-experiences/
Special Accommodations
If you have any type of mobility issues or need any kind of special accommodations to make you more comfortable during the retreat, please e-mail us ASAP at CarolinaK12@unc.edu.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact Paul Bonnici at CarolinaK12@unc.edu.
Our Generous Donors
This event is hosted by Carolina K-12 at UNC-Chapel Hill, with funding generously provided by the North Caroliniana Society, who seeks to honor William Friday’s commitment to public education and public educators with a high-quality, all-expenses-paid opportunity to learn, feel appreciated, and rejuvenate after an incredibly difficult few years. Learn more about the North Caroliniana Society at https://ncsociety.org/.