Top 10 Things River Duners should know about Oriental

10.  Oriental is the sailing capital of North Carolina with about 850 residents and over 3000 boats.
  9.  http://www.towndock.net/ is one of the best local websites.  It contains:
                           -Local and Marine Weather Forecasts
                           -Webcams showing several areas of town including one showing the Neuse
                           -Information about upcoming events
  8.  Oriental is an area where many people retire.  The average age is (how to say this diplomatically) old.  Seems like the younger people live in surrounding areas.
  7.  The Bean has killer coffee and homemade baked goods (as well as ice cream) and  gets a limited supply of the Sunday Washington Post and New York Times.  You will not be a stranger for long if you stop in for morning coffee at The Bean.  June can help you with your morning puzzles.
  6.  If you are brave enough to dock at the town dock (across from The Bean), the people sitting on the front porch of The Bean will be discussing your technique and possibly the way you have outfitted your boat.
  5.  Of the regulars at The Bean, you will see that the people who think they know it all are pretty annoying to the other people who think they know it all.   To those of us who know we are dumb as bricks, it is pretty amusing.
  4.  There is a rich varierty of "goings on" in Oriental, from farmers' markets to art shows to musical and theatrical productions.  There is an outdoor Sunday morning church service at the local park overlooking the Neuse from May to October.
  3.  Dogs wander freely in Oriental. Most of them are known by name and are so "famous" that a calendar was produced "The Dogs of Oriental."
  2.  There are two competing local weekly papers.  You have to read them both to really understand what is going on.
  1.  There are at least weekly sailboat races.  Some of these are serious and at others, everyone who finishes puts their name in a hat and a winner's name is drawn.