If you find yourself in Elizabethtown, NC there are a few things I would recommend (only a few). Elizabethtown is a proud little Southern town without benefit of curb and gutter, a small hospital that you do not want to visit just now, and (mostly) really nice people. Sort of a new millineum/old millineum Mayberry. Do not speed here. I haven't seen any town police, but it is NC State Highway Patrol training base and they are everywhere-especially your rearview mirror. My second recommendation out of the way. I found the county library quite by accident tucked away on the edge of town. It's not on my list of recommendations only because I haven't been in, but I'm a big fan of public libraries. Bladen County Library would overlook the Cape Fear River except they didn't put windows on that side of the building. Curious. I found the library because I went looking of Bladen Lakes State Park. I do recommend a visit to the park. It's a great place for a picnic lunch with plentiful peace and quiet. Jones Lake is the public area of the park. It is a beautiful little Carolina bay lake with a hiking trail, canoe rentals and campsites. Swimming is allowed here and there is a bathhouse. Melvin's is my last recommendation. It's an old timey hamburger joint. There is no drive-thru, the burgers are homemade and you will have to stand in line. You can eat-in and there is a small town ambiance to it but personally I'd get mine to-go and head out to the park for the ultimate burger experience.
