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Last weekend I discovered what every mortal should do if the run-up to Christmas gets overwhelming. You simply pack your suitcase and flee.

You escape Christmas shopping, gift-wrapping, house-decorating, card-writing and all the burdens and responsibilities involved with yuletide preparation. Lots of people, I've now learned, make a run for it. Some head for the beach, others flee to the mountains, still others travel to faraway parts of the nation.

My husband and I decided to join the escapees. We headed for New Bern, that beautiful little town in eastern North Carolina that's dripping with Colonial and antebellum history. New Bern is a port city nestled beside the Neuse River, which flows into Pamlico Sound. On the day we arrived, the temperature was a balmy 72 and boats were bobbing in the marina, including house boats with Christmas trees aboard.

I've been to New Bern several times in other seasons, but places look strikingly different in summer, winter, spring and fall. They especially look different at Christmastime.

Founded in 1710 by Swiss colonists and named for Bern, Switzerland, New Bern has a marvelous historic district where streets are lined with stately houses, some dating back to the late 1700s while others were built in the years preceding the Civil War. The town's most notable historic landmark is Tryon Palace, built in the mid-1700s to be the royal governor's palace. The palace later burned, was reconstructed and is one of the finest mansions in America and a favorite of tourists and history buffs.

New Bern gets dressed up for Christmas. The best time to gape at twinkling Christmas lights is obviously at night. So we rode through the historic streets one night, peering into lighted houses. One house -- a mansion with antebellum columns and floor-to-ceiling windows -- caught my fancy. From the street we could look inside and see the grand staircase in the entrance hall decorated with swags of greenery and red ribbons. A tall Christmas tree with glittering lights was near the foot of the staircase. It was a scene that belonged in Architectural Digest or Southern Living magazine.

In the center of downtown is Christ Episcopal Church, which we attended on Sunday. It's a jewel. The church was built shortly after New Bern was founded, and England's King George II sent the church a silver communion service and Bible, both still in use. Among the church's notable worshippers were Presidents George Washington and James Madison. The original church burned and was replaced by a beautiful Gothic Revival structure in 1875. It's a friendly church whose members made us out-of-towners feel at home.

Part of the pleasure of being a holiday escapee is eating. New Bern has a good supply of seafood restaurants thanks to its proximity to Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. One of our favorites is Captain Ratty's, a popular downtown seafood emporium. If you're seated on the third floor near a window, you can survey Main Street and look down on horse-drawn carriages ferrying tourists around the historic district day and night.

I forgot to mention that we holiday escapees eat often. I ate more hushpuppies in 48 hours than I've eaten in an entire year. En route to New Bern, we stopped for lunch in Kinston at King's Barbecue. En route back to Greensboro, we stopped for lunch in Goldsboro at Wilber's Barbecue. According to the menu, President George W. Bush and President Clinton have dined at Wilber's. Our waitress said she'd seen neither, but she was too busy to worry about it.

As for the barbecue, if you've never tasted the difference between eastern North Carolina barbecue and the Greensboro version (think Stamey's Barbecue), try it. I like both flavors.

After a splendid weekend devoted to eating, sightseeing and relaxing, it was time to return home to Christmas duties. Awaiting me were gifts to wrap, cards to write, food to cook and other yuletide demands. I plunged into the tasks with renewed energy, my batteries recharged by our holiday escape.

But it's the day after Christmas and I'm in the throes of yuletide recovery. So now I'm ready for a post-holiday getaway. Aren't you?

Rosemary Roberts writes a Friday column. E-mail: rmroberts@triad.rr.com