Elizabeth City, NC

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Elizabeth City is the southern staging point for boaters who want to traverse the Dismal Swamp Canal.  It’s an old (small) city that is working hard to attract boaters.  It has (count them) four free docking sites along its waterfront.  We stayed at the bulkhead at Mariner’s Wharf – a perfect location for exploring the area.  On the day we arrived, the former mayor stopped by the dock to welcome us to his town and to share his own experiences living and traveling aboard his trawler!

 
Directly across from our dockage was the very impressive Museum of the Albermarle.  It provided a great historical perspective of the area. Elizabeth City was an important link between coastal NC and Norfolk and became a major force after 1805 when the Dismal Swamp Canal was completed.  The canal served as a vital link in the Underground Railroad. Many slaves traversed the Dismal Swamp to catch vessels going north.

                   
We rode our bikes through the historic part of town and along the riverfront through some beautiful neighborhoods.  Throughout the city the azaleas continued blooming along with the addition of irises and even a few daffodils. Following spring up the east coast is such a treat!
   
We stayed in Elizabeth City for two nights and met up with our new friends, Corinne and Robert on Ariel.  We had dinner together at a local fish joint and met Duane and Diane on Diva Di who are traveling from Florida and also heading for the Down East loop. Jonny had corresponded with Duane by email and blog so we’ll be sharing information and adventures with them along our route as well. 

Oriental, NC

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Oriental, NC – one of our new favorite towns! What a charmer. It’s called the sailing capital of North Carolina.  We docked at the FREE docks for two nights as we decided to stay an extra night because we liked it so much and so Jonny could start to relax!

  

When we arrived on April 24, we were met by our two new sets of cruising couples who had arrived ahead of us – Ann and Roger on Third Reef and Corinne and Robert on Ariel.  Lynn brought us smoothly into our berth and they helped us to tie up.

While walking around the town, we found a great marina store with good prices. We bought a new boat hook since we had lost ours when it got stuck on a crab pot that we were trying to disentangle at our anchorage in Wrightsville .

For such a tiny town, the few shops were very impressive with a great collection of marine supplies, outdoor clothing and unique gifts.  There was a beautiful gallery featuring the work of local artists and artisans – it was hard to keep from buying something there but we are trying to simplify these days!

The local fish market was the source of our dinner both nights.  Jonny cooked a delicious flounder dinner the first night and Lynn whipped up a shrimp and pasta dish with pesto for our second night. We are getting used to cooking in a tiny galley and are none the worse for it. Dessert was the local coffee shop’s ice cream overlooking the town docks.

The next morning, Lynn had more docking practice because we had to go to a neighboring marina for an all essential pump-out (our holding tanks were full)!  Afterwards, we took a bike ride through Oriental and happened upon a Dog Parade and Best in Show contest taking place in a lovely waterfront park.  It was a great example of small town America – frisky dogs, adorable kids, friendly people  and even a brass band!  We loved it though we were reminded of how much we miss our dogs, Katie and Mocha, and our cats, Gracie and Georgio.

 
Oriental is a really wonderful little town and one we highly recommend for a relaxing step off of the grid.  The people are incredibly warm and friendly and very proud of their little spot of heaven. 

Beaufort, NC

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After a beautiful day of cruising, we tied up at the Beaufort Docks for the night of April 23.   Beaufort, NC  (Beau is pronounced with a long o) is as different from Beaufort, SC (Beau is pronounced with a long u) as Montauk is to Easthampton.  We were right in the center of town on Front St. What a lovely town – very quaint, clean and friendly! 

Beaufort is filled with well-kept homes - many with historical markers dating back to the mid 1800's.  We are following the azaleas up the coast and they were in full bloom today.

We visited a very old and beautiful cemetery with Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers and lots more brilliant azaleas. 

That night we had a great dinner at the Blue Moon Cafe  with Corinne and Robert who are traveling on their trawler Ariel and who we had met previously in Georgetown.

The next morning we got up early and rode our bikes all along the waterfront and throughout the town.  Beautiful!

Swansboro, NC

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We traveled to Swansboro on April 22 and on the way we passed through Camp LeJeune and saw active military personnel on boats as well as evidence of practice maneuvers on shore.

 

 

We stayed at a marina right next to the town of Swansboro.

Wilmington, NC

Our sunniest day thus far on our journey was April 20 as we headed up the Cape Fear River to the historic town of Wilmington, NC.  The Cape Fear River is a major shipping channel - very wide and a bit confusing in parts where different channels cross the waterway. 

We stayed at the City Docks in Wilmington which were right in the center of the historic district.  Cobblestone streets, beautiful old architecture and neighborhoods were within walking and biking distance. 

We rode our bikes for a 12 mile round trip to have our boat cards made.  Discovered a beautiful bicycle route that traversed the city. What a great way to get a good feel for an area while covering a lot of ground!

Crossing the Border to North Carolina

The landscape started to change as we moved from South to North Carolina on April 19 with more development and fewer winding streams.  

We passed the dramatic Grande Dunes Bridge  as well as Tom Belchor's  mom's house in Holden Beach.  We chose to pass by Myrtle Beach to find a less developed area to stay for the night. 

We stayed at a very protected marina called St. John's Plantation at the advice of a cruising couple we met from Maine (Roger and Ann).  It was located in a very quiet nook right off of the intracoastal.  

Waccamaw River and Osprey Marina

 On April 18 we had a beautiful cruise through the Waccamaw River  - probably the most scenic part of the trip so far. It reminded us of our St. John's River cruises.  The Waccamaw winds through miles of tree-lined banks.

We saw signposts with nests of ospreys with little chicks peeking out.

Stayed at the well-named Osprey Marina, a tucked away marina right off of the intracoastal.

Georgetown, SC

Spent a great day in Charleston on April 15 with a horse-drawn carriage tour of the city and two great meals (see Jon looking very content after a great meal at the Hominy Grill). Charleston is a beautifully historic town with lovely homes festooned with overflowing window boxes.

En Route to Georgetown

Laughing gulls following in our wake

Charleston, SC

Spent a great day in Charleston on April 15 with a horse-drawn carriage tour of the city and two great meals (see Jon looking very content after a great meal at the Hominy Grill). Charleston is a beautifully historic town with lovely homes festooned with overflowing window boxes.