Myrtle Beach to Dismal Swamp

We left this anchorage by 7 a.m. in order to literally "be out of the line of fire"!

After turning in the rental car Monday morning, we headed to Carolina Beach, NC.  There we picked up a mooring for a quiet, uneventful night.  The following night we anchored at Mile Hammock Bay which borders Camp Legune, a marine training facility.  All was well until the good ol’ generator stopped running after half and hour.    So we changed marina plans and went to  Town Creek Marina in Beaufort, NC where a mechanic worked for about four hours finding and replacing a broken wire on a sensor in a very difficult spot to reach, of course!  The marina squeezed us into an end spot with a large jet ski ramp in front.  Tom asked if they had a shoe horn.  Luckily there was no current and little wind.  The owner of the restaurant above the marina store clapped and offered to buy him a drink after a successful, bump-free docking. 

Houses along Atlantic as seen from Bogue Sound

 Since we changed plans, Mike Lawrence, Sarah’s boyfriend, had to drive from Atlantic Beach (our original destination) to pick us up.  We then went to Amos Mosquito’s for dinner—a fun restaurant on the water.  I naturally had the shrimp and grits.  I am thinking of becoming a food editor specializing in critiquing this entrée!   This restaurant got high marks.  We enjoyed having a chance to get to know Mike better.  He gets high marks, too!

Mike (shrimp and grits in foreground)

 After dinner, Mike gave us a quick road tour of Atlantic Beach.  His parents were out of town but graciously offered us a room at their motel, the Caribbe Inn.  A king-size bed is a treat and the room was very comfortable, clean and colorful.  Mike manages a motel, Hollowell’s Family Motel, just down the street.

Our room at the Caribbe Inn

Hollowell's Family Motel

Following a good night's sleep,  Tom and I checked out Atlantic Beach.  The beach stretches for miles with clean, soft sand and the dunes reminded us of the eastern Lake Michigan shore.  The water was chilly so we just waded in ankle deep.  In the morning very few people were there, but when I returned for a late afternoon shell-hunting stroll the crowd had picked up.  I imagine it is packed in the summer. 

Linda on beach at Atlantic Beach

Dunes by the beach

We also visited Fort Macon—a Civil War fort that was originally restored by the CCC.  It is exceedingly  well done with audio tracks in each room telling the everyday story of life at the fort.  The visitor’s center is new and focuses on the wildlife of the Banks.  It was bvery interesting to read about the area we had been passing through.

View inside Fort Macon

View from boardwalk by Fort Macon

Mike’s  parents, Trish and Darrell, returned Thursday and they took us to dinner that night at Bistro by the Beach, their favorite restaurant.  We had a wonderful meal and a good visit. 

Trish, Darrell, Mike, Linda and Tom at dinner

We left Beaufort Friday morning and anchored that night in Campbell Creek.  It was a still, muggy night so we were grateful to have a working generator for air conditioning.

The following night at the recommendation of Active Captain,  we pulled in to Dowry Creek Marina near Belhaven, NC.  Who should be the boat in front of us at the marina but Active Captain.  We met Karen and Jeff (and their two dogs) and told them how much we appreciated and counted on their website.  We use it daily to choose anchorages and marinas.  The marina had a Cinco de Maya potluck dinner that night featuring Chihuahua dogs (a.k.a. hot dogs) as the main course.

Cinco de Maya celebration at Dowry Creek

We were planning to leave the next morning, but the winds were strong and we were in a really tight corner dockspace so we stayed one more night.  The following day we left and followed the Pongo-Alligator River canal to the Alligator River where  we anchored before crossing the Albermarle Sound.  The canal was rather boring so I decided to read awhile.  No sooner had I opened my book than Tom spotted something swimming across the river.  I grabbed my trusty binoculars and camera and went rushing to the bow.  Look what was crossing right in front of the bow!  How fast a day can change!  Be sure to double click on the pictures to get a close-up view!

Wait for me, Mama!  Tom had to come to a complete stop in order to avoid this little guy.

Black bears swimming across the canal.  What a special treat  for the eyes and soul!