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!

Charleston to Myrtle Beach

All along the waterway between Savannah and Charleston we saw mansions like the one below.  It amazes me that there can be so many.

Arriving in Charleston harbor on Friday, April 20^th, we came upon hundreds of sailboats with colorful jennies and spinnakers flying.  We later discovered this was the week-end of the Charleston regatta.

 We stayed at the Charleston Maritime Center which proved to be a very handy location for sightseeing.  On Saturday, Donna, Diane, Tom and I took a carriage ride around the historic district.  After the ride we tried to tour the Palmetto Brewery as Donna knows the owners, but it was not open on Saturdays.  So Tom went his way and we ladies went back downtown to stroll along rainbow row and other streets we had seen from the carriage.  We also toured Russell mansion, a house tour I would highly recommend—beautifully restored and full of history.  The gardens and ironwork in Charleston were gorgeous.  We were constantly snapping pictures.  (Check out the separate blog featuring gardens and windowboxes!)

Diane with her wonderful camera
 taking a picture of the
Russell Mansion

Homeowners buy the gas fixtures
and the city pays the for the gas.
Sounds good to me!

Beautiful ironwork

Jasmine was in bloom everywhere

Since most buildings were commercial
on the first floor, the residences on the second
and third floors were accessed by
outdoor stairways.

Rainbow Row
Pastel colors on the houses.
In Charleston, it works.

Saturday, Carla and Frank Taylor came to join us and arrived in time for dinner.  We feasted on shrimp and crab legs and sadly said good-bye to Donna and Diane as they caught a train back to Savanna to pick up their car Saturday evening.  Later that evening a large square- rigged brig flying a Swedish flag pulled in to the gas dock at the marina.  We  learned it was a sailing school and the student crew signed on for three months.  This crew had come aboard in Miami and they were headed to Bermuda and beyond.  Tom talked his way into getting a tour of it.

Swedish square-rigged brig

Tom was very glad to have male company after a week with a boat full of females. While he and Frank went to tour the aircraft carrier, Yorktown, Sunday morning, Carla and I went for a carriage ride.  It worked well as this carriage toured a totally different part of the historic district, so I learned even more.  Then we checked out the sweetgrass baskets, tasty wafer cookies, and other goodies at the open air market.

Linda and Carla after carriage ride

Sweetgrass baskets and weaver
at the market.

Deck of Yorktown

After doing our part to help the economy at the open market, Carla and I took a pedal-cab back to the dock where we met the guys in time to catch the ferry to Fort Sumpter.  It was pouring rain as we boarded the ferry, but let up when the ferry reached the island.  Perfect timing.   Fort Sumpter was originally built three stories tall, but by the end of the war it was reduced to a single story.  Having only 83 men to hold the fort, Captain Anderson, the Union commander, was forced to surrender, but did so with very little loss of life.  Later in the war bombardment by Union rifled cannons  proved to be the demise of the fort.

Approaching Fort Sumpter by ferry

Carla and Frank at Fort Sumpter

Showing thickness of the walls looking out a window at the fort

Sunday night we went to dinner at Magnolias specifically to have their highly touted fried chicken and they were out of it!  We still had a delicious meal and Frank even tried a bite of my collard greens.  Didn’t like it, but did try it!! And I must tell you he ate creamy grits later in the week and even had seconds!  Yea, Frank!  Monday we left Charleston and headed north. The newbies were pressed into service taking turns driving.  

Helmswoman Carla

Can't this go any faster?!

Tom seemed quite confident in his recruits!

It's so nice to let someone else do the work!

We did let them have some time off, though.

Frank as bow spirit--a great place to stand
and watch the world go by

Carla engrossed in a good book
with the sun on her back

That night we stayed at the dock at McClellanville.  The sun setting behind the shrimp boats was spectacular.  We enjoyed it as we toasted a successful day over a dinner of pepperoni spaghetti.  Tuesday morning I walked to the shrimp docks and purchased fresh jumbo shrimp for our next dinner aboard.  What a treat.

Sunset through the shrimp fleet at McClellanville

Cheers!

Tuesday night we stayed at Georgetown Landing Marina.  Carla and I were on a mission to find a pot large enough to boil our shrimp.  We passed up the $365 stainless steel pot at the boutique in favor of a $10 heavy aluminum pot at an antique store.  Georgetown was a very nice town with lots of interesting shops.  We really did not have an opportunity to see much beyond the waterfront area.  Apparently at one time it was the center of a large rice growing area, growing over half of the rice consumed in the country. 

Wednesday we anchored at Bull Creek, S.C., enjoyed our shrimp dinner and played bridge.  Carla and I were determined to beat the guys, but it was not to be.  We did, however, bid and make a small slam!  Next time!

Thursday we headed for Myrtle Beach.  Just before reaching the city, cable cars pass over the ICW carrying golfers to the 27^th hole of a nearby course.  We knew we had arrived at the land of golf. 

Aerial lift to the 27th hole

Entering the land of golf

We stayed on the wall at Barefoot Landing.  A new marina has been built on the west side of the waterway, but we had been advised to stay here as it was closer to restaurants, etc.  We rented a car Friday morning and headed for the links playing couple’s scramble at Cypress Bay Golf Course which turned out to be a very pretty course.  They had the strangest looking squirrels there.  They are called fox squirrels, but they have the markings of a skunk.

Fox squirrel

That evening we briefly checked out the beach (it was raining) and overate at a calabash seafood buffet. All of us swore off buffets in the future!   I think I am growing gills.

Saturday we drove Carla and Frank back to Charleston to get their car.  The week had flown by. Sunday we did exciting things like laundry, grocery shopping and changing oil—getting ready to move on.  Next major stop­—Atlantic Beach!

Savannah to Charleston

Savannah--Where to begin.  There is so much history and beauty here.  Not to mention great food.  So let's start with the food.  Our first Savannah restaurant was the Shrimp Factory on river road which is inlaid with discarded ballast from the old merchant ships.  Ellie Grix (a native Farmingtonian) and Chris Wold (from Southern Belle) joined us for a fabulous meal.   I have become a lover of shrimp and grits.  Of course I  bought and made a few batches using the secret of substituting cream for 1/3 of the water AFTER the grits boil.  YUM!!

Dinner at the Shrimp Factory

Ballast embedded in street

Tom and Ellie had great fun trading punny jokes.  Ellie had been a tour guide in the area so we learned a lot about Savannah from her.  What a great young lady!


I managed to talk Tom into another trolley tour (no small task) and below are some of the sights.  It was a great way to learn the history of the squares and the homes.

Feather steeple from Forrest Gump

Phone booth used in "Something to Talk About"

Girl Scout Juliette Low's House
100th anniversary this year

pirate's house

door from which young men who were
shanghaied were led to waiting ships

Mercer House -- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
a must read before and/or after visiting Savannah

Oglethorpe statue

Oglethorpe (founder of Savannah) plaque

Statue of John Wesley
appropriately a man was preaching here

Tom by fountain in Forsythe Park

Other points of interest included the cotton buyers' steps and the walls and buildings made from tabby--a "cement" made of oyster shells, sand, water and lime.

Cotton buyers' steps

Tabby wall

 After the tour, Tom and I visited the railroad museum where Tom had a chance to operate a handcar and watch a steam locomotive working on a turntable at the roundhouse.

maybe retirement option???

My good friend throughout childhood, Donna Councilman, and her sister, Diane Paynter, joined us in Savannah on Monday, April 16th. Diane has a wonderful camera and a fine eye for pictures, so many of the next photos are hers including this interesting view of the barnacles on the dock pilings at low tide.  And speaking of tides, wow does Georgia have tides!! Seven to eight feet.  Thank heavens for floating docks!

barnacles on dock piling

We left Savannah on Wednesday morning and headed to Beaufort, SC.  We passed by Hilton Head but did not stop in.    We certainly came to understand why this is called the low country--marsh after marsh.  The dolphins entertained us every day and we tried to keep them around by singing to them (a hint from another looper).  Tom just kept driving and shook his head.  When Donna decided to attempt yoga onboard he was convinced we all needed therapy.

We found "Hello Dolphin" very effective!

Linda and Donna  at Isle of Hope

Yoga

Sun salutation?

The low country

Everybody takes turns driving.  It takes a bit of getting used to and oversteering is the norm, but both ladies got the hang of it.  Tom enjoyed giving them a hard time!

She's doing fine, Donna.  You can open your eyes!

Smack him, Donna!

We spent Tuesday night at Beaufort and enjoyed walking around town looking at the homes.  A few are shown below.

We think this is the house used in Forrest Gump

After dinner we played games--dominoes, five crowns, rummikub--and somehow Tom always seemed to win.  He, of course, reveled in this!  He also has discovered the bug zapper.  The photo tells it all!

No bug is safe on this boat

Brunswick Stew and wine--quite good

We spent one night at anchor before arriving in Charleston. We were up a creek surrounded by marshland and the night was very peaceful, but cloudy so we did not get to star gaze.  Our entertainment was several          dolphins apparently feeding near the edge of the marsh.  What fun they are to watch.

dolphins feeding along edge of marsh

Friday morning after four hour bacon and omelets we pulled anchor and headed to Charleston.