Beautiful Beaufort, NC - July 9, 2014

You might recall the other day I gave you a glimpse of Beaufort from the water.  Today I decided to drive over vs. biking.  The RV has been sitting since Friday...wanted to get the batteries charged up a bit...and I wanted to be over there before it got too people-fied aka 'tourists'.  I've been there before, but it doesn't seem to lose it's appeal.

The first stop I made was to the "Old Burying Ground"....it's a wonderful, old cemetery....lots of old trees, azaleas, and magnolias and almost indiscernible paths...no rhyme or reason to any of it.  Very overgrown, but that's one of the aspects of it that I enjoy most.  There are over 200 stones dating from pre-Civil War. The earliest legible date on a marker is 1765 although it is estimated there are more just as old that are not legible.  Some markers simply have no dates.  It is know there are 45 from the Civil Ware period and 150 from 1865-1890.

                      Characteristic of this time period are vaulted graves bricked over to protect them from water and wild animals. 

There are still old, wooden markers in the oldest section. This is the only one I saw that had an extra element to it.  Other markers in this area are shells and bricks. Stone was too difficult to obtain at that time.   

There was one disturbing incident in the cemetery, tho'. There is a grave site of a little girl whose name was never known...dates are not visible any longer, but it is old.  She is known as the Girl in the Rum Barrel.  She died at sea returning from England, but her father had promised her mother he would bring her back home. He did...inside a rum barrel.

Visitors have always adorned the site with trinkets, toys...anything they may have with them...even money.

I had already been by here but after a few hours of photographing, I circled back for some reason.  To my amazement, a man was riffling through all the trinkets, etc.  He wasn't just curious...he was so engrossed in his "quest" he didn't even see me.  AND one hand was full of small items.  My camera was hip level and I took a chance that I might catch him in the act without him noticing.  I did!

He didn't notice me for another minute, at least. When he did, he was visibly taken aback, but quickly tried to act "normal".  I didn't confront him, but he knew I knew.  After another minute he wandered away, but I couldn't tell if he had pocketed his "finds" or not.  I had taken the above photo of the site before this happened and I took another after.  He had definitely moved everything around.  Really despicable behavior.

I left the cemetery and walked down to the waterfront.  It was getting to be lunchtime, so I stopped at the Boardwalk Cafe for a grilled mahi mahi sandwich and had a nice chat with the young waiter, Salvatore.  He said the diving in the area is good now, after the hurricane.  He also mentioned divers have been seeing some very different fish in the area.  That would be fun!

Walked down Front Street past the shops, etc., and this boat building enterprise.  Pretty impressive!

It's getting a little busy now with tourists, so I decide to head away from the water and into the neighborhood... filled with historic homes.  Seems "typical" tourists don't appreciate this part of an old town very much, which I truly do not understand....but it gave me the streets all to myself! These houses are all 1800's.

Some with quirky gardens....

I had parked the RV in a parking lot (which was virtually empty when I arrived).  I knew, in the back of my head, it was a mistake, but just ignored what my little brain was telling me.  Sure enough, when I was ready to leave, there was NO way I was going to get out of there!  Someone even left a note on my door that they had taken my license plate number with them because I would definitely hit their car if I tried to get out.  The parking lot was full and a middle-aged man and family drove in looking for a spot.  I said he could have mine if he wouldn't mind guiding me out.  (I should have taken pictures of this predicament!)  He said, "Sure!". He sent his family on to site see and rendevous with friends and he stayed to help me. After awhile, I was ready to give up and just wait for some cars to leave.  But he kept at it. "Sharp right, forward, back, stop, forward, sharp left, straighten wheels..." Well, OVER AN HOUR LATER , inch by inch, I was finally out!  We were both elated!  I could never have done it without his help!  His name is Lawrence...from the Atlanta area. He wouldn't take money, of course, so I gave him one of the framed tiles I make...signed it with my name and a big "Thank you!!"   A great random act of kindness which I will pay forward somewhere in my travels!

(In hindsight, I should have parked in one of the shopping center parking lots on the edge of town and biked in....DUH!  Lesson learned!)

So, I bid a fond farewell to beautiful Beaufort and head back to Harkers Island.  I will be here until Monday morning, then rolling on towards Charleston and Savannah...then to Brunswick, GA.  Need to start planning my stops!  I probably won't be posting again until that leg starts.  Enjoy a great weekend, everyone!

 

Ocean Breezes - July 8, 2014

The day started off a little breezy, but I didn't think much about it...not uncommon when you are near ocean water.  So....a bike ride was in order!  I puttered around getting my things together and knew it was just a mere 16 miles over the Beaufort.  Off I went!

There's a dock of fishing boats very near my hosts' house and on my way out.  I liked them when I was here before...and I still like them!  I like all the paraphernalia, rust, nets, rigging, gidgets and gadgets...

Today I'll be crossing the draw bridge, off the island.  For safety's sake, I walked my bike across the draw bridge.  There isn't a lot of room for cars AND bikes. 

It was still relatively early, and the sun was still low, so I stopped for a couple of photo opps right over the bridge.  Love the clouds!

 I was thinking there shouldn't be much traffic on a typical week day eventho' this is the only way off the island.  And...there wasn't much traffic, but the speed limit changes from 45 to 55 just over the bridge. That's kind of fast for cars to be whizzing by, but there weren't that many and the way the road is configured it seemed easy enough for them to see me.

I'm pedaling, pedaling, pedaling....for about 8 miles.  Then..... it goes from easy breezy to wild and windy!  I think twice about going on to Beaufort and turn around.  I was right in the head winds.  What a work out! But I took my time, changed gears often and found spots to stop for water and leg breaks. 

But I wasn't going to let a day go by without a couple more photos!  So, just before reaching the draw bridge again, on the return, I stopped along the water for a few minutes.  This time on the other side of the road.

Hard to get the perspective, but there were some mighty large clam shells on this little beach!  Made me think of clams casino and angle hair pasta with garlicky clam sauce!  Mmmmmmmm.....

The wind apparently wasn't bothering this stately guy...or gal!

Then, back over the bridge....walking the bike again.  If I'd tried riding it over in this wind, I probably would have ended up in the water!  Got back to the RV and rested for a little while, checked email, made a sandwich, began researching my potential camp sites after I leave here and immersed myself in another book.  Love my Kindle Fire!  

Later in the afternoon, I decided to walk over to the neighborhood's marina.  Just wanted to sit by the water with the sun and salty wind in my face.  And it was high tide!  Picked up the Kindle and strolled over...

I sat there by the water for about two hours....so nice and "ocean-y" especially with the water being up.  You can see the swells in the water....and the flag...straight out.  It is definitely windy, but nice!  

Read my book and thought about tomorrow's activities.  There's rain in the forecast after tomorrow.  If it does actually rain for a few days, that will be the first significant rainy days I will have had since I started my adventure!  Pretty lucky! 

That's it for today.... time for dinner...pot roast -- good, down home, southern style!  Nothing better!

Great Start to Week 3 -- July 7, 2014

I woke up very early this morning to another lovely day by the water.....but it was a slow start actually doing anything very productive!  I knew I wanted to go on a bike ride, so I got in gear, and got my gear, and finally started peddling about 10:00am.  I wasn't sure exactly where I was going, but I knew Island Road went from one end of the island to the other.  My parking spot is at the far left end of the island.

So, off I went.  I started going down Cape Lookout Drive and then, where it intersects Island  Road - probably about 2 miles or so, there was the Vergie Mae Cemetery.  Had to stop, of course.... 

It's an interesting cemetery in that, it appears families don't buy individual plots, but actual sections.  Some have regular fencing around them but the majority are sectioned off with chain-link fencing.  It seems everyone is responsible for the upkeep of their own section.  I don't recall ever seeing this before.  Needless to say, the upkeep varies from very tidy to very disturbing....but maybe there are no family members to take care of some of these sections.  Anyway, here are a few interesting finds....

This one (or two) was completed fully with cinder blocks....

I have no idea at all what this is supposed to represent.  Not to be disrespectful, but it is just a big blob of resin with no inscriptions......but it surely must be meaningful to someone.  

Being on an island, many memorials are decorated with shells, boats, seagulls, etc.  

This one is simply cinder block edging lined with conch shells.  

On with the journey.  I turn onto Island Road.  Not much traffic at all...all the holiday weekenders have left. Up ahead a bit I see Billy's.  It's the local fishing equipment/grocery store.  Not knowing if I was going to come back the same way, I went in and picked up some fresh sweet potatoes and pears.  Four sweet potatoes and 3 pears came to only $3.68.  Seemed pretty reasonable!  

Between me and the water are houses of all descriptions.  All with incredible views, but very diverse in their architecture and overall appearance.  Stately, shacks, brick, trailers...you name it.  It is also zoned commercial so small businesses are interspersed here and there.  More pedaling brought me to the other end of the island where Island Road dead ends into the Cape Lookout National Seashore Park.  A  boat ride three miles off shore brings you to the barrier islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore.  It takes you to wild horse watching, shelling, fishing, birding, camping, lighthouse climbing and historic villages.  Maybe I'll do that one day this week!

I sat down by the water for quite some time.  Virtually no one was there.  But, after a while, a group of kayakers drove in and started unloading their colorful kayaks.  Great day to be out on the water!

Down by the park there was a museum but I didn't go into it today.  Maybe I will check it out if I go back to go out to the lighthouse.  I did like it's architecture with lookout tower!

I decided to take the same route back....Island Road.  

I'll try a different route another day since I will be staying here through the weekend.

  All in all, I had a really nice 10-15 mile ride!

When I got back, I took a solar shower, walked down to the docks and continued reading a new book. Then I thought about dinner.....maple glazed chicken and sweet potato....with some fresh herbs that Dominique and brought from her garden.... and a *mostly ice* mango/coconut/almond milk pina colada.  I see it as a "health drink"....all the ingredients are healthy.  I've never heard that rum, specifically, is a bad thing!    

The evening ended with another beautiful sunset and the most glorious off the water breeze that has continued for several hours.  Reminds me of the Caribbean that way.  It's lovely!