OK, so I'm Lazy!

I am embarrassed because I have let so much time pass since my last posting here.  The truth is that I have had such good intentions - but, umm, well, you know what the pundits say about good intentions.

Since the last time we have traveled a good distance as we were just leaving Hilton Head and now we are about to enter Virginia.  I could argue that Hilton Head is at the very southern tip of So. Carolina and that North Carolina's coast is very long.  And while that is true, it is also true that I am just not disciplined about keeping up with posting here. 

We have been having too good a time to download the pics and sit at the computer.  We made a fairly quick trip through South Carolina because we were planning a visit to friends in Southport, NC and we didn't have a lot of time to piddle but still some nice anchorages were calling to us. 

After all the miles of sawgrass country the beautiful Waccamaw River is a delight.  If you are following on a map you will find the mouth of the Waccamaw empties into Winyah Bay just north of Georgetown, SC.  There are lots of moss shrouded trees along the river banks and many small creeks that beckon cruisers to stop and spend some relaxing time.  Thoroughfare creek is especially inviting to us and so we planned our time so that we could spend a couple of days there.  We were not disappointed.  There were no other boats anchored, a few fisherman passed by each day as well as a few local runabout just out for a slow cruise - other than that it was just us and the birds and the 'gators.  The weather was nearly perfect and we enjoyed just hanging out in the creek and reading, napping and watching the wild life.

Our quiet anchorage in Thoroughfare Creek



If you look closely you can see the 'gator in the grass along the shore

Cypress trees along the Waccamaw

You have likely noticed the dark color of the water, it is not dirty.  The brown color comes from the tannin in the cypress knees rather than from mud.  We follow this beautiful river from Georgetown nearly to Myrtle Beach and we savor every mile.  Actually we could stay here for weeks but we reluctantly moved on in order to have time to spend in the delightful town of Southport and with our friends there.

Pat & Bill Steele have made North Carolina their retirement destination and it is easy to see why.  Compared to St. Louis the climate is very mild; there is a lot of American History along the shores of NC, and the people are very friendly.  Pat had made arrangements for us to have a guided tour of Brunswick Towne, founded in 1726 on the banks of the mighty Cape Fear River.  It was, at one time, the home of the Royal Governor and a very important port for the shipping of naval stores back to England.  The historian who narrated our tour was so very knowlegable and we were even treated to a preview of some new artifacts that had just been uncovered and were still in the process of being dated.  What a great overview of the pre- revolutionary war history of NC.  Although abandoned completely after the revolution the ruins of Brunswick town became important to the Confederacy during the Civil War when officers decided that the site would shore up Confederate defenses of the important port of Wilmington further up the Cape Fear River.

Amid out history lessons and bird watching time in Southport we were able to find time for a much need trip to the grocery to provision for the next part of our trip.  When we entered the Wal-Mart store we each took a cart and went our separate ways.  Larry visited the automotive department in search of oil for the engines on the boat and I went to buy groceries.  We rendezvoused in the produce depart when Larry returned with his cart full of six gallons of oil and 3 cases of beer.  A gentleman who was shopping with his wife articulated the observation that we were boaters.  When Larry answered "well, yes we are, did you see us at the marina/", he replied no, he hadn't - but only boaters buy that much quantity of those two items together!