Oriental to Pantego Creek, Belhaven, North Carolina

 We were gone at sunrise out of our anchorage at Oriental and decided to stop at Belhaven to wait out the upcoming weather. We stopped at Riverforest Marina for diesel, water, and pump out and did not take them up on the free hotdog or hamburger in celebration of Memorial Day as there was quite the line. We headed to the far end of the anchorage behind the breakwater and near the low bridge hoping to be out of the boat wakes. We dinghied past the free Belhaven City dock underneath the bridge to the Chamber of Commerce dinghy dock and walked the town. We found the hardware store and across the street the Farm Boys Restaurant and out front fresh strawberries for sale. We walked down Water Street past River Forest Marina and back up Main Street after stopping at Cloud Nine Creamery for ice cream. 

Sunrise with a cup of coffee on the flybridge

Dinghy dock behind Chamber of  Commerce

River Forest Manor and Marina

Interesting Attic Life store

Next to the library

Crabbing about town

Old City Hall now the Senior Center

It was a quiet night and great to sleep in knowing we have a great place to eat breakfast. The Belhaven free dock and dinghy dock with a picnic table pavilion is right across the street from Farm Boys takeout. We ordered a full breakfast and it was too much food but we walked it off doing almost a five-mile loop around town. We had the cart with our propane tank so it made it easy to stop at the service station, Walgreens, Post Office, Food Lion, and Yamaha Service Center. We were invited into the Artisan Center to view the art and had a nice chat with the local owner before making it back to the dock to be greeted by the official greeter with our welcome packet. We had a nice chat as she lives in the condos overlooking the waterfront and has her golf cart and Charlie, her fluffy dog. We met two other cruising boats.

Local artists center

Bluebird house in the window caught our eye

Dock master's pirate metal sculpture

The local steakhouse

Canada geese who love to poop on dinghy docks

Almost every perch taken

We checked out another breakfast place at Gingerbread Bakery and O'Neals Snack Bar on the main street from the waterfront. It was a cozy diner with an excellent omelet, grits, and biscuit and great service. We had a shout-out as we headed back to Advanced Auto as to the shortest route and then got stopped in the liquor store with an offer for a ride back if we were finished shopping. What a friendly town as we stopped at the Chamber of Commerce and were welcomed into the boater's lounge and any of the books we wanted to take not even in trade. We headed to the library to look for any travel books to finish booking our England and Ireland pre-tour hotels. We got all the final bookings finished back at the boat as well as defrosting the freezer. It was a cool overcast day and a few rain sprinkles as we got back to the boat.

A better view of River Bend Cultural Arts Center

Inviting downtown

The ultimate upscale Spoon River Artworks and Market Restaurant

Another cool overcast day as we returned to the same breakfast place as we've been to all of them! We then took the self-guided walking tour of the historic homes following the brochure with addresses, pictures, and descriptions, We found the community center and park and walked through the boatyard and marina, and finished up with Glenn getting his haircut before we returned to the boat. The weather looks good to move on tomorrow and stage to get across the Alligator River Saturday morning.

Fishes in the flowers

From the community park looking out across the town breakwater

The beach and River Forest Marina

Relaxing overlook

Pelican perched on the porch

Front yard rabbit

Birdhouses of Belhaven

Sunset over the bridge behind us

Back Creek to Smith Creek at Oriental, North Carolina

 After the tropical low storm moved through Saturday night, we woke up Sunday morning to a flat calm anchorage but still overcast with a bit of blue sky so we pulled anchor and headed up the Nuese River to Oriental. We got a small rain shower and the wind and waves picked up making it a rocky crossing until we went under the railroad bridge to anchor in Smith Creek. There is a new boat ramp and dinghy dock nearby but we ended up stopping at the marina under the bridge to tie up our dinghy. The rain stopped and we started our walking tour of Oriental and our shopping. There is a New Village Brewery we passed after eating lunch at an old favorite M&M's Restaurant. We stopped at the Inland Provisioning Company and headed to West Marine and Piggly Wiggly. We were offered a ride by Buddy and he even waited while we shopped so we could pick up beer there. It rained again after we got back to the boat to unload. After the rain stopped we headed back in to walk to West Marine and then back by Piggly Wiggly for wine and what we forgot the first time. We got a ride back with a woman driving a golf cart. We were going to do a sundowner dinghy cruise but the black clouds dumped more rain so we got ready to leave in the morning.

Thought it was a white pelican but took flight

Looking for chicks

View back to sailboat anchorage at Oriental

Our anchorage in Smith Creek

Public boat ramp and dinghy dock off our starboard

Marina picnic area near the dinghy dock

Shady benches overlooking the docks

Creative glass art displayed on porch

Artsy house number

Two Silos Restaurant regrettably closed on Sunday

Swansboro to Back Creek near Oriental, North Carolina

 On Thursday, we were up in time to see the sunrise as we pulled out of the Mile Hammock anchorage and were surprised two boats had already left. We made it through the 7 am opening of the Onslow Beach Swing bridge operated with military precision by the Marines along with the sailboat Luckiest. It was an overcast, cool, and very windy day as we passed through Beaufort, North Carolina, and because of the forecast rainy and very windy weather to come, we chose to stop here in Back Creek. There is one other catamaran anchored here and loads of crab pots but out of the wind and the boat wakes from the ICW. So this will be a nice place to hunker down for the bad weather that will put a damper on Memorial Day weekend boating for sure. This is a shoal boat anchorage so don't expect to see many other boats that we have been traveling with.

Sunrise over Mile Hammock anchorage

Beautiful glow

View from the helm as we watch the swing bridge open

S/V Luckiest is on her way through

The patriotic bridge had American flags across the bridge span

An amazing anchorage by the ships in Beaufort

We had intermittent cell phone coverage and could not make phone calls while anchored out in Back Creek from Thursday night through Sunday morning. There was one other catamaran anchored further up the creek and we saw him trolling in his dinghy as we took off on Sunday. We had two quiet days doing boat work inside as the wind howled and it rained. In this anchorage, we were surrounded by crab pots but did not feel any boat wakes but the weather was too miserable for any boats to be out.

Our snug peaceful harbour to ride out the stormy weather