JULY 12-JULY 13     Beaufort, North Carolina

The short distance to Beaufort was made even more beautiful by the sunshine and a bright blue sky filled with fluffy cumulus clouds.  Hundreds of boaters and anglers were taking advantage of the weather.  Again, the coastline was dotted with condos and a mixture of homes, modest and palatial.

Most of the homes were made of wood and reflected the cottage style of the Carolinian coast with wide, welcoming porches, white facades, and dark green shutters.  Crepe Myrtles, white, pink, and red, and hydrangeas, filled with huge blooms, sharply contrasted with the stark white of the homes.  Beaufort Docks proved to be the perfect place for us to take a break from the ICW.  The town of Beaufort is the third oldest in North Carolina and rich in historically designated homes and buildings.  We were located in the active part of the downtown area and could easily walk to restaurants, shops, and local attractions.

We took the courtesy car and went to the recommended grocery store, a large Piggly Wiggly about a mile from the dock.  It was time to re-provision and we were glad to have a car to carry our purchases.  I had not been in a Piggly Wiggly since the late fifties when we lived in San Antonio.  Apparently, that chain is no longer present in Texas but it is widespread throughout the states we have visited the meat market—fat back, chicken feet, pig feet, pigtails, and chicken hearts.  There were boxes of grits in at least ten possible combinations, cheese, red bean and gravy, etc.

We returned to the boat, showered, rested, and then sat on the bow of the boat in the cool evening breeze to enjoy the changing scene of multiple boats coming through the harbor and the music emanating from the neighboring restaurants. We loved being there and being a part of it.

Monday was a workday. David spent the afternoon finishing a work project and I completed the curtains in the master stateroom. We rewarded ourselves with a long evening on the bow enjoying the scene around us and the lovely guitar music from the dock restaurant.  Dinner was a fresh fish, caught this morning and purchased at a nearby seafood market.  It was fine dining at its best.