Thanksgiving in Beaufort SC

Today I sit here in Gini and David's house (Lynn's brother and wife) in Beaufort SC feeling great (and full) after an incredible Thanksgiving feast held yesterday at their friends the Wojciks. I may not have to eat again for about three weeks. This is most definitely my favorite holiday. You get all the pleasure of being with friends and family, plus turkey dinner, without the commercial trappings of Christmas. Sue and Greg were brave enough to provide a sit down dinner to a group of around 30 people that included their close friends and many of their children and grandchildren. As I looked around the gathering I thought this was exactly what the day was about and Lynn and I were indeed so grateful to be included in this wonderful group of extended families.

When we left Baltimore we thought we may not hang around in Beaufort long enough for Thanksgiving, but after waiting out the 4 days in Norfolk we began to wonder if we would actually make it to Beaufort in time! As it finally turned out, we had 10 days of great traveling weather and arrived on Tuesday. Along the way we had some very pleasant stops and discovered a few new places. Swansboro NC was an unexpected highlight. We anchored there overnight and had time to explore the little town. It has a kind of western town feeling with clapboard storefronts like you see in the movies. We stopped into a great Irish pub where KC bought us a beer. Lynn may have actually set a record as the easiest drunk when he declared feeling lightheaded after consuming a Mich Ultra! I knew he was a lightweight, but that takes the cake! We also enjoyed an outstanding spaghetti dinner at La Trattoria (yes friends, some things never change).

The next stop was Wrightsville Beach where we met up with Lynn's grandson Ryan, who is attending college at the University of North Carolina at Wrightsville. It was so cool that we literally pulled over to the side of the ICW at Dockside Bar to dock overnight about 5 minutes away from Ryan's residence! He came over for dinner and a visit, which was enjoyed by all. It was so great to see Ryan and I think both grandfather and grandson were very happy to be together even if it was just for a short time.

The next night we arrived at Myrtle Beach and again stopped in a Marina overnight. There we met Angie, KC's wife, who drove down from Virginia to pick him up. So, in about six hours Angie travelled the same distance we had for the past 7 days! That evening we had the luxury of a car and opted to go out for dinner at Fibber's on the ICW, moving faster than I had in several weeks, a strange feeling. It was a fun night and a lovely treat from KC and Angie. Sadly though, this was where KC left us and we were again on our own when we left the next day. We really miss having KC on board. He was a very pleasant companion and a huge help with so many things. Plus I thoroughly enjoyed his humor and ongoing commentaries about the people and sights we passed. Things we learned from KC: how to make peanut butter candy; how to use the trip odometer on the GPS; they are called fenders, not bumpers; how to hang the lines out to dry; how to eject a stubborn DVD from the computer (I swear it wasn't blocked KC); stuff about water pumps and engines (OK, Lynn learned that, I didn't pay much attention); and most importantly, how to relax and enjoy the moment...he definitely has his priorities in order.

After leaving Myrtle Beach we had four more successful travel days without incident, anchoring out most nights. We encountered numerous boats and traveled alongside with a few for a time. It's funny when that happens; I actually feel a bit like I have been dumped by a boyfriend when they decide to head off on their own way. On Wednesday we were joined on board by Gini and David and we departed the ICW to venture up the Chechessee River and then into the Collaton River, where we have docked our boat at the Callawassie Island community pier. It felt adventurous since the rivers are not marked and we were a little uncertain of the depths at the dock...but, we managed well and the boat is floating, but probably sitting on bottom at mean low tide. We will stay here until we have a good weather window to travel in the ocean to Florida, or they kick us out, whichever happens first. It feels very nice to relax in their beautiful home after 10 days of travel. It is surprisingly exhausting to travel in the ICW with very early mornings and long days in the fresh air watching for the turns and being on the alert for shoals. We have been pleasantly surprised that the ICW depths have been good, even in areas notorious for bad shoaling. We never touched bottom...which is a first.

So, I will sign off now. I must get ready for a soiree we are hosting on the boat for Gini and David's Callawassie friends. I wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend...we miss you all!