It was another early morning as we set off for the day. We had a mid-way point of Beaufort (Bo-fert) North Carolina where we wanted to spend some time. We weren’t sure if we would stay the night in the anchorage there, or move on a bit further before sunset.
Toby kept us entertained along the route.When we were almost there, I decided to try the ol dye your hair with Kool-Aid trick. Just a little bit of pink on the ends for fun. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but figured I could cut it off if it was horrible.
After anchoring in Beaufort, we dinghied in to explore.
You can see a little bit of pink hair at the end of my braid–turned out just fine!!
There was a cute little main street filled with shops, restaurants, and museums. We started off exploring a little, buying Hay and Tobin new Beaufort shirts, and peeking in the boat building museum. Then we headed to lunch.
Watching over a boat-building class at the museum.Vintage outboard motors.Ballast stones from the Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeard’s flagship, discovered just off the inlet here in 1996.Lunch with a great view!
After lunch we headed to the Beaufort Maritime Museum. We have been to many, many maritime museums along the way, but this one was great!! First of all, it was completely FREE!! Second of all, it was interesting with lots of history and artifacts from the area, but mostly I loved it because of the information about Blackbeard’s ship the Queen Anne’s Revenge. This ship was found in 1996 just out of the Beaufort inlet after it ran aground and sank in 1718. Just now, more information and artifacts are coming to light as researchers study the remains of the QAR further. It is great pirate lore!!
Look at those pirates!!A model of what the QAR looked like. It was formerly a French slave ship named La Concorde that Blackbeard and his crew overtook in the Caribbean and decided to call their own. There were some French artifacts found in the remnants of the shipwreck, as well as French ship-building designs, which helped researchers pin down that this was in fact the QAR.Look at the library in the back of this museum!! Full of maritime books, maps, weather guides, and more. It was a beautiful room.Surf’s up!Looking fierce with Blackbeard.
Next we stopped by Fishtowne Brew House for fun for all!!
The bro bros love this huge Jenga, but I’m always worried they’re going to be clobbered by it when it falls.
After a few hours of fun in Beaufort (Bo-fert) we decided to pull up the anchor and move further north before sunset. There was a free dock another 20 some miles down the ICW, so we set our sights on that for the night.
We passed by the Miss Melissa on her side. We have a few friends named Melissa, including one of Hayley’s baby dolls, so this one caught our eye.
When we pulled into Oriental, we realized both of the free dock options were right next to HUGE shrimping boats that smelled A LOT like shrimp. I told Mike I couldn’t do it and we had to leave, but he pulled up to the dock anyway. So there we were.
And of course, Tobin wanted to go fishing. So of course, Mike helped him fish.Instead of fish, this is what was on the hook when he pulled it out of the water.
We had a beautiful evening on the free dock, but it was a pretty smelly one.
Shortly after we got off the dock at Provisions, we saw a great example of the freighters that use this inlet. We passed by this tanker headed out to sea and even watched a pilot boat go right up to it, I suspect to get the pilot off the ship before it got too far out of the harbor.
We passed by Sunny Point before too long, which is the nation’s largest ammunition shipping point on the east coast. It covers 16,000 acres and has tight security, as you can imagine. The entrance along the water is blockaded with concrete piles connected by chains and signs warning of a restricted zone. It is also manned by a security boat. By land, I’ve read that there are large sand berms protecting the whole area. This shipping terminal is used to send ammunition, explosives, and dangerous cargo around the world, as well as supporting Fort Bragg if soldiers there are mobilized.
The kiddos worked on some school work underway, as usual. Hayley is just about finished with her entire 2nd grade math book, and she regularly journals and reads for fun. Colin has a chapter left in his math book, and he reads for fun regularly, but journaling is not his idea of a good time. He still does it multiple times a week because I’m the meanest teacher, obviously. Tobin is working on a preK-Kdg bridge book, loves practicing math, and often traces and writes numbers and letters. His interest in paper/pencil work has increased immensely in the last month or so. I don’t want to push book work with him, but he wants to be like brother and sister, so workbooks it is!!
Tobin is not sleeping, I promise you–must just be the timing!! I sure wish these kids would nap underway!! I’m not sure they ever have unless they were seasick.
We had some desolate stretches during our day and some busy stretches. Heading towards this bridge in Wrightville Beach was one of our busiest spots. The bridge was set to open on the hour, but we were pretty sure we could sneak under with about 6 inches to spare, so we went for it. Turns out that we probably had a foot or more. But let me tell you, dodging all these boats, aiming for the center of the bridge, and avoiding other boats putting in at the boat launch was stressful!! Whew!!
We filled up with cheap diesel fuel near Sneads Ferry where this shrimp boat tied up RIGHT IN FRONT of us to fill his fuel tanks as well. Luckily, he was ready to pull out just before us because I didn’t feel great about getting off the dock with him about 12 inches in front of us.
Mike bought the kids push pops or drumsticks at the fuel stop. Lucky kiddos. It was a nice treat for them on a long travel day.
Our next excitement along the waterway was provided by the Marines at Camp Lejeune. There was a very low bridge operated by the Marines that opened strictly on the hour and we happened to get there at EXACTLY the right moment. How we get so lucky without looking ahead, I’ll never know!! Then we traveled through a “live fire” area that is used for training. Of course they weren’t firing or doing any training at the time, but just seeing the signs and targets riddled with bullet holes was creepy enough.
Everyone at this spot had USMC shirts on–we were definitely in Marine territory, even if they were enjoying their Saturday!Sign reading “Live firing in progress with flashing.” I stared VERY CLOSELY to make sure there weren’t lights flashing.DANGER: Live Fire RangeWe saw a dozen or so of these targets filled with bullet holes. I can just imagine boats full of Marines racing around the water here, crawling through the flats, and shooting at their targets.
We had a few options for anchorages and one of them was highly recommended because you could quite often see Marine training maneuvers on the water and flights overhead (not in the live fire range, of course!). We would have stopped, but we didn’t see much to look at when we went by and who even knows if the Marines train on Saturday evenings?! Hopefully they get the day off!! So we continued about 10 miles down the ICW to make good use of our day.
I thought we were going to anchor and next thing I know, Mike found a free dock at Swansboro that he wants to tie up on. Sure enough, we stick the landing with live music and a restaurant full of people just at the end of the dock. We were a bit further away from the crowd this time, but the music was great. Mike wanted to get the kids off the boat, so he found a playground nearby. Leave it to him–always time to fit in another adventure. Just when I’m ready for jammies, he’s breaking out the soccer balls. Really, though, it was a nice walk through a historic town and we all enjoyed getting some energy out.
The town was Swansboro, but we saw these weird ducks–no swans to speak of!Another weird duck. Of course, it took some will power for Tob not to just grab him.
After playground time and soccer practice, we headed back to the boat under the light of a full moon. Tobin was crying in my ear about something he saw on the ground that I wouldn’t let him pick up, so it was a long walk back to the boat. I’m sure he was just tired, but I also blame that full moon.
INNTW with the full moon!! Beautiful!
The dock here was a great stop. We don’t mind anchoring one bit, but hearing the music and having the opportunity to get off the boat were welcome after a long day of travel.
Destination: Provisions Restaurant docks in Southport, NC
Distance: 37.6 miles
Speed: 8.2 mph
Time on the Move: 4 hours and 35 minutes
When we woke up in North Myrtle Beach, we had a few chores to get done before heading out for the day. We needed to pump out our waste tanks, and luckily, they have dockside pump out. The bad part was that Mike had to do the pumping, but it was nice not to have to move the boat. We also filled the water and prepped to leave the dock. We had a warm send off from the locals at the marina. About 10 people gathered to watch us leave. I didn’t think we were that exciting, but apparently they did.
Again, we had to call the dredge boat to lower their pipe and send an escort to lead us out of the marina. This time we passed through uneventfully, never seeing the pipe resurface. As we pulled out of the marina, we passed by a large fishing boat. No matter how many times we see them, they catch my attention–such character!!
Our drive was filled with residential areas mixed with natural areas. There were lots of large rentals along the way, mixed with smaller homes in neighborhoods, and some areas with really big, beautiful homes. We even saw an RV park.
We passed by this inlet to the ocean, but most of our trip was protected by barrier islands lined with large rentals.
Along the way we had a few discussions about where we should actually go for the evening. Mike’s parents still had Colin with them, and they were planning on meeting us wherever we ended up and spending the night on INNTW. It seemed like all the hotels were booked between bike week and a festival held nearby. We were all excited that Grandma and Grandpa were going to finally spend the night on INNTW!! We ultimately decided to dock for free at Provisions Restaurant dock, where you can stay overnight if you eat there. DEAL!!
I got this picture of a fish Colin caught while he was fishing off the pier with Grandpa!!
The wind was picking up, but the ICW was so protected we couldn’t really tell the difference. When we neared Provisions, there were several docks to scan to try to find the right one (though the large word PROVISIONS on the roof ultimately helped. Also, the wind really picked up because there is a wide river area leading to an inlet to the ocean and the white caps were rolling. The tide was falling, but still on a mid tide, so we were stunned to see this sailboat washed up on a sandbar right next to the restaurant. There were 2 tow boats there trying to get him off the bar.
Heading towards Provisions we passed some interesting docks, bridges, and then a beached sailboat. It was a busy few minutes, trying to spot our exact destination and figure out how we were going to deal with the wind and waves.This sailboat was beached pretty good for a while. It was a good lesson as to how many sand bars there were in the area. They were covered at high tide, but very visible at low tide.
We realized quickly that Friday early afternoon was a very busy time at Provisions, so lots of diners would have the chance to see us dock. Great. Nothing like pressure, right?! We decided to stern in (back in) because the docks were so short, and we needed easy access off the boat. However, we were worried about the depth at the dock because just a few slips down we could see sloping sand piled up against the sea wall, again we were on a mid-tide. Mike called the slip he wanted and Colin and I prepped the lines and were ready to do our best to help the captain into the dock.
We say our boat is like a sailboat when it is windy because of our large enclosed flybridge. Most of the time, we love the flybridge, but when it is windy and we’re docking, it is the enemy. Mike kept getting pushed around by the wind, so he had to re-approach the dock a few times before he felt comfortable. There was a gentleman on the dock willing to catch our lines and that was a huge relief to me in those conditions. In the end, Mike backed into the wind to get us in the slip, but we were pushed sideways by the wind hard enough before we were far enough into the slip that the corner of the wooden dock scraped against the side of our boat pretty good. It was a little stressful, especially with a crowd looking on, but sometimes you’re just glad it’s over. Thank goodness for the guys on the dock who helped catch the lines!
We tried to move the boat back into the slip a little more with the lines, but couldn’t get it to budge. I blamed it on the wind, but Mike had the suspicion that we were actually beached and sitting on our props in the sand. Thank goodness the docks were new and in good shape because they sure had a job keeping our 30,000 pound boat in one place all night!! Overall, it was not a great docking experience, though it didn’t cause much damage except to our egos, but then the thought that we were sitting on our props had Mike worried all night. Not to mention the wind and waves rocking us. In hindsight, a different anchorage would have been a much better choice, but it worked out. (Worst docking experience with boats around: St Ignace. Worst docking experience with no other boats involved: Provisions.)
Mike and I “checked in” and had a quick drink at the bar to calm our nerves. Grandma, Grandpa, and Colin arrived and we headed to to see the town. We learned that this is a very important inlet area because it brings in a lot of shipping traffic to the port of Wilmington, NC. There was still a large metal tower along the shore where pilots used to stand lookout, waiting for big ships to come into the channel that they had to board to guide through the shallow waters of the inlet up to the port.
We found a park, read about the history of the area, stopped at a winery for some tasting, found a candy store for the kids, and then decided it was time to head back to Provisions for dinner. That place was hopping and we felt like we were in a bit of a fishbowl on our sundeck. That is probably why I don’t have a picture of 100 people staring at the new scratch on my boat, but I sure wish I did.
We had a great dinner and a beautiful sunset. That wind did not stop all night, though!! We were rocking pretty good, but Grandpa said it helped put him right to sleep on our salon couch. The kids thought the sleepover on INNTW was fun, and they even let the adults stay up late talking about how we don’t like talking about politics. Provisions closes at 10, so it was quite lively until then, but it quieted down pretty quickly, which we appreciated. (Mike and I thought of some bar/restaurants back home on the Clinton River that could never have this kind of set up because they are too wild and open too late–fun to visit, but not fun to stay!)
The next morning Larry and Cheryl left INNTW around 8:30 so we could get going. We had some miles to put under our keel in order to meet them closer to the Outer Banks in a few days. It was a good visit, but unfortunately I didn’t take many pictures.
I was happy to get off that dock!!
We were relieved when we were finally able to pull away from the dock, after some careful consideration for wind and waves. Luckily, the props don’t seem to have been affected from sitting in the sand for part of our stay. Provisions is a great place to stop, but I’d recommend bowing in, only stopping in good weather, and finding an alternative spot if you have longer than a 50’LOA (length overall of your boat).
Thanks for reading and following along on our adventures!!
We left Charleston mid-day after some soccer and a quick trip to the Fort Sumter Museum, so we figured we would just get as far as we could before dark and then find an anchorage.
We headed across the harbor to see the USS Yorktown a little closer on our way out of town.We had a flock of seagulls following us. Not quite sure why, but they sure loved flying behind INNTW!!
Under way, Colin made his first attempt at making a basket out of pine needles. He watched a park ranger work on this task in St. Augustine and has been anxious to give it a try ever since. Pretty good for his first try!!
Look at how proud he is!Colin, dragging out the dreaded writing as loooong as possible.Crazy 8’s underway!Actually just going crazy underway…
Once we settled into our anchorage, Mike fished with Tobin and Hayley, so Colin and I played Old for a while on the flybridge. I love having time for games and crafts on the boat! That is one of the best parts about this trip from a togetherness factor. There is sure a lot of togetherness!!
After dinner we watched a 1975 movie called “The Wilderness Family” that we picked up at the library dvd sale. It is about a family who leaves their busy lives behind to move to (you guessed it!!) the wilderness for a simpler way of life. We can totally relate to the family, though their lives are much different than ours. Everyone enjoyed the movie–can’t beat entertainment like that for $1!!
Our current location.
Stats for May 15, 2019
Stopover: Enterprise Passage
Distance: 45.1 miles
Speed: 7.5 mph
Time on the Move: 5 hours and 49 minutes
We were up and moving early the next morning because we wanted to stop in Georgetown, SC for a bit during the day. There was a day dock there that we planned to tie to so we could walk around town and check it out.
Just as we were getting close to Georgetown, Mike called me to the flybridge to tell me the Coast Guard was stopping all the boats going through the area and boarding them for safety inspections. Being stopped by the Coast Guard is something that is always a possibility, but has never happened to us. It is similar to a traffic checkpoint where police officers make sure you are following all safety rules. I quick ran through the boat and told the kids that the Coast Guard was probably going to come on our boat, but there were no problems. Then I bribed them to stay still and quiet while the coasties were onboard and made sure they had their life jackets on their laps so they wouldn’t accidentally walk upstairs without them. I also flushed the toilet and quick pulled the covers up over our bed. Nothing like unexpected company, right?!
This is the moment you get that feeling of dread, like knowing you’re getting pulled over.
Sure enough, we watched this guy head right towards us and knew our first boarding by the Coast Guard was imminent. We were a bit surprised because they didn’t hail us on the radio or state their intentions to come aboard, but the just circled behind us and pulled close to our port stern. I opened the sundeck door and they asked where the easiest place to come aboard was, but they were already stepping onto the swim platform. So I went downstairs to let them in.
Two men came aboard and at that point introduced themselves and said we were going to undergo a safety inspection. I took them to the sundeck where they ran through a list of about 15 things they needed to see like life jackets, fire extinguishers, ID and registrations, signage, etc. Sure enough, we passed their inspection no problem, though Mike did have to quick write out a waste management plan to satisfy that requirement. We were thankful for their stop but happy to see them go. It is a little overwhelming to have Mike to continue to drive the boat while I run around and find all these things to show them.
The kids were so funny. Hayley was right with me every step of the way, finding things they needed, but the boys just kept on watching their tv show, not even noticing these armed men in giant boots traipsing through their home.
After all that excitement, we were practically to the free dock in Georgetown. We got tied up, made some new friends right away on the docks, and headed out to see the sites.
Free docks are so smart to have in downtown areas!! We love to come check out a town, visit a museum, and have lunch all while docked for free for a few hours!!Scooter brigade!!We found this guy hanging out right next to the Riverwalk. We watched him for a bit, but he wasn’t interested in much, so we carried on.Good question!!
We stopped for lunch and ate with a 100 of our best biker friends. We timed our stop to coincide with Myrtle Beach’s bike week and apparently they like to take field trips. There were bikers everywhere!! After lunch, we stopped at the FREE area museum before heading on our way.
The only picture I took from the museum is apparently this ballast stone. We have seen these in multiple places, but they are still amazing!!
We headed out of Georgetown mid-afternoon, wanting to get as close to Myrtle Beach as we could before sunset. Georgetown was a lot of fun for a few hours!!
Heading out of Georgetown Harbor.
As we continued on we passed by this cool looking pirate ship. Ya just never know what you’re going to see out here on the water!
We drove through some very pretty channels to get to our anchorage for the evening.
Look at that dark, dark water. I sure miss the days when we could see the anchor sitting on the bottom in the Bahamas!!Another beautiful sunset!
Stats for May 16, 2019
Destination: N. Myrtle Beach
Distance: 30 miles
Speed: 7.8 mph
Time on the Move: 3 hours and 51 minutes
Again, we wanted to get started early on our trip in to North Myrtle Beach so we could make the most of our day. Plus, Grandma and Grandpa Herbon were there waiting for us!! Mike’s parents were coming to meet up with us from Northern Michigan, and luckily, they are good at going with the flow of a flexible schedule. They pretty much said what day they’ll be here and asked where to meet us. So, Myrtle Beach it is!!
We woke up to this beautiful reflection on the water.
Heading through Myrtle Beach, there is a long, straight section of the ICW that is lined with homes and some restaurants. We had a few bridges to contend with, but only 2 that had to open for us. There is no extra room in this stretch to anchor, so that is why we had to stay 30 miles away the night before.
Swing bridge with about 6 feet of clearance underneath.
Colin was up with us and look at that sweatshirt!! It was actually CHILLY for an hour or so!! He is working on a scratch off map that his teacher gave him before we left. We were thankful for the bridge operators who were very friendly about opening their bridges for us!!There is something in this stretch called the rock pile, which is apparently a big heap of bricks in the middle of the channel. We have heard of it and made note of where it would be. Before we got there, we read all our charts and the reviews so we would know how to travel through the area. It was a little intimidating, but no big deal for us actually going through. Breakfast after making it past the rock pile!This lighthouse marked the entrance to our marina. They were dredging in the marina, so we had to call ahead on the vhf to have an escort boat guide us through the area and ensure the pipe was lowered in the water to allow us to pass over it. Just as we were about 50 feet from crossing the pipe, it floated to the top right next to us. It would be damaging for our props to hit the dredge pipe, so we were a little nervous about passing over it, but everything worked out fine.
After we were all tied up at the marina, we took an uber to Mike’s parents condo. They had the most amazing view from their room on the 19th floor!!
Ocean view from the 19th floor. Some white caps rolling in.This is the view of the back side where there are flats. It was interesting to watch people clamming/crabbing, kayaking, and playing back here. If you look at the far right side of the pic, you can see North Carolina.
The pool was on the 9th floor, where we still had a great view of the ocean, though it was a little windy and blustery.
The pool area had a kiddie pool, a lazy river, a hot tub, and a regular pool. Lots to entertain the kiddos!!
After some pool time, we headed to the beach for some relaxing and playing. Can you believe these kids don’t just fall into bed every night?! Just writing about everything we do is exhausting!!
More crab houses!!Tobin’s 2nd toenails started turning gray and lifting after his trip to Michigan. He says he dropped a rock on his toes, but I think his shoes might have been too tight for him after all that growing he did during the flip flop months. Poor guy. He lost this toenail in the sand.Always building or digging, building or digging…Another day, another beach!!
After dinner, we took advantage of unlimited hot water and a bath tub to clean up. I feel bad the kids can’t take baths on the boat!! Colin stayed overnight at the condo while the rest of us headed back to the marina to rest up for another day of travel where we would meet up with Grandma and Grandpa again.
We left Beaufort mid-day and made it as far as we could before dark.
Not a great picture of Colin, but memorable because it shows evidence of our horsefly invasion. We couldn’t open anything without a screen for a few days because the horseflies were ridiculous and would still find a way in somehow. Kept the kids busy with the flyswatter!!
Somehow I don’t have any pictures of our anchorage, but it must not have been all that exciting anyway. We woke up BRIGHT AND EARLY on Mother’s Day morning to finish the trip in to Charleston. Colin woke up bright and early with us, but luckily the other two slept in a bit. That must be the advantage of having an actual bedroom.
I opened lots of Mother’s Day pictures and cards which was nice. Then Mike served me a mimosa for mimosa Sunday (from No Shoes Radio).
It was a bit windy docking in Charleston and we had some current to consider as well…not to mention parallel parking in between a looper boat we don’t know and our friends The Blessing. Of course the captain got the boat right in there no problem, though it was a tad intimidating at first.
Charleston is the 3rd busiest port on the eastern seaboard, apparently. These big guys came and went several times while we were there. He clears that bridge with about 10 feet to spare.There’s INNTW on the dock.
After getting INNTW all tied up we headed out to explore the town. Of course, our first stop was a playground and a park where the kids played soccer with some new friends for a bit.
We walked through the City Market area (where the kids wanted to buy everything of course!!), down a cute little alley way, past a beautiful church and an old cemetery all in some on and off rain. We didn’t quite know what we were doing or where we were going, but the rain definitely put a damper on our exploring. We turned lemons into lemonade and found a pub for some dinner while the rain passed.
Mother’s Day dinner!!
It was the kind of place with dollar bills all over the walls and ceiling. Somehow I gave in and gave the kids each their own dollars to decorate while we were waiting for our food. It was interesting to see what they came up with!!
We wanted to explore more, but thunderstorms were threatening. Mike headed off to the grocery store while I went back to the boat with the kiddos. We had some relaxing tv time while it rained. Mike brought back ice cream from the grocery store, so that was a great ending to Mother’s Day!!
The Pineapple FountainInteresting how they just left the front of this building standing. I’m sure they’ll work it in to new construction somehow. Love and hugs from my lovies before bed.
The next day the boys got haircuts on the dock while I got the laundry done. Then we headed off for a full day of exploring. There was a tour boat that left from right in front of INNTW multiple times a day and people would line up right in front of our boat. The morning group got a good show of what boat life is all about between the haircuts and laundry. Between people on the dock and the dockmaster, we had several people speak out in support of our decision to take the kids on such an adventure at this point in our lives.
We set off on scooters to explore the city. Our first stop was the Old Slave Mart Museum. This is a building built for the specific purpose of auctioning off slaves once it started becoming taboo and was no longer allowed to occur out in the open on the streets. There was also a jail for slaves here and a holding area for slaves heading to new homes. It was filled with stories, pictures, and artifacts of slavery in the south and lots of information about the slave trade overall. At one point in history, Charleston processed 40% of slaves coming into the United States. Slave auctions ended here in November 1963. It was very sad and eye opening to learn about some of the details of the slave trade. I am a firm believer that children of all ages will attend to and understand what is age appropriate for them. Our kids each were surprised, interested, and saddened at different things, depending on their maturity level.
Our next stop was at the Old Exchange Building which was built in grand fashion by the British in 1771. It was meant as a place to import and tax goods, but it was built to exude the power and wealth of the area at the time. Later, during the Revolutionary War, the British used the basement as a dungeon and prison for soldiers, citizens, and criminals. Stede Bonnet, a pirate once in alliance with Blackbeard, was held here at one point before he was hung in White Point Park, just down the street. I think the most interesting thing is that the basement floor is the original brick from 318 years ago and there is one area where you can see the original seawall that once surrounded the city.
A provost is a military prison.Look at these beautiful double barrel vault ceilings.This is the original floor.These are not the original prisoners.This wall is part of the original seawall.
The building is also famous for many other reasons beyond the basement. It hosted George Washington and was one of 4 buildings still standing where the Constitution was ratified.
I thought this explanation of the rattlesnake as a symbol for America made so much sense. The kids signed the Declaration of Independence.What an amazing building.
Continuing our bike tour, we were hangry and all we could find were expensive restaurants, it seemed. So we wandered, hit another playground, and spent some time getting hangry.
The oldest liquor store in America sure had some character!We passed by Rainbow Row which are 13 brightly colored houses forming the longest stretch of Georgian row houses in the country. Why have a boring colored house when you can have a brightly colored house?!This is part of the original wall around the city of Charles Town, as it was once called. It had a wall around it protecting it from the French to the north and the Spanish to the south. Since then, the area has been filled in and the land mass expanded.Scootering past the original wall.What in the world are we having for LUNCH?!
We ended up giving up on the restaurants close by and heading for White Point Park. This is sometimes referred to as Battery Park since it is next to the Battery. We learned that 100 pirates were hanged in this park over the years. One of our tour guides joked how it used to be a place of war and torture and now it is one of the most famous places to get married in Charleston. Seemed kind of ironic to me.
Of course we had to stop to examine a salamander we found in the bushes. How they can find these things while scootering by, I’ll never know…
We wandered the pathways (which aren’t paved, but have small stones on them) and waited for our Domino’s delivery man to arrive. Sometimes pizza just swoops in to save the day. I like to think we are quite resourceful at times, and this is one of them. Problem solvers.
After we ate, we checked out some statues around the park and started our walk back towards the boat. We found some amazing homes!! We also found happy hour. And then a library….the fun just keeps on coming!!
I am going to try to grow a vine in this same pattern on the side of our house when we return.Just happened to pass this on our route home, so we stopped in.
We found a great library where we don’t actually read books. Instead, we browse the used book/dvd sales, play with their toys, and play games on their computers. Ah well…
Heading back to the boat after a full day of exploring!!
The next morning Mike took the kids for a bit more soccer at the field while I worked on the blog. They also found the Fort Sumter Museum and learned about the place where the first shot of the Civil War occurred. After they ran off some energy, we readied the boat for traveling to our next stop. We could have stayed in Charleston for another week, but I have a feeling we’ll be back some day!!
We passed through some big open water heading to Beaufort, but it was a calm day so easy cruising. Mike noticed that we passed through an area where there thousands of jellyfish floating in the water. We just kept passing through more and more of them!! Later we heard that they aren’t a type that can sting and they are called cannonball jellyfish.
You can see a handful of them in this picture.Tobin gave me this early Mother’s Day picture. I love that I’m covered in hearts!! He used to make everyone bald, so one day I suggested that he add hair. Now I’m not sure hair was the best suggestion. Everyone he draws has crazy hair like this!!
There are 2 free day docks in Beaufort, so of course we tied up to one. Cities that have these day docks are so smart!! What a great way to draw cruisers in to explore and spend money in their towns!!
We went to explore town and found ourselves going on a horse-drawn carriage tour right away. It was a good way to get the lay of the land and learn about the history of the town.
This was our horse Silver. He tried eating part of a tree at one stop sign along the way, and Tobin must have thought that was funny because he wanted to make sure I put it in the blog.The carriage tour was a great way to relax while we saw the town!!
We saw many antebellum homes on our tour and heard a lot of history of the homes and the area. Many of them have been used in and inspired movies. Our tour guide told us that success of island long staple cotton made Beaufort the wealthiest place in the country between 1800-1860.
It was interesting to learn that in the Battle of Port Royal the residents of Beaufort understood that they would be easily overpowered when the Union soldiers came to town, 12,000 deep, so they gave up the town willingly and packed up and left essentially overnight. Only the slaves were left behind (and the residents were worried that all 10,000 of them would revolt and join the union–which many of them did). Union soldiers took over many of the homes to be used as hospitals. Later, when the war was over, the residents had to buy their homes back and many of them couldn’t afford it, so they moved elsewhere.
We saw more of the haint blue paint on the underside of porch ceilings and learned that people from the Gullah culture (mostly southern slaves in this area) did not like large windows in rooms where they slept because they thought spirits would come through them at night. That is why they painted doors and windowsills in the haint blue color.This house had a separate kitchen house that the owner buried his money under before he left town at the time of the Union occupation. The kitchen house was used by the Union as a morgue during the war. After the war, the man came back and found his money under the kitchen house, just as he had left it. He was one of the lucky ones that had enough money to re-buy his home. Nothing too special about this fence, but I just thought the flowers against the wall were so beautiful.
Harriet Tubman was a nurse and a spy for the Union army and worked in one of these houses. She knew the wilderness in the area so well that she led the Union army on several attacks and used slaves along the Underground Railroad as spies to keep an eye on the Confederate soldiers. Due to it’s early Union occupation, many slaves came to Beaufort seeking freedom. The Union granted them emancipation. Some Union gunboats even helped move slaves to freedom in the north.
There was a big fire here in the 1907 that burned many historic homes. This home was burned down, but the owners left the stairway that led to the previous house. After that a historical society was created to save the remaining antebellum homes.
We had dinner in town and played in the grassy park along the river. There are many swings lining the river’s edge and it was a great place to relax and take in the scenery. There was a college graduation happening at one end of the park, so it was a busy place!! We were treated to this sunset from the free dock while we watched a family movie.
There are large tides in this area, too. Check out that low water!
Even though the free dock had a sign stating no overnight dockage, we decided to stay overnight. In other places we haven’t been bothered overnight. Those rules are mostly to keep derelict boats and local liveaboards from staying at the docks for weeks and months at a time. This time our decision to stay came back to bite us when we had a police officer knocking on the side of our boat at 3 am. He was very nice, but was not budging on the idea that we needed to move off the dock or we would be fined $1,000. So we fired up the radar and the engines and moved about 1/4 mile off the dock to the other side of the river and dropped our anchor. The next morning we moved right back to the free dock for easy access for a few more hours.
After we were tied up in our same spot on the free dock, Mike got the bikes off and replaced Tobin’s tube. We rode around the parking lot of the park for a while to help Tobin get the feel of riding again and then set off for a bike trail nearby. Tobin is still using training wheels, but after a few weeks of practice, he will be ready to lose those bad boys. We rode about 7 miles total, with our miles on the bike trail the most comfortable and easy. After ditching the bikes, we went in search of ice cream on another walk through town.
It was a hot ride!! The view from the park. This is the bridge that Forrest Gump ran over in the movie. They simply put up a sign saying “Mississippi River” for the movie.Look at this beautiful walkway lining the river with swings all along the edge. It was a great spot!The little red-roofed building is where we had dinner, and this is the field the kids played in the night before.
We loved the history and relaxed, inviting atmosphere in Beaufort. It was a great stop, but since we couldn’t stay on the dock overnight anyway, we were ready to move on. Thanks for reading and following our adventures!!
Destination: Hilton Head Harbor RV Resort and Marina
Distance: 26.8 miles
Speed: 8.7 mph
Time on the Move: 3 hours and 17 minutes
We had an easy trip into Hilton Head from Savannah and tied up at the RV Resort and Marina after fueling up. We were excited to see that there was a pool right next to our slip, a playground further inside the RV park, and easy biking paths throughout the park.
See INNTW back there, just beyond the pool??
Mike is always up for biking, so he set to work getting all of our bikes off the boat, getting them in working order, and going biking. This is easier said than done because riding on the bow of a boat through saltwater is apparently not great for brakes and chains and other moving parts on bikes.
At least he’s got good helpers!!It turns out Tobin’s tire needed a new tube, so he was stuck in the bike trailer, unfortunately.
Foot races, playgrounds, bikes, scooters, and pools OH MY!!
So have settled on the idea that we didn’t really go to “Hilton Head,” but we did have a fun evening and morning exploring. Some stops are like that when you loop with 3 kids.
Ring toss!The tides are pretty huge here–like 9 feet!! You can see evidence on the piles below.Tobin likes looking for creatures on the piles at low tide.
So we have a new phenomenon with our traveling. Some of the “destinations” we are trying to get to are too far for us to reach in 1 day (or in the time we have available in 1 day). So, we get as close as we can for the day, spend the night anchored out or on a free wall, and then move on to the place we really wanted to get to the next day. I didn’t quite know how to enter those stops because quite honestly, a lot of them are boring. We usually can’t get off the boat and there really isn’t much to report besides “we traveled for 13 hours today, the kids did school, and were either best friends or worst enemies.” So, I guess I’ll try grouping these travels like I did above, with the idea that we had a “stopover” on the way to our actual destination. This blogging thing is difficult for a type A person like myself!!
The morning we left Cumberland Island was so calm and still, it was amazing. We haven’t seen calm water like this since we were in the Bahamas. We left extra early, but Colin woke up just in time to see some dolphins come play at our bow.
Our friends on Forever Friday took this great shot of INNTW at anchor in the calm morning.
Within the first short stretch of the day we passed by the Naval Sumbmarine Base in Kings Bay. It is the home port of the Navy’s Atlantic Fleet of ballistic missile nuclear submarines. I googled it and that basically means submarines that shoot missiles and are nuclear powered. We have heard that loopers sometimes see submarines in this area, which have tug boats escorting them (and keeping the crazy boaters away). I was really hoping we’d see a sub, but we didn’t. However, if you look at the google map satellite view of the area, there happen to be 2 subs in the area when they took the satellite image.
After that, the rest of our day looked a lot like this:
And this:
With a little bit of this:
And finally this:
We chose to have an extra long first day so that we could get in to Savannah earlier in the day. Plus, if we are just staying at anchor, we usually don’t feel a need to get there early unless we know there is a way to get off the boat. Your average anchorage is not a place you’re going ashore, but that is especially true here where the “lowcountry” is pretty much all marsh, depending on the state of the tide.
The next morning, we finished out our last 20 some miles of the trip early so that we could go exploring. After docking and a quick lunch, we called an uber and were on our way to the city.
Can you imagine being a tourist in so many different southern towns, with GENERALLY the same things to see and do in each town?? While we were excited to be in Savannah, we were not excited about paying for 5 people to join a tour where we would pay out our ears to hear about the history of the city. So we decided to grab the hop on, hop off trolley MAP and do our own little walking tour through the city. That is what I call a cheap way to learn about a place. (In hindsight, I wish we would have paid for the tour, I wish we would have rented a car, and I wish we would have stayed another day in Savannah.)
Enjoying snacks (ice cream and wine) in one of the town squares.Hayley is not always a fan of ice cream, so she picked out this toilet/plunger candy. Of course she did…We watched some local artists work on their paintings.
We visited the Owens-Thomas House and learned a bit about the life of this prominent family from the mid 1800’s. No expense was spared when building this house, so it has all the bells and whistles of a home from this time period.
Backyard gardens.
The carriage house was also the slave quarters where between 10-20 slaves slept. We heard a story about the slave who was a nanny to the Owens-Thomas children and how she had to sleep in the main house with the Owens-Thomas children, on call 24 hours a day, and she couldn’t sleep in the slave quarters with her own daughter. The other slaves looked after her daughter whenever she was with the Owens-Thomas children (which seems like pretty often). This seemed to sink in a bit with our kids and help them begin to understand how sad it is that the slaves weren’t free to make their own decisions.
The ceiling in the slave quarters is painted haint blue which was thought to keep ghosts and spirits away. Many porch ceilings in Georgia and South Carolina are painted in this color, (traditionally, window frames and doors were, too) all stemming back to the beliefs of the slaves from this area. This paint is original and was dyed with local indigo.
After touring the Owens-Thomas home we walked over to the Colonial Park Cemetery. This cemetery was opened in 1750 and full by 1853. It only has a few hundred gravestones, but it is said that over 10,000 people are actually buried here, some in mass graves. I’ve read that it is quite haunted, but it was a beautiful place for a walk, and interesting to read about the people here. Many of the markers were so old, you could not read the inscriptions. I find it interesting that quite often the years, months, and days old the person was when they died is listed. There is a playground in one corner of the cemetery which Mike and I thought was creepy, but the kids didn’t seem to mind one bit (A playground in a cemetery probably beats just walking around a cemetery!).
Next we headed down to the riverwalk where we walked on old cobblestone streets and passed by many shops and restaurants. Do you know how hard it is to keep our kids out of every souvenir shop they walk by?! We’ve stopped going in shops because we know they will beg for everything. It makes me miss the Bahamas where there was nothing to buy, anywhere!!
Loving Savannah! There are several footbridges like these along the river, connecting water level to the main street level, which is elevated quite a bit.Walking up a historic staircase. “Use at your own risk.”
The next morning, we needed to go to Target. Yes Target. We hadn’t been to Target since returning from the Bahamas and it was on Hayley’s list of must-dos when we got back to the US. No, really we needed new shoes for growing feet. Tobin’s second toenails have turned grey and started falling off, and we think it is from the way-to-small shoes he wore when he flew back to Michigan a few weeks ago. Regardless, we borrowed the courtesy car from the marina for a few hours and headed out.
Let me tell you, shopping at Target is not as much fun anymore. The kids just want everything and I can’t even look at what I want because it will be too hard not to buy it. So, we wandered from shoes to underwear to groceries to toiletries and got out of there!!
You can see Tobin wearing his new shoes here (“super fast shoes” he calls them) and I am so over it, I just want to leave!!
We figured we’d head to a playground to help the kids get some energy out before heading on our way. We drove to Forsyth Park which is a huge, beautiful park in Savannah with fountains, moss covered oak trees, playgrounds, and walking paths galore. We could have stayed for hours but we only had about 20 minutes. This is when we realized we really should have planned on staying 2 days.
Look at all those fancy new shoes!! Whew!! And look at that crazy high teeter-totter!! That just doesn’t look right?!
A quick stop at Little Caesar’s Pizza (also on the list of must-dos when back in the US) and we were out of there. We will have to put Savannah near the top of the list of places to return someday. What a beautiful city!!
Thank you for reading and following along on our adventures!!
We were slow moving heading out of Jacksonville Beach after such a long, hot, fun day at the water park. The marina was like a ghost town compared to the day before (Saturday) when it was full of boats. We took care of pre-departure chores and pushed off from the dock about 5 minutes before our friends on The Blessing, who were not far behind us, asked if we checked the weather. Of course we didn’t check the weather?! It was hot and sunny out as far as we could tell.
So we checked the radar and sure enough, there were big storms passing through. We outran them for a while, but this one was creeping up to us pretty fast, moving at 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph, including hail and lots of lightning. We decided to find a spot to anchor to ride it out, but within about 10 minutes we realized that it was going to pass just south of us. It seemed there were bigger storms to the north and to the south, but we were in a calm area right in the middle, so we picked up anchor and set out again. The weather was overcast off and on for the rest of the day, but no other storms came close. Whew!
We had a close call with this marker right smack dab in the middle of the channel. We were supposed to keep greens to starboard, but this guy was WAY out of place according to our charts. Ironically enough, we were reading a blog post from a 2018 looper about this EXACT SAME SPOT when we came across this guy. Mike idled for a minute so we could quick read the rest of the paragraph to ensure we knew what to do with this marker. Of course, the general rule is to follow the markers and not the charts. Reading that blog post saved our butts, and I immediately emailed the writer to thank him. What crazy timing!!Heading into Fernandina Beach, Florida, we saw some boats washed ashore near this factory and again had to go way over to the side of the river to follow the deeper water. Sometimes you see the weirdest stuff on the water!! Who knows what in the world this is?!
**Somewhere around here we passed into a new state!! First new state since mid November!! Welcome to Georgia!**
We were excited to see the wild horses that we have heard so much about on Cumberland Island, and we were lucky enough to see them from the boat as we headed into our anchorage. These horses are the descendants of those left behind by Spanish settlers about 500 years ago. I’m not a big horse fan, but it was exciting to see them free and roaming on the beach.
Check out this technology break!! Everyone gets a kindle!! This was the scene just before dinner. We don’t always use the kindles, but when we do, we sure appreciate the quiet!!
After setting the anchor and having a quick dinner, we headed to the island to do some exploring. We were greeted with huge trees arching over sandy pathways–it was beautiful.
We followed this short path about half a mile across the island to the beach. The boys were set on “catching” a horse, so they brought some ropes and homemade traps (grappling hooks, apparently, which we don’t have any, so…). All we saw on the walk across was trees, spanish moss, and nature.
As soon as we made it to the beach we saw these two horses down by the water’s edge and another half dozen or so further down along the sand dunes. Colin wanted to test out his trap, but of course I wouldn’t let him get too close. Hayley was interested in watching the horses, but she didn’t dare get too close.
Though you can see we did creep a bit closer…
We were amazed by our good fortune at seeing the horses again so easily. We weren’t quite sure how comfortable they were with people, so we kept our distance and they let us pass right by as we walked down the beach. We practiced writing numbers and cursive in the sand (Tobin and Hayley, respectively–no cursive pics, unfortunately) and Colin worked on making a corral for the horses out of twigs he found (guess he thought of another way to catch them!).
Boat school!!This kiddo is always building something!!Gorgeous reflection of the sky on the water.
There are cars on the island (there are some inhabitants), but the only one we saw was on the beach. There were several other groups of people on the beach, maybe about 15 total. The beach was huge!! It was very wide and went pretty much as far as the eye could see.
Eventually the horses from along the sand dunes went down to the water to join their friends. We wondered if it was the cool breeze they enjoyed down there. The horses seemed very calm and undisturbed by people walking by at a good distance. There were 2 foals in the group which was fun to see.
After watching the horses for a while, we were ready to head back to the boat because the sun was getting low. But Tobin and Hayley found some friends to roll around in the sand with and Colin was still working on his corral, so we were kind of dragging our feet and I’m so glad we did. All of a sudden, the horses started moving in 2 groups right towards where we were sitting. They actually came uncomfortably close and I moved out of the way, but Mike stuck it out and stayed in our spot. The horses headed straight for Colin’s corral and actually walked right through the thing!! We were all amazed, both at watching them walk by together and at the fact that they knew they were supposed to go in the corral. The foal knocked down part of the walls, which Colin thought was hilarious, and we were all in awe at watching them move so close to us. I thought someone was going to jump out of a horse suit and yell SURPRISE! It just seemed so surreal.
Look at those hoof prints in the sand, especially those tiny baby prints!!
We found some boaters to talk to that wondered if we were horse whisperers, and while we were discussing our boating plans, the kids were hard at work playing in the sand again.
Tobin drew a shark with a stick.Hard at work making crab houses.They are becoming pretty efficient at this and soon crabs all along the coast will be living in these Herbon Houses.
The horses were still hanging out along the edge of the dunes. What a beautiful view with the sunset behind them and an amazing experience for our first time on the island!!
The post-sunset glow behind INNTW on our way back.
The next day we were anxious to head back and explore ruins and nature paths on the island. The island was originally built on in 1736 by James Oglethorpe, founder of the state of Georgia, as a place to hunt. It switched hands several times throughout the years but always kept the original name for the house of Dungeness, which was after Dungeness, England, and it always was held by wealthy and prominent families. Nathaniel Greene was a Revolutionary War hero who owned the home at one time, followed by the Carnegie family from the 1880’s through 1925. Each new family seemed to build on and incorporate the home of the previous owner. The island was turned over to the National Park Service in 1972.
We spotted more horses as we headed for the museum on the south end.
We visited this small museum that gave a history of the island and showed off several artifacts. The pictures of the Carnegie children were particularly interesting to me, as the island seemed like the perfect natural playground for their many children. Later, each of the children had their own mansions built nearby so they could enjoy the island with their own families.
Here we are discussing the irony of saying someone “discovered the island” when really Native Americans had been living here for centuries. The kids were pretty amazed to think about someone just coming in and saying now they owned the land, while at the same time forcing natives into slavery and spreading diseases. So much of our history is pretty surprising when you stop to think about it.We found this salamander on a fallen tree.And this snake in a tree. It gave new mystique to so many knots and holes we see in trees.Entering the gates of Dungeness.Look at how grand and ornate the entrance is. More wild horses just outside the gates to the mansion.Here is what is left of the Dungeness mansion the Carnegie’s enjoyed after it was destroyed by arson in 1959.This picture compares the beautiful estate of the early 1900’s with the ruins remaining today.
One interesting thing to note about this island is how important the women were in the building and decision making. Nathaniel Greene died before his house was ever built here, but his widow built a home on the property regardless. Lucy Carnegie was the driving force behind her family’s purchase of the land here, and after her husband Thomas passed away shortly after buying it, she continued to make renovations and expansions on the property until it was left by the Carnegie’s in 1925. This is interesting because we sure do hear about a lot of widow’s from this time period, but we don’t hear about too many of them having the money or the power to build fancy homes.
This was part of a pergola through the garden area when the Carnegie’s owned it.This original house made of tabby by Nathaniel Green’s widow served as the business office for the Carnegie’s. Tabby is an old fashioned building material made of ground up oyster shells. It is apparently very strong as this house was built in 1803.The boys found a ton of crabs in the mud flats at low tide. At least these guys are little!A view of the horses wandering around in the mud flats from the back yard of Dungeness.A view of the backyard, looking at Dungeness, with the Tabby House in the background.
There are many other large houses in this area of the island. Most of them are probably Lucy Carnegie’s children’s homes that she had built for all of them; however, they weren’t open, so we didn’t get to walk through them.
Next we headed to a boardwalk over the mud flats. We watched lots of crabs scurrying down below and enjoyed the calm peace of nature.
Next we continued on our walking loop towards the beach. We were met with a surprise along the way!! This armadillo was foraging in the grass for things armadillos eat. It was interesting to see him–what strange animals!!
Armadillo sighting!!Take me to the beach!!The tide was low so the beach was so wide, it seemed to go on and on. And of course, we saw more horses!!Colin wanted to walk ahead and think about robots.
We ended up back at the same area of the beach where we saw the horses the day before. Colin was desperate to climb some trees he saw on the trail here so the kids and I headed that way while the captain got in a beach workout.
I have to admit–these trees are pretty amazing for climbing!!Tobin found a very interesting caterpillar.Heading back to the boat. We got quite a lot of exploring in today!!
We enjoyed the beautiful nature on Cumberland Island and the rich history as well. What a great adventure!! Thank you for reading and following along!
We left our mooring ball nice and early to get a start on the day. We wanted to go at slack tide, we had to time the bridge, and we needed to wait until it was light. I think we ended up heading through the 7 am bridge opening which was before slack tide, but without having to do much maneuvering, it wasn’t an issue.
Adios, view from the mooring ball…Adios, fort…
As soon as the kids were up, we let them know that we were headed to a marina and we wanted to get there early because we were going to a WATER PARK for the day!! Mike happened to find a groupon for a water park that was right next to a marina, and since the kids were such troopers with all the history in St A and we knew there would be a LOT of history to come, we figured why not spend on a day on water slides!? I have to give Mike all the credit–he found the groupon and pushed for the idea when I said it wasn’t necessary. He is a great fun-planner!!
Boat school is a pretty easy sell when the reward is a water park!!
We got tied up at the marina and made a quick lunch, then we were off to the water park. The place looked huge and had so many fun slides and play areas!! Plus, the day was perfect–sunny, humid, and mid 80’s.
A quick pic before we got started. Mama didn’t want to carry her phone around all day, I wanted to play!!!Thank goodness for all those swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School!!! This kid is a fish now!!Whew!! We were tuckered out, but the kids were still playing!
The kids were such troopers, going down a bunch of water slides, waiting in lines, and having tons of fun. It was definitely worth the planning, cost, and hassle to arrange this stop after seeing how much they enjoyed it.
We finished the day off with a round of putt-putt golf.
Hay girl jabbed her putter into her throat on accident and then immediately got a hole-in-1, showing that putter who’s boss!!C really enjoyed it and seemed to be a bit more serious and competitive than before.Tobin will make a great hockey player!!
Around 7:00 we headed back for the boat. It was a long day of fun in the sun and we were tired and hangry. Plus, we had groceries and laundry still ahead of us that night. Luckily, I ordered the groceries from instacart, so a very friendly lady did our shopping and delivered them right to the marina. I used to think grocery delivery was genius at home, but out here it is almost essential!! I’m still thrilled every time it works out!!
Mike and I also tag teamed 3 loads of laundry along with dinner, putting away groceries, showers for the kids, and bedtime. It was a long, exhausting day, but we had lots of play time and most of the chores were done, so we slept well.
Off to new adventures!! Thanks for reading and following along!!
