POST 490 - DAY 284 / 27: MOREHEAD CITY - BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA.

Welcome to MOREHEAD CITY, NORTH CAROLINA.

Another pleasant night in the WALMART parking lot. Did my at-daybreak walk Back South on SR 24...returning, finding that I had mis-read the map...it was only 17 miles from CARTERET to MOREHEAD CITY, not 27. I mis-read the map last evening. So, walked an extra 8 miles this morning.

No problem, except, it was VERY cold and windy. The moment I stepped back into SPIA, it began to rain...our portion of the massive snowfall to hit the US North East last night.




To keep warm, I donned my "micro" Hoodie - a gift from friend Les Blackwell...thank you, Les - and gloves I still got chilled. Notice that I washed my vest ?

Made a Ham & Cheese sandwich and left again on a walk North on SR 24 and US 70 which took me to downtown MOREHEAD CITY. Another 12 miles = 28 miles for the day...all under black clouds and stiff, cold wind. High temperature for the day was 55 F.

Don't ya just love this truck.

BRANDYWINE Golf and Country Club. Not such a good picture, but there it is.

Stopped in at this RV Park to get $$ rates. One night is $30.00. One month is $350.00, plus ALL utilities. Oh, yes, SPIA cannot stay more than one night...no RV over 10 years old. They are afraid some will claim "squatters rights" and file a Deed Request in accordance with North Carolina law. A similar law is on the books in Florida.

You have a piece of land and do not use it...someone puts up a "home"...tent, sleeping bag, etc., with no objection from the property owner, the "squatter" can file for a Deed and be awarded his claimed piece of YOUR property.

I have not seen the law, but have received the same story in Florida and North Carolina.

The Guard Cat at the RV Office.

an unkempt grave yard on US 70.

A mile or so away, another grave yard in immaculate condition. $$ do talk.

All grave stones are "flat" except this BABYLAND stone.

One of few churches along US 70 near MORGAN CITY.

A number of marinas dot the way along US 70.

A stone-throw beyond this marina is the Inter Coastal Waterway. Beyond is EMERALD ISLE, which I tried to walk yesterday. Having driven SPIA over to EMERALD ISLE, the first thing I met was a sign..."NO PARKING - except for Shoppers -; No all-day / overnight parking".

So, we returned to the mainland SR 24 for today's walk.

US 70 passing through MOREHEAD CITY.

The Water Tower...leaning just a skosh (what we in Korea said for "a little bit")

The EMS - Fire Departments from MOREHEAD CITY and EMERALD ISLE, set up a vehicle demo, giving tours to adults and Halloween Candy to Angels and Devils.

A Fire Engine with it's ladder extended.

Lots of Civil War action occurred in and around MOREHEAD CITY, NORTH CAROLINA. Recent events have also made the "historic" list.

Please click click to enlarge to read this interesting account of CAROLINA CITY part in the Civil War Battle for FORT MACON...located at the Northern Tip of EMERALD ISLE.


Detail of the battle with a rather good map.

This is the same railroad depicted in the above story and map.

A larger map image.

We have driven to BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA...at the very top of the above map...where SPIA accepted an offered spot in the parking lot of PIGGLY WIGGLY, a local supermarket chain.

Since I did not eat during my 8-hour walk today (from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm), I decided to treat myself to a Chinese "Plate" restaurant next to PIGGLY WIGGLY. What a gosh awful mistake...the food was terrible and has left me with an upset stomach.

It is now growing dark outside. The wind is howling and SPIA is rocking side to side. Luckily, I have repaired all the skylights and side windows...no more leaks. I have also applied cut-to-size windshield reflective aluminum sheets over ALL windows...it keeps out the heat in the Summer and keeps IN the heat in the Winter.

Now I have discovered that the step-down to get out of the door has separated from the body, leaving a wide space all around...letting in the cold wind howling at the moment...never seems to be an end to SPIA's maladies.

To compensate, I have cranked up SPIA's Propane Furnace for the first time...seems to be working fine as I am comfy cozy warm. Will shut it off for sleeping.

In the morning, SPIA stays parked while I walk into the town of BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA, which reportedly has a nice "old town" and a good museum which includes memorabilia of Blackbeard the Pirate.

Tomorrow, this blog gets a Pirate story...Oh, didn't I mention that I have been and am today an honest to goodness "Brother" of the historic Brotherhood Of The Coast (an evolutionary part of Piracy), headquartered in Chile, South America...sorry about that.

POST 489 - DAY 283 / 26:: SWANSBORO - CARTERET - MOREHEAD CITY; NORTH CAROLINA

Please say HELLO to Frank...manager of a shop in SWANSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

Frank was advertising Anti-Freeze for Potable Water Systems. As SPIA is heading North soon, I stopped in to check it out. Nope...cannot mix Potable Water and the Glycol antifreeze Frank is offering. The "drinking water" must first be drained from the system...then the antifreeze pumped thoroughly throughout the system - including pumps and heaters.

Have decided I will drain SPIAs fresh water completely...install the antifreeze...and leave it until next Spring. All water will be carried in 1-gallon jugs. Then we won't have to worry about SPIA systems bursting from the freeze.

Middle School of SWANSBORO.

Might be fun to enter the Rubber Duck Race.

Who knows...if I do not find a place to settle in for the next 3 months, we may have to bounce from town to town whiling away the time waiting for deep Winter to pass before we head North.

The Canadian Geese seem to know something...many flocks flew overhead today...they are rather far South for this early in the year...maybe they DO know something.

Have posted a prior Church oriented Pumpkin Patch. Have since come upon a number of them...seems a popular way to raise $$ for young people activities.

SWANSBORO lies on the White Oak River, which empties into BOGUE SOUND. I found two nice riverside parks in SWANSBORO.

Don't forget, I only pass through one time and miss a lot of interesting and historic places, so there may be more parks.

SWANSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA is another of the many uniquely Southern towns. This is FIRST CITIZENS BANK, which is sited on a property which a couple hundred years ago sported a large Wind Mill where the driveway now stands.

If we do bounce from town to town the next couple months, it will give us the opportunity to do some in-depth snooping and blogging about the historic and beautiful South East.

The South East is also quite proud of their "Counties". In most areas, Counties take on an importance beyond that of towns and villages.


During my 10-mile morning walk, I took a side stroll into the Historic Center of SWANSBORO.

The following homes and buildings are some of what I discovered:



This plaque adorned the monument - statue - in the previous photograph.

A meeting place along the White Oak River.

Businesses on the waterside street in the Historic Center. They were closed when I walked by.

The Ice House.

An alley-way looking out into BOGUE SOUND.

Like the names given to buildings of a couple hundred years ago.

SWANSBORO celebrated its bi-centennial in 1983.

A water-side home...on stilts.

This store has been in continuous use since it was built a couple hundred years ago.

Many of these old buildings are sitting on foundations salvaged from discharged stone (Ballast) used by Sailing Ships of two hundred years ago.

SWANSBORO was at one time a center of Pine Spirits - the entire South East is covered with vast forests of Pine Trees - and later as a ship building center, then a fishing center, and today, a tourist center.



The "stage" in the old town park.

Red Brick plays a large part in building materials of long ago.


Please say HELLO to Bill Baucom.

Bill, of the Chamber of Commerce, and I had a rather long chat this morning. Bill informed me that Blackbeard's Cannon which was recovered yesterday from BEAUFORT, was from the town of BEAUFORT, "NORTH" CAROLINA. There is also a BEAUFORT, "SOUTH" CAROLINA.

BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA is where Blackbeard's ship "Revenge" was scuttled and is now being recovered. This place is near MOREHEAD CITY, NORTH CAROLINA, where SPIA will find a place to spend the night.


The red flag is the flag of the United States Marines.

There are a number of Marine Bases nearby. The sky has Marine Choppers (Helicopters) flying overhead nearly all the time.

A pleasant SWANSBORO home.

The ever-present Water Tower. Nearly every Southern town has one.


SR 24 as it passes through SWANSBORO.

Map of the Historic District of SWANSBORO.



Leaving SWANSBORO, we drove over the White Oak River Bridge to the village of CARTERET, NORTH CAROLINA, where we found a parking spot in LOWE'S.

The day started out quite COLD. It got colder as the day went along. I put on a sweater for my second walk of the day North on SR 24 for 12 miles.

Along the way, spotted two excellent reconstructions of vehicles of my youth.

Living on the Stump Ranch, we had a pickup truck much like this one.

Also came across this field of PEANUTS, in the process of being harvested. A tractor was pulling a "dredge" which undercut the plants in-place. Another pass with the tractor pulling a "combine" picked up the plants and separated the peanuts from the plants.

I regret I did not take a photograph of the dredge and combine. My much maligned Panasonic camera is nearing the end of it's life. Most of the time, it will not turn on when I need it. Tomorrow I will switch to my other - newer model - Panasonic.

Seems recently we have been losing cherished items.

Yes, I swiped one...only one...peanut and ate it. Tasted great; I prefer "roasted - salted" peanuts to the raw ones.

A fisherman trying his luck for Flounder.

This Egret was patiently standing only 15 feet from our fisherman, waiting a handout.

Please say HELLO to Patrick.

Patrick is a veteran of the US Navy. Patrick is accepting donations for "Homeless" Veterans ... just like me !

We had a rather interesting and lengthy chat in front of WALMART in MOREHEAD CITY, NORTH CAROLINA, where SPIA has once again been granted a parking spot for the night.

It is getting colder and windy. A front is moving past us heading North where it will meet with a Cold Front coming down out of Canada. Up to a foot of snow is projected for much of the North East. Some will reach higher elevations of Virginia, which is right next door from were sit watching the black clouds roll by.

In the morning, I must walk BACK 15 miles. As I spent lots of time in SWANSBORO this morning, it was getting late when I finished my second 12 miles walk from CARTERET. We drove directly to MOREHEAD CITY to get settled in before dark...means, however, I must back track in the morning before we can move North once again.

Next stop North is BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA, which I hope to spend some extra time to visit BLACKBEARD's museum. In any event, we will have more to say about Blackbeard later on our walk to OCRACOKE, NORTH CAROLINA.