Enjoying A Walk After Sprinting Out Of The Gate

Belhaven to Beaufort  |  8.4 Hours  |  58.3 Miles  

Off into the sunrise we went, eager to knock out another good chunk of miles before a cold front moves through the area. The conditions on the Pungo River differed little from what we experienced on our previous travel days. Flat water reflected a sky that transitioned from foggy to hazy. A slight breeze formed miniature ripples in the water -- the delineation of wind and no wind created curious patterns. An added bonus of still water was the ease in spotting floating hazards such as this small log.  

By 9:00, the sun had risen higher in the sky, but Goose Creek remained still. We approached Hobucken excitedly knowing there are always two points of interest -- the US Coast Guard Station and RE Mayo Seafood dock with its fleet of shrimp boats.

All our ducks (and these ducks) seemed to be in a row as we entered the Neuse River. Hopes that we would cross this last stretch of open water under ideal conditions were coming to fruition. The wind did begin to pick up as we approached Adam's Creek. We actually felt like we were on a boat due to a little chop in the water. A shrimp boat passed us at the mouth of the creek, on its way back to RE Mayo. Once in the protected water, the breeze intensified to 15 knots on our nose. Waterside flags were flying stiff. Had the weather window closed on us? 

The weather held and we reached Town Creek Marina around 3:30. Barry eased Crossroads onto the floating dock for a side tie. Easy peasy. We cleaned up, checked in, and hit the road for a good walk into town. Time to enjoy the 68-degree afternoon. Christmas decorations still hung along the streets. My North Carolina family celebrated Christmas exactly one week ago. It seems like six months ago. So much has transpired in a week and I have lost all sense and grasp of time. I feel as confused as the paperwhites blooming along the sidewalk. How can this be January 3?

Barry and I checked on favorite spots along Beaufort's Front Street, which we have visited several times. After the required selfie in front of the Beaufort sign, we recrossed the bridge to our marina as the sun set across the creek. We will spend tomorrow in Beaufort, walk back into town, and maybe hit the grocery store, before rain begins in the late afternoon. The down day will be much appreciated. We've had a good run out of the gate to start our 2023 trip south.