A Mixed Bag

Beaufort   

Cloudy and sunny. Warm(er) and cold. Serious and light-hearted. New destinations and revisits. Today had it all. The sun was behind the clouds as we left Crossroads this morning. By the time we crossed the highrise bridge, blue sky was dominant and the sun provided welcomed warmth. Led by Roadside America, a guide to offbeat tourist attractions, we ventured off our well-traveled path to find three attractions along the Morehead City waterfront. The welcome signs were interesting and attractive, but the streets were deserted. We walked first to the Head of Woo Woo Harker, the beloved owner and captain of the charter boat Carolina Princess. His bronze head with rope trim and a bell faces the waterfront. Not shown is the seven-foot tall iron fence that encircles the monument to protect Woo Woo from vandals.   

Next on our list was the 17-foot tall marlin statue, identical in scale to a world-record size marlin. Around the base are inscribed the names of each year's winner of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. The 65th tournament will be held this year from June 7-16, and features a multi-million dollar purse. Our final spot was more whimsical. A large King Neptune statue sits on the dock beside a dive center, complete with trident and merman tail. Feeling good that we checked off those sites so quickly, we crosed back over the ICW to the Bogue Banks to further explore a few spots we found yesterday. The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores was first up. The spadefish sculpture outside the entrance is quite spectacular and worthy of another photo. A mountain waterfall; a huge 300,000 gallon ocean habitat complete with shipwreck and sharks; and a river otter habitat all weave a journey of a raindrop from the state's Smoky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. Interactive exhibits and an assortment of smaller tanks were big draws for us. Jellyfish are beautiful in their private tank, but no so much when occupying the marina waters back home.

The tropical tank featured several species including angel fish, blue tang, and sergeant major that we look forward to seeing face-to-face in The Bahamas. The porcupine fish was an interesting creature that inflates its body and make their spines stand out when threatened. The jaw of an ancient megalodon shark was at one end of the size spectrum, the tiny seahorse at the opposite.

There was a huge gift shop with many cute stuffed animals and T-shirts. We passed on all and departed for our next destination, Fort Macon. Yesterday we learned of a guided tour that began at 1:00 and timed our arrival perfectly. Fort Macon is a state park that has no admission fee. The visitors center is a beautiful facility with massive wooden doors and several galleries. The wind was now whipping the flag that laid limp yesterday. The sign on the way to the fort was both cute and accurate.

Our volunteer guide led us through many of the 26 casemates (vaulted rooms). Arched doorways connected the rooms so the soldiers never had to go outside to the courtyard. The walls of the fort are over four-feet thick and were formed from over 9.2 million locally sourced bricks back in 1862. Different casemates were dedicated to bread-making in wood-fired oven, a commissary, dining hall, kitchen, barracks, or munitions and powder magazines. Cannons are stationed atop the fort, two stacks of cannonballs flank the staircase. 

After a couple of hours, we left and started working our way back to the marina. We had enough time to stop at Atlantic Beach and revisit the beach walk from yesterday. What a difference a day makes! Our sunny and calm scene from 24-hours ago, had drastically changed. The ocean is a fickle beast and today it was showing its muscle. Surfers were out riding the waves next to the pier. The gulls were having difficulty staying aloft and many resigned to walking alongside me in the stiff breeze.

Looking south, it only appeared to be much warmer. I bid farewell to a shorebird knee-deep in the sea foam and sought refuge in the heated Escape. We scooted back across the bridge to Beaufort and again arrived just in time for Mother Nature's evening performance. 

A mixed bag of sun and clouds are needed to create a wonderful sunset to close the day.