Croatan National Forest, NC
Cedar Point CG Site #13
14 nights for $119
270 miles round trip; 8.0 mpg; $2.64 per gallon gas
Sunday-Travel day. It was overcast which is good for traveling. We towed Suki with the bicycles and the kayaks on top. We also had firewood in the back. We got our usual spot. I don't think there's any bad spot here. It was hot but we set up the screen tent in front of the tv outside. Gin's National Parks Access Pass is honored here so it is quite a deal to be only 3 or 4 miles from the beach at Emerald Isle where there is free public parking at the shore.
Monday-We rode the bikes in the CG some. Gin's brother Butch lives nearby so we visited him on our way to Lowes. We drove over to Emerald Isle and picked up shrimp burger plates for lunch. Gin played Guitar Hero outside while I relaxed and enjoyed the squirrels. We rode our bikes again in the evening.
Tuesday-We kayaked to an island geocache near Swansboro. From the Wildlife landing to the island and back was about 2.5 miles. The climb up the sand dune to get to the cache was tough but the view was beautiful! We would have stayed and savored it longer but the terns let us know that this was their nesting grounds. You could see the ocean waves splashing into the inlet. We looked for little shells on the shore of the island. We went home, showered, and napped. Later we went out for supper at Pelican Island. A storm came in and it rained into the night. Here's a pic of me with the cache log and one of the inlet meeting the ocean.
Wednesday-A day to relax but my bike had a flat tire so we went to WalMart in Morehead City. We stopped at Lowes Foods on the way home to get sushi for lunch. It was nap time and then Gin fixed my tire. She is tech support and life support to me. :) We walked Smudge (our devil of a dog) through the CG. There are about 45 sites and only 2 are vacant on a Wednesday. We finished the day with a game of Rummy before going to bed.
Thursday-We went to the NC Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shoals. It was remodeled a couple of years ago and is very nice. We had Dairy Queen moo lattes for lunch and Gin fixed her spinach souffle and okra, tomato, rice dishes for supper. We'll have left overs that way.
Friday and Saturday-I had to work Friday and Saturday so we drove Suki back to Clayton. We left Wanda (MH) and all the stuff in the CG. We'll be back Sunday!
Sunday-We got to the CG at 2:30Am to sleep a little. We got shrimp and scallops at the fish market and also got squash and watermelon at the produce stand. It rained all afternoon. Butch joined us for supper.
Monday-We started the day with blue tank duties. We rode our bikes on the trail to get the clues for the geocache "Marsha Marsha Marsha". We may go find it in the Fall when we come back here. We rested a bit and then rode the bikes on the longer trail to get "a bridge too far" geocache. We walked Smudge together in the evening.
Tuesday-Another rainy day. The camp host Julie dropped by for a chat while I cut up the watermelon in the morning. She and her husband Steve are very friendly and make great camp hosts. They don't put up with mess. We went to Lowes Foods for a grocery run. Our friend Marie visited in the afternoon. We met her and Nicole while camping in Luray, Va in 2008. They are from Philadelphia and are in Emerald Isle for a few days. Smudge enjoyed another family stroll at twilight.
Wednesday-We started the day by filling the fresh water tank. We put on our 45 sunblock, loaded up the kayaks, snacks and packs, and headed over to Hammocks Beach State Park to paddle out to Bear Island. It was too windy to go out but it is a pretty place. We decided to go to Long Point and paddle up to Haywood's Landing on the White Oak River. We ate lunch in the Suki while it rained. We paddled about 4 hours total. There wasn't much wildlife except for the alligator about 200 yards from the end of our paddle. It was a nice but long day. Our arms are sore.
Thursday-I took a good look at the map. We paddled more than 6 miles total yesterday so today is for resting. We took down the screen and lights from the outside room. Gin played Guitar Hero while I watched birds. We ended the day with peanut butter cup smores by the campfire.
Friday-We spent the day at the shore. The beach umbrella blew down so we got a little too much sun. Marie and Nicole joined us as we bobbed in the waves. The four of us went out for supper at Portofino's. Marie's daughters and nieces are with them but they are a generation younger so they went their own way.
Saturday-It was very hot but we packed up our outdoor stuff. We went over to Julie and Steve's (camp host) for a cookout. We were joined by Roger (co-camp host) and his girlfriend Frankie, and full-timers Dorothy and Chris. We met them here last year when they were using a tent and a car. They now have a good Allegro MH from the 1980's. She is from Canada and he is from Hawaii. Interesting couple. Gin enjoyed a healthy debate with Steve on every subject.
Sunday-Travel day. We rode the bikes one last time on the long trail. It was a windy ride back to Clayton. We like this CG because it is close to the beach and there is so much to do in the area.
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