Feet on the Sand

A few neighbors were up and moving about early. Everyday folks heading to work who are staying at the campground since they lost their homes during Hurricane Florence a couple of months ago. We took care of Cali and put a few things away then headed into New Bern to see what we could see.

Today began with a walking tour of the picturesque little hamlet on the banks of the broad Neuse River. We parked down on First Street then walked over to the Tryon Palace, the colonial center of the area where the British governors ruled from 1770 to 1775. Unfortunately, the museum didn’t open until noon so we unable to check it out. They had the compound of palatial brick buildings well hidden behind tall walls in order to keep any freeloaders from having a unpaid for peek at the grounds. We peered through a few cracks but couldn’t see a whole lot.

Our next stop was a few blocks over on Middle Street, the original spot where Pepsi Cola got its start. The little tourist trap soda fountain was also closed on Sunday. We followed Pollock Street down to the riverfront and spent some time wandering around Union Point Park admiring the views across the water.

New Bern was established by immigrants from the Bern area of Switzerland. I’m guessing Bern means bear in Swiss because bears are the mascot of New Bern. There are statues throughout the town and bear reliefs on the wall of the City Hall. Lines of Swiss flags hang from the lights along the bridge entering town. Our check out time was noon, so we hustled back to the campground and folded up camp to get on the road down to the coast at Emerald Isle.

It was an easy, short drive down to the Atlantic. After we passed Havelock, the GPS sent us down a narrow country lane all the way out to the coast. Fifty minutes later, we were hooking up the RV on the beach at Emerald Isle, NC. We stepped out onto the sand and walked to the north towards the Bogue Pier. There were quite a few people out taking advantage of the mild fall weather. It felt really good to be strolling around comfortably barefoot in shorts and t-shirts.

Fishing boats were plying the calm seas while kids on the beach were playing with skim boards in the small waves breaking right up on the shore. Fisherman were casting their lures and hoping for a lucky strike. The pier down the way had really taken a hit from the hurricane and large sections had been lost to the sea. Cali was over walking in the sand and decided it was time to head back to Wilson for an afternoon nap.

Around sunset, we went into town and hit the Food Lion for some coffee creamer and other necessities. A beautiful fall evening in a beautiful little town.