Beaufort

11/15 - I am so happy here in Beaufort!  It really does feel like home and it's all about the people, though it certainly is beautiful too.  Not just the people I have already met, but also the people I have yet to meet.  It is so different here than in the Northeast.  I lived in VT for 30+ years and I never felt like I had the community that I feel here - and I was only here for 6 months!  (I realize that I might be repeating myself in different posts, so if you are one of the rare readers who actually read all/most of my posts, I'm sorry for that.  Sometimes I'm sharing my thoughts and those thoughts may repeat over and over again, so hopefully I don't get too boring and redundant!)

As mentioned in my last post, my first night I got together with Renee and Greg at Mezcalitos, and I had my much anticipated Fish Tacos (best I've had ever!).  The next night there was a Tuesday FIA Taco night, which included a walk and exercises before dinner.  I was planning on just a walk, but though the exercises sounded grueling, but were fun and good for me, and MaryAnn, our group leader made it super fun!  Then we had dinner at Mezcalitos - following the Taco theme 😀 and guess what I had?!  Yep, the fish tacos for the 2nd night in a row!  If I go back, I will have to try something else!

These are the lovely ladies I feel so grateful to call friends.  I truly feel like these are my people.  Janice, in the front, used to live just down the road from me in VT and I know the exact house - crazy coincidence!

Today, I walked with Kaye and her pups, Yuke and Wahoo, in the morning and then just hung around at home.  One thing I did was try to contact EZPass to figure out that $45.90 toll in VA, but the VA EZPass people said I had to contact the NY EZPass people, since I have a NY EZPass, but then when talking to NY, they said I need to contact VA.  UGH!  I am not willing to let a $45 toll slide!!!  The NY person said something about me towing something...  So, I'm just waiting...

Cool sky tonight!

Tonight, Kaye picked me up to go rowing, which was really fun.  I followed Kaye's lead and rowed in the boat with the light carbon fiber oars.  :)  I cannot believe how many boats are anchored on Taylor Creek in Beaufort's waterfront.  

Walk into town for happy hour

Zoe soliciting treats at Tapping the Admiral

Where did that treat dispenser go???

All the sailboats anchored on the creek

Today I met, Jason, a neighbor from across the street (whom I had never met in the 6 months I was here last year!).  Why, one might wonder - he now has a dog and dogs need their walks.  😆  Anyway, he's a super nice guy and later he called me and asked if I might be able to house sit 11/29 - 12/5.  After thinking about it a bit and realizing the pup, Jasper, hasn't really been left alone, I decided that I didn't want to be solely responsible for him because I would have essentially been tied to the dog/house.  They have a cottage that they rent out and I'm going to stay there after I leave this house (Missy and Merle are supposed to show up 12/2) for a few days so that I'm available to help out with Jasper.  Everything is working out soooo perfectly!

I'm staying in Beaufort way longer than I anticipated and I keep thinking it's not right, not what I planned.  But this life, for me, is about going with the flow and doing what I want.  What's wrong with staying stationary for 3 weeks in a gorgeous place hanging with amazing people?  Sounds pretty good, huh?  I feel a bit guilty having this freedom and being so happy.  How did I get the right to be this content?  How did I get so lucky?  Jason told me I could stay in his cottage pretty much as long as I like (other than a couple of booked days on VRBO).  Super kind of him, but this year is about exploring in the van.  That's what I really want to do and am excited for it.  I wonder if I will be ready to leave on 12/5 or will I want to stick around?  It certainly is easy living in a house, but this year isn't about easy.  And I wonder if, after this year, I'll still want to come back to Beaufort.  Right now, I keep thinking about how I could spend my winters here in the future, but maybe I'll find somewhere that's an even better fit?  Or will living in the van be the right fit for next year?  I've probably mentioned this before - at least once - Monika's wedding in June 2024 will be a good time to evaluate how I'm enjoying living in a van and if I want to keep doing it and/or what my next steps might be.

Kate came to visit for an overnight.  We went for a walk to catch the sunset and then we had a drink and snacks on Tom and Nancy's boat, then went to dinner at City Kitchen.  Yum!  

Sunset from Sheila and Mark's dock

Kate and Zoe

From Homer Smith Marina

Kate, Zoe, and I met up with Nancy and Tom for breakfast at Marmalades.  Yum!  We ended up chatting with a woman named Shannon, who is a Marine biologist and travels pretty much full time.  She was reading the Alchemist, which I had just reread when I was at Sue's, so we started chatting about that.  Being that Kate, Tom, and Nancy are all sailors, we all had a lot of talk about!

After Kate left, I did some more cleanup in the van as I thought I might be showing it off to friends on Sunday night at the pie party, but that didn't end up happening.  Any cleaning is good cleaning!  

Today was a walk to Beau Coast to have lunch with Becky and Linda and then a quiet afternoon.  I'm actually staying in tonight and cooking a tofu Thai curry dish (Sue's specialty) and I can't wait to eat at home.  This is my first time cooking dinner since arriving here a week ago!  I thought I'd be trying out dishes in my 3 qt instant pot and my cute little toaster oven/air fryer...

Sunning on the deck

Zoe and Jasper, the Havanese pup from across the road

Charlotte, Little Washington, Beaufort

 11/10 - After a relaxing morning, Zoe and I headed towards Charlotte.  Since it was a bit rainy, we didn't explore too much outside the van, but did stop in a very cute town, Belmont, NC.  I would love to go back there as it seemed to have some cute restaurants and some history and gorgeous old homes.  I had hoped we would fit in a hike, but due to the weather, we just walked around Belmont as it had stopped raining by then.  I was, as usual, under dressed for the chilly air.  

We arrived at Marta and Annie's house just in time for margaritas and chili.  Perfect for a chilly evening.  It was so fun to hang our with them and talk about dogs and van travels.  

Zoe tried to play with FinnLee, though FinnLee didn't enjoy Zoe's intense growly play style, so that was a shame, but they were able to hang together.

Marta, Zoe, and my foot.  😆

Annie, FinnLee, and Zoe trying to get Finn to play

All tucked in

We stayed for 2 nights and on day Saturday it was raining, so we basically hung out and then did some shopping at REI and Trader Joe's.  Though I'm not much of a shopper, I do love those two stores.  Marta and Annie, had to go to REI for something and I decided to return a table that I had purchased before I got my van and had never used.  When I rented the van, I used the table they had included, so I thought I would need one, but I have a chair that has a side table, so I think that will be sufficient, plus I have the fold down table outside by my sink.  I had tried not to purchase things that I didn't KNOW I was going to need before I actually got the van.  I KNEW I needed a table and that one seemed so great...  I'm happy that I was able to return it!  I did buy yet another backpack and a base layer top (now I have to decide which it will replace - one item in one item out - oh, but not for the backpacks!  LOL.  Backpacks are one of those things that you just have to try them and see if they work.  I've donated many that are great packs, just not right for me.  The one I usually use for hiking is just a bit too small for putting much in it (15 L), thus this one that is 25 L and will hold all I need.  The little one is still good for around town, so I can't get rid of it - at least not yet...   

Marta made another great meal of shrimp, zucchini, tomatoes, and pasta, which is a go to in the van for them.  It was pretty easy to make and super yummy.  I might have to try that!

Soaking up the sun as usual before departure

11/12 - Zoe and I headed out, heading north east.  What am I doing going north??  I decided that instead of stopping and staying somewhere overnight to keep my driving down to my usual of not more than 3 hours - preferably 2 - we would stop for a hike along the way to break up the 4.5 hours drive to Little Washington (it's really just Washington, NC, but people call it little Washington maybe to differentiate it from Washington, DC).  There I was visiting my friend, Kate, who's a sailor that I met in Beaufort last year.  She is not living in little Washington while working for the manufacturer of her sailboat.  She loves it!  It's so cool because she is an economist and when she stopped working she had no idea what she might do.  But this is something that just happened.  That's something I think about - that I really have no idea what the future may bring.  What might appear before me that is an opportunity that I can't pass up?  It is so exciting to think about!  

Parking spot on the waterfront in Washington, NC.  Notice that my van actually fits between the lines!  YAY!!!  

morning view through my window

11/13 After wandering around town on this gorgeous day, we headed to Beaufort.  I had been a bit wary about going to Beaufort.  I was looking forward to seeing people, but was afraid that I would feel a bit out of place and that my memories of the town and everyone were brighter than reality.  Maybe the people I had known wouldn't be all that excited to see me, which would not feel very good.  What was I going to do with myself there for 2 weeks?  However, when I drove into Beaufort, it just felt right.  It kinda felt like coming home, which I really didn't expect.  Pulling into the house and unpacking really did feel right and so easy as I know the drill.  We settled in and then Zoe and I walked into town to meet up with Renee and Greg.  Renee had suggested going to Mezcalito for a drink and/or bite and I was super excited to go have my favorite fish tacos of all time!  They did not disappoint!  

cotton harvest season

Zoe remembers Beaufort and where the treats can be found!!

ready to get up

I have moved a lot of stuff from the van to the house.  It seemed easier than going back and forth all the time. I do imagine that I will be in and out of it as I keep needing one more thing.  I'm also enjoying my double filtered water from the van for now due to the hard Beaufort water!  The van and everything is getting a good cleaning which is much easier to do when it's just me in the house.  For some reason, when I was at Sue's, I didn't do nearly as much cleaning/organizing.  There was also less need to bring everything into the house as her house is very well stocked!

NC - Blowing Rock, Little Switzerland, then head to Charlotte

 Nov 6 - We headed south into NC.  We drove through Boone, but it just didn't look like a place I really wanted to visit.  It was super crowded, so we drove onto Valle Crucis.  There isn't much there, but it's a cute spot with a nice walking path near a stream and the old Mast store was super cool.  It is in operation and has a working Post office there.  I mailed some letters from there hoping that it would be stamped from there, but it looks like it was stamped in Greensboro.  That's no fun!  I loved all the old items still on the shelf and the sloping floors and windows and peeling ceilings too.  

From there we moved onto my planned destination of Blowing Rock, NC.  The road that Google Maps had me take was HORRIBLE!  It was so stressful.  It was incredibly windy, up, up, up, and super narrow.  I could not wait to get off that road!!!

I've heard so many good things about Blowing Rock, so I had to go.  We arrived around 4 pm and the Glen Burney Falls trailhead lot right in town was mostly empty, so we got a good spot to spend the night.  There was a sign saying No overnight commercial parking, so it seemed clear that Non commercial overnight parking was OK and it was!  Later the parking lot was full due to people using it for parking for restaurants as the downtown was super busy - on a Monday night!  It was pretty quiet though.  I went out for dinner and sat outside with Zoe, but she was just pulling to cleanup the floor and I realized it was too cold to ask her to lie down, so I took her back to the van and went back and ate alone.  I was going to go inside and sit at the bar, as there might be folks to chat with, but it was super hot and stuffy and I didn't get the vibe that I might end up chatting with anyone.  So, I ate outside on my own. 

Next morning we took a little walk in the park across the street, but then did the hike to the falls, which was about 3 miles.  This was down the whole way and Zoe did great, but on the way back up, she was pretty slow.  It was quite warm and I forget how warm it might get with most of the leaves gone from the trees.  I felt like we overdid it for the poor old girl, but she was just tired.  It's been really dry here so there wasn't a ton of water at the various falls, but still nice.

Broyhill park in Blowing Rock

Cascade falls - the first falls on the hike

Glen Burney Falls

Love this shot

I find selfies so hard to take - especially with Zoe!

Glen Marie Falls - the last falls on the hike 

As soon as we got back, this is what she did.  She wouldn't even get in the van - she just wanted to pass out in the sun

After Zoe got her rest, we went to Moses Cone Memorial Park as they had arts and crafts for sale in the building and then I would get to see the inside, but it was closed.  So, we left there and went down to Bass Lake for a short lap around the lake, then laid in the sun and napped.  I find it so hard to do nothing - still working no that...  

Bass Lake

And if that wasn't enough for the day, we went to see the Blowing Rock.  It is named that for the winds that come up there and the rock does look windblown!  I didn't realize that this was a paid gig, but that's OK.  They did put in a lot of work with making walkways there.  It's is definitely not the prettiest time to be here as it is past peak, so most of the trees are bare.  When I was in the NC mountains in April 2022, there was the spring green of the budding trees.  I would definitely like to come here in the Rhododendron season in late May/June.  I'm not sure when I could make that happen.

A lady modeling blowing rock

We stayed again at the trailhead lot in town and there were no cars there on a Tuesday night.  The town was very quiet - maybe people staying in town for a long weekend?  I went out to dinner again and this time left Zoe in the van to start.  She was super tired, so I didn't feel bad about that.  I ate at the bar at Six Pence Tavern.  At first I was sitting next to two men who were super crude, so I moved as far away as I could get - not sure if they noticed, but I didn't care.  I ended up chatting with Brian, (well, mostly he chatted...) who bought me a drink and then asked for my number.  LOL.  I explained that I was leaving town tomorrow.  I had pot roast for dinner - yum!

Nov 8 - left Blowing Rock and headed towards Little Switzerland.  It sounded like a cute town, but there really wasn't anything there.  I booked a Harvest Host here, which wasn't spectacular.  I was planning to take a shower in my van or maybe outside when I got there as it was really warm, but then I learned they had a shower.  I should have showered in my van as I had plenty of water and it would have been much more pleasant than the mildly warm, low flow shower I had.  Anyway, I was clean, so it's all good!  Since my first time using the shower, I haven't needed to shower in my van.  

Driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This was the most beautiful overlook that I saw.  I hung out here for a while enjoying the view and chatting with a couple from England.

The roads in the NC mountains are incredibly windy and steep.  The road to the HH was gravel and steep and bumpy.  I opened my back door and noticed that water had come out of the water inlet as it isn't sealed.  This design really sucks as the tank is probably only 1/2 full, but with lack of angle from the inlet to the tank and going up steep inclines, the water flows back out the inlet hose.  I'd hate to see what would happen if I had more water in it!!!  I'm not sure what I'm going to do about this...

Next morning, after our uneventful stay at the HH, I decided we needed to do another hike to Crabtree Falls since Zoe was doing so well.  😀  It was another down then back up loop, but other than a very steep incline after the falls, the rest was pretty much OK.  It was HOT and sunny without the leaves, so Zoe was pretty slow during the steep part.  

Pretty girl!

I had trimmed Zoe's nails and got the quick on her left front. 😓  I had noticed her limping, but the boot did the trick thankfully!  

After the hike, we left the Blue Ridge Highway, heading to Morganton, NC.  Wow, the drive down was CRAZY!!!  There were signs saying trucks and RVs should go 15 mph and use low gear and there were spots to stop to let the brakes cool.  My van is heavy, so I was pretty nervous about all this.  I haven't often down shifted as I hate the sound of the engine straining, but I did got down in 2nd or 3rd and stopped for a minute or so once.  Not fun.  I was so happy once it leveled off!  

Morganton is a quaint little town and we stopped for lunch and walked around.  It was 83 degrees, so found a spot outside in the shade and enjoyed a Gyro.  Zoe was tired, so she did great.  Yes, I'm eating out more than I should.  Still not cooking a lot, though I did make avocado toast one morning and a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch.

I hadn't known where I was going to stay, so while in Morganton, I requested a stay with a BW site.  He said he wasn't going to be home till 5:30 and his property is gated.  I figured I could kill time until then and went to a State park, but then he let me know that he wouldn't be home till more like 6:30 due to a long running Dr appt.  Ugh.  At the park, it looked like there was a campground, but I couldn't see where the campsites were and so I gave up.  I was tired and grumpy at this point and ended up parking at the gate and waited for him to show up.  This was the first time I struggled in any way with sleeping location.  When he showed up, he just put in a code to open the gate.  I wished he had just given me the code, but I suppose you can't always trust people...

The driveway is very steep, but puts you up on a hill with an expansive view and I woke to this.

Before leaving this lovely spot, Zoe and I took a little walk in the woods in the rain.  There is still some color in the trees here.

Today, I'm going to head to visit Marta and Annie in Charlotte, NC.  I'm psyched to see them and get all kinds of tips from them now that I've been on the road.  Oh, and from there I'll head to Beaufort, via Washington, NC to visit Kate.  In Beaufort I will be staying in the house I lived in last winter!  Missy and Merle have delayed their arrival, so the house will be empty, allowing me to stay there.  I can't believe how perfectly this worked out - I won't have to bother anyone to stay in their driveway and shower and do laundry!  Of course, I was really hoping to see Missy and Merle as I missed them this summer in VT/NY.

I definitely find the driving to be exhausting, especially in the NC mountains. I'm really glad I'm keeping my trips pretty short.  I'm debating on whether to drive straight to Washington, NC or make a stop along the way.  I mostly try to avoid highways, but if I drive straight, the highways will save me about 1.5 hours.  

I cannot believe how many Baptist churches I have driven by.  😲

I find trying to figure out what I'm going to do/where I'm going to go takes up a lot of my down time.  But that's OK as I mostly enjoy it.  Sometimes it's a bit tiresome when I really can't figure out what to do.  I'm actually enjoying hanging out at the BW site in the rain.  But it is time to head onto the next destination!