SWANSBORO and EMERALD ISLE, NC (OCT. 22, 2009)

The sun was shining once again, as we muddle our way through the early morning hours…
Well… That might’ve been a bit on the poetic side, but a bit distant from the truth…
Suffice it to say, we were on the road by 10... Heading to Swansboro, a town, Luanne read, was on the historic side (like most of these towns around here), and looked like it had some “cute” things to offer “cute-starving” tourists…
We piled in to the Visitor’s Center…
Grabbed a handful of brochures…
Were properly informed by the on-site “proprietor” on what to see and where to go, and proceeded to spend an hour, or so, doing what we’ve been doing for four months now: Looking at art, “wanna-be-art,” antiques, pottery, junk, and more junk, and, of course, some fairly old buildings in various stages of disrepair…
Not really impressed with Swansboro, but not totally disenchanted either, if you know what I mean…
We decided to head over to the Emerald Isle (where we went when we first arrived), and, since we’ve been to the far Northern tip of the island, we thought it prudent to visit the Southernmost point as well…
Took the Coast Guard Road, and spotted some very exclusive “settlements” on the way… Unfortunately, the views only teased your senses, since they almost all were hidden from the road…
So… We get down to the end, and find the access to the beach closed, and there’s no parking anywhere… What a bummer!
Backtracked, and went to the “Western Ocean Regional Access” parking lot, at the end of Island Drive (or is it Boardwalk Drive?)…
Spent the next two and a half hours walking the surf, picking up shells, and having the time of our lives, drifting slowly over to the Bogue Fishing Pier… The map shows a distance of 2 miles from where we parked to the pier, so that’s 4 miles, for you mathematicians, and for us old folks? Well, that’s a good walk!
After having properly been tanned on both sides, we drove back to Swansboro, and indulged ourselves in Taco Salads at the Buena Vista Restaurant…
Nice (once in a while) to satisfy that little “Chihuahua” inside all of us…
Left there “stuffed,” but a little thirsty (must be the salt?), so we stopped at a tavern across the bridge from Swansboro (Luanne says it’s name is Swansboro Yacht Club, but since it’s in the town of Cedar Point, I’m not so sure about that)… Anyway, we were greeted by a very friendly bartender, Jonna, who became interested in our travels, so, of course, we gave her our Blog address, so she can follow us as we move on…
That’s the end of a perfect day, and the end of another segment of THE BLOG… Take care, and keep watching our travels…
Here are today's pictures:
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