Carolina Beach, NC

Monday, April 20- From Carolina Beach State Park Marina, Carolina Beach, NC

We've been here almost a week... and we're headed out tomorrow for parts north.  It's been fast and furious!

Thursday and Friday were spent cleaning up the boat and getting in supplies (read: food) for the visit with Alex and Ryan.  They got here Friday evening around 6:30.  Heather and Dave had a room reserved in Carolina Beach for the weekend...and we had the sweeties here, on the boat, for two nights.

To add to the fun, we had reserved a $9.99/day car from Enterprise...and wound up with a new Ford Mustang convertible!  

As Ryan said many times this weekend..."we're taking over this boat!"

Just when we thought of everything they could get into...Ryan finds the cleaning gloves and applies water!

The next day he offered to wash my favorite sippy cup.  Little did I know, he had a price in mind: $6 for the washing.  I talked him down to $1.  What a deal!

Meanwhile, Alex had discovered the secret to cruising happiness....breakfast on the back deck!

Saturday morning we met Dave and Heather for donuts at Britt's Donuts.  BEST DONUTS EVER!!!
Light and luscious!  We had a dozen among us...and could have eaten twice that amount.

It was a little chilly that morning...and the water was even colder.  Did that stop the kiddos?  NO!

Later than morning, as the drizzling rain took hold of the day, we went with the boys on a carnivorous plant walk in the park.  They didn't have raincoats with them so we improvised with trash bags.  By the time we finished the walk, they were soaked...and so were we.

But we did see some really neat meat eating plants!  And we quickly learned that there are two types of carnivorous plants: passive and active.  The pitcher plant is a passive plant...insects find their own way into...well, death.




Now, the venus flytrap, is an active carnivorous plant that lures an insect in and then traps it...

"Venus flytraps are native only within 60 to 75 miles of Wilmington. New propagation methods have saved the flytrap from becoming an endangered species. However, their numbers are declining due to the destruction of their habitats. Controlled burning is beneficial to flytraps, as well as other kinds of carnivorous plants, as it discourages competing species."  Carolina Beach State Park website, http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/cabe/ecology.php

We were fortunate to come on a venus flytrap with an insect in it's grasp...

We had a spider sighting, too...

It had rained much of the day...but in the late afternoon it cleared and we were able to get out my exercise ball...which the boys had spotted first thing on the boat!  That ball saw more use in this weekend than....well, than ever on the boat!

Then we got in the dingy and they took turns driving.  Quick learners!!  They did great!

It was a wonderful weekend with the boys!! (They look like little cherubs, right?  ;-)

On Sunday morning we met Dave and Heather for breakfast at the local pancake house.  Then we said our goodbyes.  We're looking forward to having them with us again somewhere along the way.

Wayne and I then toured the beach areas in the convertible.  What fun!  Late that afternoon we had a late lunch at the Oceanic Restaurant in Wrightsville Beach, NC.  This one's for Lynne....

Tuesday, April 21 -  We made it all the way to Dudley's Marina today in Swansboro, NC.  Having to transit three swing bridges with restricted openings we were glad to have the extra push from current.  We have refueled and are ready to take off tomorrow.