Trip Diary for April, 2010

Apr. 1-6; N. Myrtle Beach, SC: The boat will spend the month at Barefoot Resort Marina while we return to IN and then come back in time for the AGLCA Rendezvous the last week of the month.  Thursday was a perfect cruising day, 82 degree high with 3-9 mph WSW winds.  With only 52 miles to cover we dropped lines at a more "retiree friendly" 7:55 AM.  The first 30 mi. was the Waccamaw River, one of the most beautiful segments of the Atlantic ICW. As the photo shows, we enjoyed "Lola water," i.e. like a mirror.  Despite incredible amounts of pollen the past couple of weeks, spring is definitely later than usual; however, we saw several nesting osprey today, our first of the year.  With an hour and 20 min. stop at Osprey Marina to fuel the boat and then our bodies with their great hamburgers, we made Barefoot Resort Marina at 3:15 PM.  Friday morning we stopped by Dunkin Donuts for muffins and coffee before continuing to Ocean Isle Beach about 11 AM.  Weather was perfect: 3-5 mph breeze off the ocean wafted in a slight saltwater aroma while keeping away any bugs. We sat reading and playing Spider for 2 hrs. before walking a mile up the beach; a tough life, but somebody's gotta... Following a 3 PM lunch at Ella's, a bit of Thrift Store and grocery shopping finished the afternoon.  Saturday we drove 20 mi. to Sea Trail to meet and spend the day with Wayne and Judy Skaggs, special friends from NC State University.  Much of the afternoon involved the ladies shopping Thrift Stores in the area; the number of such in this area is incredible. This still left time for strolling 2 mi. of Sunset Beach  before Italian dinners at La Cucina's.  We met Wayne and Judy Sunday for a beautiful 11 AM Easter service at Seaside UMC.  They then treated us to a delightful brunch at Magnolia's, the on-site restaurant in Sea Trail, the golf course where their home is located.  Monday was spent on the boat except for dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise.  Lola sorted and packed winter things for their return to IN while Larry installed the new VHF radio with integrated AIS and DSC, reconfiguring all pilothouse instrument wiring in the process.  Since the new radio is smaller than the one it replaced, it was also necessary to fabricate a special face place to cover dash holes.  We completed departure preparations Tuesday in time to drive to Sunset Beach for an hour's walk before dinner at Ella's. The 15-25 mph winds of the past 2 days had the surf quite high, but crowds were way down from Easter.  Somehow, both going and returning we were the first car stopped for the swing bridge to open for boaters!

Apr. 7-8; On the road again: We departed at 7:40 AM Wednesday for our mid-point stop in Knoxville to visit granddaughter Samantha.  The rock slide that closed I-40 north of Asheville, NC last Oct. resulted in detouring through Johnson City, TN, an extra 53 mi. and 45 min. travel time.  Samantha met us shortly after our 4:50 arrival and took us to Litton's for great hamburger platters.  We departed at 8:15 AM Thursday for the 415 mi. home leg, driving in occasionally heavy rain until Lexington.  For the first 100 mi. the wisteria was delightful and then blossoming redbuds beautified the rest of the trip.  It was a pleasant drive until Louisville, KY after which the traffic on I-65 to Lafayette was horrendous.  Our 3:45 arrival allowed time to unload the car before enjoying buffet pizza with Keith and Sharon Hawks.  Tired from the past two days and a previous night's poor sleep, we crashed at 8:30 PM.

Apr. 9-19; Back home in Indiana: Friday was filled with beauty appointments, re-entry organizing and restocking for a few days at the condo.  Grandson Chris arrived Saturday morning to get instructions for living at our condo for a few months; he has just been hired by Caterpillar in Lafayette and starts in two weeks!  It was delightful to be in our home church Sunday and to hear Rev. Burger's sermon and the Purdue Handbells special musical service.  For all the work they do collecting/sending mail and looking after the condo, we treated Keith and Sharon Hawks to dinner at Outback Steakhouse.  After Monday's monthly gathering of workers for the former Thrift Shop, we returned to begin working on the condo.  Lola collected and packed Longaberger dishes for granddaughter Samantha while Larry stripped the remaining paper from the stairwell walls in preparation for painting, a job unfinished since we started this second loop trip.  Tuesday began with a routine doctor's appointment for both of us.  Rotary attendance plus afternoon shopping culminated with dinner at Sorrento's with Phil and Nancy Klinger, our former pastor at FUMC and Lola's former employer.  Lola attended Exchange Club while Larry put spackling compound on the stairwell walls Wednesday. After voting early Thursday morning because we will gone for the May 4th primary election, we drove to Indy in the afternoon for a bit of shopping before visiting with the Leitem families: dinner at On the Border with daughter Sandy, her husband Klaus, Chris and Nathaly before going to Nick and Jamie's home to see them and great grandchildren Gabe and Noah. Lola had a pedicure and new nails while Larry sanded the stairwell Friday morning. The near perfect spring weather of the past 8 days ended with light rain about 11 AM as we drove to St. Joseph, MI to visit several of our favorite haunts: Redamak's, our home marina Pier 1000, Kilwin's, Cafe Tosi's and Wolf's.  We also enjoyed viewing and riding the newly restored Silver Beach Carousel with its hand-carved horses with real horse tails. Nighttime temps reached 40 with frost warnings for the next two nights!  Most of Saturday was devoted to business in Lafayette, packing and painting the stairwell.  Following Sunday's FUMC 11 AM service we drove to Champaign, IL to attend the ABE Awards/Scholarship Banquet where Larry received their 2010 Outstanding Alumni award.  The presence of our daughters Judy and Sandy and his sister Sharon with their husbands attending made the event especially joyous.  We also enjoyed getting to know this year's recipient of our named scholarship, Anna Oldina, who joined our dinner table.  Monday morning was a return trip from IL.  The afternoon and evening, except for dinner at Szechuan Gardens with John and Leslie, were devoted to final preps for returning to the boat.

Apr. 20-21; Return Trip: We departed Tuesday at 9:30 AM.  Arrived at 5:30 PM, dinner w/Sam at Panera's.  We departed Wednesday at 8:30 AM, arriving at the boat 4:30; that provided time for unloading and stowing gear and filing papers.

Apr. 22-28; Barefoot Resort Marina: Thursday good friends Bob and Ann Levine arrived in the catamaran Sandpiper about noon.  Larry used the dinghy to remove the waterline stain from the port side of the boat and then polished it to reduce the forthcoming "tea mustache" that otherwise forms in the tannin-laden waters to the north.  We took Bob and Ann to Ella's in Calabash, NC for seafood dinners.  Departed Friday at 8 AM to begin shuffling cars north, beginning with a 270 mi. trip to Savannah for the Levine's car.  It was 9 PM before we made it back.  Saturday we picked up our rental at 9 AM and drove 3 cars 160 mi. to Morehead City; using some financial incentives, Enterprise convinced us to utilize a 4-door Dodge pickup instead of the reserved car.  It was 8:30 PM when we returned; we had now driven 1,800 miles in the past 5 days.  Following the 11 AM service at Seaside UMC we joined Levines for lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse and for grocery shopping before the AGLCA Rendezvous registration at 3:30 PM.  The rendezvous dinner and programs are all at the on-site Barefoot Resort Conference Center.  Monday-Wednesday were consumed by Rendezvous activities and visiting with looper friends.  Tuesday was an "on-your-own" dinner day for the rendezvous.  Following wine and munchies at 4:30 PM with Bob and Ann aboard Sandpiper, Lola hosted dinner aboard for Ron and Eva Stob, founders of AGLCA, plus Gillian Outerbridge, from Bermuda who had presented the seminar "A Grandmother Single Handles Her Adventure."  Ron brought scallops and sautéed them for a great addition to Lola's food and chocolate chiffon pie.

Thursday, Apr. 29; Surf City, NC: Cruising again, this time with Sandpiper.  Since our preferred stop at Wrightsville Beach was too full to accommodate us, we made reservations at the next logical choice, Beach House Marina in Surf City, NC, 92 mi. up the ICW.  We awoke at 5:30 in order to complete a pump-out before our 6:20 departure.  That early cast-off was because of the long distance, but also to time our arrival at the Sunset Pontoon Bridge that opens only on the hour.  The result was that we covered the 16 mi. more quickly than expected (less no-wake zones than we remembered and favorable tide currents), leaving us with a 30 min. wait.  The next timed bridge was only 1/4 mi. from our marina.  Again, to be certain of making the 5 PM opening we ran at 19 mph for 40 min. and arrived 20 min. early.  Tired from the long day, the four of us soon walked to the nearby Mainsail Restaurant for good seafood dinners.  Returning, we showered and turned in early.

Friday, Apr. 30; Morehead City, NC: Needing to cover only 57 miles, we dropped lines at a more civil 8:10 AM.  WSW winds built to 18 mph by afternoon producing a 1-2 ft. chop on the Bogue Sound, but being on our aft quarter gave a comfortable ride.  We arrived at the excellent Mcorehead City Yacht Basin at 2:20 PM allowing plenty of time to rinse down the boat and shower before joining with 4 other looper couples for excellent dinners and conversation at the nearby Floyd's 1921 Restaurant.  After a brief stop at DQ, we returned to do laundry until 11 PM.

Water miles traveled to date on this second loop: 5,185; this month: 144

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