Bon Jour on a rainy Valentines Day in Paris. We have been walking arm and arm through the streets. Even on a very wet day the city is a most romantic place. We arrived yesterday from Avignon on the TGV. A bit less than three hours at 180 mph. Very cool.
Today we plan on museums and Les Halles to keep dry. Thank goodness the forecast is for sunny and warm tomorrow, because we are going to Disneyland! I hope the Pirates of the Caribbean is in French. "Le Yo Ho, Yo Ho".
We have yet to find Elvis, but James thinks he saw a mime at the end of the street.
Stay warm and enjoy.
P&J
2.14.2007
2.12.2007
Dateline France: Midnight Train to Avignon
Bon Jour from our new home in Avignon. We have spent the last few days traveling by train from Germany. Our first stop was Nice, where we wandered the flowers, food and art in the outdoor market. The day was a sunny 61 degrees, so we had a picnic on the Med.
Jumped the next train to Avignon in Provence for a jolt of medieval architecture, lamb stew and fine red wine. We have toured the sites, lets just say it is good to be the Pope, and will be on our way to Paris in the morning.
We are off to lunch. Rabbit anyone?
Enjoy,
P&J
Jumped the next train to Avignon in Provence for a jolt of medieval architecture, lamb stew and fine red wine. We have toured the sites, lets just say it is good to be the Pope, and will be on our way to Paris in the morning.
We are off to lunch. Rabbit anyone?
Enjoy,
P&J
2.08.2007
Dateline Germany III: Dances with Castles
Gruss Got or Good Day from Germany. We are having a fantastic time and learning so much about the local customs. James spent part of the day trying to learn this new dance. There was only one picture so it may take a while.
Dance Party Germany style.
Beyond the dancing lessons, we also took part of the day to go on a tour of the German and Austrian countryside. The big destination was King Ludwig's dream castle, Neuschwanstein.
It was a really cool ride up to the castle. We left Germany and traveled through Austria via bus. The guide pointed out where the check points used to be. I was so looking forward to someone with a heavy German accent asking me, "PAPERS PLEASE". But alas, it was not to be. Damn, European Union.
As the story goes, King Ludwig started building a whole series of castles, never finishing one. This was of great concern to the guys in charge of the cash and his own family who he was also bankrupting. So low and behold, one night he is visited in his bedroom by a secret team that informs him that not only do they consider him crazy, but that he is no longer King. Taken off to another Palace near Munich, he mysteriously drowns the next day with his doctor. The powers that be then opened the castles to tours six months later to start making some of their investment back. Over 100 years later, there is still a steady stream of visitors to the 18 rooms he actually got finished before reaching his untimely demise.
We headed back to our resort for the last night before we take a train to the south of France. We have enjoyed the Alps, but are looking forward to warmer weather.
Here is a picture of James in front of the Lodge in Garmisch. The Zugspitz mountains in the background just seem to go on forever. As you can see it snowed just a bit for our visit, but not too much to make it difficult to get around. The weather has been really nice for the dead of winter and we are using it to our full advantage. We plan to return in the future to make a complete tour of the area.
Our next post should be from Southern France. It is time to change from beer to wine and think up new call signs. Still no sign of Elvis, but James thinks he saw a gnome today.
Enjoy,
P&J
Dance Party Germany style.
Beyond the dancing lessons, we also took part of the day to go on a tour of the German and Austrian countryside. The big destination was King Ludwig's dream castle, Neuschwanstein.
It was a really cool ride up to the castle. We left Germany and traveled through Austria via bus. The guide pointed out where the check points used to be. I was so looking forward to someone with a heavy German accent asking me, "PAPERS PLEASE". But alas, it was not to be. Damn, European Union.
As the story goes, King Ludwig started building a whole series of castles, never finishing one. This was of great concern to the guys in charge of the cash and his own family who he was also bankrupting. So low and behold, one night he is visited in his bedroom by a secret team that informs him that not only do they consider him crazy, but that he is no longer King. Taken off to another Palace near Munich, he mysteriously drowns the next day with his doctor. The powers that be then opened the castles to tours six months later to start making some of their investment back. Over 100 years later, there is still a steady stream of visitors to the 18 rooms he actually got finished before reaching his untimely demise.
We headed back to our resort for the last night before we take a train to the south of France. We have enjoyed the Alps, but are looking forward to warmer weather.
Here is a picture of James in front of the Lodge in Garmisch. The Zugspitz mountains in the background just seem to go on forever. As you can see it snowed just a bit for our visit, but not too much to make it difficult to get around. The weather has been really nice for the dead of winter and we are using it to our full advantage. We plan to return in the future to make a complete tour of the area.
Our next post should be from Southern France. It is time to change from beer to wine and think up new call signs. Still no sign of Elvis, but James thinks he saw a gnome today.
Enjoy,
P&J
2.07.2007
Dateline Germany II: A Bavarian Odyssey
Gettings again from Germany. We are all snug in our room at the Edelweiss Lodge in Garmish. It is a US Military vacation center that looks like Disney came in and built a lodge complete with fake streams and waterfalls. The best feature is the spa, that includes an indoor pool and outdoor hot tub. Yesterday when we arrived, snow was gently falling, so our first thought was to get in the hot tub and catch snowflakes on our tongues. Then James went one step further and made a snow angel before diving back into the warm water. It is not often that I get to use the words James and angel in the same sentence. Since arriving we decided that new call signs were needed for a new country, so we are now Uber Patty and Wunder Jimmy. Das ist gut, ja??
Garmish the town has a back drop of huge mountains all around. It is the little German villiage that you always imagine when thinking of the Alps. I caught Pat yodelling on the balcony earlier today. It is that good.
We came by train from Munich. It was a beautiful ride with snow coming down as we traveled up into the mountains. The day before it was 50 degrees as we walked around Munich in a light sweater (is it really February?). The vacation gods have been good to us so far.
Our tour of Munich included all the normal sights and a stunning amount of food. NICE CLOCK!!! They have enough pork products in one place to choke a small...well, you know. Being lovers of said products, we could not wait to make it to the Viktualienmarkt. It was like a Whole Foods on steroids. Every orange, flower, pig knuckle was perfect. It made me want to live in a city again. The little stalls have been there forever and they all have a certain specialty; pork, beer, fish, beer, vegitables, beer, flowers and oh course, beer. For those that haven't been to Munich, they take their beer and food very seriously. I love a town where there is actually a meal between breakfast and lunch. Back to the market...each day around 10am, that is 10 in the morning on the metric system, the stalls open up. The whole area is centered around a large maypole with wooden characters dancing, chopping, drinking, you know the typical behaviors in the city. Throughout the market there are a surprising number of fountains that are supposed to depict folk artists and actors. There are a few others that were not so easy to understand. One had the lady that used to read to the kids. Another was of a cleaning lady. And there was the one with a man standing in a bowler hat with a sun and moon orbiting around him..?
We haven't seen Elvis, but today we did sit across from the Bergermeister Meisterberger. Tomorrow we are off to Schlos Neuschwanstein, otherwise known as Cinderella's Castle. Maybe we will get lucky?
Enjoy.
P&J
Garmish the town has a back drop of huge mountains all around. It is the little German villiage that you always imagine when thinking of the Alps. I caught Pat yodelling on the balcony earlier today. It is that good.
We came by train from Munich. It was a beautiful ride with snow coming down as we traveled up into the mountains. The day before it was 50 degrees as we walked around Munich in a light sweater (is it really February?). The vacation gods have been good to us so far.
Our tour of Munich included all the normal sights and a stunning amount of food. NICE CLOCK!!! They have enough pork products in one place to choke a small...well, you know. Being lovers of said products, we could not wait to make it to the Viktualienmarkt. It was like a Whole Foods on steroids. Every orange, flower, pig knuckle was perfect. It made me want to live in a city again. The little stalls have been there forever and they all have a certain specialty; pork, beer, fish, beer, vegitables, beer, flowers and oh course, beer. For those that haven't been to Munich, they take their beer and food very seriously. I love a town where there is actually a meal between breakfast and lunch. Back to the market...each day around 10am, that is 10 in the morning on the metric system, the stalls open up. The whole area is centered around a large maypole with wooden characters dancing, chopping, drinking, you know the typical behaviors in the city. Throughout the market there are a surprising number of fountains that are supposed to depict folk artists and actors. There are a few others that were not so easy to understand. One had the lady that used to read to the kids. Another was of a cleaning lady. And there was the one with a man standing in a bowler hat with a sun and moon orbiting around him..?
We haven't seen Elvis, but today we did sit across from the Bergermeister Meisterberger. Tomorrow we are off to Schlos Neuschwanstein, otherwise known as Cinderella's Castle. Maybe we will get lucky?
Enjoy.
P&J
2.04.2007
Dateline Germany: Our first hostel
This update comes from the Winter Garden area of the Wombat Hostel in Munich. I am surrounded by trees in a glass enclosed courtyard with bean bags, low stools and computer termimals; 15 minutes for 1 Euro. Bob Dylan is playing in the Wombar where the drinks are cheap and the Super Bowl party is scheduled to last until 6am. I expect that the 'old folks' will be in bed before half time.
We came from Frankfurt this morning on a high speed train and after dropping our bags went on a quick walk about the Marianplaltz. We also stopped for some sausages and James had his first Weissebier of the trip. All and all, a good start.
Tomorrow we plan on seeing the city and on Tuesday we will head to Garmisch and the Alps.
We will post pictures and coordinates when we can.
Enjoy
P&J
We came from Frankfurt this morning on a high speed train and after dropping our bags went on a quick walk about the Marianplaltz. We also stopped for some sausages and James had his first Weissebier of the trip. All and all, a good start.
Tomorrow we plan on seeing the city and on Tuesday we will head to Garmisch and the Alps.
We will post pictures and coordinates when we can.
Enjoy
P&J
2.01.2007
Pat: An new adventure begins
Team Helios is at it again. We are headed off on a train tour of Germany and France. Of course the weather for our departure leaves a lot to be desired. Raleigh has Snow, Ice and Freezing Fog! Oh well, we wouldn't want it any other way.
Our plans have us flying into Frankfurt and then heading for one of my favorite cities, Munich before going through the Alps, southern France and finally leaving out of Paris. James spent the last few days testing his theory that we could get everything we need to carry for this trip into two backpacks. After a fierce battle and getting rid of a few changes of cloths, he won. If it sounds like your after college tour, you would be right. We are going to finally live out that misspent youth we never had.
While we may not spend much on transportation and lodging, there is one big difference from a true budget tour. We are looking forward to some fine food and wine everywhere we go. You have to have priorities. And yes, before you ask, we are planning a pilgrimage to Euro Disney. Though, I am worried we won't have enough room in our backpacks for all the new 'ears'.
We have our trusty GPS and Le Guide Michelin in hand and will keep you updated with all the news from the road.
Enjoy
Our plans have us flying into Frankfurt and then heading for one of my favorite cities, Munich before going through the Alps, southern France and finally leaving out of Paris. James spent the last few days testing his theory that we could get everything we need to carry for this trip into two backpacks. After a fierce battle and getting rid of a few changes of cloths, he won. If it sounds like your after college tour, you would be right. We are going to finally live out that misspent youth we never had.
While we may not spend much on transportation and lodging, there is one big difference from a true budget tour. We are looking forward to some fine food and wine everywhere we go. You have to have priorities. And yes, before you ask, we are planning a pilgrimage to Euro Disney. Though, I am worried we won't have enough room in our backpacks for all the new 'ears'.
We have our trusty GPS and Le Guide Michelin in hand and will keep you updated with all the news from the road.
Enjoy
1.23.2007
J & P: One if by Land, Two if by Sea!
We are so sick. It has been a few days since our return from the lands of warm breezes and we are experiencing some major karmic payback as a truly horrible flu has claimed Team Helios. From our bed, in our jammie's, here is a report from happier times.
By Land,
Our journey took us south to the great state of Florida. As you may know, James' home state is nicknamed the "Sunshine State". We took a lovely picture as we started our trip.
I'm beginning to think it has something to do with us.
After traveling at 5 knots by water for days on end, it was interesting to go for nine hours at speeds upwards of 80 MPH. This is fun. Maybe a speed boat would be better for us?
....Blasphemy says she!
Finally, we reached our second home, Disney World. On Main Street USA, we found a mode of transportation that is actually slower then sailing.
.
Horse Carriage.
Of course, it did come with it's own quartet.
Call me silly, but everything seems to be better at Disney. We wandered around the place; ate a little, drank a little, saw some dwarf's, you know the usual. I figured that since we were off the boat for a while I would pick up a few things that we could use when we are sailing.
First, I needed a sword. Damn thing was stuck.
Always good to have a little protection from pirates.
The characters that you see at Disney can vary wildly. For instance, these two seem to pop up everywhere we go.
Sleepy and Happy. :-)
No, it was Bob and Ann, fresh from south Florida and looking for the magic. Bob did find a great job opportunity for his retirement years.
Bwana Bob's. Need a bracelet?
Later that day we went down to the pool and relaxed. I have to say that when Bob lets his ponytail down he really lets it down.
He took that blanket everywhere.
The week came to a close and we enjoyed our time with Bob and Ann. We had a nice dinner and the next morning we parted ways. They were off to breakfast with family and we were off to the islands. Carnival cruise lines here we come.
By Sea,
We got to Port Canaveral and boarded our new ride. Our ship was the Sensation. We found a ticket on-line for a crazy low price so we could not resist. We had the cheapest cabin on board. Even with bunk beds we felt that we had a great deal. I don't want to say it was no frills, but when they woke me up at midnight, I thought it was for the buffet.
Buffet my butt. Man that was hot.
But I think Pat got the worst deal with the entertainers.
All the college drama classes really paid off.
The first stop was Freeport. After a short van ride to the beach, we had finally made it to the Bahamas. We got a drink, put our toes in the sand and watched the tourist run amok. If you thought that black socks and sandals were a myth, you would be wrong. But to be fair, my feet do tend to get burned. :-) We stayed on the beach about an hour and managed to resist the temptation of a nice Bob Marley shirt on the way back to the ship.
We sailed at 1600 and headed for Nassau. We were to arrive in the morning and stay overnight. We arrived at sunrise and after I got the coal dust out from under my nails we went ashore searching for Elvis. If you ever go to Nassau, take the local buses called Jitneys. They cost a dollar and they are full of interesting locals. Just happy people on island time. Maybe they have a good idea here?
The view from the top deck of the ship is always nice in Nassau. The place that we went to last time we were here was blown away by one of the hurricanes, so we hit the pool and did some sun bathing.
An old America's Cup Yacht
We scoped out this hotel for our next port visit. It was quite nice.
I have always loved this house across from the Ship docks.
As you can see, the Bahamas are as beautiful as ever. We had a great time and the ship was an interesting mix of folks from all walks of life. They say that the people on a cruise ship fit into three categories:
The Newly Wed
The Over Feed
The Nearly Dead.
Not sure where we fit in but we did eat a lot. :-)
We even went to an auction on board and bought a nice water color by Linda LeKinff. She is a french artist that is still alive and painting in Paris.
One Single Rose
Now if we just had a place to hang it we would be in business. We may need to buy a gallery if this keeps up.
That brings us to a close for now. Our next adventure will start in February when we backpack Europe. We are starting in Germany and ending in France. Just a couple of kids seeing the world before they start their lives. Kids with gray hair, but kids none the less. Oh, and Elvis still seems to be keeping one step ahead of us. But we're trying.
Cheers,
J & P
By Land,
Our journey took us south to the great state of Florida. As you may know, James' home state is nicknamed the "Sunshine State". We took a lovely picture as we started our trip.
I'm beginning to think it has something to do with us.
After traveling at 5 knots by water for days on end, it was interesting to go for nine hours at speeds upwards of 80 MPH. This is fun. Maybe a speed boat would be better for us?
....Blasphemy says she!
Finally, we reached our second home, Disney World. On Main Street USA, we found a mode of transportation that is actually slower then sailing.
.
Horse Carriage.
Of course, it did come with it's own quartet.
Call me silly, but everything seems to be better at Disney. We wandered around the place; ate a little, drank a little, saw some dwarf's, you know the usual. I figured that since we were off the boat for a while I would pick up a few things that we could use when we are sailing.
First, I needed a sword. Damn thing was stuck.
Always good to have a little protection from pirates.
The characters that you see at Disney can vary wildly. For instance, these two seem to pop up everywhere we go.
Sleepy and Happy. :-)
No, it was Bob and Ann, fresh from south Florida and looking for the magic. Bob did find a great job opportunity for his retirement years.
Bwana Bob's. Need a bracelet?
Later that day we went down to the pool and relaxed. I have to say that when Bob lets his ponytail down he really lets it down.
He took that blanket everywhere.
The week came to a close and we enjoyed our time with Bob and Ann. We had a nice dinner and the next morning we parted ways. They were off to breakfast with family and we were off to the islands. Carnival cruise lines here we come.
By Sea,
We got to Port Canaveral and boarded our new ride. Our ship was the Sensation. We found a ticket on-line for a crazy low price so we could not resist. We had the cheapest cabin on board. Even with bunk beds we felt that we had a great deal. I don't want to say it was no frills, but when they woke me up at midnight, I thought it was for the buffet.
Buffet my butt. Man that was hot.
But I think Pat got the worst deal with the entertainers.
All the college drama classes really paid off.
The first stop was Freeport. After a short van ride to the beach, we had finally made it to the Bahamas. We got a drink, put our toes in the sand and watched the tourist run amok. If you thought that black socks and sandals were a myth, you would be wrong. But to be fair, my feet do tend to get burned. :-) We stayed on the beach about an hour and managed to resist the temptation of a nice Bob Marley shirt on the way back to the ship.
We sailed at 1600 and headed for Nassau. We were to arrive in the morning and stay overnight. We arrived at sunrise and after I got the coal dust out from under my nails we went ashore searching for Elvis. If you ever go to Nassau, take the local buses called Jitneys. They cost a dollar and they are full of interesting locals. Just happy people on island time. Maybe they have a good idea here?
The view from the top deck of the ship is always nice in Nassau. The place that we went to last time we were here was blown away by one of the hurricanes, so we hit the pool and did some sun bathing.
An old America's Cup Yacht
We scoped out this hotel for our next port visit. It was quite nice.
I have always loved this house across from the Ship docks.
As you can see, the Bahamas are as beautiful as ever. We had a great time and the ship was an interesting mix of folks from all walks of life. They say that the people on a cruise ship fit into three categories:
The Newly Wed
The Over Feed
The Nearly Dead.
Not sure where we fit in but we did eat a lot. :-)
We even went to an auction on board and bought a nice water color by Linda LeKinff. She is a french artist that is still alive and painting in Paris.
One Single Rose
Now if we just had a place to hang it we would be in business. We may need to buy a gallery if this keeps up.
That brings us to a close for now. Our next adventure will start in February when we backpack Europe. We are starting in Germany and ending in France. Just a couple of kids seeing the world before they start their lives. Kids with gray hair, but kids none the less. Oh, and Elvis still seems to be keeping one step ahead of us. But we're trying.
Cheers,
J & P
1.04.2007
Pat and Jim: Life in the Carolinas
Hey Y'all. It has been a long 10 days since our last post. We have slid into a much easier mode of life here in rural North Carolina. The new year finds us at Sandy and Dan's house with the opportunity to catch up on our daytime television, plan trips, paint, read and of course, play golf.
Here are a few tips we have learned in the last week:
* If Maury, Montel or anyone with a Judge in front of their name sends you an invitation to appear on their show. For the love of all things holy, do not go, it will not be good news.
* Do not start watching the series "Battlestar Galactica" in the afternoon. You will regain consciousness two days later wondering if Gaius Baltar really is a Cylon.
* And don't get me started on the bad effects of 6 back-to-back Iron Chef America shows.
Other important milestones since our last entry:
* The movers came and delivered the household goods shipment. We unpacked a mountain of stuff and started settling into our temporary garage apartment. Send a note if you need any cardboard boxes.
* The Raymarine folks are coming out next week to take away the autopilot course computer for a complete factory evaluation and exorcism. We think that may solve our problems. Light a candle.
* We have planned two trips to keep ourselves busy during this layup. Our land yacht "Old Blue" is gassed up and ready for our first trip down the concrete Intercoastal Highway known as I-95. When things change we find that a little time at the Magic Kingdom will fix just about anything. Yes, Pat and Jim are headed to Disney. Call the media.
* Kevin came to visit from Virginia and we had a nice round of golf. The courses here are in terrific shape and we both shot just a little under par. Then we solved world peace and got Cher to do a final concert tour. Needless to say, if I am going to be ready for the Senior's Tour in 8 years I had better practice. Then we had a great meal and debated the problems of the world in the living room by the fire. Next morning Kevin slipped away under the cover of darkness to return to the land of 2 hour commutes and monuments. Nice to see you Kev.
* That reminds me, Jim did manage to turn 42 years old on New Years Eve and we celebrated by being asleep when the ball dropped. I guess that Paris Hilton club scene is going to have to get along without us. Sorry Paris, kiss kiss...
We hit the road on Saturday and are looking forward to seeing Mickey and the gang again. My mom will be happy to see us and I believe Bob and Ann are going to do another Harpoon Missile vacation strike on Orlando. You two are the king and queen of jet setting.
So you are almost up to date with all our plans and schemes. We will take many pictures and do lots of posts when we get a decent signal. This life in the country can be hell on an Internet connection. We also felt that a change in the blog title would be appropriate. When life gives you lemons, you just have to make Eggs Benedict. See what watching too much Iron Chef will do to you?
Cheers,
P & J
Here are a few tips we have learned in the last week:
* If Maury, Montel or anyone with a Judge in front of their name sends you an invitation to appear on their show. For the love of all things holy, do not go, it will not be good news.
* Do not start watching the series "Battlestar Galactica" in the afternoon. You will regain consciousness two days later wondering if Gaius Baltar really is a Cylon.
* And don't get me started on the bad effects of 6 back-to-back Iron Chef America shows.
Other important milestones since our last entry:
* The movers came and delivered the household goods shipment. We unpacked a mountain of stuff and started settling into our temporary garage apartment. Send a note if you need any cardboard boxes.
* The Raymarine folks are coming out next week to take away the autopilot course computer for a complete factory evaluation and exorcism. We think that may solve our problems. Light a candle.
* We have planned two trips to keep ourselves busy during this layup. Our land yacht "Old Blue" is gassed up and ready for our first trip down the concrete Intercoastal Highway known as I-95. When things change we find that a little time at the Magic Kingdom will fix just about anything. Yes, Pat and Jim are headed to Disney. Call the media.
* Kevin came to visit from Virginia and we had a nice round of golf. The courses here are in terrific shape and we both shot just a little under par. Then we solved world peace and got Cher to do a final concert tour. Needless to say, if I am going to be ready for the Senior's Tour in 8 years I had better practice. Then we had a great meal and debated the problems of the world in the living room by the fire. Next morning Kevin slipped away under the cover of darkness to return to the land of 2 hour commutes and monuments. Nice to see you Kev.
* That reminds me, Jim did manage to turn 42 years old on New Years Eve and we celebrated by being asleep when the ball dropped. I guess that Paris Hilton club scene is going to have to get along without us. Sorry Paris, kiss kiss...
We hit the road on Saturday and are looking forward to seeing Mickey and the gang again. My mom will be happy to see us and I believe Bob and Ann are going to do another Harpoon Missile vacation strike on Orlando. You two are the king and queen of jet setting.
So you are almost up to date with all our plans and schemes. We will take many pictures and do lots of posts when we get a decent signal. This life in the country can be hell on an Internet connection. We also felt that a change in the blog title would be appropriate. When life gives you lemons, you just have to make Eggs Benedict. See what watching too much Iron Chef will do to you?
Cheers,
P & J
12.23.2006
Jim and Pat: Plan B
First things first, we have made it safely back to St James Marina in Southport, NC.
When last we wrote we were at the Osprey Marina on the Wacamaw River heading north, but we never did fill you in on our adventures in Charleston. Here are a few images of our tour of the city.
As you would expect there were many restored buildings and churches
One interesting point that our tour guide gave us was the difference between a grave yard and a cemetery. A grave yard is next to a church.
You could only be buried in the grave yard here if you were a native of Charleston. One story started with a young wife from the city dying and being buried in the church yard shown above, but her husband the Governor was not from Charleston. When it was his time, he was be buried across the street in the cemetery. Who knew?
James noticed a lot of cool bars with inventive names.
The town is cut in two by Broad St. So you are either Slightly North of Broad or South. This makes you a SNOB or SOB. Apparently in the social structure you want to be a SOB.
After a day of touring we returned to the boat to prep for guests. The crew of S/V Veranda stopped by in Charleston but we missed them. To Bill and Christy we hope your travels south are safe and we look forward to meeting you somewhere down the road. Keep on cruising.
Bob and Ann arrive for an overnight stay. After a nice visit and a final dinner with Jerry and Sue, we left the next morning for our trip back north
Waving goodbye on a beautiful morning. (Thanks Bob, we didn't have pictures of us underway)
Leaving the marina and turning right.
We had great weather for traveling (see previous post for the beginning of our trip back). After leaving the Osprey Marina we headed up to North Myrtle Beach to a little place called Cricket Cove marina. At the outer dock where we tied up the depth was 6 ft. That is how deep we are at the keel. After "kissing the bottom" on the way in we finally made it to the dock. We were sitting in the mud during low tide. While the marina got a good write up in the guide, we could have done with a little more of their reported depth.
At "O dark 30" the next morning we got the engine stared and left for the final push to Southport. We had to get through three inlets that have very shallow depth and were racing a falling tide. Of course our beautiful weather was gone and fog/rain showed up to make our day a bit more interesting. With the wind coming dead on our nose with gusts at 15 to 20 knots we were little cold to say the least.
With my foul weather gear on and Pat under a ton of fleece, we rounded mile marker 315 at around noon and were tied to the dock in St. James Marina by 1230. It was a sad homecoming and not the place we planned to be. We unloaded some clothes and food and headed for the house.
After settling in a bit and unloading more stuff to the house, we thought some trip planning was in order. Pat used her "Harry Potter like" powers to scour the internet for deals on travel. After a few hours she found us 6 days at Disney World in Orlando so we can visit my mom. After that there is a cruise ship headed to the Bahamas for four days. At the least we can say we made it to the Bahamas by boat. Then there is the killer airfare to Europe that we can't pass up. We think some time backpacking Germany, France and Austria would do us well. Although, the 24 day trip to the Caribbean and South America sounds kind of fun. Which one?? So many choices, so little time.
Over the next few weeks we will be working with the electrician and Raymarine repair folks on the boat issues. Before that drama begins, we decided that a retreat to the Outer Banks to Bob and Ann's place for Christmas was needed. There was a wifi connection that needed a workout and a hot tub that needed testing. It is good to have friends.
Pat and Bob testing out the hot tub. It passed!
We have to be back to St James by the 27th. The movers are delivering the final shipment of household goods for the parents. We have a number of our land things in the truck, but honestly haven't missed any of it over the last few months. OK that is a lie, there are the golf clubs. Poor planning on my part to say the least. Pat has retrieved her paint sets from the boat and is looking for subjects to paint everyday. I think that gnome in the yard is in serious trouble.
We just had a Christmas dinner of roast lamb with gratin potatoes, sugar carrots and asparagus. Not your traditional Christmas dinner but then again we are kind of playing things by ear these days. It really is a nice way to live your life.
Everyone out there have a wonderful holiday and keep yourselves warm and safe and dry.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
JT and Pat
When last we wrote we were at the Osprey Marina on the Wacamaw River heading north, but we never did fill you in on our adventures in Charleston. Here are a few images of our tour of the city.
As you would expect there were many restored buildings and churches
One interesting point that our tour guide gave us was the difference between a grave yard and a cemetery. A grave yard is next to a church.
You could only be buried in the grave yard here if you were a native of Charleston. One story started with a young wife from the city dying and being buried in the church yard shown above, but her husband the Governor was not from Charleston. When it was his time, he was be buried across the street in the cemetery. Who knew?
James noticed a lot of cool bars with inventive names.
The town is cut in two by Broad St. So you are either Slightly North of Broad or South. This makes you a SNOB or SOB. Apparently in the social structure you want to be a SOB.
After a day of touring we returned to the boat to prep for guests. The crew of S/V Veranda stopped by in Charleston but we missed them. To Bill and Christy we hope your travels south are safe and we look forward to meeting you somewhere down the road. Keep on cruising.
Bob and Ann arrive for an overnight stay. After a nice visit and a final dinner with Jerry and Sue, we left the next morning for our trip back north
Waving goodbye on a beautiful morning. (Thanks Bob, we didn't have pictures of us underway)
Leaving the marina and turning right.
We had great weather for traveling (see previous post for the beginning of our trip back). After leaving the Osprey Marina we headed up to North Myrtle Beach to a little place called Cricket Cove marina. At the outer dock where we tied up the depth was 6 ft. That is how deep we are at the keel. After "kissing the bottom" on the way in we finally made it to the dock. We were sitting in the mud during low tide. While the marina got a good write up in the guide, we could have done with a little more of their reported depth.
At "O dark 30" the next morning we got the engine stared and left for the final push to Southport. We had to get through three inlets that have very shallow depth and were racing a falling tide. Of course our beautiful weather was gone and fog/rain showed up to make our day a bit more interesting. With the wind coming dead on our nose with gusts at 15 to 20 knots we were little cold to say the least.
With my foul weather gear on and Pat under a ton of fleece, we rounded mile marker 315 at around noon and were tied to the dock in St. James Marina by 1230. It was a sad homecoming and not the place we planned to be. We unloaded some clothes and food and headed for the house.After settling in a bit and unloading more stuff to the house, we thought some trip planning was in order. Pat used her "Harry Potter like" powers to scour the internet for deals on travel. After a few hours she found us 6 days at Disney World in Orlando so we can visit my mom. After that there is a cruise ship headed to the Bahamas for four days. At the least we can say we made it to the Bahamas by boat. Then there is the killer airfare to Europe that we can't pass up. We think some time backpacking Germany, France and Austria would do us well. Although, the 24 day trip to the Caribbean and South America sounds kind of fun. Which one?? So many choices, so little time.
Over the next few weeks we will be working with the electrician and Raymarine repair folks on the boat issues. Before that drama begins, we decided that a retreat to the Outer Banks to Bob and Ann's place for Christmas was needed. There was a wifi connection that needed a workout and a hot tub that needed testing. It is good to have friends.
Pat and Bob testing out the hot tub. It passed!
We have to be back to St James by the 27th. The movers are delivering the final shipment of household goods for the parents. We have a number of our land things in the truck, but honestly haven't missed any of it over the last few months. OK that is a lie, there are the golf clubs. Poor planning on my part to say the least. Pat has retrieved her paint sets from the boat and is looking for subjects to paint everyday. I think that gnome in the yard is in serious trouble.
We just had a Christmas dinner of roast lamb with gratin potatoes, sugar carrots and asparagus. Not your traditional Christmas dinner but then again we are kind of playing things by ear these days. It really is a nice way to live your life.
Everyone out there have a wonderful holiday and keep yourselves warm and safe and dry.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
JT and Pat
12.18.2006
Jim: Rhyme or Reason?
We have been at this for a while now and have the lay of the land, but our arrival in Charleston was something new. We traveled to the Isle of Palms just north of Charleston in a rain storm with under 50 feet of viz in dense fog. I got to practice my radar plotting, but won't miss if I never did that again.
While in town Jerry and his wife Sue took fabulous care of us. They had a warm bed and a great washing machine. Did I mention them taking us to a bar named "Reds"? We toured the town learning all the history of Charleston. Thanks so much you two, it was a great time. You really know how to make a couple welcome.
Bob and Ann also came to town and stayed for the night. We caught up and after many G & T's we all went to dinner at a local place. Thanks for the good conversation and the Guardian Angel.
As for the trip in general, we have the following problems:
- The autopilot is a traitor and has a habit of taking over the steering when we don't want him too.
- It is the middle of December and we are only in South Carolina.
- We have a couple of really bad electrical problems that are going to need some serious work to solve.
Our considerations: we need to fix a couple of the show stoppers before we go on and we need a safe port to leave the boat while we have the work done. We need to have transportation and a place to live. We need to take a real vacation and get ourselves in some nice warm water. Time to make the call. Yep, you guessed it. We are heading north.
The marina at St. James has a slip we can rent. My truck is there. Pat's moms house is there. We can fix the problems and leave the boat as we travel. We headed out of Isle of Palms on Sunday and turned right to the north. It was a tough choice, but we think it is the right thing to do.
We anchored in a Minim Creek (MM 415) last night and tonight we are at a the Osprey Marina (MM 373) just south of Myrtle Beach. The cable is plugged in, the shore power is kicking, and Pat has full WIFI coverage. This is kind of like a vacation.
Now we are looking at traveling around a little and seeing some sights. I need some warm water and a Spanish accent. Pat would like to do some painting in exotic locations. We are going on "walk about" and the world is calling us. Life is kind of funny out here on the open road. Lucky for us, we can bend to meet the flow.
Still no sign of Elvis, but we are looking.
JT
While in town Jerry and his wife Sue took fabulous care of us. They had a warm bed and a great washing machine. Did I mention them taking us to a bar named "Reds"? We toured the town learning all the history of Charleston. Thanks so much you two, it was a great time. You really know how to make a couple welcome.
Bob and Ann also came to town and stayed for the night. We caught up and after many G & T's we all went to dinner at a local place. Thanks for the good conversation and the Guardian Angel.
As for the trip in general, we have the following problems:
- The autopilot is a traitor and has a habit of taking over the steering when we don't want him too.
- It is the middle of December and we are only in South Carolina.
- We have a couple of really bad electrical problems that are going to need some serious work to solve.
Our considerations: we need to fix a couple of the show stoppers before we go on and we need a safe port to leave the boat while we have the work done. We need to have transportation and a place to live. We need to take a real vacation and get ourselves in some nice warm water. Time to make the call. Yep, you guessed it. We are heading north.
The marina at St. James has a slip we can rent. My truck is there. Pat's moms house is there. We can fix the problems and leave the boat as we travel. We headed out of Isle of Palms on Sunday and turned right to the north. It was a tough choice, but we think it is the right thing to do.
We anchored in a Minim Creek (MM 415) last night and tonight we are at a the Osprey Marina (MM 373) just south of Myrtle Beach. The cable is plugged in, the shore power is kicking, and Pat has full WIFI coverage. This is kind of like a vacation.
Now we are looking at traveling around a little and seeing some sights. I need some warm water and a Spanish accent. Pat would like to do some painting in exotic locations. We are going on "walk about" and the world is calling us. Life is kind of funny out here on the open road. Lucky for us, we can bend to meet the flow.
Still no sign of Elvis, but we are looking.
JT
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