Sue and I enjoyed our week in Beaufort. We stayed at Town Creek marina, just on the edge of town. The more popular marina is Beaufort Docks which is in the heart of downtown and the center of the show, but we prefer to go to the show instead of being the show. Besides, we got a cheaper rate and a much nicer marina.
Tropical Storm Bertha had just past so most of the week was rainy. We had nice periods during the days and were able to get out and explore, always keeping an eye on the radar for the next rain squall to come through town.
Downtown Beaufort is a historic district, so many of the larger homes were converted to bed and breakfasts. Lots of shops and restaurants too. As luck would have it, the best restaurant in town was City Kitchen, which is at our marina. Our favorite menu item was a blueberry cobbler desert, with key lime sauce and whipped cream
Shopping was a challenge since the grocery stores are on the edge of town. The Carolinas don’t seem big on bicycle paths, and most of the roads don’t have shoulders to ride on either. So I studied google maps and found a route to Piggy Wiggly and the Food Lion, snaking across town on residential and side streets.
Groceries here were very different from what we had gotten used to in Palm Beach Gardens. Early in the week, there was no romaine lettuce to be found. The green cabbages looked picked over and old. No red cabbages anywhere. But, they had plenty of hot Chow-Chow, so I’m happy. And, we picked up a bottle of pickled okra for my mom.
The seafood markets in the area sell what ever the fishing boats bring in. One day I stopped and they had fresh shrimp, 9-10 count at $5 a pound! What a deal, until I realized they were whole shrimp. I’ve only cooked with processed shrimp, but I gave it a try. Seasoned them up, and grilled them. Not bad, but in the future, I’m going to remove the head, shell, and de-vein them before cooking.
We got the boat topped off on supplies and moved to the Cape Lookout National Seashore. There is a big blow scheduled to hit so we’re going to spend a few days here exploring the park. Sue is determined to find the wild horses on the islands. We may try to rent a four wheeler so we can cover more ground.
Kurt & Sue Sail 