Beaufort, SC is a lovely town, with an historic downtown area along the waterfront similar to Georgetown and Southport. We enjoyed three nights at the Beaufort Downtown Marina waiting for the rainy weather to clear. Breakfast at Blackstone's on two mornings is what we will remember most. (Blackstone's is a small cafe' specializing in shrimp and grits, and sporting lots of Marine Corps "stuff" on the walls.) That, and being with friends we have met along the way. We enjoyed getting to know Wayne and Lindell on Solveig II. Meeting new friends is still my favorite part of cruising.
We flew our 4' x 6' Marine Corps flag proudly in Beaufort, SC (home of MCAS Beaufort) and left it flying as we cruised past Parris Island on our way to Isle of Hope, GA. I continue to call it "Isle of Palms" accidentally, because palm trees abound here.
We left Beaufort, SC at the same time Ben and Judy Beatty were leaving on their sailboat, Sunpenny. They saw our flag flying and called us on the radio. Ben's Dad had been a Marine flying Corsairs in WWII. Now that's a manly job! Ben and Judy have been down the AICW many times, so they led the way and we traveled together to Isle of Hope, GA. We enjoyed spending a few hours with them that evening once we were settled. They shared their crusing stories and we learned tons about cruising through Florida.
Along the way we were thrilled to see another bald eagle. What majestic birds they are! I'm so glad that Ben Franklin did not get his way. The bald eagle is the perfect symbol of the U.S.A.
Isle of Hope is considered part of Savannah, GA. We did not make time to see downtown Savannah or Hilton Head this trip. Perhaps we will stop there on our way home. We enjoy the smaller villages along the waterway.
The Isle of Hope marina is a terrific stop for cruisers. The facilities are up-to-date and the staff is friendly and knowledgable. In addition to the typical marina services, they offer two courtesy cars, free wireless Internet service, outgoing mail service, notary services and faxing. This marina is at the top of our list so far. We drove a courtesy car to WalMart for a little provisioning and a new toy for Elvis Ann. :-) She's really adjusting well to the cruising life.
It is another beautiful sunny day today. I'm not actually sure what day it is. Now in the morning when we awaken, John turns to me and asks "What day is it?". I turn back to him and say "It's today!". To which he responds, "My favorite day!". I know, it's silly. Is that too much information?
In a few minutes we will depart for windy rivers in southern Georgia. I'm not sure if we will have cell phone or Internet access for a day or so. We are looking forward to the beautiful, yet remote scenery.
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