WE LOVE AMERICA - NORTH CAROLINA COAST

Wilmington, North Carolina beckoned us to head north and we arrived on a Friday afternoon. The drive took us through the coastal flatlands, so often battered by huge storms from the Atlantic but for us, it was tranquil, inviting and relaxed with no evidence of damage. Along the road were scattered, cobbled together stands, selling woven grass baskets, a local craft. We often saw elderly African-American women sitting on little stools in the shade, deftly twisting and turning the grass leaves into works of art.
We found our hotel in Wilmington and settled in for a weekend stay. In the morning, refreshed, our first priority was to go to Wrightsville Beach, a short drive away. We crossed the inter-island waterway and found parking along streets dusted with sand and lined with pastel colored beach homes, perched on stilts and clustered only two blocks deep about the barrier island. We clambered up a low lying dune and before us spread one of the most lovely beaches we have ever seen. It was clean and white, the water blue and inviting and waves, large enough for surfing, rolled onto the shore, leaving a layer of fresh seashells at water's edge. Even though it was a Saturday, the beach was far from crowded, and beachgoers were only sparsely scattered about, basking in the sun, playing frisbee or splashing in the water. A few surfers in wetsuits, looking like shiny black seals, tested their skills on the rolling combers. We needed no jackets and reveled in the soft feel of the beach.



We walked along the water edge and the waves reached out to our feet, wrapping them in liquid, suddenly cold enough to make you gasp. But the sand was soft and gentle and sloped into the tumbling waves as if enticing them to rush in further and further.



Sea birds stepped and teased in a dance with the waves, running in and out to feast on little creatures carried and exposed by the persistent foaming water.



The choicest of homes, on stilts, like a lady lifting her hem to avoid a puddle, had the blessing of a infinite view of an ocean and beach, embracing each other in a never ending but always changing panorama.



She is waiting for the sand to slip and sink under her toes to draw the feet deeper into this idyllic place, trapping one's mind and heart on the spot. Just being there, with the clean, fresh air and tempting beach, relaxed the soul and rested the spirit. We felt we could sit and watch ocean, beach and people for a long time. But other events also drew our interest.

This weekend was Wilmington's River Fest, a celebration at the city waterfront, remembering the pirate past, shipping port vitality, and most likely an excuse to party, eat all the fried food possible and just mingle. We went and found that it was like a linear county fair, stretched out along the waterfront. One of the displays featured antique and modified cars.



Posing by our Yukon to demonstrate the impact of 3000 miles of driving :) Note the colorful hot rods in the background. We strolled about and avoided the fried onions and Twinkies, huge roasted turkey legs along with piles of ribbon and butterfly fries and shrimp Po-boys, to stop at the bandstand and listen to pop music and watch dancers, reminiscent of Idaho and Utah dance groups. Our first day in North Carolina was a contrast in sights, sounds and foods, but wrapped us in its charm and welcome.