Traveling Twosome
  • Traveling Twosome Blog
  • BeBelize - Our life in Belize (2011-2013)
  • Earlier adventures (2003-2010)
    • First Belize Trip 2010
    • Fall Sail Cruise Aboard Logos 2009
    • Conch Key 2007
    • Charleston Sailing School 2007
    • Biscayne Bay Sailing School 2007
    • Key Lime Sailing Club 2006
    • Southwest Parks 2006
    • BEYC/Jost van Dyke, BVI 2005
    • Offshore Sailing School 2004
    • Annapolis Sailboat Show 2004
    • Finger Lakes 2004
    • NY State Bike Tour 2004
    • Biras Creek, BVI 2003
Picture
"Pearl" in Winter Garden, Florida
Picture
Long shadows in Wyoming

Warming up at the Carolina Coast

12/7/2013

4 Comments

 
Picture
We are spending most of the month of December at Ocean Isle Beach, NC -- and it appears we escaped the Kansas City area in the nick of time.  We had already had some seriously nippy weather in the second half of November, with nights dipping into the low teens and a few days with highs that didn't reach freezing.  After spending the past two winters in Belize, this was a real shock to our systems.  We'd never liked cold weather before, and we find we tolerate it even less now.  It was too cold to ride our bikes, and even walking, especially when the wind was blowing, was not pleasant. Time to get the heck out of dodge!  It's only gotten colder (and whiter!) in the nation's mid-section since we made our escape, so we couldn't have left at a better time.  As I write this, it is 5F in KC with a windchill of -6F. Brrrrr!

But first ya gotta get there...

We left on Thanksgiving Day, car packed to the max.  We had already made our own Thanksgiving meal and eaten it several times in the previous week, so we didn't feel too deprived.  We ate a Subway sandwich in Cadiz, Kentucky on Thanksgiving!  We then made our way to my mother and step-dad's home in Hickory, NC for a couple of days. When we crossed over into North Carolina in the Appalachians, we were greeted by some very beautiful scenery at the NC welcome center near Asheville.  The skies were blue, the snow was melting, and the temperature was quite balmy (40s) compared to what we were used to by this time.  
Picture
Picture
Back in the "old north state"
The beautiful red-berried shrub is Winterberry Holly. Thanks to my horticulturally inclined friend Cara for the identification!
Our next stop was another very brief one in Chapel Hill for a few appointments.  Since we were there for such a short time, we were only able to see a couple of friends, but we did have very nice visits at Eileen and Dan's lovely home in Chapel Hill and an impromptu lunch with David S. in Durham.  We splurged and stayed at the very Euro-chic Aloft Hotel, which we'd always admired while living in Meadowmont Apartments down the road, and it was very nice indeed.  Pet-friendly and no pet fee also!
Picture
Picture
Picture
We had fun walking around Meadowmont at night and seeing a house that always decorates very nicely for the Christmas season.  On a daytime walk, we visited our apartment parking lot, and Paisley tried to lead us right up to our old unit -- dogs have long memories for places!
Picture

Arrival and a birthday...

Next we made our way down to the coast.  It just so happened to be Barry's birthday, so after checking into our rental condo right on the beach, unloading the car, and enjoying a beautiful sunset, we went out for dinner.  Naturally the birthday boy's choice was Mexican, and who was I to deny him his choice on his birthday!?
Picture
Ocean Isle Beach faces south, so we can see the setting sun to the west. And we get some nice ones!
Picture
Chicken Fajitas!
Picture
Cake and ice cream in the condo

Beach daze

We've had a great first few days at the beach with some lovely weather -- and some pea-soup fog. Although it's a little warmer inland than here on the coast, we can't complain at all.  As most of the nation has suffered with arctic blasts, snow, and ice storms, we've enjoyed highs close to 70F and enjoyed some fine beach walks.  We've also been able to ride our road bikes three days in a row -- something we definitely could not be doing in KC.  This is the time to be here, with beaches practically empty and very little traffic on the roads.  
Picture
Great view from our rental condo -- and yes, I am wearing shorts!
Picture
Barry enjoying the ride on nearly deserted roads
Picture
Deserted beach
Picture
Pre-sunset reflections
Picture
Paisley checking out a jellyfish
Picture
We've also had some serious fog -- can't even see the ocean!
Picture
Enjoying a beautiful day and view
Picture
Picture
Picture
East side of the island near the ICW, Holden Beach barely visible through the fog (top right)
Picture
Paisley doesn't like the water here as much as that on Ambergris Caye, Belize!
Picture
Beautiful sunsets are the norm rather than the exception
4 Comments
Forward>>

    RSS Feed

    ©2018 by Barry & Emily Smith .All rights reserved.
    Picture

    Emily & Barry

    We're a long-married, early-retired couple who are currently traveling as nomads with no fixed home base.  After years of living in North Carolina (Emily's home state), we spent 18 months living oceanfront on Ambergris Caye, Belize, a year road-tripping the US in a Honda CR-V, a year in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and are now roaming North America in our 32' motorhome, Pearl, following warm weather whenever possible.

    Our passions are bicycling, walking and hiking, birding, continuing our midlife struggles to learn Spanish, enjoying healthy food (and the occasional donuts & pie!), traveling (duh!)  We travel with a fleet of bicycles and Paisley, our 10-year old Boston Terrier. 

    Picture
    Paisley, May 2016
    Picture
    States visited (pre-RV)
    Picture
    Pearl, a 2007 Newmar Bay Star
    Picture
    States visited in "Pearl"

    Archives

    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    September 2012

    Favorite Travel Blogs

    Wheeling It
    Technomadia
    Travel with Kevin & Ruth
    San Pedro Scoop
    Metamorphosis Road
    Allison's Post-Work Thinking
    Life's a Beach!
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Traveling Twosome Blog
  • BeBelize - Our life in Belize (2011-2013)
  • Earlier adventures (2003-2010)
    • First Belize Trip 2010
    • Fall Sail Cruise Aboard Logos 2009
    • Conch Key 2007
    • Charleston Sailing School 2007
    • Biscayne Bay Sailing School 2007
    • Key Lime Sailing Club 2006
    • Southwest Parks 2006
    • BEYC/Jost van Dyke, BVI 2005
    • Offshore Sailing School 2004
    • Annapolis Sailboat Show 2004
    • Finger Lakes 2004
    • NY State Bike Tour 2004
    • Biras Creek, BVI 2003