Cumberland Island beach walk

After touring the Dungeness grounds, we headed to the beach.  It is a 6/10s mile sandy walk just to get to the beach. Much  of the dune area sand is squishy walking.  It was the most remote of all beach walks I’ve ever experienced.  We met a husband ,wife, and their two kids- along the 1.28 miles until the SeaCamp …

Dungeness at Cumberland Island

Thomas Carnegie was Andrew’s younger brother.  Thomas did a fine job of financial management of their steel empire.  Thomas died at age 43.  His wife, Lucy, was a sharp business woman and added wealth to her family’s holdings.  She died in 1916.  The house was all but abandoned in 1925 and burned in 1959.  What a place the property had …

Cumberland Island arrival and main trail

Our catamaran YachtaFun had taken us passed Cumberland Island GA on three previous legs- south in 2014; north in 2015; and south in 2018.  Now was past time to stop and see this historic treasure of a National Park. Best known for Dungeness, the home of steel magnate Thomas Carnegie- the property is little known and so few folks visit. …

Osprey on the Trent River

As one of the Captains driving “Cruise the Neuse” pontoon tour boat, I get to show passengers some pretty neat stuff. Osprey chicks have pretty much flown their nests now. Following are some images taken in June. New Bern NC is home to a large nesting population of Osprey. Usually, channel markers on the Trent River are especially good habitats …

Merchant’s Grocery and Grill New Bern, NC

If you want to take a small-boat trip to a neat local’s breakfast and lunch spot, consider Merchant’s Grocery and Grill which was founded in 1978. Going by dingy is a short ride.    It’s near Croatan National Forest. Three and a half miles from the New Bern Grand Marina, the grocery and grill is just passed the small Brice …

Oriental NC New Year’s Eve

It was our goal to be in Oriental NC for the New Years Eve running of the dragons.   And make it we did.   We left Yacht A Fun at around a quarter till 7pm.   As a result we found a decent parking spot near the Oriental Inn & Marina complex; which like The Bean Coffee Shop is …

New Bern Ghost Walk for Snow Birds

If you happen to be an ICW Snowbird for October 2017, you should consider stopping over in New Bern, NC. The town is very boater friendly and only 22 miles up the Neuse River from Oriental, NC. Diann and I have our Gemini sailing catamaran docked at the New Bern Grand Marina and have enjoyed the variety of aspects on …

Aerie Ferry tour images- New Bern NC

Last week I posted about having picked up a captain job for a New Bern, NC based tour boat on the Trent River.   Now, stepping off our Gemini catamaran is often for reasons of introducing local folks and tourists to points of interest on both the Neuse and Trent Rivers. Captain Dave owns the tour company and is seen …

Barbour Boat Works New Bern, NC

One of the pleasures of my position of tour boat captain for Aerie Ferry Tours in New Bern NC is the need to bone up on local history.  Between the rail road swing bridge and the Hwy 70 high rise bridges is the Lawson Creek harbor area.  The basic tour boat talk runs,   “ there once was a commercial boat …

New Bern NC Bear Hunt July 6th 2016

Granddaughter Payton came to visit us for the 4th of July weekend and for the balance of the week.  The high point of our visit was the “bear hunt”.  In 2010 some 50 fiberglass bear statues were custom painted and placed about New Bern NC as part of the city’s 300th anniversary. We exited our Gemini catamaran and started our …