Spring Break

     This past week has been Spring Break for the Blue Devils and we took the opportunity to get away.  We're still in the process of exploring the State of North Carolina.  Last Fall we visited Wilmington and the beaches around that city.  This time we visited what is know as the Crystal Coast.  It is actually part of the Outer Banks.  It is at the very southern end of the Banks and actually runs east- west with miles and miles of beaches.  We found a pet friendly hotel right on the beach in Pine Knoll Shores.  It is called ATLANTIS http://www.atlantislodge.com/.
     We had a third floor efficiency apartment style room.   Most mornings we worked on writing projects and then acted as tourist in the afternoon.  Our first visit was to Fort Macon State Park. This fort was named after North Carolina Senator Nathaniel Macon who procured the funds to build it. Fort Macon was built as part of our coastal defenses in 1826.  It was captured by Union forces in 1862 and acted as one of the lynch-pins of the Union Blockade against the South.

     The dogs loved the walks on the beach, so many new sounds, smells, and birds.  The nice thing about these beaches is that they face south.  From our hotel we could see beautiful sunrises and and sunsets.

    Tuesday Morning I played 18 holes at the Cystal Coast Country Club.  It is an extremely tight course with water coming into play on many holes.  The nice part about it was that it was right across the road from our hotel.

      Our last full day we went into Beaufort, NC.  It has a small Historic District and a beautiful harbor area.  We saw dolphins swimming just off-shore.  We took a tour of the historic graveyard, which had a number of interesting stories associated with it.  In one grave a child who died on board a ship was buried in a rum keg.  It is one of the few southern cemetaries that includes graves for both Conderate and Union soldiers and free blacks.  We had a dynamic guide, who had a lot of energy and some great stories.

      All-in-all we had a great 4 days and even got some writing done,  Now it's back to the "grind".