Southport, North Carolina

We enjoyed the amenities of Barefoot Marina and it's time to head north.

We leave North Myrtle Beach on a clear cold 41 degree morning, heading toward North Carolina.

This portion of the ICW parallels the ocean as we pass the Little River, Shallote, and Lockwoods Folly Inlets, which were flat calm and sparkling.

We are moving into the pricey beach neighborhoods where the recession doesn't seem to have damaged the construction business.

Miles of giant homes have been built recently on Holden Island, a strip of sand and marsh next to the ICW.

It only takes one picture to remind how vulnerable this retirement haven in North Carolina, is to another hurricane.

We enter Southport, originally named Smithville, after Benjamin Smith who served under Gen. George Washington in the Revolutionary War. What began as a small fishing and military town has blossomed into a community for retirees and commuters working in Wilmington.

Southport Marina is a beautiful spot on the Cape Fear River and we decide to bike around the town and see the sites.

Wait! Is that really Bob with a camera? No, It's his iphone, but that works.

 

 

Our self-guided tour takes us to Franklin Square Park, where concerts are held and night-time outdoor films are enjoyed. This restored historical building is the Associated Art Gallery of Southport.

The Southport Inn was build in 1864.

This one's for you, Charlie! This tower was built by the Wilmington, Cape Fear Pilot's Association. This tower was replaced in the 1940's by a steel structure, adjacent to the elevated two-story wooden building on the site. For over 250 years, pilots residing in Southport have spotted ships approaching the Cape Fear River, gone to meet them in small craft, guided them past treacherous shoals and brought them safely to port. Legislation to regulate pilots was established in 1751.

A beautiful day in North Carolina.