Capt'n Sez...
A few minutes after we left the dock, Captain Sandy came down to greet us. Besides being a ferry boat captain with over 23 years of experience, he was also an avid bicyclist. We came to find out that he spotted us boarding the ferry, and as was his custom, wanted to personally welcome us aboard. He invited us up to the bridge, where we traded stories about cycling, and also learned about what it takes to become a ferry captain. He gave us a map of Southport (the town we would be docking at) and told us that it was definitely worth a few hours to nose around and visit. While we had not planned on it, when you're on a boat you need to follow the Captain's orders, so there was no argument coming from us. And, make no mistake, the Captain knew what he was talking about.
Southport has always attracted sailors, the earliest visiting the area in 1524 and 1526 were French and Spanish explorers. The first European vessel constructed in the New World was built on these banks of the lower Cape Fear River. The town still reaches out to ocean going vessels and Intracoastal Waterway cruisers. After the Civil War, businessmen tried to create a major southern port here by combining river transportation and railroads. The name Southport was chosen in 1887 as part of that promotional effort. Though the town never became a major port city, it did gain telegraph service and a coaling dock for steamships. It's a town close enough to Wilmington to reach the conveniences of a big city and college campuses, yet just out of reach of the interstate traffic. It has become home to a number of retiree's as well as people just trying to get away from it all. The "inner" city is replete with huge live oaks and other splendid trees, as well as Victorian homes. New housing developments were going in along the port area, but it still had a wonderful small town feel and charm. In fact, it was similar in many ways to towns we visited in Maine. We could have stayed longer, but needed to push on.
Leaving Southport we rode through more swamps and pine forests. We also passed a number of housing developments. At the time we had no way of knowing that for the next 100 miles or so we would see the same story repeated over and over...swamps or forests that were now the homes to retirees or vacationers. It seems that all of the coastal regions that we have visited are destined to be developed. Such is the way of progress, but we wonder where all the people and money come from, and what is being lost in the process.
Around the town of Shallotte, we came back to agricultural land and actually purchased some fresh sweet corn from a local farm stand. The route took us back across the intracostal towards Sunset Beach. There were numerous roadside seafood stands to choose from, and being that it was getting late in the day, it was time to stop and replenish our supplies. We stopped at Captain Jacks, a ramshackle kind of place on our side of the road. The Captain was a man of few words. When we asked a question, he replied with curt "Yep" or "Nope" responses. But he sure knew his seafood, and we left with a pound of sea scallops that turned out to be a real treat.
Our destination for the evening was Calabash, right on the border with South Carolina. We were 20 or so miles from Myrtle Beach, and could already see the influence of the development going on around it. We saw a number of developments that were identical to what you see in south Florida...lush, beautifully maintained golf courses and gated residential communities. In fact at last count, there are over 100 golf courses in the area...a true mecca for the golf inclined.
We camped at Captain Andy's Charter Boat and Campground on the banks of the Calabash (yes, named after the gourd that grows in abundance here) River. Captain Andy doesn't do charters anymore. At 70, he says he doesn't need the headaches. In fact, the developers would love to purchase his property, but as he says "Hell, the world don't need 'nother frickin golf course...and besides, where would I go? I love it here." Captain, we couldn't agree with you more.
We bid adieu to the Captain on the next morn. It was a clear, brisk day. The shrimp trawlers were returning to the near by docks fully loaded. Before pedalling off, Capt'n Andy gave us some of his hmegrown hot "peeter peppers" (use your imagination) and told us to expect 20 knot winds from the south. As our route took us due south the whole day, we figured that we'd be heading right into it. We're not sure how much a "knot" is, but as far as headwinds go, this one was a doozy. It was going to turn out to be a challenging day.
Southport has always attracted sailors, the earliest visiting the area in 1524 and 1526 were French and Spanish explorers. The first European vessel constructed in the New World was built on these banks of the lower Cape Fear River. The town still reaches out to ocean going vessels and Intracoastal Waterway cruisers. After the Civil War, businessmen tried to create a major southern port here by combining river transportation and railroads. The name Southport was chosen in 1887 as part of that promotional effort. Though the town never became a major port city, it did gain telegraph service and a coaling dock for steamships. It's a town close enough to Wilmington to reach the conveniences of a big city and college campuses, yet just out of reach of the interstate traffic. It has become home to a number of retiree's as well as people just trying to get away from it all. The "inner" city is replete with huge live oaks and other splendid trees, as well as Victorian homes. New housing developments were going in along the port area, but it still had a wonderful small town feel and charm. In fact, it was similar in many ways to towns we visited in Maine. We could have stayed longer, but needed to push on.
Leaving Southport we rode through more swamps and pine forests. We also passed a number of housing developments. At the time we had no way of knowing that for the next 100 miles or so we would see the same story repeated over and over...swamps or forests that were now the homes to retirees or vacationers. It seems that all of the coastal regions that we have visited are destined to be developed. Such is the way of progress, but we wonder where all the people and money come from, and what is being lost in the process.
Around the town of Shallotte, we came back to agricultural land and actually purchased some fresh sweet corn from a local farm stand. The route took us back across the intracostal towards Sunset Beach. There were numerous roadside seafood stands to choose from, and being that it was getting late in the day, it was time to stop and replenish our supplies. We stopped at Captain Jacks, a ramshackle kind of place on our side of the road. The Captain was a man of few words. When we asked a question, he replied with curt "Yep" or "Nope" responses. But he sure knew his seafood, and we left with a pound of sea scallops that turned out to be a real treat.
Our destination for the evening was Calabash, right on the border with South Carolina. We were 20 or so miles from Myrtle Beach, and could already see the influence of the development going on around it. We saw a number of developments that were identical to what you see in south Florida...lush, beautifully maintained golf courses and gated residential communities. In fact at last count, there are over 100 golf courses in the area...a true mecca for the golf inclined.
We camped at Captain Andy's Charter Boat and Campground on the banks of the Calabash (yes, named after the gourd that grows in abundance here) River. Captain Andy doesn't do charters anymore. At 70, he says he doesn't need the headaches. In fact, the developers would love to purchase his property, but as he says "Hell, the world don't need 'nother frickin golf course...and besides, where would I go? I love it here." Captain, we couldn't agree with you more.
We bid adieu to the Captain on the next morn. It was a clear, brisk day. The shrimp trawlers were returning to the near by docks fully loaded. Before pedalling off, Capt'n Andy gave us some of his hmegrown hot "peeter peppers" (use your imagination) and told us to expect 20 knot winds from the south. As our route took us due south the whole day, we figured that we'd be heading right into it. We're not sure how much a "knot" is, but as far as headwinds go, this one was a doozy. It was going to turn out to be a challenging day.
posted by Matt and Mary Ellen | 9:41 AM
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