Saturday 5/30 - River Dunes (Oriental), NC to Bellhaven, NC (River Forest Manor Marina)

I believe in serendipity, or you may call it happenstance or coincidence.  While in Oriental the other night at dinner, there was an attractive woman sitting two tables over and facing me.  We connected in that easy, womanly way when your eyes meet and all that’s offered is slight smile.  As the night went on a table full of folks sat down beside her table and introductions were made and i heard a gentleman say of my new friend, ‘this is the author i was telling you about’.   As Betty Ann can tell you, i am one of the best meddlers around. Betty Ann and I can be out to dinner and she’ll look at me and say, 'you’re meddling aren’t you?'  i guess i get this far away ‘do not disturb’ look on my face while i’m trying to hear what’s going on at the next table.  Anyway,… I soon learned (all from  eavesdropping) that she was a new author of a book about the area.  SOOOO, when we left i headed over to her table to say i’d heard she was a new author, congratulated her and asked if it was her first and what was her process and how long it took, etc… She said it had taken her 7 years to complete.  She asked if i was a writer and i said yes (well, she didn’t ask if i was an author, just if i was a writer and i do write…..a, a, a blog).  She said just keep at it and good luck and she handed me her card.  Her name was Heather and her book was entitled Hungry Mother Creek.  How could you not like someone named ‘Heather’….So  i downloaded her book on my new kindle - :)  thanks again, girls.  

It as an easy run today - meaning 4 hours of cruising.  And i sat up top on the fly bridge w/ Harry but read Heather’s book most of the day.

I learned upon checking in at the marina that they had a free golf cart and free laundry!!!!  i LOVE golf carts - so i grabbed what laundry i did have, got that washing, then Harry and I took off in the golf cart.  Bellhaven’s downtown is tiny and we covered most of the streets in less than 30 minutes.  stopped by a local hangout for a hamburger and then went across the street to the hardware store (it felt good just to look around at ‘stuff’…obviously this place was run by a husband/wife because half of the shop was antiques and really nice stuff), then peeked into a darling place where we planned to have dinner - Spoon River Restaurant.  

This restaurant is the BEST, perhaps only reason to stop by Bellhaven - it was SO good and SO fun and SO cool.  It’s wonderful when you can top off a day on the water with a great meal.  How’d you like those adjectives - pretty original huh?  could never be a food critic…’it was good, fun, cool, it was yum yum…. ‘

beef tenderloin with a blue cheese fondue dip

River Forest Manor Marina