Charleston Area: Isle of Palms

Hucks Low Country Table is upstairs, and Banana Cabana is on the ground floor, numerous other restaurants, bars and coffee shops are also nearby in the center of the town

Because Charleston so heavily influences the area around the city we’re going to group the next few posts under Charleston’s banner.  In doing so we’ll be posting a few Charleston photos with each post, mostly because there are so many.  We visited Charleston while staying in Isle of Palms, went on to spend several days in Charleston and stopped again on the way back.  Did I mention we think Charleston is in our humble opinion  - probably one of the best cities in the world?  If you’ve never been – go, if you’ve been – go back.

IOP’s dining venues were interesting ranging from the upscale and very good Hucks Low Country Table to the horrendous Banana Cabana (breakfast) where the food and the service competed for worst.  Coconut Joes was not particularly good but at least can’t compete with Banana Cabana for worst of the worst.  The slow moving apparently deaf servers and mindless hostess at Coconut Joes had passable pub grub – I suppose if they ever get the order right, but does look like a good beach place to have a drink. I mean, how hard could it be to pull a draft – and the barmaid was by far the most talented and aware employee in the place.  She observed and picked up the slack of the server and the dense hostess. Another indication of skilled restaurant management is the fact that Google has the wrong URL for Coconut Joes (it's biz not com) and apparently nobody has thought to correct that, incredible really.  I had a drink at the Acme Cantina which was right across the street from the Ocean Inn,  it was crowded and all seemed to be enjoying the food and conversations with bar patrons indicated so. Acme Cantina has an under construction website but they do provide a link to their Facebook fan site. These restaurant/bars  and Sea Biscuit, known for its southern breakfasts (where long lines indicated we should have gone for breakfast) were all within a couple of blocks from the Ocean Inn.  The best we personally experienced was Hucks Low Country Table, very good, albeit a little expensive – but given the real estate and the well prepared dishes I guess that is to be expected.  On a Saturday it was quite crowded but we were there early enough to get seats at the bar, the area of which became sort of a drinking & holding area for those waiting for tables and creating almost a party atmosphere. Our general impression was that it was the place to see and be seen in IOP; more than a few “Masters of the Universe”. The food was good and creative but possibly they try a little too hard to make it special and cover up some of the flavors rather than compliment and meld them. Good but a smidgen off.

There are other options on the island we didn’t try but heard good things about them.  In a retrospective skimming of IOP restaurant reviews our two biggest regrets are that we did not check  reviews  beforehand.  Several, such as the Morgan Creek Grill  which is situated on the intracoastal side of the island a little north of the downtown area; and the Boathouse at Breach Inlet which overlooks the inlet between IOP and Sullivans Island look perfect with water views and a great dock type atmosphere. The Morgan Creek Grill had some spotty reviews but most were good.  The Boathouse at Breach Inlet – also a dock type atmosphere, with generally good reviews – especially from Open Table a review we trust over others (boathouserestaurants.com).

Another very interesting place (not a restaurant) was Island Time Beach Shop, where local art, bike rentals and other at the beach essentials can be found along with good advice on where and what to do.  Located across from Sea Biscuit in the center of town.

Isle of Palms is a great place to be, we’re guessing that it’s packed during high season but it was very easy to get around in fall (but note you still need to make some reservations unless you are like us – we always figure out something).

Some of the promised Charleston photos, and yes - I took way too many - but it's just a stunning city with a surprise behind every door and gate. Click on photos to expand.

Of course Charleston has the obligatory horse or mule driven trolley tours.... but if you can walk, by all means do so - it's the only way to catch all the details and hidden treasures.

The gardens are just magnificent, resplendent with native plants and flowers, mature trees, brick walks, iron work, masonry and stone walls - all just so perfect.

We called it the "skinny house" and imagined all the strange things that could go on along with the strange people... 

Typical intersection and street view, and we mean typical, this place is so charming it hurts                                                        

The new and exclusive meets the old and exclusive

There are no "bad alleys" in Charleston, every opening, every brick is a place for design, garden, aesthetics - there really is no other place like it.

Many of the homes face the gardens on what would normally be the side of the house, the front "street" doors uniquely open to the porch "as a presentation entrance", this is relatively common, especially south of Broad.

Isle of Palms – Ocean Inn

This was a great place to stay, laundry room, efficiency kitchen, good Wi-Fi and very reasonable rates, check out in particular the weekly and monthly rates.  Stay on the beach and be minutes from Charleston, it really is the best of both worlds!

The outlying suburbs of Charleston burst upon you once you’ve left the primeval Francis Marion Forest. You’ll also begin to see sweetgrass weavers and their roadside basket displays as Highway 17 officially becomes the Sweetgrass Highway. The works of these Gullah descendants of West Africa are well worth a stop to watch the skillful weaving and pick up a few of these unique woven art objects. You won’t be sorry and you’ll be helping to maintain a traditional skill.

In our early planning (what, you laugh when we mention planning?) we figured we would stay at a KOA due west of the Isle of Palms, and either stay a night and then move on to Charleston or stay a few nights and use it as a base to explore Charleston. Given our “mosquito coast” experience (see the last post) – we decided we would first check and see if anything was available on (in?) the Isle of Palms, and we were successful in finding something out at the beach. Although we did not stop to see the highly recommended KOA, we offer the following travelers tip: what some don’t know is that most KOA’s also have cabins, which are great places to stay, clean, inexpensive and usually very close to a lot of places you might want to visit – and of course, you don’t need a tent or an RV if you stay in a cabin.

When we entered South Carolina we stopped at the Little River Welcome Center (welcome centers for most states are great sources of information on hotels, maps, natural features, etc.). We’d picked up a info on Isle of Palms and as a result picked out a hotel on the beach, the Seaside Inn which we found to be completely occupied for the next several days and they also informed us that all other accommodations on the island were full. So we reluctantly headed off to the mainland, but at the last moment decided to drive up and down along the beach to find somewhere for lunch, and took a quick turn.        

Our travelers luck held out and there was a sign; Ocean Inn  and it said VACANCY! We figured they just forgot to put the NO out, but thought we’d try anyway. Well they had a cancellation – and had quite a bargain on a studio apartment in this very nice and very well managed (especially Thelma!) 19 unit condominium with pool. We signed up for 2 days, and by the end of the first day, signed on for another day and ended up staying 4 days. We had a , nice studio apartment, no view to speak of, a block from the beach and right next to most of the town’s restaurants, shops and bars with a nearby convenience store. It was quite the fortuitous find, but then that’s was this whole trip has been!

That's our efficiency, first floor in the corner, nice porch/deck, table, one chair, parking outside the door and everything else just steps away.  Larger accomodations with multiple bedrooms are available.

More on IoP's restaraunts, bars and marvelous beach, in our next post.

The Mosquito Coast (with apologies to Paul Theroux)

The Hampton Plantation - (no relation, Hampton Inn)

Shortly after leaving Georgetown south on 17 you enter long stretches of marsh and forest around the North and South Santee Rivers.   On the way down south we decided, as usual on impulse - to follow a sign that interested us and ventured off 17 to visit the Hampton Plantation.  It was quite a ride into the deep pine woods of the Francis Marion National Forest, eventually coming to a narrow track into this state historic site and then heading back north toward the South Santee River.  There were only a few cars in the lot but from what we could see the restored Georgian mansion looked interesting and we were enthused to have found it by following our impulse.  There were numerous other buildings and the grounds were startling with massive grand oaks, hanging moss and acres of lawn, along with an obvious slope toward the marsh and river.  Upon leaving the vehicle we notice a few mosquitoes and broke out the repellent.  After about 25 yards and waiting in vain for some folks to move so we could get a good picture of an appealing view, we headed off to the Plantation House.  We got about another 25 yards and were completely enveloped in a storm of mosquitoes.  We high-tailed it out of there slapping ourselves like a couple of cartoon characters - so let that be a lesson to our fellow travelers. After a rain, or other conditions that amp up the mosquitoes – when you are near a river and adjacent to massive marshes, it’s not just the gators you have to watch out for! Plan accordingly.

The GIG

View from the back deck of the Goat Island Grill

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Georgetown, so much so that we stopped on the way down south and on the way back north.  Of particular note was the Goat Island Grill which we somehow managed to eat in twice, with so many good options in Georgetown – that was somewhat uncharacteristic for us on this trip.  We felt the Goat Island Grill or GIG would rank among the best restaurants we’ve sampled – having lived in Manhattan, this is a pretty extreme statement.  The dining room is very nice, but on both visits we chose to partake on the deck which overlooks the harbor walk with many occupied boats (party time!).  We’ve included a link to the GIG here and highly recommend you not only visit Georgetown but try this wonderful restaurant with its low country cuisine with a bit of a twist.   Review the menu on the website but please try the Myriad of Fried Tomatoes and Oysters served with a blue cheese and bacon sauce – unbelievable!  Just as scrumptious was the Grouper Gumbolaya (kind of a combo gumbo & jambalaya), ,the Sesame Seared Yellowfin and the Shrimp & Grits.  The service was great (at least on the first trip, not so much on the return trip), the wine list is more than complete and a reserve list is also available.  Prices were very reasonable.  An added attraction on the back deck is a pleasant polite cat, which enjoys a little slip of seafood – but does not beg, seems quite refined actually.  If you happen to be driving on 17 between Charleston and Myrtle Beach you owe it to yourself to make the slight detour into downtown Georgetown and stop at the GIG.

Georgetown, South Carolina – a very special place

Halfway between Charleston and Myrtle Beach is Georgetown, a unique and delightful community located on the Sampit River Harbor which opens up to the Winyah Bay.   Georgetown has the historic riverfront downtown that many communities strive for but never quite get.  The Harbor Walk provides great scenery and has numerous drink and restaurant opportunities from the many Front Street establishments that back onto the harbor.  Interesting enough, although you wouldn’t think it – the the steel plant and other heavy industry across the harbor add to the view rather than detract from it.  Great restaurants and bars abound as do, museums, and unique shops that include: antiques, art galleries, boutiques, a department store, books, and more.  Most of the activities and retail locations are right on Front Street, the town’s main drag and drift off on side streets with elegant historic homes and cottages framed by moss draped oaks.  It’s all a manageable size and you can cover most of the town in a day or two – allowing plenty of time to visit the many bars and restaurants on the Harbor Walk.

If the town lacks anything, it’s downtown lodging, with the only downtown option being the Harbor House, a very attractive and fairly expensive waterfront B&B which has just 4 guest rooms.  There are inexpensive and nice chain hotels including a Hampton Inn, Jameson Inn and Quality Inn all of which are out at the marina, just off the bridge into town on southbound 17 and only a few minutes drive to downtown, in this instance we recommend the Hampton – but as always we prefer our lodging to be within walking distance of most destinations.  Several B&B’s were listed in older guidebooks but apparently have not been able to stay in business.  There are also a few “motels” but upon inspection we found these to be unacceptable for a number of reasons, stick to the chains in this town if you can’t get in the Harbor House.  In our next post we will describe what we feel is a particularly outstanding Front Street restaurant – the Goat Island Grill.

Firefly Pilgrimage?

The Charleston Tea Plantation - where Firefly gets its tea

Our favorite national but Cape Fear based columnist is Celia Rivenbark. Celia’s newest book title elucidates, “You Can’t Drink All Day If You Don’t Start in the Mornin’”.  We’re pretty sure that it was one of Celia’s columns that set us off on a quest to find and try Firefly, a sweet tea infused vodka distilled from Muscadine Grapes.  Although we don’t consider ourselves to be Firefly connoisseurs, we, like most everyone else who tries it, have numerous recipes – combining it with: more sweet tea (must be brewed), various flavored sparkling waters and juices, straight up with mango, lemon, strawberries, etc.  Although Firefly is distributed nationally, it has quickly become one of the South’s favorite beverages.

So… getting to the point, whilst on our journey we were outside of ChuckTown Coffee (very good place by the way) in Mt. Pleasant SC a guy waltzed out of the coffee joint carrying a tray of coffee & drinks.  HE WAS WEARING A FIREFLY Tee (maybe it should be tea?)! Well of course I stumbled after him, most likely looking like an out of control mugger, yelling Firefly, shirt, where get, how and other articulate statements.  He however, possibly because he is used to such approaches, turned and in a gentlemanly southern manner explained he made them – me thinking, he’s a tee shirt maker? Anyway, he asked if we knew the area, and we said a bit, having spent some time in Mt. Pleasant, Isle of Palms, James Island and Charleston (2 visits in 2 weeks).  He asked if we knew where Wadmalaw Island was, to which my response was a blank stare.  He went on to explain it was an island just south of Charleston, and that’s where Firefly was made and we could visit, taste, and tour.  We could also find various clothing articles on their website.  We, still being stunned and thinking about an immediate trip back to the southern side of Charleston to find Wadmalaw Island, mumbled a thank you.  Later, after visiting the website, we realized that he wasn’t a tee shirt maker.  He was Scott “the Firefly Guy” Newitt, a native of Honey Swamp Island, LA and one of the two founders of Firefly, the other being Jim Irvin the guy with the Muscadine grapes and winery.  We were, so to speak, touched by greatness.  We immediately started planning a pilgrimage to Wadmalaw Island.  Spring would be nice especially if we want to take in the Charleston Tea Plantation (Bigelow Tea) – the provider of teas to Firefly and the only tea plantation left in the United States, but we might just not be able to wait, we’ll see.

Murrells inlet, Surfside Beach, Garden City Beach

Nibils - Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach, Garden City Beach and Murrells inlet lie south of Myrtle Beach and are considered part of the “Grand Strand”, however these areas are quite different from MB with few high rise hotels and condos, and numerous restaurants that range from gourmet to hot dogs.  In particular Nibils, in Surfside is on the pier, has wonderful views, great staff and provides simple tasty lunches and dinner at reasonable prices and of course lots of fresh fish.  From what we hear, Nibils also has a marvelous breakfast.  It’s located in the heart of Surfside right at the pier.

Murrells Inlet has numerous restaurants on the water overlooking the marsh and inlet.  Most have excellent seafood as well as steak, barbeque and other specialties.  Many of these restaurants have entertainment, and much of the entertainment is very good, attracting both regional and national acts.  None of the entertainment involves having bison run by your food or knights on horses – for that type of excitement you’ll just have to go back to Myrtle Beach.   For a good listing of restaurants throughout the area try http://www.myrtlebeachscrestaurants.com.

We have been inextricably drawn to the same place on numerous visits.  The Dead Dog Saloon, it’s not some pseudo cowboy bar, there is a “legend” about the Dead Dog and it can be found on their website. The Dead Dog has a fairly simple and straight forward menu, fish prepared in any number of ways, steak, good burgers and plenty of adult beverages.  However the best feature is the back bar which overlooks the inlet and marsh, the outside areas and the general laid back – "this must be paradise" atmosphere.  We’re sure there are many similar venues on the inlet – we just like this one.

The back bar at Dead Dog, plenty of screens....

or if you prefer, view the inlet...

Heck, do both...how about a Margarita while deciding?

Myrtle Beach, Miniature Golf and Pancake Houses

Myrtle Beach - mini golf capital of the world!

What can you say about Myrtle Beach, SC?  Mama always said if you can’t say something nice…

Lots of nice golf courses, a destination for many that golf, something we do occasionally but not with great passion.  Beaches are nice and wide; many hotel options, lots of good restaurants (recommend the Soho) excellent steak, seafood & sushi plus it is one of the hottest spots in town.

Besides golf and the beach, other things MB is famous for include:

•  Bike Weeks – several motorcycle rallies have historically run consecutively and are among the biggest, and some say rowdiest in the country.  MB, Horry (pronounced “orry”, by the way – the H is silent) County, and several surrounding towns have moved to make it more difficult for the rallies to take place and numbers are down. See http://myrtlebeachbikerinfo.com/message.html

• Mini or miniature golf – MB and surrounding areas have over 40 mini-golf courses.  We did an informal survey and counted over 22 on our route through town, some of the most amazing are pictured above.  North MB is also home to the U.S. ProMiniGolf Association, read all about it on their website http://www.prominigolf.com/index.html and the ProMiniGolf Masters Tournament.

• Pancake houses – like pancakes? Got syrup? Go to Myrtle Beach, we counted over 20 just on the main roads on our drive through.

·         

Why We Are so Slow to Post....

Rolling Rock at Surf's, with the Beachside Motel Inn across the street, picture is a little wavy due to plastic wind curtain protecting us from frigid 65 degree weather.  Atlantic in background, not yet frozen over.

We seem to be a little behind in our posts, might have something to do with our goal of finding out of the way motels & other accommodations within walking distance to drinking & eating establishments.  We are currently in a classic seaside motel, with a great bar and restaurant across the street in Fernandina Florida on Amelia Island. We are in that little bit of Florida's east coast that juts into Georgia, so there are parts of Georgia south of us.  Other places we have been and will post about , include:

• Myrtle Beach, SC & environs
• Murrels Inlet, SC - great views
• Georgetown, SC - great restaurant
• Isle of Palms, SC - great beach & location
• Charleston, SC - possibly the most beautiful city in America
• Beaufort, SC - surprising mix of urban design & the old south 
• Hunting Island State Park, Harbor Island SC - an amazing discovery for us
• Savannah, GA - 
• St. Simons Island, GA
• Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, FL
• plus several interesting stops, drive-through's, more goofy signs, other interesting sights and as few acerbic observations as possible (not counting Myrtle Beach)

Right now we figure we're averaging about 65 miles a day, and most of the time we have difficulty remembering just what day it is.  We gauge that as a success factor.

Calabash the Self Proclaimed Seafood (fried) Capital of the World

Calabash,  the name is synonymous with fish platters fried up Calabash style.  Calabash has long been home to a fleet of shrimpers and fishing boats. Although the shrimpers and fishermen remain, Calabash is now more of a tourist based economy with numerous seafood restaurants and tourist shops. Not really our cup of tea, so this was more of a drive-by than a visit.  I’ll say this much, they must have very good photographers because every Calabash photo I’ve seen looks a lot better than the actual place.  Must be very hard to Photoshop those tour buses out of the pictures.  If you like fried fish, and we sometimes do, by all means go.

Beach the Way it Used to be - Sunset Beach NC

Wait your turn on the old pontoon bridge...

For soon there will be no wait, but will Sunset Beach still be Sunset Beach?

Sunset Beach is the beach the way it used to be, for now.  I say for now because the one lane wood pontoon swing bridge entry to the island is in the process of being replaced by a 65 foot high half-mile long concrete bridge with 2 12’ lanes and a pedestrian/bike lane.  The island now has many older well kept beach cottages, which rent for less than many other areas (under $1000 per week in season) and has hotels such as the Sunset Inn where rates for standard rooms range from $99 - $169 depending on season.  The beach is very nice and there is a pier dead on from the bridge with typical old style fishing supply store & bar.  You can go on the pier for free, but pay per fishing pole.  The only disappointment was the parking lot to the pier where a significant amount of garbage had been thrown about, but then there were a lot of out of state plates so we’ll blame in on them.   If you do go, please dispose of your rubbish in the plentiful containers.

The island is not overdeveloped at this point with less than 50% of the beachfront developed including the southern tip of the island which is in South Carolina.  It is a very relaxed atmosphere and we hope the bridge will not ruin it.  We’ll be going back and hope you will give this not oft mentioned beach a try as well.

Entrance to the pier, very nice, old school but please...

keep it clean!

Typical beach cottage rental

Ocean Isle and Goofy Signs

Ocean Isle GIS Aerial

There’s no easy way to get from one adjacent Island to the next if you’re not in a boat.  We had the choice of going out to Route 17 and heading back in the direction of Oak Island to reach Holden Beach or going out to 17 and continuing south and heading to Ocean Isle. We chose south heading to Ocean Isle via business 17 and 179.  The drive is pleasant rural coastal North Carolina with occasional golf and resort communities.

It also seems to be goofy sign territory, several notables, from here and further south were:

·         Bad Spellers Untie
·         Worms & Coffee
·         Eat and Get Gas at the Same Time!
·         Damifino Equipment (got to figure they were trying to think up a name and said….)
·         Backache Acres (on a small farm plot)
·         For sale sign on a 15 passenger van – had a picture of the van, think about it.
·         Street sign: “Bogus Lane”

Getting back to our travels, coming over on the high rise bridge (no draw bridge delays), Ocean Isle looks a little like a Jersey shore town, lots of houses, and few trees. Upon closer examination, there are some treed areas in the older areas that have one and two level homes.  The island has an interesting layout; a good portion of the islands housing has direct water/boating access through a series of canals.  A map or satellite view resembles a comb.  Ocean Isle’s beach’s were restored in 2008 and are consistently ranked among the widest, cleanest and best beaches in Brunswick County and North Carolina.

Note the Canals, or /Channels

There are a number of food & drink establishments and lodging venues on the island.  We have been recommended to Sharkey’s as a friendly place with good food and great views – but we arrived pre-lunch, so missed our chance to try it out.  Sharky’s and several lodging opportunities which looked good have links in www.oceanislebeach.com. We hope to stop by on the way back.

Oak Island and our Pink Motel

As seen from Southport, the spit of land across the bay to the right, is Oak Island

From Southport we proceeded south to Oak Island, note of caution – avoid driving to/from Oak Island during rush hours when it tends to back up on the bridge.  Oak Island or OKI lives up to its name with many Oaks along with pine and numerous other tree species providing shade, wind protection and a general sense of substance to the Island. We lucked out on accommodations by identifying the newly renovated Island Inn – our Pink Motel.  For under $70 you get a very clean, very recently renovated and updated room with microwave, coffee maker and refrigerator.  In season there is a pool, otherwise there are few amenities (besides the caretaker’s 2 miniature Dachshunds), but hey you’re a couple of blocks to the beach and there are numerous restaurants, bars and shops in the immediate area.

Upon arrival on the island we first drove southeast (Oak Island has south facing beaches)  and visited Caswell Beach, the beach was nice in appearance but we weren’t thrilled with the numerous fist sized chunks of what looked like granite rip-rap underfoot at the tide line and in the shallow water.  Additionally the water although still warm was somewhat murky with a lot of suspended cinder like particles, not very appealing. These conditions may have been a temporary or may be a result of this beach being so close to the mouth of the river catching debris from both the river and the generally northern currents.  The beach further down Oak Island was better looking with less rock clutter and the water was better. In general the beach and water did not compare well to the east facing beaches on the other side of the river, such as Wrightsville Beach.

We had dinner at the Fish House http://www.southporttimes.com/fishhouserestaurant.html which is adjacent to the Blue Water Motel and Marina, http://www.bluewaterpointmotel.com/  which also looked like it would be a very good choice from what we could see without buzzing the night clerk (we peeked in a few windows).  The Fish House was quite crowded, with mostly locals which is usually a good sign, and was.  The menu had plenty of choices and the food was good and well prepared and quite reasonable. The location is superb: on the inlet with a marina, great and interesting views.

Ocean Isle, Sunset Beach, Calabash and Goofy Signs

There’s no easy way to get from one adjacent Island to the next if you’re not in a boat.  We had the choice of going out to Route 17 and heading back in the direction of Oak Island to reach Holden Beach or continuing south and heading to Ocean Isle. We chose south heading to Ocean Isle via business 17.  This is pleasant rural coastal North Carolina with occasional magnificent golf and resort communities.

The Island Inn Motel

Southport and The Yacht Basin Provision Company

A cold Pacifico at Provisions...

Exit the ferry and into historic Southport, NC.  Southport is a pleasant town on the southeast side of the mouth of the Cape Fear River.  Historic homes, live oak lined streets in a waterfront setting and as the name evokes, it is a port and protected by Bald Head Island, Oak Island and other natural features.  It is by definition, off the beaten path, more accessible by boat than auto at least a half hour drive from the nearest major road, US 17.  Southport is a boater’s paradise with many marinas and more than several fine drinking and eating establishments on or very near the water.

We were recommended to the Yacht Basin Provision Company and “Fishy Fishy”. The two establishments were side by side; Provisions , as it is called by the locals is precariously perched on the edge of the dock and has that old time appeal of a long established hangout making it an easy choice for us.  We were not disappointed and debated finishing the month out, sipping Pacificos and watching the boats come in and enjoying what we were told was the end all Halloween celebration commencing with the Stede Bonnet Regatta and party.  Inside, Mindy greets you from behind the counter and expounds with enthusiasm about today’s fresh catch and other tasty specials and old standards.  For beverages we were directed to help yourself from a refrigerated case and grabbed ourselves a couple of the aforementioned Pacificos.  Per Mindy, when you want more just come and grab em out of the case, keep a count and let me know how many when you’re done – it’s an honor bar. We both chose grilled Yellow Fin which was prepared perfectly with a side of red skin potato salad which had some zing to it. Our seat yourself table was a few feet from the docked boats and there was steady traffic between the boats, the bar and restaurant.  When a large, older cabin cruiser pulled in, several bar patrons interrupted their conversation to assist the boat in tying up. Quizzing a patron with a Florida Gators cap about similar places on the Florida Gulf and Atlantic coasts, he ventured there were none like this.  It was a great crowd of regulars and visitors, all having a good time with conversations that centered on the water, boating and the Southport area.  It was extremely relaxing, and as noted, difficult to shove off and continue our trip.  If you are anywhere near the area Southport is worth the trip, allow a few extra hours to while away at The Provision Company.


The bar at Provisions

the dock at Provisions

Taking the Ferry to Southport

The first post of this blog noted we wanted to avoid interstates and highways, there’s no better way to do that then to take your car, but, go by boat. Driving south on the Cape Fear peninsula we took the Snows Cut bridge to the island community of Carolina Beach, passed though Kure Beach (pronounced “Currie”), and proceeded to the Ft. Fort Fisher / Southport Ferry (which one of us being from Jersey pronounces “furry” versus my Southern California counterpart's  “fairy”). We arrived at the park like ferry terminal a little past 2PM. After a short wait we were guided on to a small ferry that accommodated roughly 35 vehicles. The ferrys run frequently and are an ideal way to see the wide mouth of the Cape Fear River where it meets the Atlantic guarded by Bald Head Island (also reachable by ferry from Southport). At $5 per vehicle, it’s probably cheaper than driving up to the Cape Fear Bridge and back down again to the coast, certainly safer and a lot more fun. We were lucky in being directed to a bow spot, kind of like finally getting to be in one of those short lived Amphicars (see www.amphicars.com) that came out in the 60’s. Spectacular, is not a word that does justice to the panoramic view, under a warm (mid 80’s) sunny sky and a salty breeze. We were on our way to Southport!

Just What We're Looking For! Savannah, Jacksonville, Flagler Beach

One of the main reasons we wanted to start this blog was to jog other peoples memories of great hidden, off the track places that retain the flavor of seaside living without the glitz. We're getting really interesting responses back by email and encourage everyone to post these on the blog, if you've got a memory of a good place or location on any coast, share it. These responses are just what we're looking for. Here are a few - My friend E.L. from Queens, who apparently has relatives in every city in America, sent a request to his cousin a long time resident of Savannah. He identified several restaurants, hangouts and B&B's in Savannah. Since we're most assuredly going to stop in Savannah we'll write about that when we get there.

And then my friend R.R. asked one of his friends, who formerly lived in Jacksonville FL for local, off the tourist trail, restaurants, hotels along the coast.
She sent the following:
Have fun
good "local" restaurants:

1. St. Augustine [Vilano Beach, off A1A] - Aunt Kate's
good food; you can sit on the deck outside on the intracoastal waterway.

Aunt Kate's
612 Euclid Avenue • Vilano Beach
(904) 829-1105
Members of the Usina family rebuilt this new 5,000 square foot waterfront restaurant on the former site of Oscar's, a popular fish camp which was destroyed by fire in 2001. The Usina family has owned the property for more than a century and the new restaurant is named for matriarch, Katherine Usina, who bought the property in 1904 and ran the restaurant for many years. With 2,000 square feet of deck outside overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and 150 feet of floating dock, Aunt Kate's is sure to become a favorite St. Augustine dining destination by car or by boat! General Manager Matthew Williams and his staff look forward to welcoming you for wonderful, Southern-style dining in the most relaxing setting in St. Augustine. For more information, call (904) 829-1105 or e-mail aunt-kates@att.net.

2. St. Augustine [HWY US1] -Schooner's
good food but not much atmosphere
http://www.schooners-seafood.com/

3. Blue at The Topaz Motel [Flagler Beach, A1A...this is between St. Aug and Daytona]
Our favorite! Great food, you can eat outside on the porch overlooking the ocean

http://www.flagleronline.com/blue

http://www.vacationplanning.net/blogs/blog_pack/09-09-21/Blue_at_Topaz_is_Flagler%E2%80%99s_%E2%80%98Hidden_Gem%E2%80%99_Restaurant.aspx#

We passed through Flagler a few years back on our way to Key West and were particularly pleased with the old low-rise beach town, right on the ocean, feel of the place - so we're really looking forward to stopping there. The Blue at the Topaz Motel sounds very interesting and we're going online to check out the "Motel", there's just something about a beach motel that shrieks sand on the floor, towels draped on the railing, steps to the beach and a few beers on the porch....

Going Coastal - lookin' for funky little motels, beach bars, good food, interesting people...

Going coastal is our non-scheduled, non-interstate, unmapped exploration of what's left of the old coast. We're looking for the gems that didn't get torn down for condo's, the local dive bars, mom & pop motels, restaurants with butcher paper on the table and a bucket for shells. Nothing fancy or overpriced. We're starting from our home on Cape Fear about a mile from the intracoastal waterway (ICWW)and will meander south. Help us out with a few suggestions and tell us about your favorite places. We promise not to tell too many people!