The Crystal Coast, Salt water on my feet

The "what if" part of moving

Sometimes the spirit just moves you and doing something becomes a simple matter of following the path of least resistance.

When the water is warm and the day beautiful, it does not take much to get me on the water.

Putting my kayak in at Bluewater Cove is a matter of sliding it down the grass in my backyard into the water.

Lots of other decisions are more complex.  As a Realtor® I see lots of people struggling with what to do next in life. 

Sometimes I feel like a "what if" spreadsheet for people's lives. People look at different areas and try to imagine themselves living in a particular home.  I try to help them do that in a realistic manner.

They wonder about the costs of heating/cooling, property taxes, and insurance.

Usually one of the first things on their mind is what our winter weather is like.

Sometimes they want to know where the closest trails for hiking are or how far is it to the nearest fitness facility? One of the questions we almost always get is how far is it to the beach?  Another important piece of information is how far away is medical care and what are the areas' three hospitals like?

It there are children involved, people want to know about area schools.  They often want to understand our demographics.

I get so many questions on area services that I finally made a custom map of the area where you can zoom and pan the map to see where everything is.

Folks thinking about moving also want to know what they will do with the inevitable visitors when they show up right after you move to an area close to beach.

I even did a suggested five day tourist itinerary for one client's sister.

We are lucky since there are plenty of things to do in Swansboro, Emerald Isle, and Beaufort.  We have a wonderful spot like Tryon Palace just 45 minutes away. 

You can even visit the Outer Banks like they used to be at Cape Lookout.

I feel fortunate that lots of people are looking for a new life in the small towns along the NC coast.

While our reasons for moving to Carteret county are specific to us, lots of people seem to relate to our thought process.

I like to think that the people who came before us have helped develop a wonderful spot for second homes, retirement, and even new lives along the shores of Bogue Sound and the White Oak River.  I am thankful to them for making the first steps.

When you get down to crunch, people make their own decisions for their own reasons.  What makes sense for one person might not make sense for another. Yet change is the spice of life and lots of people understand that.

Lots of times you might find just enough information from someone like me to give you that push to head out into that new life in a new spot even if it is not the one I have shown you.

If you do, I hope you find a place as nice as our coastal paradise.  Right now there are plenty of choices.

This is especially true with some great new properties coming on line at a time when prices are at levels that haven't been seen since 2004.

Tryon Palace, a great place to visit

There are places that you can visit where you feel like you are a tourist, and there are other places where you feel like you have taken a trip back in time.

Tryon Palace is one of those places where you do not feel like tourist.  You feel more like someone peaking through a window into the past.

We visited Tryon Palace on Saturday April 19.  The tulips were gone, but the rest of the flowers were magnificent.  Other than a couple of groups of kids to dodge, there were no crowds.

If you want a taste of history but don't need the whole tourist thing, Tryon Palace is a great place to go.  I have never seen such well done vegetable plots and beautiful flower gardens.

I put up a website with Tryon Palace, Flower, and Garden pictures. There are three different sets of slides. To access the other pages from the main page, you have to mouse over the links which are to the right of the first link.

Tryon Palace is located in New Bern, NC which has become a major retirement area for those who want to enjoy water without being very close to the beaches.

My only comment is that you should visit on a cool day since it can be warm on the grounds.

These are hours from their website.

Regular Hours
Monday through Saturday:
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
The last guided tour of the Palace begins at 4 p.m. daily.

Summer Hours (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend):
Monday through Saturday:
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday: 1 to 5 p.m.
The last guided tour begins at 4 p.m. daily.
The gardens are open until 7 p.m. (Tickets are sold until 4:30 p.m.)

My thanks to those who moved before me

There was a moment the other day when I was visiting a property here on the coast that made me want to pull up a chair and sit down for a spell.

I see lots of different homes and usually I try to tuck away one feature that might be special about a particular listing.

Once in a while, even in the heat, or maybe especially in the heat, I get caught thinking about what it would be like to sit and talk with the people who first lived in a place.

The cozy spot in the picture has been around for twenty five years. It started as a raw lot, filled with trees and brush.  A lot of hard work made it a comfortable home for a husband and wife who in this particular case took the risk of moving to a place far way from where they spent most of their adult lives.

There were not many year around residents when they moved.  I am sure they faced plenty of challenges, but I am willing to guess that those challenges ended up adding richness to their lives.

I know people who have moved lots of times and people who have barely left the area where they were born.  I don't know that one group is wiser or happier than the other.  They are just people who have different priorities.

I do know that it takes some courage to pack the the bags and move to a new spot.  You have to ride your dreams to get to a new place. Once you are there, the only way to really make it a home is through hard work that may not resemble the dream.

Yet most new comers persevere because going back does not fit their personality.

When I moved to Canada to raise cattle, it was a great adventure filled with lots of back breaking work.  I never dreamed that I would come back to states working for a computer company.  Apple Computer did not even exist when I moved to Canada. A move sets in motion wheels of change that cannot be predicted.

When visiting online forums I see lots of folks who spend time asking questions about a new place.  Sometimes they are very serious, and just looking for the right kind of information to motivate themselves to move.  They need the right neighborhood or a certain kind of house.

Then there are a few folks who ask endless questions looking for the perfect place without ever realizing that there is no such thing as a perfect place.

Actually maybe that is wrong.  If there is a perfect place, it is up to you to make it so.

Some people do not really have that spark which drives you to actually pick up stakes and moves.  That reluctance is understandable.  Moving is filled with unknowns and has plenty of stress.

It is hard moving from an area where you have made great friends and perhaps raised your kids.

I do not know what separates the people who will gamble on a move from those who dream but never act. I think I was born with a little wanderlust.

However, I know that meeting and working with people in an area before I move has always eased the strain.  As I find good people, they fill in the gaps that Google with its clever daily intelligence or glue for the modern world cannot.

Talking to people and sharing your worries is hard if you do not know people well, but it is a way to get to know people well.

I enjoy meeting people, helping them, getting to know them, and sometimes letting them listen to my problems.  It helps a lot when moving.

In the end I am thankful for those people who have been willing to try a new place, to hack some of the brush back, to find those secret waterways, and to populate some of the more challenging spots in America.

Without the people who could dream of the beauty and actually have the courage to bet their dollars on finding it, we would never have gotten to enjoy some of American's best spots.

If I had a choice of talking to someone no longer around, I would rather sit back on the porch and talk to those who lived their dreams rather than who lived in a dream.

While moving anywhere in American today is a lot easier than it was 25 years ago there are still challenges.  Technology has made it much easier.  Access to the Internet is in places I would never have guessed.

Services like those on this map make even those of us who live just beyond the reach of the big box stores  pretty comfortable.

Comfort is all relative.  Some move to find it.  Some do not move to keep it. Others find comfort just in the act of moving.

Sitting on the warm porch in the picture brings back memories to me of another time, and another place when I was surrounded by family. 

It was a good time, we were young and the memories are still fresh of those great days in the fifties and sixties. 

]Perhaps I do so well in moves because not only do I haul the old memories with me, but I am pretty good at creating some new ones.

The Best Twenty Dollars You'll Ever Spend

Once in a while, you do something really neat that you will remember of a long time.  Recently we had the good fortune to find one of those memories.

The weather was perfect with the temperature in the low eighties, with little humidity and a slight breeze.  The seas were pretty smooth, and we were about 13 miles north of Beaufort, NC at Harker's Island.  At breakfast I read an advertisement for Calico Jack's Marina and Pony Express.  Their claim to fame if you watch the little animation on their web page is that they are the closest ferry to Cape Lookout National Seashore and they run a four wheel drive taxi service from the Capelookout Lighthouse down to the Cape Point which is the first picture in the post.

The ferry with the shuttle service to the point is twenty dollars. It has to be one of the most beautiful places that I have ever visited.  Of course by its very location, there are not a lot of people there.  It would be a long hike in soft sand from the Lighthouse so the four wheel drive shuttle service is the only way to go. 

It took ten minutes by a 24 ft Carolina Skiff to get from Calico Jack's on Harker's Island to the beach where we had an easy exit after the skiff was beached.  Then it was fifteen minutes or so by Chevrolet four wheel drive down to the point.  We had an excellent captain and an equally accomplished sand pilot.

We then spent an hour and a half wandering and wading around the point.  The water on the ocean side was cool but not unpleasant, the clashing seas at the end of the point sometimes sounded like thunder, and the wading on the soundside was just right.  The Pony Express shuttle picks up every hour or half hour as needed and the boats run similarly.  They are even careful to make sure that they leave no one behind.

The beaches are pristine, the crowds non-existent, and the water nearly perfect.  It's the best twenty dollars that I have spent in a long time.

The last stand of the small coastal towns in the Carolinas

We took a trip recently down from Cape Carteret, NC to Murrells Inlet, SC.

It was an interesting trip from a lot of perspectives. 

Most importantly it was a confirmation that we made the right decision when we moved to western Carteret County.

It is probably no news to anyone that small town America is challenged these days with the increasing urbanization of our countryside.  The small town, Lewisville, NC, where I grew up in the fifties and sixties does not resemble the place that I remember.

Even the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia where I spent the early seventies is changing.

Our trip down to South Carolina reminded me that we could have wall to wall high rise developments here on the Crystal Coast like there is in Myrtle Beach.  Fortunately that does not appear to be a near term danger.

As we were driving back from South Carolina, I thought about the things that I love about the Crystal Coast. I like to use the term "small town feel" to describe what make here.

Yet when I talk about the small town feel or life, what does that really mean?

1. Above all I believe it is the opportunity to interact with and get to know a group of people who have somewhat common interests because they live in a certain area that ties people together.
2. Being bound together by that sense of place and common interests creates a sense of community which drives certain behaviors that you might not see in a more urban world.  People actually care about what happens to each other.
3. In a very uncertain world, that sense of community and provides both an emotional and a real safety net.
4. While urban areas tend to overwhelm their environment, small towns tend to be part of the environment.  If you aren't closed up in a high rise tower, you might care more about the world at your doorstep.
5. Small towns that give me the right vibes are places that still own their own soul.  They mostly have businesses owned by the people that live there.
6. Most importantly real small towns are populated mostly by people that make it their home not the spot that they occasionally visit.

I have no illusion that small towns are utopia.  I have lived in at least one small town that was not a pleasant experience for an outsider.  There has to be the right mix between locals and transplants to create an environment where the best of both worlds can survive.

If the outsiders and developers take over, you can end up with wall to wall high rises along the beach.  If only the locals rule, you can end up with a place hostile to newcomers or any change.  Neither would be a fun place to live.

So what protects that little section of the Southern Outer Banks where we live?  Of course I am only guessing, but I suspect being a little off the beaten bath helps.  I also think having an early migration of full time residents from the outside set the tone of accepting newcomers.

I know that being sandwiched between Cape Lookout, a national seashore, and the 157,000 acres of  Croatan National Forest also is good thing.

Beyond that I suspect the fact that there is no large city in the area has also made a difference.

Finally somehow I think the area has been self selecting. The people who have come to the area are here because they appreciate the towns and villages for what they are, rather than what they might be.

Our little patch of heaven is to a certain extent a land of boaters, fishermen, and people who enjoy walking mostly empty beaches.

For that reason the area has stayed a spot that caters to those kind people.

And that turns out to be fine with me.  I greatly appreciate the opportunity to live in area where there are still real fishermen and where the business person you talk to is often the owner.  It is neat to be a place where history is appreciated without having it take over your life.

It is good to see an environment where people can start small businesses and sometimes succeed.  It is nice seeing a mix of old and young people interact in a positive manner in the many area festivals.

While no place is perfect, this one works pretty well for the time being.  I hope we can keep the balance.

While development will continue to encroach on the area, I remain hopeful that we can preserve these last few remaining small towns.  I hope our love does not kill them.

They just might be irreplaceable.

Making a new life

Building a new life in an unfamiliar place is a little like following a newly bulldozed road through a forest.

You do not know what will be around the next corner.  It is a challenge, and it is one that many generations before us have met.  They met it without the services that we have come to expect.

Still getting settled in our complex modern society can be an exercise in frustration especially if you don't where to turn.

Since I spent over ten years farming, I am used to taking two steps forward and three backward at times.  I can appreciate challenges.

I know the best plans and intentions sometimes fall by the wayside, that is just the way it is

You have to persevere.  Just because you do not know what comes next, you do not give up,.  You prepare  yourself, and after surviving a number of challenges, you end up with a lot of confidence in your own abilities.  Sometimes you lean on those around you.

I have done that before and am happy to return the favor.

There is pride and a sense of accomplishment in staking out a new life in an unknown spot. 

I like to see people get to the point of enjoying a new area and discovering things that I don't even know.

These days there are few spots which are actually far off the beaten path, so often civilization is just around the corner.

Still it requires a lot of effort to re-establish your life in a place where you might only know a handful of people.

I read somewhere that 91% of real estate agents never call their clients after a transaction.  I find that hard to believe.

I know my clients have heard from me after the sale. I think that is part of my job as their Realtor.

Recently we were having dinner with a couple that had just moved into a home that I sold them.  One of the owners said it was real pleasure working with someone who also ended up being a good friend.

It was nice to know that I helped someone make those first few steps towards a successful new life in a great spot.

The flight to warmth from Roanoke

Don't get me wrong, I love Roanoke.  The sun rising over the mountains is pretty hard to beat even when it is so bright that it is almost impossible to photograph.

Still Roanoke's recent weather has not exactly been kind to those of us who love warmth.

It also seems that the cold air gave Roanoke a wedgie.  At least a wedge of cold air running along the foot of the mountains seemed to get trapped in Roanoke on February 12.

On that Tuesday afternoon the thermometer up on the mountain at our house read 31 degrees.  There was also some moisture starting to fall.

Since I recently subscribed to the idea that February should not be a cold month, that 31 degrees at 4 pm was not what I wanted to see.

We took off on our regular trip to the coast in search of warmth.

For the first hour of driving down 220 through Rocky Mount and Martinsville the temperature remained fairly constant fluctuating between 31 and 33 degrees Fahrenheit.

As we crossed the border into North Carolina just south of Martinville and headed towards Eden on Route 14, the temperature finally climbed to 34 degrees.

By the time we got down Route 29 to Greensboro, the temperature had risen to 37 degrees. Driving another 30 miles south on Route 421 got us to 39 degrees at Siler City.  We turned east and in seventeen miles passed by Pittsboro where the temperature had risen to 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pittsboro is about the half way point in trip to the coast.  We had already picked up 11 degrees in spite darkness arriving.

Another twenty four miles and we were in Cary where things were starting to feel a lot nicer at 49 degrees.  We stopped to shop at Whole Foods which often makes me feel as if we're part of the Roman Empire because of all the far flung places which fill their bins.  We went away with some nice looking United Kingdom Salmon, lots of neat cheese, and some great bread.

We headed east on Interstate 40 from Cary and as we passed the Smithfield exit about thirty miles later, the temperature zoomed to 54 degrees.  I started smiling at my wisdom for bailing out of Roanoke.

About two miles later, I could not believe what I was reading, the air temperature hit 65 degrees just about ten miles east of where Interstate 40 crosses Interstate 95.

I did not dare hope for any further rise, but we did see a few reading of 66 degrees until we pulled into Swansboro a couple hours after passing Interstate 95.  There by the water within sight of the Intracoastal Waterway, the temperature slipped back to 63 degrees.

As we drove through Cedar Point and turned in Cape Carteret to head a couple of miles up the White Oak, the temperature rose back to 64 degrees.

Even an hour later at well after midnight, it was still 64 degrees at our home.

We got about 1.25 inches of rain during the night, but when I got up the temperatures were still holding in the mid sixties.

I talked to my son in Reston, and he said they were seeing some freezing rain which apparently also touched Roanoke in the higher spots.  I don't miss having to put on the chains for my feet just to get the newspaper.

Today was even better than last night.  This afternoon about three pm I went for bike ride wearing a tee-shirt and short.

Now that is my idea of good weather.

For those that think there isn't a much of a difference in temperature on the Carolina Coast during the winter, all I can say is keep believing that if you want to stay chilled in February.

Swansboro, NC travel guide

I'm sure the first question is, "Where the heck is Swansboro?"  That's not very hard to answer. 

This Google map link will give you a quick look at Swansboro. 

It's pretty obvious that the town is on the coast.  With some typing you can quickly figure out that Swansboro is nearly 71 miles east and somewhat north of Wilmington.  It's also 135 miles from Raleigh or 254 miles from Richmond.

Most likely you have to want to be going to Swansboro or possibly Emerald Isle to end up there.  Visiting Swansboro or Emerald Isle means you're headed to the beach, going boating, maybe fishing, or just looking to relax and enjoy some great food and a little slower pace. Maybe you just want to wander all the old shops in Swansboro, but if you're a guy that's probably not on the list. 

This part of the NC Coast, often known as the Crystal Coast is definitely not Myrtle Beach or Kitty Hawk, but that's a great thing in my book.  I enjoy roadside produce stands and fish markets more than I do golf courses, traffic, and crowds. The smaller crowds,  fewer golf courses, and more manageable traffic are more to my liking in the Swansboro area than a number of spots we've visited. 

I also like the fact that the area has a stable year round population and is fast becoming a desirable retirement area.  Since its fame hasn't spread as widely as North Carolina's more famous beach areas, there are not as many giant beach houses.  It's known as a family beach area which is fine with me.  You can also make a left turn which is increasingly hard to do in places like Duck, and you don't have to spend three hours in traffic waiting to get started on your way home.

It takes us between five and six hours to drive from Roanoke, Va. to Swansboro.  The time has a lot to do with how long we stop for meals or other things.  This Google map will give you a general idea of how to reach Swansboro. 

Depending on how you get to Interstate 40 it's a little over three hundred miles.  Since I enjoy driving on two lane roads, I often take Route 220 South to Route 58 East all the way to the Danville bypass and then catch 86 South to Hillsborough and finally Interstate 40 East.  If you live a little further west in Southwest Virginia, it actually could be quicker to take I81 South to I77 south, then I74 South to Highway 52 South to the Interstate 40 East bypass at Winston-Salem.

Whatever your favorite route to Interstate 40 East, once you get on it, stay on it until you arrive at exit 373 which allows you to pick up Route 24 East.  Follow the signs to Jacksonville, and eventually Morehead City and Swansboro.

There are lots of reasons why you might want to visit Swansboro, a town which has managed to survive and thrive since 1783 despite numerous challenges.  First of all it is a trip back in time.  The people are very friendly and no one seems to be in rush except maybe the people who have just gotten there.

Many of the people headed to the area, zoom right past Swansboro and head over to Emerald Isle to a beach house they have rented.  You can find a big castle sized one it you want it, but there are plenty of reasonable size ones that evoke memories of a simpler time.  Renting a beach house is a great thing to do, but this being North Carolina you don't have to have a house on the beach to enjoy the beach. 

There are dozens of public beach access points including a very nice one just after you come over the Highway 58 bridge to Emerald Isle. It is one of our favorities and is just off Islander Drive. You just have to watch carefully for the signs.  It has lots of parking, a nice boardwalk to the beach, changing rooms, picnic tables, and bathrooms, along with beach volley ball courts. On the way to it you get to take a time trip through some old amusement park rides. There are lots of other beach access points, you can find them listed at the Crystalcoast.org site or the official Emerald Isle Town site.

If you are a little more adventurous you might might want to go over the Hammocks Beach State Park and take the small pontoon boat ferry over and experience a beach with lots of room.  It's just a couple of miles from Swansboro.  I haven't made it over to the island beach yet, but I'm told the trip takes fifteen minutes, and there is a packed gravel trail of about one half mile to the beach.  It was too for a hike the last time I was down. The ferry runs either every half hour or hour depending on the day of the week and the time of the year.  Hammocks Beach State park has a great kayak or canoe launch point and the waters look perfect for kayaking. 

If you get bored with all the beaches in the Swansboro area, you can take an hour or so trip up to Harkers Island which is a great access point to Cape Lookout.  You can read a review of one of my trips there in "The Best Twenty Dollars You'll Ever Spend." 

On the way to Harkers Island, you face the obstacle of Morehead City. There is a trick to getting around Morehead without going down the main drag.  When you take Highway 24 towards Morehead, you eventually run into Route 70 by the malls on the outskirts of Morehead City.  Instead of turning right on Route 70, you should just go straight across and you'll be on Bridges which isn't on some of the maps, but it you stay on it until you are forced to turn right and then left back onto route 70, you'll save about 10-15 minutes getting through all the stoplights and traffic of Morehead. 

Once you get back on Route 70 just before the bridges to Beaufort, you're not far from Harker's Island especially by boat.   Just stay on Route 70 until you see the signs to Harkers Island.  There are actually plenty of boat rides from Beaufort to Cape Lookout, but I enjoy the drive to "Down East".  This site has some pictures of the trip through the area.  On your way back you might want to stop and eat in one of the many fine restaurants in Beaufort, or visit the historical site and the great NC Maritime Museum.  More details are available in my Beaufort Travel Guide.  You can also swing by Fort Macon State Park.

I would also highly recommend the NC Aquarium as a break from the beaches. From Emerald Isle it is probably nine miles or so up to the aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores.  It could take fifteen to twenty minutes for the drive during beach season.

Of course going to beach requires eating out unless you want the ladies of the house to go on strike.  My advice for avoiding the crowds is to either eat early or eat on the shore side.  There are a number of really good restaurants in Swansboro. I have reviewed and highly recommend, "The Icehouse Waterfront," "Riverside Steak & Seafood," and for a more expensive but special meal beach side there is, "Kathryn's Bistro and Martini Bar."  The Gourmet Cafe in Swansboro is also very good.  We've enjoyed breakfast (Shrimp Omelet) at Yana's Ye Olde Drug Store & Restaurant right on Front Street in Swansboro.  My favorite breakfasts (Ham & Cheese Omelet or Gyro Omelet) have come from Mike's Place on Emerald Isle.  We've also enjoyed meals at the Fairway Restaurant (very reasonably priced wine) a little west on Route 58 after it crosses Route 24 on the mainland.  Flipperz on Emerald Isle is also good for a sandwich.  There's a good list of restaurants at Crystalcoast.org. Breakfast is the biggest challenge, but worst case, you can get a biscuit at Hardee's where Routes 24 and 58 intersect, or you can sleep in and skip breakfast.

If you're looking for a grocery store, I've been very impressed with the Lowe's Food Center at the same Highway 24 and 58 intersection.  If you need a place to stay and haven't gotten a beach house, I can recommend the Best Western at Silver Creek. The rooms are very clean, they have a great pool, free continental breakfast, and very reasonable rates.  It's five minutes to the beaches. Though we haven't tried it, I've been told that the Waterway Inn is also very nice and right on the water, but I've never seen a vacancy there, so I would book well ahead.

I'm not much into lying on the beach these days.  I'd rather be fishing at least in the fall or spring when it's not too hot.  I do really love walking on the beach.  North Carolina is one of the greatest places in the world to do that simply because all the land between low tide and mean high tide is public beach.  The beach is a great resource for everyone.  The one thing I really like about the beaches of the Southern Outer Banks or SOBX is that people of all ages from almost anywhere seem to have a great time.

Once you're done with your beach walk, you can enjoy a cone of custard ice cream at the new stand which is located in the small strip mall on the right at the intersection of Route 58 and Coast Guard Road. It's the first right at the stoplight after coming across the bridge. The gas station just across Route 58 from there often seems to have lower gas prices but that's hard to predict these days.