The desire to find out what is around the next bend in the river must be deeply rooted in the human mind.
To me finding new spots is almost an irresistible urge. Just yesterday we went exploring up the White Oak River near Stella, NC where this picture was snapped.
Much of my exploring has been done by automobile. A few years ago I wrote a post, "Wanderlust of the soul." It covers some of my early years when I actually moved to Canada and ran a commercial farm after graduating with a degree in history.
I had fallen in love with Nova Scotia during a Thanksgiving break trip there my junior year in college. Even a road trip to Alaska the summer before my senior year did not sway me from wanting to live in the Canadian Maritime provinces.
These days I stay content by exploring the North Carolina coast with a few side trips into the Virginia mountains.
We have traveled up and down the Outer Banks. That has brought us some great adventures like I recorded in my post, "The Best Twenty Dollars You Will Ever Spend."
More recently we took a short afternoon trip over to Oriental. I was impressed by the big water where the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound meet. I now understand why flooding happens in the area when the wind blows onshore.
We enjoyed lunch and then shopping in one of Oriental's few stores. I was not surprised that Oriental lived up to its "Sailor's Paradise" label.
When I worked with Apple Computer, we were fortunate enough to travel to several countries. New Zealand attracted me the most, but I have to admit that the golden strand of sand that we call the Crystal Coast is all that I need this days.
Whether it enjoying a Lobster Fest at a seaside church or peering at Black Beard's cannon, the Southern Outer Banks has plenty to keep me busy.
You will understand my enthusiasm if you just look at all those marshes in Bogue Sound. Just last week when we discovered a coastal creek from Swansboro that went behind an island and brought us back to the Intracoastal Waterway.
With that potential for discovery and all the events in area from town birthday parties to festivals, staying busy and checking out what is around the corner has become a way of life.
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