Back on the Road

When The Fuzz last posted, he left a sort of artillery hint on where he was headed next.  But really this time, he was more interested in this lighthouse.

The next destination was Edenton NC.

It seems to be a nice little place to spend a bit of time.

But The Fuzz was only planning to be there for an overnight stop on his way up to Virginia.

He got into town around 14:00 and checked in to his hotel.

There, he found that there was some kind of problem with his reservation.

But it turned out that there was a room available after all.

After getting this straightened out, The Fuzz decided to head down to the waterfront to see that Lighthouse.

Alas, it was closed!

Well, there were other things to see.

He got to tour one of the old houses, and at least read about that lighthouse.

And the Battle of Albemarle Sound!

And while we are on the subject, This guy has to be the twin brother to the one in The Fuzz's own fair city.

But all that is history now.

There were a lot of these old houses there.

The Fuzz enjoyed a cold one in this courtyard.  There was a pool with a couple of  fish fountains.

That reminded him of the latest project waiting at home-

but we'll get into that in another post.

Wandering around town The Fuzz found a Used Book Store.

And there he saw a complete set of Winston Churchill's The Second World War, for only $9 !

Somehow he found room for this in his saddlebags.

Then it was back to the hotel, where he was forced to face the reality, that there was nothing worth watching on TV.

Ft Fisher

The Fuzz had enjoyed his visit in Wilmington.

It was a series of rainy days alternating with pleasant ones.

When it rained, he laid low, and when it was nice he got out on his Bike.

There was one trip up to Topsail.

And another down to Ft. Fisher.

He had been here once before, but it was a good excuse to take his bike down along the beach.

Ft. Fisher might not be what you normally think of when you think of a "Fort".

The "Walls" were built up with piles of sand.
But the point was to be able to absorb the fire of the Yankee ships blockading the Cape Fear River-
and port of Wilmington.
Ft. Fisher was there to protect this vital, and last, port open to the blockade runners.
There are a few guns there.

The Fuzz does have a bit of interest in this sort of thing having served in the artillery in the now, distant past.

And there is this guy.
It was "state of the art" at the time.

Of course the real gun was captured by the Yankees when the fort fell.  It is now a "war Trophy" of the Yankees at West Point.
But the area is really quite beautiful.

And windy.

You can see how these trees have been effected by it.

Well eventually it was time to move on to the next stop on this exciting Motorcycle Tour.
Here's a sneak peek at the next stop.

Street Festival

It wasn't planned that way, but it turned out that The Fuzz's visit to Wilmington coincided with the annual Azalea Festival.

His previous excursion to the riverfront had been thwarted by a major traffic situation.

But he was determined to give it another go.

This time he made it...

...and even found a place to park!

It was a busy place.

There was even music.

Among the many sights was this Monster Truck...

...and this strange car without a engine.

After walking around for a while, The Fuzz grabbed a bite to eat and went down to the River Walk.

That's a nice place.

The Fuzz spent most of the afternoon there.
But tomorrow it's back on the road...
...time to move on once again.

Tiny Visitor

While the Fuzz is visiting family here in Wilmington they sometimes spend spend time out on the balcony.

The other night they were joined by a little friend.

A very little friend.

This little guy seems to have had no problem getting up there to join the party.

So here's a little better look at this nocturnal visitor.

On the Island

Well it turned out that the weather was not permitting.

(" hoping to cruise up to Topsail Island tomorrow...

...weather permitting.")

So that turned into a hanging out day.

But the next day...

...the weather was permitting!

So after a quick breakfast at a nearby coffee shop, The Fuzz strapped on the saddlebags and headed up the coast to Topsail Island.

He crossed the drawbridge into Surf City and turned south toward Topsail Beach.

The Family had spent several summer Beach Trips here before having to move to larger quarters on the other end of the island.

But The Fuzz wanted to see the place again.

First he rode out to where the road ended.

There he found these work boats tied up.  Not sure what they were up to- maybe dredging the channel?

Next he parked the bike and went out to the beach.

It was pretty deserted compared to the summertime.

It was hard to resist, so The Fuzz did pull off the boots and get his feet wet.  The water was a bit cold.

There were a lot of Pelicans out.  The Fuzz always enjoys watching them fly over in a line like they do.

Then it was time for a beer at the Quarter Moon in Topsail Beach.

He had some fish & chips in Surf City, and continued north to the other end of the island.

Then it was back to Wilmington.

He got there right after one of those "Gully Washer" storms.

That was good timing!

And today...

...more rain.

Motorcycle Tour

Yes, Spring is finally here.

And The Fuzz is taking advantage of this to have a Motorcycle Tour, and visit Family.

It's always nice to be able to combine these things.

The first destination was Wilmington NC, with an overnight stop in Durham on the way.

Thanks (you know who you are) for a great meal and putting The Fuzz up for the night!

Then it was time to pack up...

...and continue on his way.

The Fuzz has an aversion to the Interstate.

There is something disquieting about being passed by transfer trucks at 70+mph on a relatively small bike.

So he worked out a route involving NC 55, US 401, and US 421 into Wilmington.

It was a good ride.

He made a couple of stops to top off the gas, have some coffee, and get a bite to eat...

...and made it into Wilmington a little after 3:00.

He made his first stop down at the River Front and dropped a layer of now, too hot clothing.

That's the battleship North Carolina across the river.

The Fuzz saw this fellow taking advantage of the fine weather to do a bit of painting.

Today, they were calling for a bit of rain, so The Fuzz is laying low.

But he's hoping to cruise up to Topsail Island tomorrow...

...weather permitting.