October 2023 – Exhale on the Water

Filling in the Gaps

As noted in our last post, before our side trip to Austin, Exhale covered a LOT of lovely water that we have not reported on yet – starting after South Port (NC, thanks David) then pausing at the Isle of Hope, GA.

So grab a cup of coffee or a nice beverage and let’s fill in the gaps. In time, not teeth, although given our location either is possible.

Capt Rick is bundled up for the ride.

Capt Rick and Buttercup, blankets provided by Tonto’s Reward

Little River, South Carolina

There’s something special about a pink house!

It reminds me of “Mr. Pine’s Purple House” by Leonard Kessler. Here we go: “Mr. Pine lived on Vine Street in a little white house. “A white house is fine,” said Mr. Pine, “but there are FIFTY white houses all in a line on Vine Street. How can I tell which house is mine?” Come to think of it, this book might be banned in Florida, since the theme is embracing diversity. So add it to your library! Click Here! A Florida retiree (ironic), Leonardo Pine (Kessler) passed away at the age of 101 in 2022.

Wacca Wache, South Carolina

You are right Tumbleweed, it’s fun to say! It’s like a blend of wack-a-mole and Weeki Wachee Springs in Florida. Boater’s Tip: Fuel up! The price of fuel is low due to a friendly rivalry between Wacca Wache marina and the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club.

This marina has the best shade trees!

Boater’s Tip – the water is a little skinny, but the dock hands are experienced, just go slow.

Georgetown, South Carolina

Georgetown is a walkable town with plenty of small shops and eateries. At dinner I spotted this sign. The mantra is perfect! Life is full of noisy distractions, but if you focus – inhale, then exhale deeply – you can enjoy what is happening in the moment. Be present! (Thanks, MO)

Charleston, South Carolina

The structures in downtown Charleston are stunning.

We introduced the lovely Hotel Bennett heading north.

During a walk about, in front of the hotel Gail and I discovered a line-up of vintage cars. Craig Adford can probably name all of them.

The lead driver from Whip Dash said they were there to pick up a party of 21 southern belles. https://www.whipdash.com/ An elegant way to tour Charleston!

Gail and I wondered if the ladies got to choose the car to ride in, or, if it was going to be the luck of the draw. Do you have a favorite? Perhaps Rolls Royce or Bentley? Gail said “no thanks” to riding in the Mustang. The Chevy Bel Air is for my cousin, John.

Beaufort (sounds like view), South Carolina

With a little extra time to unwind, Gail and I visited our favorite nail salon – Nail Bar on Bay (843) 379-3456. Open 7 days a week, walk ins are welcomed.

Welcome back to Old Bull Tavern! Consistently amazing, our favorite server, Ashley, remembered Rick’s drink and menu choice!

Total YUM!

Consistently the BEST Old Fashioned, ever!

Boater’s Tip: Request a table in the pizza room – it’s a perfect place to watch the magic happen!

Hilton Head, South Carolina

It was splendid to reunite with our sweet friends Jeff and Patty North, M/V Lady North, NP49 euro style.

Clockwise from the top: Capt. Rick, Mary S, Dr. Patty North, David and Gail Bernstein, and Jeff North.

They both looked fabulous. Recently retired, we can see they enjoy life on the water!

Savannah, Georgia; Isle of Hope Marina

Tonto’s Reward and Exhale settled in for a well-deserved break while the humans and one very spoiled puppy went Off to the Races! (see the last post)

Tonto’s Reward, David and Gail Bernstein

Richmond Hill, Georgia; Kilkenny Marina

After we returned from the Formula One races we headed to one of our favorite stops, Kilkenny Marina. It turns out Richmond Hill and our home base in Fort Myers have a very special connection – Henry Ford!

In 1916 Henry and Clara Ford purchased a winter home in Fort Myers, next to Thomas Edison.

Roughly 20 years later Clara determined Fort Myers was “too crowded”. Really? Let’s research that: Wikipedia reports the population was 3,678 in 1920, bursting to an insufferable 9,082 by 1930, okay … Apparently, Clara wanted a more private location, to escape the hustle and bustle. The world’s first billionaire solved that problem for his pretty wife: Ford acquired 85,000 acres in the low country, covering 120 square miles, then he immediately commenced building a new community.

By 1937, Clara was enjoying a 7,000 square foot mansion overlooking the Ogeechee River. Maybe she just wanted a bigger house, with a pool and a massive lawn, who knows.

Known as the Uncommon Friends, Henry Ford, John Burroughs, Harvey Firestone, and Thomas Edison were reported to take fishing trips together on the Ogeechee River.

Now, for a small fortune, you can rent the historic venue for a destination wedding or special event.

Jekyll Island, Georgia

We love this little pub, the staff is super friendly!

and the mascots dress up with the season!

Seeing Double

Welcome to the North Pacific family, Greg and Ellen. Joining us at Jekyll was the newly launched M/V Bertha, another 49 euro style, she’s an Exhale doppelgänger. In the words of Oscar Wilde, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”.

Enjoy your beautiful new home on the water!

Fernandina Beach, Florida

Crossing the invisible state line, we are BACK in Florida. Tom and Faye, M/V Treble in Paradise, you should be here!

Hey David B, did we go on another Bird Walk?

Celebrating Milestones.

October 29, Jo Callaway; October 30, Lana Savona; November 1, Sandy Houlder; November 3, Gail Bernstein; November 5, Cindy Ginsburg

Happy Halloween!

Coming Up: St. Augustine, Florida, Conch House Marina (October 29)

Off to the Races!

While Exhale took a little break – tied up at the Isle of Hope, Savannah GA – Capt. Rick, Buttercup and I flew to Austin, TX; hometown of Dana Belknap, M/V Tumbleweed, and second home of Craig Adford and Maureen O’Gara.

We left long before breakfast – Buttercup was not impressed.

It’s 4:08 am – why are we going for a walk in the dark?

First, a heartfelt thank you to Gail and David Bernstein who facilitated this amazing trip to see the Formula One races! Former Austin residents, they started going to the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) track when it opened in October of 2012, that year Mario Andretti waived the green flag to officially start the races! It was reported that 117,429 folks watched the races that year – now that’s a precise number.

Gail, David, Bert and EJ are private seat licensed (PSL) ticket holders. Strategically, their seats are at Turn 15 – the best in the house! Rob and Kerry went last year, so they know what we mean.

If you have never experienced the frenzy, here are a few bragging stats from COTA for last year (2022): Record attendance: over 440,0000 sweaty persons; Economic impact ~ $10 billion, that’s with a “B”, think roughly two Super Bowls; Austin jobs ~ 64,000.

There were lots of Fan-atics in the crowd.

Although the final numbers are not in yet, 2023 was predicted by COTA to top all of that, in sweltering heat. We believe it!

With PSL tickets, we walked the pits on Thursday.

Just in time for a fun publicity stunt by Drew Barrymore, who posed with my favorite, Red Bull racer Sergio Checo Perez #11.

Red Bull racing team, Drew Barrymore and team principal Christian Horner.

Thank you to Maureen and Craig for spoiling us, rotten for an entire week! We ate, we drank, we ate some more!

Craig and Mo live in a peaceful community with lots of hiking trails. The view overlooks Lake Travis. We hope you get rain, soon!

Lake Travis – the water levels were VERY low

One of our favorite moments was the tailgate party in the parking lot!

Buttercup enjoyed every moment!

In Texas everything was fabulous!

Go Max Go

And the winner is …. Because this blog is late, again, you already know that Max won!

From Race Cars to Baby Pods, who knew!?

Not sure who to root for with so many great teams? Consider Williams – okay, the 2023 drivers did not fare well, but the company is awesome. Maureen, our hostess with the most-ess, offered a heartwarming story of the unexpected application of race car engineering utilized by Williams!

More than just racing – introducing the Babypod 20!

Real-time data is the oxygen, the lifeblood of a Formula One race car. Every ripple of movement – by the driver and his car – is carefully monitored and anlayzed. The car is also designed to withstand a 20 G-force crash, so when the car smashes into other cars, or a wall, it is highly probable the driver(s) will walk away!

BabyPod 20 Advanced Healthcare Technology (AHT) stock photo

Now imagine designing a portable, crash-resilient transport carrier for new-born infants! Made of carbon-fibre, the Babypod 20 is ultralight, temperature-controlled, with a built-in vital signs monitor (like the race cars!). Easily transferred to a stretcher, trolley, ambulance, car or helicopter, the pod has already saved the lives of countless infants!

Pure brilliance! Bravo to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, located in the London Borough of Camden, who partnered with Williams and Advanced Healthcare Technology to develop the Babypod!

“Second to the right, and then straight on till morning”

One more super cool thing about that hospital – Author James Matthew Barrie gifted all of his copyrights to Peter Pan (book and theatre) to support Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children back in 1929. It turns out, JM Barrie once lived on Grenville Street, behind Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). That house became the inspiration for the Darlings’ family home in his fabulous novel Peter Pan. In 1988 the House of Lords extended the rights, in perpetuity, to insure the royalty checks would continue! What a fabulous legacy. If you want to learn more, click here! https://www.gosh.org/about-us/peter-pan/history/

Celebrating Milestones (a few missed birthday).

October 22, Kelly Thorn-Hiebert; October 27, Steven “with a v” Hunt – still throwing flowers; October 29, Jo Callaway; October 30, Lana Savona

Coming Up: Heading to Kilkenny Marina

Note to our followers – our last post was from South Port SC – we will do a “gap post” soon to fill in the missing stops from Little River, Waccca Wachie (hello Free Style), Georgetown, Charleston, Beaufort SC, and Hilton Head)

For Dana – FreeStyle caught up with us in Isle of Hope. We have been bumping into them for years now, beginning in Maine in 2021, and most recently during our Canadian adventure. You should be here, Tumbleweed!

Heavenly North Carolina

First, a return visit to Alligator River

At the foot of the Alligator Bridge the gas station / gift shop / food counter is a popular rest stop for US Hwy 64 motorists and for ICW boaters. In the words of the patron who walked in behind us “this place never changes.”

Alligator River – Fried Chicken

We have stayed at the marina numerous times over the past 5 years. The fried chicken was sooo good we would talk about it for days; the well-seasoned cook was a charming southern woman, who seemed to put her heart and soul into every meal! Unfortunately, this time she was not there, and I don’t think she shared her secret recipes with her replacement. So Disappointed. Gail B was smart enough to order a salad – which came with hamburger pickles, so odd. On a side note, we hope NP43 Beach Breeze, fka Gypsy Soul, is doing well.

The replica of Cape Hatteras lighthouse remains a fav.

Belhaven, NC; Spoon River

Formerly known as Jack’s Neck, then Bellport, the waterfront village of Belhaven earned its official name in 1899.

And the heavens opened up … On September 23, as Ophelia made landfall, a storm surge flooded the entire town of Belhaven. Like most of Mother Nature’s annoying natural disasters, the devastation was quick and widespread.

This video is from LiveStorms Media

We arrived less than two weeks after the flood; in spite of Ophelia’s unjustifiable mayhem, irrepressible businesses were reopening.

Our favorite restaurant, Spoon River Artworks and Market, was amongst the most Resilient! Farm to Table meals prepared by Mark and Teresa.

Travelers – Make the time to eat there – It’s a MUST!

FINE WINE TIME! Instead of a printed wine list, you walk into a beautiful room, where you can pick out your own treasure.

Oriental, NC; River Dunes

If you read our posts this summer you know we were on a quest throughout Maine and Canada to see a moose, any moose, with no luck at all. Amused to see this trophy in North Carolina!

Morehead City, NC

Morehead is another walkable town, with well-maintained structures.

Boater’s Tip – This year the annual North Carolina Seafood Festival and Boat Show is/was from October 6 – 8. Celebrating nearly 40 years, the three-day event reportedly attracts more than 200,000 – Capt. Rick was VERY happy to miss the crowds.

Hampstead, NC; Harbor Village Marina

We also found this boat name adorable – for Ray and Caryl– notice, Little Bit is the tender, Little Bit More is the Rossmore

Boater’s Tip: Harbormaster Brett Ulisnik is likely to have a dog treat in his pocket! A quiet little spot, there are no restaurants nearby making it a perfect night to eat on board.

Southport, NC

Southport is a picturesque waterfront community! A walkable spot, with charming local store fronts. Not surprisingly, it is a popular filming location, with more than 30 listed on IMDB (click here), including Dawson’s Creek, Weekend at Bernies and Safe Haven (for Linda Palmer)!

Halloween Decoration for Morgan

Brothers from Another Mother Reunited!

Say hello to Mark Cardone – Rick’s brother from another mother. Together they tell LOTS of stories of the good old days. Fun fact: Mark’s son was our wedding photographer!

In honor of the wine-infused Italian meals typically concocted by Mark – which we have enjoyed together for more than 15 years – Rick and I prepared dinner on Exhale; handmade meatballs and “gravy” slow cooked for nearly eight hours, to be served over angel hair nests. The boat was smelling yum-a-licious by the time they arrived.

You might notice the familiar attire – Rick and Mark have a very similar collection of those Costco shirts!

Mark and his wife, Linda Palmer, are former neighbors from Belmont Shore, CA. Oh how we missed you guys, including the champagne corks that Mark would aim at our home, across the alley.

In May of this year they moved to North Carolina, a HUGE change from our beloved beach community in California!

If you want to take a break from your day, click here to check out the UTube channel launched by Mark and Linda, with segments about travel, pets (they have three cats and more than a dozen wild deer), Halloween (it’s an obsession), and an irreverent cooking show. Parent Advisory: some of the 1-Minute Recipes are not for kids!

Looking forward to seeing you in Florida, Mark and Linda!

Chillin the Most – cool boat name with a beautiful Aussie!

Celebrating with sweet Golden Ours

Southport is also the home of Tim and Tracy Harris, NP 45 Golden Ours.

Tracy loves Buttercup – you can see it’s mutual!

Boater’s Tip: With so many great places to eat in Southport, stay an extra day or more so you can explore!

Thanks for the Flowers, Tim Harris! Can’t wait to see you and Tracy again!

Closing with a bonus photo for Craig and Commodore Gary, NP45 Knot Dreamin – zoom in!

Celebrating Milestones.

It’s Fall! Wishing a very merry un-birthday to all y’all!

Coming Up: Little River, South Carolina – where we first met Bruce Peck, MV Seatrek in 2018. I think it’s time for a lemon drop martini :-) You should be here Craig Adford! See you soon in Austin.

Cruising the Chesapeake

Dreary weather is brightened by an unexpected gift of flowers; the very best! Thanks, Capt. Rick

Bear, Delaware; Summit North Marina

You might think it’s a blurry photo, but really it was just another foggy day. It seems we have had more than our fair share lately. But not to complain too much, we dodged another tropical storm.

Chesapeake City, Maryland

We passed by Chesapeake City with fond memories of our visit in 2018 with Donna Wallace.

Boaters Tip: If you opt to tie up at the Restaurant you will be perfectly positioned for a fabulous sunset. Be aware when you depart, debris in the form of heavy logs tends to collect near your props, so let the current help float you away, without thrusters, if possible.

Elk River

As we traveled the Elk River, we found plenty of commercial traffic, looks like holiday shopping has begun.

Annapolis, Maryland

With many options for overnight stays in Annapolis, the mooring ball field is an easy water taxi from the city center. There are also many marinas nearby. We have tried several.

Dinner at Chez Gromurph

My favorite part of Annapolis is visiting Sandy Grosvenor, owner of NP42 Road Trip. First, a warm hello to Grogu and IronBear

Sandy’s crab cakes are beyond delicious. The only thing better is to share them with new friends!

Pictured: Bill Simon, David B, Gail B., Hostess Sandy Grosvenor, Capt. Rick, Jim Quinn, Joanie Simon, and Camille Daniels.

VERY small boating world – Camille is the past Commodore of Long Beach Yacht Club, home of of our dear friends, Matt and Michele Jackson.

Dating back to 1929, LBYC in CA is not to be confused with the one on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Best of luck on the remodel efforts Camille! The proposed improvements to the pool and club house look fantastic! We look forward to visiting you next time we are back in CA.

Solomons, Maryland; Spring Cove Marina

Boater’s Tip – after Labor Day the pool closes and the restaurant only operates on the weekend, BUT this quiet little marina is still a great location. Ask for the loaner car!

Hatteras lighthouse

Another full moon

DeltaVille, VA

… the waiting spot for pizza deliveries.

Norfolk, VA; Waterside Marina

It was good to return to this accessible marina – within easy walking distance of everything downtown Norfolk.

Glass Light Hotel & Gallery

If you take a walk around downtown Norfolk, make the time to enjoy this hotel and gallery. Built in 1912, the magnificent 13-story building was once the home of the Royster Guano Fertilizer Company.

Since guano is “the excrement of seabirds and bats” the company name might conjure up a stinky operation for some of our followers. If you are not familiar with its odor, a genteel description suggests, “bat guano has a musty smell, with a “hint” of ammonia.” I disagree.

For a short while, I lived in Cave Junction, Oregon, aka “Gateway to the Oregon Caves”. Perhaps you have seen (or stayed in!) the treehouses. This is for Carly!

Notably, with a population of less than 2,000 there are significantly more bats than human residents. After visiting the infamous bat-filled caves it is my opinion the smell of guano is pungent, acrid, and foul. Rather troubling, Guano contains nitrates that can be used to make explosives.

Something good about bats – they eat mosquitos and can consume up to 3,000 insects in one night. And, bats are the only mammal that can truly fly.

Fast forward to modern times – the former Royster Guano Fertilizer Company building changed hands a few times, over the course of 100 plus years, until it was majestically restored and transformed in 2019.

Now known as the Glass Light Hotel & Gallery (affiliated with the Marriott), it hosts the art collection of Doug and Pat Perry, which displays over 65 glass pieces on two floors.

Hello bunny!

Crafted by Dutch artist Peter Bremers, this whimsical six-foot glass bunny is a focal piece, welcoming trendy bar patrons who can of course order a super fancy “artisanal cocktail”.

Coinjock, North Carolina

Nothing special here, although we saw Life of Pi, from Kenai, AK (sorry, no pic).

Celebrating Milestones.

Birthdays: October 1, Sam Straley; October 4, Mayor Scotty Harvey

Coming Up: Alligator River Fried Chicken!