Day 6 - Wrightsville Beach NC to Myrtle Beach SC

Finally -- we are out of North Carolina! Not that I have a problem with it, but it seems we had been working our way through there for almost a week -- oh, wait a minute it was! Anyway, glad to be in South Carolina!

We left Wrightsville Beach NC this morning at more leisurely hour (8:15am), for the 5.5 hour run to Grand Dunes Marina in Myrtle Beach SC. Since we stayed "inside" the entire day, we had our share of speeding up, slowing down, speeding up slowing ... well, you get the idea. There was also a fair amount of commercial traffic to work around including a HUGE container ship coming down the Cape Fear River and a 300 foot barge being pushed by an 85 foot tug dragging about 200 feet of dredging pipe through a narrow turn near Little River just before the swing bridge. And if that wasn't enough, we had to slow down going through Southport as a dear (yes, a dear) swam across the channel to the other side. Never seen that before! Oh well, it's just the way it works out here on the Intercoastal Waterway.

We did see a few evidences of Hurricane Florence with damaged docks, some missing roofs and an occasionally boat that was washed ashore. That said, it appears the folks along the waterway in North Carolina are doing a great job getting things back to normal. One thing is for sure -- they have a great attitude about it all.

Tonight we are at one of favorite stops at Grande Dunes Marina. This is a large, well protected basin right on the ICW with floating docks and nice amenities. But the most special feature is that right next to the marina, not more than 100 feet from the back of Endless Summer is a Ruth's Chris Steak House. I have been thinking about that martini and steak dinner all day.

Tomorrow is a long day as we head to Charleston SC.

Barge and tug in route

Little River Swing Bridge

Results of Hurricane Florence

Marina at Grande Dunes - Myrtle Beach, SC

Ruth's Chris Steak House right off the aft deck!