Sunday we drove 35 miles east to New Bern, North Carolina and stopped at the KOA campground to drop off a bundle of sample copies of the Gypsy Journal, and to visit with our friends Barry and Jan Kessler, who are staying there a few days.
We first met Barry and Jan soon after we started fulltiming, and have crossed their path many times in our travels, but it has been a couple of years since we saw them last. We had a good time visiting, and getting acquainted with their two fun puppies, Jack and Molly.
We wanted to check out the Elks Lodge in Morehead City, our next stopping place, so Barry and Jan followed us another 35 miles to the lodge. It would have been fun to ride together, but our van and their truck both seat only two. The lodge was closed, but we saw that there was a lot of room to park our 40 foot motorhome with no problem. As we were leaving, one of the lodge members arrived on his motorcycle. We introduced ourselves, told him we were Elks from Arizona, and wanted to be sure there was room for us to park at the lodge. He assured us that we were welcome, showed us the best place to park our motorhome, and said they would run an electrical cord out from the building if we needed it.
We have stayed at a lot of Elks and Moose lodges in our travels. Some have full hookup RV parks, and others just offer a safe place to dry camp for the night. Our membership dues in both organizations helps them accomplish their many charity projects, and opens the door to lots of overnight parking opportunities for us. 
From the lodge it was only a few miles to Atlantic Beach, where we walked along the water’s edge for a while, then strolled out onto the Oceana Fishing Pier, a privately owned pier adjacent to the Oceana Resort.
One of the things on my personal bucket list is to catch a saltwater 
fish off a pier, and this might be a good place to do it. There were quite a few folks reeling in several different species of fish, and one lady had caught this skate, an ugly looking critter if there ever was one. 
There wasn’t much surf, but there were a couple of people out in the water trying to catch a wave, without much success. In fact, the water was so calm that I told Terry that if it were a little warmer, I’d consider dragging my kayak down to the beach to get some paddling done.
It was getting late and we had not eaten all day, so the four of us stopped for sandwiches at Panera Bread, and then went our separate ways, promising to meet up again soon, since we’re headed in the same direction.
Today we’ll drive the Winnebago back to Morehead City and spend a few days exploring the area, which locals call the Crystal Coast.
Thought For The Day – The beauty of life is that there is no predetermined formula. What ingredients are you adding to yours?
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Hey buddy, take a look at Beaufort,NC. – very pretty seaside town and home of some good eats. I ate some wonderful shrimp & grits there a few years ago. An even better stop is Beaufort, SC if you go that way south. Loads of civil war history plus Pat Conroy stories and site of “The Big Chill”. For that matter, New Bern is the home of Nicholas Sparks and “Message in a Bottle” and “The Notebook”…besides your Pepsi mecca. A friend of mine moved there but left because too many Yankees had relocated. Anyway, enjoy the South but don’t stay too long or your neck might get red.
Don’t miss the Civil War Fort at Fort Macon State Park.
I have not heard of camping at Elks or Moose Lodge locations before. Is that a nationwide sort of policy or something that you have to call ahead and confirm everywhere? It would be nice to have an option like that available. Walmart is okay for boondocking, but not always our favorite if it’s really crowded.