America's Great Loop With our boat "Little Bit More"

New Bern NC  September 2023 Thanks to our friends Jeff and Darlene from Naughti Dophin we were able to secure a slip in the New Bern Grand Marina.  This marina is off the ICW and typically not on a Loop plan as it is 10 miles up the Neuse River.  We were warned that the Neuse River could be very treacherous but we had an easy cruise. This marina is on the waterfront and packed with historic sites and stories.  By far, one of our favorites so far. Of course, I've said that before. New Bern is named after its sister city in Switzerland. As an homage to that great city, you will find over 100 decorated bears throughout. We were treated to beautiful tree-lined streets, the Tryon Palace tour and trolley ride, visited the birthplace of Pepsi Cola and ate at several fantastic restaurants. We enjoyed a full week and most days were filled with sunshine until they weren't. View of Tryon Palace Tryon Palace Gardens Tropical Storm Ophelia Towards the end of the week, the forecast became mu

Sunday September 10, 2023 Wilmington NC Yes, there is a gap.... We had planned to go to Colorado and take in several fun events.  While on the trip we were in Vegas for a concert, a wedding in Washington, a trip to Minnesota, and lots of doctor appointments we learned that Scott has prostate cancer.  We're taking it one day at a time and headed back to resume our journey.   We took several days to check out all of our systems, provision the boat, and plan a route.  It was such a relief to know that Hurricane Lee passed right over the marina without any damage.  We're excited but a little nervous and looking forward to getting our sea legs back. Mid-morning we passed by Figure Eight Island. This 'boogee' private island boasts homes of a lot of celebrities.   The Roxborough shallow draft allows us to beach our boat.  We do need to watch the tide so we aren't stuck on the sand when we want to leave! Mike Hammock Bay Anchorage This is a very popular anchorage and we ha