It was a little warmer this morning but still not warm enough to enjoy breakfast outside. As usual, I did some baking for the trip: small loaves of white and wholewheat bread, chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls (no icing), brownies. A few weeks ago I made bagels ( first time ever!) And had a couple in the freezer to bring with. I have been watching too much Great British Baking Show!
We started the day with a good long walk around the campsite in the pines and were rewarded with blue birds sitting on the fence posts.
We are not moving camp today. Most of our stops are 2 nights on this trip. We are pacing ourselves differently. We decided to drive down to Southport, a beautiful little town at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Architecture is similar to most Southern towns such as Beaufort, SC and built for the hot and humid south east coast climate.
Back to history again. We are in the south after all.
During the Civil War, Southport, NC (then Smithville) played a strategic role due to its location at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, a key route to Wilmington. Fort Johnston served as a Confederate defense post, supporting blockade runners that supplied the South. After the Union captured Fort Fisher in January 1865, Confederate forces abandoned Southport, allowing Union troops to take control. The fall of Wilmington soon followed, cutting off a crucial supply line for the Confederacy. After the war, Southport remained a small maritime community, with its Civil War history still visible in sites like Fort Johnston.
The purpose of the outing was in reality, a search for a good seafood lunch. Not a problem in this lovely little town. We found a nice little restaurant facing the water that was quiet and with good service. I had a lobster sandwich and a Caesar salad. Brian had red snapper on a bun and a beautiful garden salad. The outing was a success all around.
We got back to camp early in the afternoon. It’s Sunday. I had a nap. Feeling a little too lazy, I decided that I should do some baking – egg bites for a couple of breakfasts. I don’t have any leftovers yet, so these are just regular egg, cheese, onion, and bacon bites.
It’s nice to have a day ‘in camp’ to relax and not have to drive very far.
Cornhole: we decided to pass a little time with a game we have never played, Cornhole aka bean bag toss. We played a few ends before returning to our site to look up the rules! It’s good exercise.
It’s warming up nicely. I do hope we can stay outside tonight a little longer than Happy Hour.
We are camped in pine trees. It’s spring. Everything is covered in green pine pollen! My nose is running.
Louise and Brian McLeod Travel Blog 
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