How is it that this place is SO wonderful? We have been anchored in Oriental harbor for a week now and hate the thought of leaving. The community here is so friendly and inviting that I do not understand why the anchorage is not packed!

So we got here on Tuesday night, exactly one week ago. Our plan is to head out on Thursday morning but honestly, I could spend the ENTIRE summer in this town. Not only is it a great place for afternoon or evening walks along the shore side neighborhood, the scenery is gorgeous and the smells are FANTASTIC! The roses are blooming and the jasmine is everywhere! We have taken our bikes ashore and left them there because we frequent the streets, multiple times a day just pedaling around with our noses in the air.

We have made contacts and great friends almost daily. We were invited over for lunch with a new bud, Bob, and had a blast. His home is on the water here in Oriental and we just loved the visit with our new friend. He had great stories of Oriental's history and delighted us with tales of his travels. Check out is artwork at: www.bobpittmanart.com



We also were treated to an afternoon "truck rental." We have cruising friends who we met in our travels that call this amazing place home. Their names are Doug & Mary Ann and their boat is Calculation. We first rafted up with them in Vero Beach, FL and then anchored along side them in George Town, Exuma. Well, they were kind enough to offer their truck to us so that we could hit up the Food Lion and coin laundry just outside of our cycling range. Also, they invited us to the local wine club's summer picnic. What a blast and what wonderful people. We had a great time!

There is also a cool marine consignment shop here in town. We have visited it almost every day too. Cindy, the proprietor now knows us by name and greets us with a "hey guys" when we come through the door. We found a good deal on a used Nissan 9.9 two stroke outboard that we could not pass up. So, since my birthday is right around the corner we were able to justify the purchase. Happy Birthday Jen! An outboard! Right at the top of my list! All joking aside, it is SO cool! And the search for the perfect companion dinghy begins!



As I said we plan to push on Thursday. Stay tuned to see if it really happens!