Mike -We spent Tuesday night in the Croatan National Forest Campground, and I rode 68.7 miles onWed, Oct. 17.  It was pretty much a nerve wracking ride on U.S rt.17 that was filled with fast moving traffic and small shoulders. Jacksonville NC and Camp Lejune made for some unique sights. Helicopters were always in the air, and the town had a barber shop every half mile. It looked like some of the military surplus stores would have been cool to go through.  Made it to the KOA in Wilmington NC. I had no idea this was such a big place (pop. over 100,000).  We spent thursday at
Wrightsville Beach trying to impose our will on the weather, but there was no sun and one rain shower, so we went to a little hole in the wall called Buddy's Crab House (that didnt serve food), and had a few beers and looked at the dollar bills glued all over every inch of the place.  The sunset was good, so we watched it and walked down the street to a place called  King Neptunes, and ate and then called it a night.
     Friday was spent driving through some neat beach towns, (Carolina beach, Kure Beach) and touring  Fort Fischer, a Confederate  shipping port, and going to the N Carolina Aquarium where we saw an albino alligator that was unique. Came back to the campground and were surrounded by Airstreams that came for some type of gathering

 We are now in the land of cotton, palm trees, and Piggly Wiggly storesW

 We  saw these docks in New Bern withall the birds on them. Alfred Hitchcock would have loved this!

 Camp Lejune is a unique place. I was getting buzzed by military aircraft all day long. Didnt see any tanks though.