Day 43
Late start today, everyone slept a little late. When Don got up, about 7:30, he tried to get our schedule tightened up a little, but we still didn’t get our walk started until nine or so. This is not the best walking park we’ve been to, but it’s not that bad. There are some wooded areas, and some grass here and there, and plenty of nice people who like Golden Retrievers. Don let me off leash several times, including one opportunity to chase an impudent squirrel. When we got back to the rig, Geri was getting dressed, and Don gave me my lunch early. That’s a sure tip-off that they’re about to take off without me. So, I got an early nap. They were only gone a few hours. When they got back, they told me that they had been to see another Battleship, like the Texas, which they visited in Houston. This one was the USS North Carolina, and Geri, who is not normally really that big on ship tours, said that this was one really beautiful ship. Don was particularly pleased about getting to see the engine room and the boilers, for some strange reason. He even got into one of the gun turrets. I was just as glad not to have gone, as Geri was complaining about how steep and hard to climb the ladders are to get from one deck to another. But they were very impressed, and I’m glad they went.
So, we all got into the truck and headed down to a little beach town, Wrightsville Beach. We drove down to the very end of the island that the town is on and parked. We walked through the sand dunes to the ocean, and I got to play in the surf for a while. Understand, I’m not much of a water dog, though I have enjoyed swimming in some rivers and lakes. I find surf a little intimidating, but I don’t mind getting my paws wet at the water’s edge. Face it, I’m no Buddy. So, I had a really good time, and Don took some pictures, which I’m sure he’ll post. Then we got back in the truck and went into downtown Wilmington, where they had an Azalea Festival going on. The streets in the downtown area were blocked off for the festivities, and we parked a little ways away. We headed down to the festival area, but we were stopped by a policeman; he told us that dogs weren’t allowed in the festival! Imagine that! Like, I have watered so many azaleas in the past few weeks, I don’t know who could claim to be a better friend to azaleas! But we didn’t have any choice, we turned back and wandered the streets of Wilmington, looking at all the beautiful, historic homes and buildings, all of which are in wonderful condition. This is truly a beautiful town. Anyone who wants to get a good look at the Old South should come here.
We went back to the KOA, and Don cooked some pasta while Geri took me out for a walk. We met quite a few people, and one lady was particularly enamored of me, because she had been the responsible human for two Goldies in the past, and she apparently thought that I was a particularly good representative of my breed. After dinner, I got some really good plates, and made my contributions to the blog. Then I went to sleep. The beach takes a lot out of me. Travel day tomorrow, see ya then.