Belhaven

5/23/15

We were woken up at 5:30 am by a loud siren. We weren't sure why the alarm was sounding or how concerned we should be. We knew that there are nuclear power plants in the area, so we were hoping that the siren didn't mean a problem at the plant. My next thought was a possible tornado warning. We quickly googled what a siren in the town of Oriental could mean, and found out it was probably a fire alarm. That loud siren seemed a little excessive for a fire, but that's how the town calls it's volunteer firefighters.

Since we were already awake because of the siren, we decided to get an early start and headed out of the harbor. We went to the town of Belhaven and stayed at the town dock. The last time we stopped here the dock was free. Now the town charges $1.00/ft. to stay overnight, but it's right in the downtown area and is less expensive than the marinas. It was good to see this town making a comeback. The last time we walked through town most of the stores and restaurants were empty. Now there are more restaurants and shops open.

Later in the afternoon on old Silverton, just like the one we use to own, docked in front of us. We enjoyed talking to them about boats. There was a fire pit in the lot next to the dock. At night Al made a big fire. Soon after the fire was started the people on the Silverton came over and we had an impromptu party around a barn fire. We had a great evening.

At the town dock in Belhaven

Exploring the area by dinghy