Manteo, NC...the real Mayberry

Here I am in Manteo, NC, I suppose the first stop where I am truly being a tourista. I have never sailed to Manteo, have never been here-period-even though it is just of the path I beat down the Outer Banks for so many years heading to surf spots or vacation times in Ocracoke. I arrived after an exciting sail across the Albemarle Sound Thursday, just at sunset, and in time to pull in just before dark. I had left Elizabeth City at about 930, and made a 40 mile sail in about 7 hours, 56 minutes. The winds were right around 25 kts, and the sound was stacked up to about 2 feet, with a few 3 footers thrown in as well.

Manteo is a great little island town, some say that it was the inspiration for Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show. Whether or not that is true, Andy does have his primary residence here in town. The town is situated on Roanoke Island, the site of one of the first English Colonies in the Americas. The colonists had a hard go of it, and this is where the "Lost Colony" was. There is a long running (years and years and years of summer performances) play here chronicling the Lost Colony.

I am anchored out just off the town waterfront, and I have really enjoyed my stay here. My friend Ali met me and has taken me around her little town, showing me the sights, the little museum on the waterfront, the theatre where they do the Lost Colony play, and just around in general. I have had a great time here with her and her kids, Elias and Celia. Spook has enjoyed it as well, playing with them, getting out and running, and leaving her mark all over town. I went with them over to Nags Head for Celia's play - Babe's in Toyland.

I plan to leave Manteo on Tuesday morning, and head over to Edenton to see Gary and Alice. I have been to Edenton plenty of times by land, but never by water. So that will be a new thing for me, and Spook has never been there at all.