We decided to stay an extra day in Wrightsville Beach, with the unexpected and fun reward of the North Carolina Annual Holiday Flotilla happening right at our anchorage. We had front row seats to what amounted to a boat parade, featuring boats of all kinds decked out in holiday lights and decorations. You know how some people really go ALL OUT decorating their homes with lights for the holidays? Well, there are people who do it to their boats as well! Some people spent serious amounts of time and money on very creative ideas. Like this one, which features Santa’s sleigh atop what we interpreted to be a sea dragon:

And if that weren’t enough, after the Flotilla Parade, there was a fantastic fireworks display right on the waterfront.(again, we had the best seats right on our boat!) It had one of the absolute best finales we have ever seen and we were extremely impressed. There’s nothing quite like fireworks….

Last night and this morning were very cold. Ok, maybe not as cold as Minnesota, but still cold when you are just a step up from camping. We got our long johns and gloves back out and set our compass once again to SOUTH. The cold keeps chasing us and we have to keep moving. Today one of our friends we had been traveling with was sick and they decided to wait at anchor until she feels better, so we are hoping to meet up again with them in a few days.

But I enjoyed a long, brisk walk this morning on the beach (wearing long johns) before we left and enjoyed that irresistible pull to collect seashells along the shore. The shells always look more beautiful when they are wet and glistening in the sunshine on the sand than they ever do once I put them in my pocket and take them, but I couldn’t help but pick some anyway….

seashells