Oriental, NC

Hi everyone,

After several days of getting thoroughly beaten and demoralized by strong winds and ferocious currents I decided a day of rest was in order. I pulled into Oriental and was exceedingly fortunate to score one of two free, public dock spots in the small protected harbor. These spots are highly coveted and come with a 2 day limit. Last night I enjoyed a really wonderful sleep. It was absolutely flat calm, completely quiet, and bug free. I slept until 6:45, an amazing luxury. Oriental is lovely. It would probably be described by many as 'dead' but they would be missing the essence of a small, out of the way, southern town. There are a number of folks from out of town, mostly sailors, who have chosen to settle here. A really nice combination of folks. A mix of pleasure boats and work boats in the harbor. Wikipedia says the population is around 900, although it looks like more than that to me. I guess I'm just a small town guy, but this is the kind of place that really resonates with me!

Here's to small towns,

Charlie