low in elevation, high in heat

"Sweet relief," Matt must be thinking. The clouds are blocking the sun for the first time since I've joined him in these flatter parts of North Carolina. And he's reached water -- not quite the ocean, but the expansive Neuse River sound. Feels like progress.

This morning I did the crewing chores of dropping him off, restocking snacks, looking for his particular type of water bottle, laundry, getting ice, filling up with gas, organizing the car, etc. Without a detailed map, some towns go smoother than others: In New Bern, I've driven the same stretch of road about eight times and made plenty of U-turns. I probably just have enough time to take a closer look at the Tryon Palace (on this block) before I head across the bridge to find Matt again on the country roads. We'll be taking a number of ferries soon.

Matt and I slept at the Sail Inn B&B last night, and he actually ran the five miles through traffic this morning to arrive for breakfast of quiche, pastries, and coffee. Last night, we drank Guinness on the rooftop of a seafood restaurant. I thought Matt was going to kill me as we climbed many stairways to reach the roof (he's lagging behind on aching legs), but the breeze and view of the bridges and historic downtown was probably worth it.

The night before, we camped through a nighttime thunderstorm at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park and were unknowingly locked in. The night before that, we crashed in a chain hotel and ate at a chain restaurant near the noisy interstate. Between the nights, a whole lot of flat country roads.