Escaping the NE Winter blues.

[buckland]

Though not west, we hope to bug out for a month or two this winter from New England and head south (again!). We will be taking the FWC but also looking for a place to rent and then travel from. We definitely do not want to be in a tourist town but seek a small rural town in Georgia, South/North Carolina or northern Florida. The mountains are nice but that just gets us back into the cold. Being within an hour or two of places to paddle/ride bicycles/walk dog is the goal. It is hard to find a place that is not controlled by the AirB&B people; ideally avoiding that if possible. I have been finding ads in local newspapers and have seen a few places that way. House sitting is also a possibility. If anyone has wandered around in small town America down that way and has a suggestion, appreciate the heads up. Coastal towns seem pretty crowded with the likes of us northerners and can be pricey too, but we haven't given up completely to finding a backwater place. Nothing to lose for asking!

 

[goinoregon]

good luck. let us know where u end up.
we are going down to baja for a month in feb. looking forward to beach walks, and discovering a few taco places, and the 'go to' breakfast spots.

 

[Occidental]

I don't have a solid suggestion, but am interested in what others suggest. I have spent a bit of time in and around Nahunta GA on a fire assignment, and it seemed to be the epitome of backwater rural. A couple local diners and a town center, not a lot else there, but it was at a crossroads that made it easy to get to a lot of places, including out to the coast, to the Okefenokee, nice forests in northern FL, etc. You do have to watch out for gators and snakes around there, so maybe not ideal for the dog, but the climate looks to be pretty mild.

Hope you find the ideal spot(s)!

 

[buckland]

good luck. let us know where u end up.
we are going down to baja for a month in feb. looking forward to beach walks, and discovering a few taco places, and the 'go to' breakfast spots.

Well Baja will be a blast. The VERY BEST taco on the whole Baja is Guerrero Negro.... Tacos El Muelle. OMG. You will be awed.

 

[buckland]

I don't have a solid suggestion, but am interested in what others suggest. I have spent a bit of time in and around Nahunta GA on a fire assignment, and it seemed to be the epitome of backwater rural. A couple local diners and a town center, not a lot else there, but it was at a crossroads that made it easy to get to a lot of places, including out to the coast, to the Okefenokee, nice forests in northern FL, etc. You do have to watch out for gators and snakes around there, so maybe not ideal for the dog, but the climate looks to be pretty mild.

Hope you find the ideal spot(s)!

Thanks Ed... I'll check it out. We Irish don't even have snakes ...Pat took care of that. Gators...give me the hibijeebees!

 

[Occidental]

Thanks Ed... I'll check it out. We Irish don't even have snakes ...Pat took care of that. Gators...give me the hibijeebees!

I didn't believe them during the first day briefing for the fire - watch for gators, and don't feed them your lunch - really? Yeah, well, first day I saw six. They were pretty placid, but the snakes, those things are aggressive, they will swim a pond toward you if they see you around.

 

[buckland]

I didn't believe them during the first day briefing for the fire - watch for gators, and don't feed them your lunch - really? Yeah, well, first day I saw six. They were pretty placid, but the snakes, those things are aggressive, they will swim a pond toward you if they see you around.

Did a little checking .... only one house for rent... not my cup of tea.... BUT I have to admit it is central to good places. Been in St Mary's south of there and liked it but no housing for regular folk. One must be put in the time to find good....still looking!

 

[DavidGraves]

PM sent

 

[Foy]

I'd guess there's a pretty fine line between areas not dominated by the AirBnB crowd and areas which would be safe and enjoyable. But as you say, can't hurt to dig a little.

What are your preferences as to cycling and paddling? Pure road cycling, gravel, or pure hardcore MTB? And the same for paddling preferences--coastal estuarine systems, Coastal Plain rivers, or Piedmont rivers with a bit of whitewater?

Last, when you mention "within a couple of hours of" are you referring to your cycling/paddling/hiking being mostly day trips?

My wife and I have enjoyed many organized cycling rides throughout NC over the last decade or so. With some fine tuning on what you're seeking, I might be able to suggest some places to consider.

Foy

 

[Taku]

You might check out these two sites:
Mind My House
Trusted Housesitters

Might find some places that would work even with a dog. Unfortunately the dog does limit choices, We have used Mind My House to find housesitters for us and had great luck.

 

[DavidGraves]

Howdy

Have you escaped yet ?

DG

 

[buckland]

If only!! These last couple weeks with the windchill at -10 make getting exercise a bit painful. Getting dressed for a dog walk takes time! We have decided to narrow it down to four weeks (last 2 in February, first 2 in March) instead of the 8-10. If in camper it would have been doable money-wise but we haven't found camping areas that are secluded enough for our dog (high strung!) in warm places. We fell back on the rental idea and prices are high. We have found a place for two weeks in Smyrna NC on the water ( somewhat near Beaufort). Not much to do but hang out, bicycle, might bring canoe for the estuary and go for hikes. Thereafter in FarmVille VA. area in small cabins on a stream (1 week each). Warm to us would be 50º+. Haven't found a place to house sit as of yet (as we have our dog). We joined Trusted House Sitters for the year but so far nothing that fits our bill.

 

[Foy]

Well, well, I'd say you found an out of the way place in Smyrna, NC. Once you cross the North River from Beaufort, you're in NC's "Down East" territory. Lots of Elizabethan English brogue spoken Down East. A kayak might be preferred for paddling down there--catches less wind on open water. You'll be in position for day trips to Portsmouth Island and Core Banks (uninhabited barrier islands) from Atlantic and Davis, respectively, if the CLNS concessionaires' small ferry boats for trucks and SUVs are running (may be closed for season the entire time you're there). The passenger ferry from Harkers Island to Cape Lookout lighthouse is likely running then and that's a cool day trip. Cape Lookout National Seashore (CLNS) website should have details and links to the ferry services.
Then to FarmVegas! Our late son went to Hampden-Sydney College in the early 2000s and they referred to Farmville derisively as FarmVegas. But it's a decent little college town with paddling and cycling outfitters and shuttle services for the Appomattox River and the High Bridge Trail, respectively. Good antiquing, too, if you like that kind of thing.
As you retreat to Farmville from Smyrna, be aware that you can cross the Neuse River estuary via free ferry from Cherry Point to Minnesott Beach, then stay on NC 306 and cross the Albemarle Sound from Aurora to Bayview on another free ferry. These are large ferries operated by NCDOT and each transit is around 30 minutes. The second ferry puts you off near Bath, NC and Washington, NC (aka Little Washington to NC locals). Little Washington has some good eats including Bill's Hot Dogs and King Chicken, each local and regional favorites. LW has a nice museum focused on wetlands and called the Pamlico Sound Estuarium. From LW you can head N-NW using NC 30, US 64, NC 33, NC 48, and NC 43 for an entirely large town-free ride to the heart of Southside Virginia, crossing on I-85, then working over to VA 92 and VA 47 to hit US 15 around 20 miles south of Farmville. Only things to slow you down will be farm tractors and school buses. NC Ferry keeps schedules updated on their website.
Welcome to NC and y'all have fun!
Foy

 

[DavidGraves]

I second or third Foys' comments....and hope to pass thru that region a little later this spring. If you happen to need a quick park in northern Virgina let me know,,,,you can visit my little 9 acres there.
Trusted Housesitters is a learning curve and also a lot of work to find the right match....we had let the subscription lapse during the plague but recently re-upped and spent a lovely Christmas week in Victoria BC.
Biggest challenge with TH is finding the right siuation, location and schedule.....and having them converge.

DG

 

[buckland]

Can't thank y'all enough for info Foy (as before on another wander your help was greatly appreciated). Great details! That area is nice and easy.... info on good food spots especially! We sold our kayak and are strictly canoes at this time but I do know of what you speak being in 'big water' and dealing with both tide and wind waves. My wife has a 'new trick' 12 ft canoe (Hornbeck) but double blade setup (18 pounds)....it has low profile and handles the wind well. I still hope to bring my solo canoe but realize the challenge for that might not work. I am also leaning on taking camper as I think I'd like to wander a bit away from the rental to explore around.
And thank you David for your kind offer for a crash pad! Ya never know and it is good to have a backup runway for landing!
We have had a cold and windy January with a surprisingly little snow. Being a New Englander I expect the worst weatherize. Would be nice to leave -15 windchill behind. Downright painful. BTW ...my wife hails from KY so I have been Y'all'd a lot!!