Wednesday, November 2nd - lay day at River Dunes

It is another gorgeous day in coastal North Carolina with abundant sunshine and a high temperature in the upper 60s.  After a lazy start to the morning, we take advantage of the free loaner vehicle from River Dunes Marina to drive the short distance to the sleepy waterfront town of Oriental.  Not much has changed in Oriental since we visited here by boat in 1988.  Oriental bills itself as the Sailing Capital of North Carolina.  Boat buddies Hayden and Radeen have arranged lunch on the waterfront with sailing friends.  After brief stops at the grocery store and the marine consignment shop in Oriental, we return to River Dunes to tackle the more mundane task of laundry.

[caption id="attachment_1733" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Marina clubhouse at River Dunes"][/caption]

Later in the afternoon, we become more familiar with the amenities of River Dunes.  It is a lovely setting with views of Broad Creek and the Neuse River.  But its remote location and the slow economy have wreaked havoc on the build out of this development.  Some lots have sold, but few homes have been built other than the builder's model homes.  Surely, the deep pockets of real estate developers are being tested, not just here in the Southeast, but in other areas of the country as well.

[caption id="attachment_1730" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="New homes overlooking the marina at River Dunes"][/caption]