Paddling Taylor's Creek Beaufort, NC 2009

We always enjoy paddling Taylor's Creek in Beaufort when we make our annual visit to Atlantic Beach around the fourth of July. It's a good way to see the waterfront, the horses, and find an area of beach all our own.

Menhaden factory, Beaufort, NC

Menhaden factory Beaufort,NC

There are some changes this year. Last year the Menhaden boats were gone and this year much of the Menhaden factory is gone. You can still see part from the water, but most of the factory is gone. There are signs up for a major new development to support shopping and other tourist activities that will replace the Menhaden factory. There was no construction activity however.

This type of change seems to be happening more and more. Productive factories are being closed and replaced with shops and tourist attractions. We saw the same thing in Maine in our 2009 trip there. And there is news that some of the docks in Beaufort used for commercial fishing boats are going to be replaced by Condos and docks for pleasure craft.

I wonder what happened to the people who worked on the boats and in the factory.

Another change is the way to get to the boat ramp. Front street is blocked so you can't get to the launch site directly from the Beaufort waterfront. You have to go out to US 70 and look for the NC Wildlife commission sign pointing to the launch site.

It'll be interesting to see what the place looks like next year.

Equipment in Menhaden factory, Beaufort, NC
Menhaden Factory Beaufort, NC

Ibis
Ibis

Carrot Island, Birds, and Wild Horses

On this trip we started headed west towards the Beaufort waterfront. We took advantage of the tide and didn't have to paddle quite as hard as if we had headed the other way.

As we paddled we kept an eye out for birds, wild horses, or anything else of interest. We did see a few birds and one horse resting in the shade

Nessie on Carrot Island
Our Kayak, Nessie, on Carrot Island

We continued paddling through the boats moored in the harbor. Lots of boats tied up in the harbor. But only 2 were tied up at the dock. Usually there are several large boats, both power and sail, tied up at the dock.

We paddled around the tip of the island and landed on a nice beach. It was low tide, we we had lots of sand to walk on.

Wild horses

Two horses on Carrot Island
Wild horses on Carrot Island

On the way back we spotted two horses coming down the island. They looked to be in pretty good shape.

Wild horse on Carrot Island NC
Wild Horse on Carrot Island, Beaufort, NC

We then saw most of the herd moving up the beach on the other side of the island. We'd never seen that many of the horses at one time. Unfortunately, they were on the far side of the island,so we didn't get any pictures of them. Maybe next time.

Places to Visit in Beaufort, NC

Flying bird

While you're in Beaufort, you should check out the NC Maritime Museum on front street. Be sure to check the boat building shed across the street from the museum building. You'll probably find them rebuilding some interesting water craft.

In the evening walk along the waterfront and stop at the Dock House and listen to one of the local bands.

After you've visited all our pages, you really should go to Mary Warshaw's blog about Beaufort. It is one of the best places on the web. The graphics on the site are wonderful and the information content is extremely high. Don't miss it.

For an up-to-date view of the Beaufort, NC waterfront check out the Duke Marine Lab Web Cam.