Pinehurst to New Bern

The day dawned overcast and it stayed that way almost all day until late in the afternoon when we drove into New Bern.  It was a light mist when we left the hotel in Pinehurst.  We left the tops up as it seemed to threaten rain.  And then, when it rained, it rained hard.  We drove into the rain at Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach.  The rain let up for about 3 minutes when we got to the museum in Wrightsville Beach and then rained again when we were in the museum.  We checked the weather forecast and saw that it was not going to let up so after touring the museum we leaped into our cars and drove to lunch where we leaped out of our cars, dodged the puddles, and went into the restaurant.  The rain let up again after we ate so that we could get a group photo at the dock.  Then it rained again as we drove to New Bern.  It stopped raining when we got to the hotel in New Bern - how lucky for us!  But we are a hearty bunch of MG (and Triumph) drivers so we still had a good day and made it safely to all of our events.  (NOTE:  We said goodbye to Tom and Laura.  They left the tour at Pinehurst.)

Members of the British Motor Club of the Cape Fear (Edie, Pam, John, Jacq, Carl) met us at the museum where they had prepared a bagel and juice break for us on the museum/house front porch.  Cute house and well presented history of the beach area.  We recommend it as a stop the next time you are at the NC beach.  Two cars joined the tour - Edie in an MGTD and John & Jacq in their Triumph TR3.

We visited the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History

PJ and Ron inside the museum

We drove to lunch at the Bluewater Grill in Wrightsville Beach which was located right at the dock.  We couldn't sit outside on the deck as it was raining too hard.  Then after lunch the skies cleared just enough for us to dash outside and gather for a group photo in front of one of the yachts.

Kimi, Jordan, Paul, Pat & Dennis, Pat & Ron, Gary & Wayburn, Trip & Georgia, Edit, PJ, Paula & Steve

After lunch Paula and Steve took a side trip to visit the USS North Carolina Battleship.  The rest of us drove to the hotel in New Bern.  It was another wet (read drippy in the cars) ride.  The sun came out as we got to the hotel.  We had a place of honor to park our cars. We have received many fine compliments from the staff at the hotel about how good the cars look.

View from our room at the hotel in New Bern

We all had a great time at the Manager's reception in the hotel lounge.  We put the tour banner up on the wall and asked more people to sign it.

That's John adding his name to our tour banner

While we were all at the hotel lounge and restaurant having a grand time, Paul and Ron were solving an MG problem on Paul's car.  Seems that at Dillard Paul noticed the valve adjusting screw was loose.  Tried tightening it a couple of times.  Finally looked at it in detail and saw that it needed to be replaced.  Got out the trusty MGB Register book of members willing to offer help.  Found a local person with the part, Paul and Ron picked up the part, then installed it.  Another fine example of members helping members!

Ron and Paul working on a Paul's MGB/GT (photo by Dick)

Working on the rocker arm adjusting screw (photo by Dick)

STATS:  Drove 247 miles on Day #9

SPECIAL THANKS TO:  British Motor Club of the Cape Fear for the arrangements to visit the Wrightsville Beach Msueum of History and selecting Bluewater Grill for lunch.  Also, thanks to Douglas Walling of New Bern whose name we found in the MGB's Mutual Aid Directory as he had the special part Paul needed to fix the MGB/GT.