When you make landfall, the first thing you will want to do is explore the area and see what's out there! The problem is that when you arrive by boat, your land based transportation options may seem rather limited.
The first and most obvious option for getting around would be to walk. While this is effective, it only gives you a few miles of exploring available to you and it can be rather slow going. When we first set out cruising, we felt that walking distance meant a few blocks, but now we feel completely normal setting out on foot to a restaurant that is two miles away! This means that we think it is normal to walk two miles for a meal on the town, and then walk two miles back to the boat when we are stuffed. It's amazing how cruising will change your perception of the world you live in.
Your next available option is to use a bicycle. If you carry your own on board, then you can easily bring it to shore in your dinghy and then set off as soon as you make landfall. If you don't have your own bike, you can always rent one or borrow one from a local chandlery. In towns that are more boater friendly, they will usually loan the bikes to cruisers for free; in less boater friendly towns, the bikes are usually available for a fee or not available at all.
The last option available it to hop in a car and go from there. Cars can be had by renting or by making friends with the locals and grabbing a ride with them when they offer one to you. While it may seem odd to grab a ride with a total stranger, we have found that people in small towns are very courteous and will usually offer you a ride without you ever needing to ask about it. It is also very common for people to offer you the use of their car! While in Hatteras, we had many people come by the boat and tell me that they didn't need their car today and that we could take it for errands if we needed it. Mind you these are people that we have never met before and they didn't know us either!
Getting around may seem like a challenge, but the truth is that you will have plenty of time! If it takes all day to walk to a store and back, then that is all you will get done that day. The next thing on your list of stuff to do will simply get taken care of tomorrow and cruising life continues on at its relaxed pace.
