I actually followed my schedule today for a change. Got up on time, showered, finished packing, packed up the car, did the last bit of straightening up and headed over to the diner for breakfast by 9.
I got seated at the same booth as yesterday and got the pecan pancakes, with a scrambled egg on the side and a bottomless cup of coffee. While last night's dinner wasn't bad..it paled in comparison to the yummyness of this morning's breakfast. I recommend always getting breakfast at the 4 Corners Diner whenever you are in Atlantic Beach....even if you are there for dinner. My waitress from last night was the hostess this morning and we had a nice talk as her post at the cash register was right next to my booth. She is from West Virginia but hates visiting as driving on the winding mountain roads scares her.
After I left the diner, I stopped at the Atlantic Beach Seafood Market again and got another pound of those yummy shrimp along with some flounder...as I had brought along my cooler. Had 'em packed in ice and I hit the road. I took a slightly different route as I used the causeway from Atlantic Beach to Morehead City rather than the one at the other end of the island...which is the way I had arrived.
I saw a lot more of what Hurricane Irene had done as there were tons of trees down everywhere along the route. Most had been cut up already in stacks of firewood, but the stumps and exposed tree roots were everywhere.
And back to the 5 hours of cotton balls and tobacco flowers...
I got home around 4pm to an ecstatic cat and a chilly house. Looks like we had some cold nights while I was gone. I unpacked the cold stuff from the cooler and divided up the seafood into freezer bags. I cooked some (steamed) shrimp and some (baked) flounder for dinner, which I had along with my cole slaw...yummy.
I'm mostly unpacked and cleaned up the kitchen. Citizen Kane is on TV and I think I'll go to bed early. Got to get up early and go to work tomorrow. All good things....
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
A Reenactment and Saying Goodbye to the Beach
I finally got it together and headed out to Fort Macon to catch some of the Civil War battle reenactment. I actually missed most of it as I believe I heard some sort of gunshot noise when I was arriving...and that was all I heard of THAT.
They were still there for the next few hours going about their business of pretending to be Blues and Grays with a bit of lecturing thrown in there. It does appear that they were pretty authentic and had camped out overnight at the fort. I wandered about trying to sneakily take candid shots of them...while trying not to include the small crowd of us modern folks.
This is a small group of Confederate soldiers congregating at the entrance to the fort.
A union soldier on the parade grounds cleaning his rifle
A group of Confederates socializing. There were quite a few women playing their parts. Most wore simple dresses, but this one lady had a very lovely dress with some interesting green and purple trim.
I also managed to discover new parts of the fort I'd never explored before having mostly stuck to the parade grounds previously. Here's a model of the fort that is in the visitor's center
As you can see, the parade grounds are in the center, then there is the main part of the fort...outside of that is a moat-like area with another structure around that. There are more places to explore in that outer ring.
When you take the steps down from the main entrance, this is what you see when you round the corner...a mysterious room in the outer wall.
Inside, there are a series of rooms like this one. Nothing in there but some water...and no signs explaining what the rooms were used for.
I wandered about a bit and tried to stay out of the mud (it had rained overnight and was still drizzly on and off).
This is the secondary entrance that leads from the parade grounds to the moat area. Anyway, I was diggin' the fort as you can see...but I think I saw all that I could. However, this time the gift shop was still open.
I got a Christmas tree ornament and a cobalt blue "onion" bottle, similar to the ones they found in the wreckage of the Queen Anne's Revenge. Then, it was off to do more shopping...well, only a little more. All of the cheezy surf shops around here are having "end of season" sales, so it's my chance to buy cheezy souvenirs. I didn't get much and managed to get a couple of Christmas gifts while I was at it.
I did eat dinner out at the 4 Corners Diner here in Atlantic Beach. I had breakfast there once with my mother and it is EXACTLY as I remembered it. Same blue and white tile floor, same yellow tables and fake wood booths. I got one of the dinner specials of a bowl of their homemade clam chowder and a sandwich. For my sandwich I chose a shrimp burger (which basically means a bunch of fried shrimp on a hamburger bun. The chowder was really good...as were the hush puppies I ordered. The shrimp burger was ok. The shrimp had not been de-veined which, fried or no, affects the taste for me. Still the waitress was awesome and it was a cool place. I brought most of my hush puppies back with me.
I got back to the condo and decided to head out to the beach. It is another chilly, windy day, so I got my hoodie and kept the sneakers on. Grabbed the shell bag and camera and headed out to say goodbye to the ocean. It was freakin windy!
Nice hairdoo huh? I walked about a mile in the direction of the defunct fishing pier...which means I ended up in Pine Knoll Shores, which is more beach houses and less condo resorts. Although it was pretty windy, the surf wasn't too rough and the waves were breaking close to shore.
The beach was pretty deserted except for the birds.
It started to get pretty dark, so I headed back quickly. Back in the room now and gotta finish this up so I can pack, do some cleaning up, and get to bed. Gonna try really hard to get an early start!
I doan wanna go homeeeeeeeeeeee.
They were still there for the next few hours going about their business of pretending to be Blues and Grays with a bit of lecturing thrown in there. It does appear that they were pretty authentic and had camped out overnight at the fort. I wandered about trying to sneakily take candid shots of them...while trying not to include the small crowd of us modern folks.
This is a small group of Confederate soldiers congregating at the entrance to the fort.
A union soldier on the parade grounds cleaning his rifle
A group of Confederates socializing. There were quite a few women playing their parts. Most wore simple dresses, but this one lady had a very lovely dress with some interesting green and purple trim.
I also managed to discover new parts of the fort I'd never explored before having mostly stuck to the parade grounds previously. Here's a model of the fort that is in the visitor's center
As you can see, the parade grounds are in the center, then there is the main part of the fort...outside of that is a moat-like area with another structure around that. There are more places to explore in that outer ring.
When you take the steps down from the main entrance, this is what you see when you round the corner...a mysterious room in the outer wall.
Inside, there are a series of rooms like this one. Nothing in there but some water...and no signs explaining what the rooms were used for.
I wandered about a bit and tried to stay out of the mud (it had rained overnight and was still drizzly on and off).
This is the secondary entrance that leads from the parade grounds to the moat area. Anyway, I was diggin' the fort as you can see...but I think I saw all that I could. However, this time the gift shop was still open.
I got a Christmas tree ornament and a cobalt blue "onion" bottle, similar to the ones they found in the wreckage of the Queen Anne's Revenge. Then, it was off to do more shopping...well, only a little more. All of the cheezy surf shops around here are having "end of season" sales, so it's my chance to buy cheezy souvenirs. I didn't get much and managed to get a couple of Christmas gifts while I was at it.
I did eat dinner out at the 4 Corners Diner here in Atlantic Beach. I had breakfast there once with my mother and it is EXACTLY as I remembered it. Same blue and white tile floor, same yellow tables and fake wood booths. I got one of the dinner specials of a bowl of their homemade clam chowder and a sandwich. For my sandwich I chose a shrimp burger (which basically means a bunch of fried shrimp on a hamburger bun. The chowder was really good...as were the hush puppies I ordered. The shrimp burger was ok. The shrimp had not been de-veined which, fried or no, affects the taste for me. Still the waitress was awesome and it was a cool place. I brought most of my hush puppies back with me.
I got back to the condo and decided to head out to the beach. It is another chilly, windy day, so I got my hoodie and kept the sneakers on. Grabbed the shell bag and camera and headed out to say goodbye to the ocean. It was freakin windy!
Nice hairdoo huh? I walked about a mile in the direction of the defunct fishing pier...which means I ended up in Pine Knoll Shores, which is more beach houses and less condo resorts. Although it was pretty windy, the surf wasn't too rough and the waves were breaking close to shore.
The beach was pretty deserted except for the birds.
It started to get pretty dark, so I headed back quickly. Back in the room now and gotta finish this up so I can pack, do some cleaning up, and get to bed. Gonna try really hard to get an early start!
I doan wanna go homeeeeeeeeeeee.
I Went to the Beach for This?
I am still in my room. Well, truthfully, I have left the room but only to go to the laundry room. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't the only person with the laundry plan today and it's taking me awhile to get that done and get outta here. While my stuff is in the dryer, I am having lunch...A.K.A. cleaning out the fridge. I think I will eat out again tonight.
Laundry should be done soon and I think I'll head down to Fort Macon to check out the reenactment. Maybe a bit of shopping after that?
Laundry should be done soon and I think I'll head down to Fort Macon to check out the reenactment. Maybe a bit of shopping after that?
Ahoy! More Friday Fun.
I had a few good hours left of the day, so I decided to head to Fort Macon. Best known as a Civil War era fort, it was actually in use in WWII. It is now in a state park all the way at the far end of the island on the other side of Atlantic beach.
There have actually been a lot of changes since I was there last with Mom. There is a huge visitor's center now (no pics of that, not that thrilling) where the store is located (closed before I got there). I got there a little late and didn't get to do a lot of exploring...
This is the entryway to the main part of the fort
These are the only two original cannon still on the grounds of the fort
There have actually been a lot of changes since I was there last with Mom. There is a huge visitor's center now (no pics of that, not that thrilling) where the store is located (closed before I got there). I got there a little late and didn't get to do a lot of exploring...
These are the only two original cannon still on the grounds of the fort
This is the view from inside one of the barrel shaped rooms of the fort looking out to the central parade grounds.
Some of the rooms they had set up with creepy mannequins to show how the rooms would have looked while in use. This one is a WWII setup...
This is the stairway up to the higher battlements where most of the cannon were. The railings are pretty ornate and, interestingly enough, are replicas of the originals.
This is the view from the fort. I'm pretty sure that is Shackleford Banks we're looking at out there in the water. Those semi-circles are where the cannon were mounted.
The State Park is raising money to buy cannon like this one to replace the missing armament of the fort. I found out that there is going to be a Civil War reenactment this weekend...I may try to stop back tomorrow to check it out.
The Fort closed at 5:30, but the park closes at 7, so I decided to check out the beach. This is a strolling along the beach place only as the water is very treacherous. I decided to keep my sneakers on and headed out across the dunes. It had gotten quite cold by now, and windy...I was glad I had headed back to the condo after going to Beaufort to pick up my hoodie.
I soon found that this was also an excellent shelling beach
Since there was no swimming, surfing, wading....there was fishing. Where there is fishing, there are seagulls
't
It was actually kind of funny as there were a line of seagulls watching the surf and the fishermen. Just a little army of gulls.
Now it was almost 7 and time to get home and eat. I had the crab cakes I got the other day, so stopped at the grocery store to pick up a couple of things and popped in to the cheezy beach gift shop next door as well to pick up the ubiquitous salt water taffy to bring back for my co-workers.
I mention the taffy because my day doesn't end well. The taffy was on sale as it is the end of season, so I got a couple of boxes and decided to quality control it. Yeah...it pulled off one of my crowns. I brushed my teeth really well and rinsed and jammed the thing back on and it seems stuck on there pretty good. I may need to pick up some Fixodent tomorrow just in case...darnitall. So...Boss, if you are reading this, I will need to visit the dentist when I get home to get this glued back on.
Anyway, I made a baked potato with my crab cakes...which I pan fried. Served up with some of my cole slaw.
MMMMMmmm...good stuff. Crab cakes were good and the slaw has been marinating the exact right amount of time.
Tomorrow, I need to do laundry and start packing up. Leaving Sunday...booohoooo. Hopefully, I will have time for a bit more shopping and maybe check out the show at the fort tomorrow. OK it is late...it is tomorrow...gotta get some shut eye
Friday, September 16, 2011
Talk Like a Pirate Friday Adventures
Aaaaaargh...Ahoy me mateys! Unfortunately, it appears that no one in Beaufort knew to talk like a pirate. It was a gray, cold, intermittently drizzly day. Not a day to plan a beach trip and a perfect day to go to the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort. I mostly went to see the artifacts from the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard's flagship that he grounded (most say on purpose) not far off the coast of North Carolina right near Beaufort. Again, we love the post busy season visiting as parking was easy...and there is never an admission fee.
I'll be honest, I'm not hung up on boats. Ok, watching them can be pretty, and I like boat rides, but I'm not interested in learning a heckuva lot about them. So, let's get right to the artifacts:
This is one of the two bells found. This one has no foundry marks, like the other one, but that one was on a turntable that spun around and the light was low....so, this one it is.
Some nifty navigational instruments...
If you're looking for pirate treasure, this is about as close as you're gonna get. The little glass vials contain gold dust. Remember, the theory is that Blackbeard ran QAR aground himself and would have had plenty of time to strip everything of value off of the ship.
Here is one of the cannon found in the wreckage. It has been cleaned and conserved...last time I saw it, it looked more like this:
While this isn't a picture of the exact "blob" of stuff that the cannon was originally embedded in, most of the artifacts are located in these mounds. They have to be X-rayed first to see exactly what is in there before they can be separated and conserved. The Blackbeard exhibit was a lot smaller last time I was here.
Here are some bits of window from the ship. Those dark skinny things are bits of the lead came that held the panes together (similar to what you would see in stained glass windows)
Here are the bits of a pistol...of course, the wood bits are gone.
Here is a little ship model of the QAR that was in a display. I am surprised this picture turned out so well as I couldn't use a flash and the little sucker was spinning around.
The rocks are from the ship's ballast. In the foreground are actually parts of the wooden hull. Only a teeny part of the hull still exists...salt water is not good for wood preservation.
There was more, I could post all day. I'll upload the rest of them to an online album when I get home. At this point, I was getting hungry and there was still the gift shop to visit (I got a mug that had pictures of several different pirate flags in case you are wondering...).
Leaving the museum, I set off to find lunch in downtown Beaufort. I walked up to the place named after the ship whose remains I just visited (um...remember the photo from a few days ago of the sign? The Queen Anne's Revenge?) but there wasn't anything on the menu that looked like something yummy for lunch. I continued my search. I ended up back across the street from the museum at a quaint little place called The Spouter Inn. One of the specials on the sandwich board outside drew me in. Even though it was cool and breezy, I opted to sit outside for the waterfront view:
Andddddddddddd....they had Yuengling on tap! How cool was that? Time for a pint with me lunch matey!
Doesn't that look yummy? It's a crabcake and grilled portobello mushroom on a bed of salad greens. Yeah, I know the mushroom seems invisible, but it's there. The waitress recommended the citrus cilantro dressing and I give her kudos for that...good choice. The crabcake was yummy and crabby...and the salad was good too. Of course, I had to get my Yuengling in the picture...LOL. Desert was apple crumble with a bit of vanilla ice cream. What a lovely lunch!
The day is only half over here and I have more to get to. Give me a few and I'll continue in a new post as blogger is choking on this one.
I'll be honest, I'm not hung up on boats. Ok, watching them can be pretty, and I like boat rides, but I'm not interested in learning a heckuva lot about them. So, let's get right to the artifacts:
This is one of the two bells found. This one has no foundry marks, like the other one, but that one was on a turntable that spun around and the light was low....so, this one it is.
Some nifty navigational instruments...
If you're looking for pirate treasure, this is about as close as you're gonna get. The little glass vials contain gold dust. Remember, the theory is that Blackbeard ran QAR aground himself and would have had plenty of time to strip everything of value off of the ship.
Here is one of the cannon found in the wreckage. It has been cleaned and conserved...last time I saw it, it looked more like this:
While this isn't a picture of the exact "blob" of stuff that the cannon was originally embedded in, most of the artifacts are located in these mounds. They have to be X-rayed first to see exactly what is in there before they can be separated and conserved. The Blackbeard exhibit was a lot smaller last time I was here.
Here are some bits of window from the ship. Those dark skinny things are bits of the lead came that held the panes together (similar to what you would see in stained glass windows)
Here are the bits of a pistol...of course, the wood bits are gone.
Here is a little ship model of the QAR that was in a display. I am surprised this picture turned out so well as I couldn't use a flash and the little sucker was spinning around.
The rocks are from the ship's ballast. In the foreground are actually parts of the wooden hull. Only a teeny part of the hull still exists...salt water is not good for wood preservation.
There was more, I could post all day. I'll upload the rest of them to an online album when I get home. At this point, I was getting hungry and there was still the gift shop to visit (I got a mug that had pictures of several different pirate flags in case you are wondering...).
Leaving the museum, I set off to find lunch in downtown Beaufort. I walked up to the place named after the ship whose remains I just visited (um...remember the photo from a few days ago of the sign? The Queen Anne's Revenge?) but there wasn't anything on the menu that looked like something yummy for lunch. I continued my search. I ended up back across the street from the museum at a quaint little place called The Spouter Inn. One of the specials on the sandwich board outside drew me in. Even though it was cool and breezy, I opted to sit outside for the waterfront view:
Andddddddddddd....they had Yuengling on tap! How cool was that? Time for a pint with me lunch matey!
Doesn't that look yummy? It's a crabcake and grilled portobello mushroom on a bed of salad greens. Yeah, I know the mushroom seems invisible, but it's there. The waitress recommended the citrus cilantro dressing and I give her kudos for that...good choice. The crabcake was yummy and crabby...and the salad was good too. Of course, I had to get my Yuengling in the picture...LOL. Desert was apple crumble with a bit of vanilla ice cream. What a lovely lunch!
The day is only half over here and I have more to get to. Give me a few and I'll continue in a new post as blogger is choking on this one.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Thursday is for Shackleford Banks
Shackleford Banks is one of the main reasons I came to this area. My mother and I discovered it a few years ago when we stayed at a timeshare through her timeshare membership. The place we stayed was further up the island, on the other side of the causeway. Anyway, we heard about the horses on the island and decided to go. Never saw a horse, but fell in love with the shelling! The local claim is that this is one of the best places for shelling on the East Coast, and I totally believe it!
So, my goals for today were to see the horses and to find a Scotch Bonnet seashell. The ferries out to Shackleford don't start until 10am this time of year, so there was no rush to get up early. Also, I didn't want to fight the possible crowd for the first ferry, so I was planning on 11...it ended up being 10:45...which was cool as that is the time I got there. There are several ferry services, all charging $15 for the trip and I took the first one I happened upon and the easiest to spot Outer Banks Ferry Service which is right next to the Maritime Museum.
Captain Jim took our half full ferry out to the island, pointing out landmarks as we went along. As a part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, there is no dock and you just jump off the front of the ferry. We got there at 11 and I had reserved a return trip on the 3pm ferry. Luckily, I had slathered myself in SPF 30 before leaving the condo this morning. In my backpack I had water, food, my sneakers, beach towel, 4 different sunscreens (face, hair, lips, and body) camera, cell phone, and a couple of net bags for gathering seashells. I was wearing my water shoes and had decided against a bathing suit...so it was shorts and a t-shirt.
I immediately headed to the the southernmost end of the island, which is where I remembered the best shelling to be. Unfortunately, the recent hurricane had done a number on the dunes and beaches on Shackleford Banks. Captain Jim had pointed out the dunes at the ferry landing, which were now tiny bumps through which we could view the ocean side of the island. Apparently, before Irene, they were over 20 feet high and completely blocked the view to the other side.
Still, there were shells...lots and lots of shells. I rounded the point of the island and wandered about a half mile up on the ocean side picking up shells as I went along. There were a bunch of surfers there, so I plopped down on my beach towel and had a snack.
This was the view from the spot I plopped down at. I also re-applied the sunscreen as I had been wading through the surf to find seashells. I surprisingly found a lot more sand dollars this time...
The surfers were too far out to really get a good photo of, but there were quite a few and the surf was ideal for them (too rough for swimming really). I packed back up and decided to walk further...took off the beach shoes and went barefoot for the rest of the day too.
Although it was quite breezy, the sun was bright and strong, so it was still pretty hot. Luckily, I had my big brimmed sun hat and by superdark sunglasses. I walked at least another mile or so up the beach before I decided it was time for a break...and lunch. I immediately attracted an avian stalker
This one seagull watched me eat...and kept edging closer and closer. Some idiots actually feed the gulls and they can get a bit aggressive. Luckily, I finished my peanut butter and jelly before he got brave enough to challenge me for it. I re-applied my sunscreen again and relaxed for a bit. I happily discovered that I had a cell signal on my Blackberry, and posted a pic there. Whipped out the camera and took a few more...
Packed up my beach towel again, and walked a bit further. Thought this driftwood looked kinda cool...
By this time, I had decided that I didn't feel like putting on shoes and heading inland...the thought of more mosquitoes kind of put me off the idea too (I don't have any insect repellent with me on this trip). So, I accepted at this point that I probably wouldn't be seeing any of the Shackleford Banks horses. Not that they don't come out to the beach, but not mid-day and not with so many people around.
So, I slowly made my way up the beach, focusing closely on the many shells along the waterline. I found lots of really cool shells, most of them broken...but a few neat whole ones too.
At 1:30 I turned around to head back and began focusing on the surf. The sound made by the surf here is something I've never heard anywhere else. It's like windchimes....the tinkling sound of the shells hitting each other as the surf advances and retreats. There are sections of beach that aren't sandy...but shell-ey.
These are the areas where the tink-ly, wind-chimey shound is the loudest and most musical. Sometimes, big conch and clam shells dig in and cause everything else to eddy around them...
Some places on the beach show the most interesting textures where the water carves out actual ridges..
I got to the end of the island around 2:30, which gave me a bit of beachcombing time and splashing about...more pictures too. Unfortunately, no Scotch Bonnet either...so neither goal accomplished. Still, some cool shells found and a lovely day accomplished
There is a state port in nearby Morehead City, so a lot of ships were visible on the horizon...this is being towed by a tugboat it seems.
I got to the ferry landing with 10 minutes to spare. I was hot and sweaty and tired. Good time to take a photo of myself
Actually not as bad as I feared and happily lacking a sunburn.
The return ferry was completely full and Captain Jim stopped on the way so we could see a pod of dolphins play in the water. I decided to stick with my sandy beach shoes as the line for the rinsing hose was so long.
The original plan was to wander around Beaufort...but I was sticky, sandy, and hot and realized I'm coming back tomorrow anyway...so back to the condo I went. I dumped everything right inside the door and headed into the shower.
I was thrilled to wash off the salt, sand, and three layers of sunscreen. After relaxing for a bit, I headed out for a drive in search of an ice cream parlor. It was a longer drive than I planned, but I had a hot fudge sundae with praline pecan ice cream.
Back to the condo for more relaxing and last night's leftover shrimp for dinner.
Tomorrow is "Talk Like a Pirate Day" so it's back to Beaufort for the Maritime Museum and the visitation of the salvaged bits of Queen Anne's Revenge...maybe lunch on the waterfront in Beaufort too. We may have rain tomorrow...so it might be an inside kinda day. Maybe Fort Macon too?
So, my goals for today were to see the horses and to find a Scotch Bonnet seashell. The ferries out to Shackleford don't start until 10am this time of year, so there was no rush to get up early. Also, I didn't want to fight the possible crowd for the first ferry, so I was planning on 11...it ended up being 10:45...which was cool as that is the time I got there. There are several ferry services, all charging $15 for the trip and I took the first one I happened upon and the easiest to spot Outer Banks Ferry Service which is right next to the Maritime Museum.
Captain Jim took our half full ferry out to the island, pointing out landmarks as we went along. As a part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, there is no dock and you just jump off the front of the ferry. We got there at 11 and I had reserved a return trip on the 3pm ferry. Luckily, I had slathered myself in SPF 30 before leaving the condo this morning. In my backpack I had water, food, my sneakers, beach towel, 4 different sunscreens (face, hair, lips, and body) camera, cell phone, and a couple of net bags for gathering seashells. I was wearing my water shoes and had decided against a bathing suit...so it was shorts and a t-shirt.
I immediately headed to the the southernmost end of the island, which is where I remembered the best shelling to be. Unfortunately, the recent hurricane had done a number on the dunes and beaches on Shackleford Banks. Captain Jim had pointed out the dunes at the ferry landing, which were now tiny bumps through which we could view the ocean side of the island. Apparently, before Irene, they were over 20 feet high and completely blocked the view to the other side.
Still, there were shells...lots and lots of shells. I rounded the point of the island and wandered about a half mile up on the ocean side picking up shells as I went along. There were a bunch of surfers there, so I plopped down on my beach towel and had a snack.
This was the view from the spot I plopped down at. I also re-applied the sunscreen as I had been wading through the surf to find seashells. I surprisingly found a lot more sand dollars this time...
The surfers were too far out to really get a good photo of, but there were quite a few and the surf was ideal for them (too rough for swimming really). I packed back up and decided to walk further...took off the beach shoes and went barefoot for the rest of the day too.
Although it was quite breezy, the sun was bright and strong, so it was still pretty hot. Luckily, I had my big brimmed sun hat and by superdark sunglasses. I walked at least another mile or so up the beach before I decided it was time for a break...and lunch. I immediately attracted an avian stalker
This one seagull watched me eat...and kept edging closer and closer. Some idiots actually feed the gulls and they can get a bit aggressive. Luckily, I finished my peanut butter and jelly before he got brave enough to challenge me for it. I re-applied my sunscreen again and relaxed for a bit. I happily discovered that I had a cell signal on my Blackberry, and posted a pic there. Whipped out the camera and took a few more...
Packed up my beach towel again, and walked a bit further. Thought this driftwood looked kinda cool...
So, I slowly made my way up the beach, focusing closely on the many shells along the waterline. I found lots of really cool shells, most of them broken...but a few neat whole ones too.
At 1:30 I turned around to head back and began focusing on the surf. The sound made by the surf here is something I've never heard anywhere else. It's like windchimes....the tinkling sound of the shells hitting each other as the surf advances and retreats. There are sections of beach that aren't sandy...but shell-ey.
These are the areas where the tink-ly, wind-chimey shound is the loudest and most musical. Sometimes, big conch and clam shells dig in and cause everything else to eddy around them...
Some places on the beach show the most interesting textures where the water carves out actual ridges..
I got to the end of the island around 2:30, which gave me a bit of beachcombing time and splashing about...more pictures too. Unfortunately, no Scotch Bonnet either...so neither goal accomplished. Still, some cool shells found and a lovely day accomplished
There is a state port in nearby Morehead City, so a lot of ships were visible on the horizon...this is being towed by a tugboat it seems.
I got to the ferry landing with 10 minutes to spare. I was hot and sweaty and tired. Good time to take a photo of myself
Actually not as bad as I feared and happily lacking a sunburn.
The return ferry was completely full and Captain Jim stopped on the way so we could see a pod of dolphins play in the water. I decided to stick with my sandy beach shoes as the line for the rinsing hose was so long.
The original plan was to wander around Beaufort...but I was sticky, sandy, and hot and realized I'm coming back tomorrow anyway...so back to the condo I went. I dumped everything right inside the door and headed into the shower.
I was thrilled to wash off the salt, sand, and three layers of sunscreen. After relaxing for a bit, I headed out for a drive in search of an ice cream parlor. It was a longer drive than I planned, but I had a hot fudge sundae with praline pecan ice cream.
Back to the condo for more relaxing and last night's leftover shrimp for dinner.
Tomorrow is "Talk Like a Pirate Day" so it's back to Beaufort for the Maritime Museum and the visitation of the salvaged bits of Queen Anne's Revenge...maybe lunch on the waterfront in Beaufort too. We may have rain tomorrow...so it might be an inside kinda day. Maybe Fort Macon too?
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
More Wednesdayness
So, I found that my friendly neighborhood seafood market was still open (for another half hour) wooohooo! I promptly purchased a half pound of large shrimp and two crab cakes. Now, keep in mind this is all locally caught seafood and the shrimp is fresh off the boat today (crab cakes are made in store, and frozen)
So, tonight it was shrimp. I stopped off at Food Lion and picked up some fresh garlic and brown rice. I chopped up two large cloves of garlic and simmered it slowly in my organic Smart Balance (yeah, I know...Paula Dean would be horrified). While that was getting all fragrant, I cleaned and de-veined the shrimpies, which was a gross job. Luckily, the owner of the condo does stock a small, sharp knife. I also busted out the fresh broccoli I got earlier this week and cleaned enough for a serving (cuz I gotta have my veggies!).
While the broccoli was steaming, I slowly simmered the shrimp in the garlic/buttery spread mixture to which I'd added a bit of extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Rice went in the microwave because I can be a lazy cook.
For once, my cooking timing was on-target, and it was all done at once. Plated it up and served with a semi-dry white wine
The verdict? OMG...I've died and gone to Heaven! The shrimp was delicate, tender, and perfectly cooked. Even the broccoli was perfect. I have enough left for another meal...maybe lunch tomorrow?
I've been thinking of Mom a lot during this trip as the last time I was here I was with her. She and I felt the same way about the ocean...maybe she more strongly felt drawn to it than I. She always insisted on having an ocean view and wanted to sleep with the window open so she could sleep to the sound of the surf. This solo trip I also realized that we have the solo escape in common as well. She would take vacations on her own to relax and escape the pressures of her life.
The BIG difference between she and I with our solo trips is that she would take the time to exercise and eat right. I suppose I have gotten *some* exercise by default (shopping is exercise, right?) but I am enjoying letting the reins go in my diet. I am totally planning to head out and get some ice cream in a few minutes...while I hit the cheezy tourist shops along the main drag.
Tomorrow I plan to visit Shackleford Banks....and do the serious shelling that Mom and I loved to do. This time Mom...I will remember the sunscreen!
So, tonight it was shrimp. I stopped off at Food Lion and picked up some fresh garlic and brown rice. I chopped up two large cloves of garlic and simmered it slowly in my organic Smart Balance (yeah, I know...Paula Dean would be horrified). While that was getting all fragrant, I cleaned and de-veined the shrimpies, which was a gross job. Luckily, the owner of the condo does stock a small, sharp knife. I also busted out the fresh broccoli I got earlier this week and cleaned enough for a serving (cuz I gotta have my veggies!).
While the broccoli was steaming, I slowly simmered the shrimp in the garlic/buttery spread mixture to which I'd added a bit of extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Rice went in the microwave because I can be a lazy cook.
For once, my cooking timing was on-target, and it was all done at once. Plated it up and served with a semi-dry white wine
The verdict? OMG...I've died and gone to Heaven! The shrimp was delicate, tender, and perfectly cooked. Even the broccoli was perfect. I have enough left for another meal...maybe lunch tomorrow?
I've been thinking of Mom a lot during this trip as the last time I was here I was with her. She and I felt the same way about the ocean...maybe she more strongly felt drawn to it than I. She always insisted on having an ocean view and wanted to sleep with the window open so she could sleep to the sound of the surf. This solo trip I also realized that we have the solo escape in common as well. She would take vacations on her own to relax and escape the pressures of her life.
The BIG difference between she and I with our solo trips is that she would take the time to exercise and eat right. I suppose I have gotten *some* exercise by default (shopping is exercise, right?) but I am enjoying letting the reins go in my diet. I am totally planning to head out and get some ice cream in a few minutes...while I hit the cheezy tourist shops along the main drag.
Tomorrow I plan to visit Shackleford Banks....and do the serious shelling that Mom and I loved to do. This time Mom...I will remember the sunscreen!
Quick Weds Post
I spent most of today on the beach. Did N-O-T-H-I-N-G at all. Well, I read some and watched the birds, listened to the waves, moved my beach chair according to the shadow cast by the beach umbrella....basically, nothing.
The beach was deserted and the weather was perfect. Sunny and bright with a cool, brisk breeze coming over the water. I continue to recommend beach vacations after Labor Day, otherwise would you have a beach to yourself like this:
I spent several hours sitting under that umbrella reading Pride and Prejudice on my Nook. My view was also awesome
The terns were amusing as they ran into and away from the surf. A couple of times some brown pelicans flew past, skimming the surf, looking for lunch. There were some surfers out too, so there was plenty to watch. I didn't go into the water much myself due to the strong riptide warnings, but I did get my feet wet a couple of times.
Anyway...came back to the room and showered off the sand and sunscreen (happy to report no sunburn!) and I'll head out to see if the fish market is still open. If not, it's eating out tonight. Maybe that all you can eat seafood buffet down the street?
The beach was deserted and the weather was perfect. Sunny and bright with a cool, brisk breeze coming over the water. I continue to recommend beach vacations after Labor Day, otherwise would you have a beach to yourself like this:
The terns were amusing as they ran into and away from the surf. A couple of times some brown pelicans flew past, skimming the surf, looking for lunch. There were some surfers out too, so there was plenty to watch. I didn't go into the water much myself due to the strong riptide warnings, but I did get my feet wet a couple of times.
Anyway...came back to the room and showered off the sand and sunscreen (happy to report no sunburn!) and I'll head out to see if the fish market is still open. If not, it's eating out tonight. Maybe that all you can eat seafood buffet down the street?
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
A Better Kind of Fish
I got up at a reasonable time today...not as early as I wanted to, but not slothlike. So, after the morning oatmeal and coffee, I decided that today would be a good day to go to the aquarium. North Carolina has 4 state aquariums, the closest one to where I am is the one at Pine Knoll Shores.
Let me just say that going on a beach vacation after Labor Day is da bomb! Parking is easy, no lines for tickets, no screaming kiddies... So I decided to also pay the extra 3 bucks to see the bird show. More on that later.
There are more than fishies at the aquarium. There are turtles
Aren't they cute? They had some sea turtles too, but I didn't get any good pictures of them :(. We also had some snakes
These are corn snakes and I thought they were actually really pretty. I skipped the scary poisonous ones. Since we're on reptiles
A happy lil gator sunning on a rock. We also have the traditional ocean dwellers here
Sharks and Lionfish and Seahorses, oh MY! Poor lil seahorses, I think I blinded them with my flash. I put them into hiding.
They have a couple of touch tanks, one with rays, which was not lit very well, and one with Horseshoe crabs sharing space with Hermit crabs. One hermit crab kept hitching a ride on his buddy, which I thought was funny. Another horseshoe speeds by... Speaking of crabs
Oh come on...I had to! One of my favorite photos I have of my mother, is her doing this same pose.
The bird show was pretty cool too and totally worth the extra 3 bucks. Couple of highlights:
That's a great horned owl
And a red tailed hawk. After, I went outside to the wetlands exhibit, which was cool...but not photo friendly. I saw some herons and Ibis, but through telescopes. I wanted to do the half mile nature hike, but got turned around by a swarm of giant mosquitoes.
I headed back to my condo as I had forgotten my camera card in the netbook (my camera does have some memory without the card...but I had to delete some less than awesome photos in the aquarium when I ran out of memory. It was WAY past lunchtime by that point and I was starving. I started driving around and unwittingly ended up at The Sanitary Fish Market and Restaurant. I don't know why I was there...the last time I ate there the food was awful and overpriced. I continue to be underwhelmed, but they did have Yuengling on tap and I had forgotten how awesome their hushpuppies were. I had scallops in lobster sauce over linguini. It wasn't bad...it just wasn't great. Still, the atmosphere was neat and my waitress was awesome. I walked off the overeating pasta bloat by wandering around the shops along the waterfront in Morehead City.
I had forgotten a couple of essentials (of course), so I stopped at the local Wallyworld and headed home. I was getting a little tired, but I hadn't been to the beach yet today...so I pushed myself to go for a walk, and I was super glad I did. There was a lovely breeze and the tide was coming in, so we had a bit of surf.
Let me just say that going on a beach vacation after Labor Day is da bomb! Parking is easy, no lines for tickets, no screaming kiddies... So I decided to also pay the extra 3 bucks to see the bird show. More on that later.
There are more than fishies at the aquarium. There are turtles
Aren't they cute? They had some sea turtles too, but I didn't get any good pictures of them :(. We also had some snakes
These are corn snakes and I thought they were actually really pretty. I skipped the scary poisonous ones. Since we're on reptiles
A happy lil gator sunning on a rock. We also have the traditional ocean dwellers here
Sharks and Lionfish and Seahorses, oh MY! Poor lil seahorses, I think I blinded them with my flash. I put them into hiding.
They have a couple of touch tanks, one with rays, which was not lit very well, and one with Horseshoe crabs sharing space with Hermit crabs. One hermit crab kept hitching a ride on his buddy, which I thought was funny. Another horseshoe speeds by... Speaking of crabs
Oh come on...I had to! One of my favorite photos I have of my mother, is her doing this same pose.
The bird show was pretty cool too and totally worth the extra 3 bucks. Couple of highlights:
I headed back to my condo as I had forgotten my camera card in the netbook (my camera does have some memory without the card...but I had to delete some less than awesome photos in the aquarium when I ran out of memory. It was WAY past lunchtime by that point and I was starving. I started driving around and unwittingly ended up at The Sanitary Fish Market and Restaurant. I don't know why I was there...the last time I ate there the food was awful and overpriced. I continue to be underwhelmed, but they did have Yuengling on tap and I had forgotten how awesome their hushpuppies were. I had scallops in lobster sauce over linguini. It wasn't bad...it just wasn't great. Still, the atmosphere was neat and my waitress was awesome. I walked off the overeating pasta bloat by wandering around the shops along the waterfront in Morehead City.
I had forgotten a couple of essentials (of course), so I stopped at the local Wallyworld and headed home. I was getting a little tired, but I hadn't been to the beach yet today...so I pushed myself to go for a walk, and I was super glad I did. There was a lovely breeze and the tide was coming in, so we had a bit of surf.
The beach was almost entirely deserted...there were a handful of surfers down near the decrepit fishing pier, so I headed the opposite direction. It was perfect.
I walked about a half mile before it started to get pretty dark, so I had to head back.
Last photo before it got too dark. Sooooo pretty.
I haven't really been hungry since that huge, late lunch so I've had some cheese and crackers with my wine. I think tomorrow will be my beach day, maybe break in the afternoon and go to Ft. Fisher during the high sun time so I don't fry. Thursday will be Shackleford Banks and I am determined to see horses this time!
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