All Done...Time to Go Home

I barely made it up in time to see the sunrise over the ocean.  I jumped out of bed, threw on sweats and a hat, grabbed the camera and ran out the door.

Like I said...I just made it.  I took a bunch.

See...pretty...

One more...and this time, not of the actual sun...

So, I said goodbye to the beach for the last time and headed back to the condo to pack.  It took me longer than I had planned...but what the heck.  I had all day.

I hit the road about 10:30 after a cup of yogurt for breakfast.  Coffee was in the thermos.

I decided to stop at The Cotton Gin, a big ole gift shop in Jarvisburg, NC in a building that is actually a converted cotton gin.  That place was a freaking maze with tons of stuff all squeezed in all over the place.  I was in there a long time and got a few things.

After checking out, I headed downstairs to the tasting room for the winery that is next door Sanctuary Vineyards. The vineyards are actually next to the store and owned by the same family.

They re-planted cotton fields with grape vines and voila! I ended up getting a couple of bottles of their Wild Pony White, which is a pretty decent semi-dry white (apparently 60% vidal blanc and 40% chardonnay).  The super cool thing is that a portion of the proceeds goes to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

The drive took forever...like it always does when you're trying to get home.  Around 2-ish I got to Wakefield, VA and The Virginia Diner.

Apparently, this is the peanut capital of the world.  Also apparently, I was still on a seafood kick.

I got a crab cake, fried shrimp, cole slaw, carrot souffle, biscuits, and lots of sweet tea. I actually liked the crab cake better than the one I had in Nags Head.  The shrimp were fried shrimp (how can you screw them up?).  Cole slaw was tasty, but a bit runny and the biscuits were decent.  The carrot souffle, a Virginia Diner specialty, was freaking amazing!  I have to figure out how to make it.

I got their "world famous" peanut pie for dessert.  I was actually given two little pieces because the slices are usually larger.  Good thing, as I ended up taking one home because I was stuffed.  I'd actually had this pie before and it is yummy, kind of like a pecan pie made with peanuts instead of pecans.  I'm not a big fan of the peanut, but I really like this pie.  It's not quite as sweet as pecan pie, but not in a bad way.

Back on the road and finally made it home at sunset.  I unpacked most of my stuff except for the suitcase...that's still in the car.  I did laundry last night, so it's a suitcase of clean clothes...it can wait.

Vacation over, time to sleep, very tired.  Plan is to go back to the OBX next year and check out more of Roanoke Island, see the unencumbered Bodie Lighthouse, and go hang gliding!  

The Last Day Goes By So Quickly

I hit the snooze about 10 times this morning...no joke.  I needed to recover from my longass trip to Ocracoke.  I had a quick breakfast of granola and coffee followed by a quick shower, then out the door.

First stop was The Wright Brothers Memorial in Kill Devil Hills.  No, not in Kitty Hawk, which is not actually where the first flight occurred.   The Memorial is actually pretty imposing.

I'd seen it several times at night from the bypass, when it is lit up and even more imposing.  This photo is taken from the visitor's center and museum, which did have a pretty interesting exhibit as well as a aeronautics  portrait hall of fame.  Pres. Bush (the elder) was included as the first military pilot to become President.  There was actually a second memorial next to the visitor's center.

This is the actual site where the first flight took place.  The stone in the foreground is the actual take off point and beyond that are the markers for the distance of the first four flights.  The first three were less than 15 seconds each.  The one the Wright Brothers considered the successful test is the tiny one in the distance there that lasted over 90 seconds.

I then hauled my happy ass up to the memorial on top of the hill (actually a large sand dune) where I found it to be even more impressive up close.  Then it was down and around to the other side..

Where there was a life size sculpture of the actual moment.  It was actually a lot bigger than this.  There were more figures back behind this, including a statue of the actual photographer who captured this moment on film.  It was pretty cool.

Speaking of cool...

This is a piece of the wood and a piece of fabric from the wing of that actual first airplane that Neil Armstrong took with him to the surface of the moon on the first moon landing.  I was at the memorial most of the morning.

After I was done exploring the memorial area, I hit the road to the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island.  Over the causeway and into Manteo, I found another spot in this coastal area.  The aquarium is situated on the waterfront next to the airport.

You can identify it as a North Carolina Aquarium from this sculpture out front.  Although I don't remember the other two having blue water in the fountain...blech.  I got the impression that this one is a bit smaller than the other two that I've been to (Fort Fischer and Pine Knoll Shores), but there are some nice exhibits nonetheless.

There were several snapping turtles in this tank...some swimming, some sunning.  They had another area with a box turtle, but he was half buried in a corner.  It is the time for them to start their hibernation soon and he's burrowing.

I got up close and personal with this loggerhead sea turtle. Doesn't he look grumpy?  He should, he's endangered.  There was actually a nice kid's exhibit teaching them all about sea turtles and the rescue efforts of the NC Aquariums.  He had a good sized tank that he shared with some fish.  If I remember correctly, the majority of the rehab efforts go on in a lab in the Pine Knoll Shores location, which is home to Nimbus the rare white sea turtle.  I hope Nimbus has a better habitat than when I saw him last year...a tiny tank and we watched him eat his own excrement...blech!

I was totally surprised that I managed to get such a good shot of these colorful fish in the low light.

This aquarium, like the other NC aquariums, has a touch tank.  This one had rays and skate with one lone enormous horseshoe crab.  The rays were pretty friendly and would actually come up to be petted.  There was a smaller tank where you could touch sea stars and sea urchins too.

Outside, there was a lovely view and a large picnic area.  There were also some nature paths for bird watching and a bit of an exhibit of fossils.

I believe this is a whale skull fossil.  Not 100% sure as the sign was gone.  This area was not kept up very well.

Exiting the aquarium, I headed back to Manteo to check it out.  I didn't have time to see some of the historical exhibits...you know...stuff about the Lost Colony and stuff, but I did have time to wander around in the shops down by the waterfront.  First stop was for ice cream. then I wandered to the waterfront while I ate it.

That's when I happened upon the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse.  Well, actually a replica of the last of the three actual lighthouses that had that name.  The one this is designed to look like is at the bottom of the sound.  When it was decommissioned, it was cut from it's pilings and was to be moved.  It fell off of the barge it was on and sank in 1955.  This one was built to be a part of the Manteo waterfront in 2004.  I didn't go out to it as it appeared that they were preparing for a wedding there.

Across from the Manteo waterfront at the Roanoke Island Festival Park, the Elizabeth II is docked.  Another replica it seems...this time of the original Elizabeth that transported Sir Walter Raleigh's doomed settlers to what became the Lost Colony.  As part of the exhibit, they also shoot the cannon and startle shoppers across the water in Manteo.  I wandered in and out of shops and galleries...spoke to a potter named Donna for a bit, then decided to head back.

Before I went to dinner, I decided to hit the beach one last time.  I got my camera, put on my beach shoes, and toddled my way across the street.  It was crazy windy and I only walked about a third of a mile before heading back.

I did see many, many dead starfish on the way.  This is almost as strange as the multiple horseshoe crab shell bits I've been seeing all weeks (one seen here with the starfish.

Surprisingly, these guys let me get pretty close.  They are so cute when they all run in unison either toward the receding surf or away from a wave.

I walked over to I Got Your Crabs  for my anticipated freshly caught and steamed blue crabs.  First, I had a dozen fried shrimp for an appetizer.  It was served with this amazing remoulade sauce that had *just* enough kick.  Then...they arrived...

My half dozen #10 male crabs...covered in the shop's signature spice blend.  LOOK!  One still has his eye and he's looking at meeeeeeeeeeeee!!

I know I was slow, but I had fun.  The very nice staff offered to help and I know I was taking forever to crack all those puppies open, but it was a slow night and I wasn't keeping anyone from being seated at the bar, so it was all good.

In the end, with the aid of two Yuengling Lagers, I demolished those six crabs.  And they were gooooooood!

Tomorrow, I will try to get up early and catch the sunrise.  I did a little packing, but stuff is still in the dryer and I have to clean out the fridge.  I hope to hit the road early enough to get breakfast at The Virginia Diner on the way home.  We'll see.  There is always lunch.

Did I Do All That in One Day?

I didn't quite accomplish all I wanted to do today but, looking back, I realize my goals were crazy.  I got up this morning at FOUR.  Yes 4am!  I hit the road at 5 planning to make the 7am ferry to Ocracoke so that I could see the sunrise on the ferry.

I did move slowly, so didn't have time to make coffee first.  I thought I'd grab some on the way...but nothing was open! Luckily, I was pretty awake.  It was crazy windy this morning which wasn't a problem until I hit Pea Island where the sand dunes loom over the highway.  I now know what it's like to drive in a sandstorm. There were places where the roads were covered with a layer of sand...curiously where heavy machinery was parked.  I was a little concerned about driving the bridge over Oregon Inlet...but Ruby (my Jeep) handled it just fine.

As I approached Buxton, I could see Hatteras Lighthouse flashing away in the distance.  It was so cool.

I actually got to the ferry early and had to sit in the car for about a half hour before they loaded us up...right as the sun was rising.  Unfortunately, I was on the wrong side of the ferry, they directed me to park so close to the side that I couldn't get out of my car without scratching my door, and I was going backwards.  I was a bit concerned about motion sickness...not usually a problem unless not facing forward.

We did turn a bit

And the sun rose over Hatteras Island

The few remaining clouds from our crappy first half of the week looked like pink cotton candy floating over the sound

And it was finally a new day.  The 40 minute trip just flew by.

This was my first glimpse of Ocracoke...because we were going BACKWARDS...urgh.  We disembarked quickly and it was more of the Hatteras National Seashore for quite some time.  I was looking forward to breakfast, but I couldn't find any place that was open that early.  I just drove straight to the other end of the island and parked in the lot for Tourist Information (there is another ferry at the other end).   I looked on my Crackberry to find the lighthouse and headed in that direction.

I did pass it and had to turn around.  Unlike the other 3 lighthouses, it's not surrounded by a park.  Ocracoke Lighthouse is still a functioning lighthouse and is not open to the public.  In fact, the old lightkeeper's house is a private residence now.

I think this lighthouse has a special place in my heart because it looks like a little, fat lighthouse.  It's actually the second oldest lighthouse still in use in the US.

So I headed back to Ocracoke Village and found a place to eat.  Creekside Cafe is a cool little open air place with a friendly staff.  It looks out over the main drag and you can do some people watching as you eat.

I got the crab omelet with cheese grits, a biscuit (with honey on the side), and lots of coffee.  The omelet was stuffed with crab, onions and cheese and was so rich I could not finish it all.  I finished most of my grits and completely devoured the light and fluffy biscuit.

After finishing, I puttered around and visited some of the little shops.  I managed not to spend much money at all.  Parking was difficult to come by and everything was way overpriced.  Don't get me wrong, the craft shops were fun...but nothing incredibly unique.

Around 10:30, I headed back to the ferry and stopped at the Pony Pasture

This is the pasture closest to the road, and I was lucky enough to get there at feeding time.  What was totally exciting for me...see that brown pony in the back?  She is a mare from Shackleford Banks!  I finally got to see a Shackleford Banks pony...sure, on Ocracoke Island...but I'm not picky. She was brought over for breeding purposes as most of the horses in the pens are related.

There was a pasture down a nature path where I found four more ponies.  I have to face it that this is the only way I'll see barrier island ponies.  I have no luck finding them unless they are penned up for me.

I wandered across the street to check out the beach...didn't stay long.  Headed back toward the ferry and was one of the last on board the noon ferry.

This time, I could get out of my car and I was able to take more photos.  This is looking back at the other two ferries doing the noon run.

The trip seemed longer on the way back, but we finally docked and I was the absolute last one off.  I checked out the tourist trap mall next to the station, then took a wrong turn and ended up exactly where I wanted to be, which was the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum.  I have to admit that, after the maritime museum in Beaufort last year, this was a bit of a disappointment.  Still, there were a few things to recommend it.  There was a mini Queen Anne's Revenge exhibit that probably would have been more exciting if I hadn't seen the main exhibit last year.  Also, everything was poorly lit, making it hard to read.

 
There was the original lens for the Hatteras Lighthouse, which was pretty cool to see. It is missing a lot of prisms, but one doesn't see an oil-burning lighthouse light every day.

This particular maritime museum's claim to fame is the exhibit of artifacts from the USS Monitor (remember learning about the Monitor and the Merrimack in elementary school?).  These are bits of oil lamps.

There was and extensive civil war collection (which could not be photographed) as well as scuba gear, and fun facts about marine salvage that washed up on the shore.  My favorite was the cargo container of Doritos chips that washed up on the beach in Frisco.  The bags kept out the water and  the chips were enjoyed by the residents.

I could not find a thing to buy in the gift shop.

Back on the road toward Hatteras Lighthouse.  Stopped at a couple of shops...only bought a funky face Christmas Tree ornament at Red Drum Pottery.  When I got there Wes was pulling handles for mugs and we chatted a bit.  I also learned he plays in a bluegrass band that performs in the other side of the building the pottery is in.

Driving along, saw some kiteboarders in the distance...so I pulled over and watched for a bit.  There were actually quite a few of them out there...but most were too far out to see very well.

I finally got to to the lighthouse...

Look familiar?  Yes, we saw this one before, on Sunday.  I actually went all stoked to climb up only to find that there is no more climbing until April.  It appears, I should have gone on Sunday.  If you look closely, it appears that this lighthouse needs a bit of a paint job as some of the black stripe is missing.

It was actually harder to shoot this today in the bright sunlight, but I managed to get this very cool shot.  Trick of the light...LOL

Now, you may not be aware of this, but this lighthouse was actually moved to this location in 1999 as it was close to the eroding shoreline.

I went to see the original site of the lighthouse, which is marked on the nearby beach

It's a ring of stones that were part of the original foundation.  They've been inscribed with the names of the lighthouse keepers of the Hatteras Light.  You can see how close to the waterline this site is.

This give you an idea of how far it was moved.  Quite the engineering feat.

I hit the road again as I wanted to explore the beach area around the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge near the Oregon Inlet Bridge.  This area is totally fascinating from the road.

This is the area where the dunes come right up to the road and where I was in the sandstorm earlier that morning...it just seems almost alien.  There is a parking area right before the bridge where a ton of big dump trucks and heavy equipment is parked for moving that dune off the road. It also appears to be a hot fishing area as evidenced by the pickups with rod racks attached to their grilles.  I parked and took off across the giant dunes.

Once I got over the dunes...more alien landscape.  I've never seen so much flat beach before.  It was quite the hike to the waterline.

Which dropped off sharply and waves literally crashed into the beach.  It was still very windy and the water very choppy.

I also got to see this cool brown pelican doing some fishing.   I was going to wait for the sunset and shoot it over the sound...but I was getting tired, so I decided to head back.

I did catch some of the sunset going over the bridge.  I think I like this bridge better than the Tappan Zee.

It was too late to revisit the Bodie Island Lighthouse...but it's wrapped up in scaffolding...so no big loss.  After that, it was a pretty quick ride back to the bypass and back to Kitty Hawk.  But I was hungry.

I was trying to decide what to do for dinner, when I pulled into the condo complex.  A sign at the strip mall next to the complex entrance caught my eye.   How could I have missed I Got Your Crabs Steam Bar and Seafood Market?  I went in and seriously thought about some freshly steamed crabs...but I was tired and not up for beating up crustaceans.  I got some fried fish and cole slaw and called it a night.  It was really good and I may go back tomorrow for the crabs.

Tomorrow I need to squeeze in the Wright Brothers Memorial and a bit more shopping.  If I do really well, I may hit Roanoke Island and Manteo...who knows?

Lazy Wednesday

Today I decided to do nothing much.  Usually, I spend at least one day on the beach when I do my annual "beach vacation" but I am here a bit later than usual (no idea why I waited until October), but it's too chilly to sit on the beach in my swimsuit under an umbrella reading Jane Austen.  Today was my beach day of a different color.

I got up late and putzed around after making breakfast.  I showered and put on my cropped sweats, t-shirt, and newly laundered zip up hoodie.  I grabbed the phone, the camera, and headed out the door to the beach.

As you can see the day started out overcast AGAIN.  Still, no rain so I headed north. Good thing about this weather it makes for some rough surf.

Which brings out the surfers...

Of all ages, shapes and sizes.  There were tons of black wetsuits dotting the beach and horizon this morning.

Someday, I have to get a good telephoto lens so that dramatic shots like this could be even MORE dramatic...LOL.  Still, it was fun to watch them, so I perched on a rock and hung out for awhile.   Soon, I began to think I was losing my mind as I could swear I could see movement on the ground out of the corner of my eye. Soon, it became clear to me that I was surrounded by many many ghost crabs.  Also known as sand crabs and, usually nocturnal, they were out in force as it was a cool, gray day.

If you look closely, you can see two large crabs in the middle of this photo...however, I found at least two more tiny ones...and I'm sure there are more.

This little guy's burrow was right near my feet.  He kept popping out and skittering away as soon as I made any movement (like raising my camera).  I'll bet it took me about an hour to take this photo!

Eventually, I tired of the surfers and the crabs...right around the time that the sun finally came out!

I decided to wander south for a bit, but not as far as the last time. Soon, there were no more surfers, just surf.

I decided to head back and thought I found the entrance to my condo complex.  At that exact time, the water snuck up on me and covered my feet.  Luckily, I was wearing my water shoes!  I also found out that I had gone too far and had to backtrack a bit to find the right set of stairs.

After toying with the idea of going out to lunch, I decided to just stay in and eat light.  The weather was now gorgeous, so I set myself up with a little nosh on the deck and sat there with my e-book.

Goat brie with crackers, olive hummus with pita chips and a nice glass of red.  I sat and looked out over the little slice of a view and read my book.  Lovely.

Soon, I decided to come inside and just relaxed and read some more.  A whole day of nuthin!

Dinnertime rolled around and I decided to make my shrimp.  Alas, I had no vinegar or bay leaves...so I did have to actually leave the condo.  My cooking mojo has run out and I overcooked it a bit.

While a little tough, it was still yummy.  Side of asparagus sauteed in olive oil with garlic and a baked 'tater.  Also finished off the last of the white.  Big day for me...two glasses of wine!

I had planned to be in bed a couple of hours ago because I want to get up at an ungodly hour to get to the ferry to Okracoke in time for sunrise.  I'll start with the lighthouse there and come back to re-visit the Hatteras and Bodie lights on the way back.  I also want to check out Pea Island too.

Yes, I am crazy...