Other than a few fishermen and a couple of like minded beach walkers, I had the place to myself.
Well, except for some gulls and other assorted beach birds.
I kept walking and walking until I saw a fishing pier in the distance. I decided to check it out and before I knew it...
I was at the Avalon Fishing Pier in Kill Devil Hills, NC. Later, I checked and I had walked about a mile and a half. While that's not generally a great distance, keep in mind I had to do this in the sand...ouch!
Anyway, I finally dragged my butt back to the condo. The entire meander took about two and a half hours. That whole time, I managed to keep myself dry, until right at the point that I was to leave the waterline and head to the steps over the dune. A wave got me and soaked me up to my knees...also soaking the bottom of my sweatshirt as I had, by then, tied it around my waist. Sandy and salty, I walked across the road and got back to the condo.
By the time I was showered and got dressed, I was starving and dying for a cup of coffee. I hit the road in search of brunch. I found Stack 'em High Pancakes and So Forth. I got a short stack of pancakes with "Crunchy Monkey" topping (bananas and pecans) with an egg on the side, over easy. Coffee was very good and plentiful. In fact, the only complaint I had was that it was non-dairy creamer in my coffee...blech! I left the place very full and very satisfied.
One good thing about coming to the beach so late in the season is that all of the beach junk stores have marked down all of their crap fifty percent. I will probably have OBX gifts for everyone at Christmas...LOL.
Anyway, I decided that I needed to explore. My goal was pretty much just get the lay of the land and figure out where everything is, so I didn't think to bring my camera. I headed south toward Hatteras. In Nags Head, I found the outlet mall and was forced to stop. Really, truck just made the turn all by itself. Not a great outlet mall...kinda tiny and not much exciting there. Just picked up some sweats and yoga pants at The Gap and was on my way.
Kept going south and eventually came to the Hatteras National Seashore. Lots of driving driving driving with sand dunes and scrubby pines and other greenery that goes on forever. Then I saw the turnoff for Bodie lighthouse. I had to go. Haven't seen a lighthouse since I left NJ.
This is when I decided I was under a curse. No matter where I go, a major attraction that I want to see is undergoing restoration.
I'm sure it's a very nice lighthouse. The lens with all of its prisms is supposed to be amazing, but that's been disassembled and sent off for restoration work as well. So, I got scaffolding...
There is also a walkway to a observation deck over the salt marsh behind the lighthouse, so I decided to go check it out.
And I decided to stay on the walkway. I walked out and was glad I brought my jacket as it was pretty windy and chilly out there. There were a lot of cool birds further out, lots and lots of snowy egrets, but I didn't have a good camera with a zoom lens, so they are recorded in my memory. However, looking straight down into the water was cool too.
If you look very closely, you'll see a blue crab down there. I saw a bunch of them and thought of lunch...LOL.
I hit the road, determined to see a lighthouse unencumbered by scaffolding. South I go! I have to say that the Oregon Inlet Bridge is one of the coolest bridges I've ever crossed. There is the open ocean on one side and Croatan Sound on the other. At one point, it looks like you're about to drive into the sea.
The scenery right over the bridge, at Pea Island Wildlife Refuge is just amazing and crazy. Sand dunes looming over the road on the ocean side and between them you can see the the whitecaps on the sea. In some places, heavy machinery is parked and you can tell that their job is to keep the sand off of the road. It's almost alien.
I drove and I drove. Hatteras National Seashore broken up by small towns like Rodanthe, Salvo, Avon...lots of shops and eateries that are less chain and more local. FINALLY, I saw Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in the distance, looming over the town of Buxton. I got to the lighthouse itself about 20 minutes before closing.
By then, it was getting overcast and had drizzled a few times on the way. It made for some very dramatic lighting.
I'm glad I have the new crackberry. It takes much better pictures than the old one.
Here's another one for good measure. No more tickets were being sold to climb up to the top. I'm planning to go back later this week and I'm not entirely sure if I want to climb up yet as it's climbing up 12 flights in a narrow spiral staircase. Will the photos be worth it...we shall see.
I also plan to visit the original site of this lighthouse when I go back. In the earlier part of this century, it was decided to move the lighthouse further inland as erosion was washing away the beach. Imagine moving this thing!
Anyway, hit the road back...same fascinating scenery all the way back. I got to the grocery store for real coffee and milk...wooohoo. Ok, got some food as well. Got back, made dinner and am now relaxing...sleep very soon. It was a long day and I wore myself out. Ouchie feet.
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