Summer Vacation in the Outer Banks 2015
We spent the week in Kitty Hawk/Duck area of the Outer Banks of North Carolina with Al.
The Outer Banks are shark infested and horribly dangerous if you listen to the news. I found them to be lovely and I didn't encounter any sharks while I SWAM IN THE OCEAN. (humming to the tune of SHOW ME THE WAY TO GO HOME)
We saw many dolphins. They are magical to me.
One couple started pointing and we did see a fin way off in the distance.. The man swore it was a shark not a dolphin.
While there were shark attacks this week, it seems only fair to point out it is the 40th anniversary of the summer of JAWS.
I walked the beaches every day.
The plate I've shared with you is some pulled chicken,
collard greens, hush puppies and fries from a shack near Duke University.
This post is all over the place so, be forewarned.
Duke is Beautiful...wow.
We flew into Raleigh from Chicago and back the other way.
We had an hour to kill so we drove through the Duke campus.
It is like a University in a lovely forest.
We chose this route because the airfare to Norfolk which is an hour closer by car than Raleigh is several HUNDRED dollars more expensive than the fare to Raleigh.
Seriously ....oh and I should tell you about the landing gear incident on the way to Raleigh that was just a light bulb burned out, but did involve an aborted landing attempt . Another time....friends. I'm here to say it was no big deal.
We chose this route because the airfare to Norfolk which is an hour closer by car than Raleigh is several HUNDRED dollars more expensive than the fare to Raleigh.
Seriously ....oh and I should tell you about the landing gear incident on the way to Raleigh that was just a light bulb burned out, but did involve an aborted landing attempt . Another time....friends. I'm here to say it was no big deal.
Channon made so much of this trip possible.
When we first entertained the idea of an OBX vacation, at Al's insistence, I asked Channon's advice.
She suggested her aunt's cottage.
It. was. perfect.
Across the road from the beach, with a screened porch facing the waves, air-conditioned inside, beach chairs at the ready, a spray off area under the living quarters, and oh yeah, a service elevator for your cooler to go up and down in.
It is called My Tern and its is amazing.
Did I say that it also has laundry and 4 big screen Tv's for those who must.
I preferred to listen to the waves.
Back at the cottage, you get a sense of the loveliness of the place.
There were many books to enjoy and games as well.
We played Phase Ten the card game that Al brought.
We also played Boggle and Fireman and I have to learn to beat Al at that game before we see her again.
Yes, I found the word KNIT during one round...so did Al.
There were many books to enjoy and games as well.
We played Phase Ten the card game that Al brought.
We also played Boggle and Fireman and I have to learn to beat Al at that game before we see her again.
Yes, I found the word KNIT during one round...so did Al.
Many of the beach houses gave us lovely fireworks displays in the evenings. We were treated to a magnificent thunder and lightening storm after our we arrived on the first night.
From the time I knew we were going on this trip I wanted to see the Wild horses of Corolla.
(Oh wait, I skipped the part about Duck Donuts...you Must have a duck donut in the OBX)
We took a tour at dusk and we were able to see many of the horses in the herd. There are about one hundred wild horses in Corolla.
This is a little area where you lower your tire pressure..
a lot...
or you take a tour and let them drive you down the beach.
You see people stuck in their vans who didnt let the right amount of air out of their tires...
You go about forever, and then you can see the sound on one side and the ocean on the other.
That's how narrow the strip of land is where the horses live.
Each time we saw a horse or a few of them it was as if we were seeing dinosaurs for the first time. We were in awe of these creatures walking quietly along the beach. "Oh look! There's one with a foal!"
I don't know why but I was pleasantly mesmerized and happy to hand over my credit card to see them.
I think Fireman was taken with the solitude of the part of the OBX where these horses live. There are houses there..
huge houses, but no roads.
Just a house built on sand.
Some dunes, another house built on sand.
If one of the herd gets sick and they have to send it for aide, it can't return to the OBX herd. Kind of like NICU babies- Al made that analogy. Once a newborn or ISCU baby leaves, they are DIRTY and cannot come back to the nursery.
Channon made many great suggestions for our trip.
She sent me a box of books, mysteries, set in the OBX. It was so much fun to read in the setting we were vacationing in.
Tomorrow I will tell you about the 4 books I read on vacation.
Yup. Four books.
Each day we'd load up our cooler, our umbrella, our sunscreen and we'd hang out on the beach...all....day..
Fireman can watch the surfers and folks having fun in the water for hours.
Al and her pal Ginny can sit on the beach without shade for hours.
We cannot. Despite the fact that I am seeing a dermatologist this
month, I had to let myself indulge in a little color, a little sun.
Mostly though I was under a colorful umbrella reading....
We also went to a yarn shop in the OUTER Banks.
IT was magnificent.
Knitting Addiction may be the most beautiful yarn shop I've ever been in.
Al just loved the way it was organized.
I bought a fun fun felted notions bag there that will be a blog prize in a contest to come.
Al bought some Spud and Chloe and a fair isle book.
The owner was lovely.
She suggested we go to Mama Kwans for dinner.
Have you EVER had buttered rum rice?
You simply must.
It was the most wonderful sweet rice I've ever eaten.
So more in dribs and drabs to come but overall
a fantastic vacation. I only wish Zach could have been there too.
As always I love to come home.
We arrived in Chicago at 7 pm and had time to go to the fireworks, but hey, you can't beat the ones we saw on the beach in the OBX . The cats were happy we were home and I just couldn't leave them
besides, I was happily exhausted.
Thanks for sticking with me the whole post.
I did not bring my real camera with me on the trip.
All photos were taken with my i phone.
Not sure I'm loving the results...
often I was unable to actually see what I was trying to photograph
but you got the idea!
Do you think the photos are alright?
Comments
I hope all of the kitties had a good time with their sitters but I know they missed you both and were glad to have you return.
I know you will be able to close your eyes and see the memories whenever you want to and that is very special..
Glad Fireman was able to find an ancestor's grave and some documents. Geneology is fun but almost like a treasure hunt.
I did not know that an ill wild horse could not come back to the herd. Interesting.
When we went to OBX, we stayed a few days in a B&B in Ocracoke and then stayed in Kill Devil Hills. We loved it there!!!!
It's funny you mentioned the shark incidents in the Outer Banks, because we were talking about them at home, and I was buying into the sensationalized news and saying, I'd be too scared to go in!
Was it ever cool enough to enjoy the back deck? I put the baby gate up and "glide" on the glider, reading and/or knitting while the fur-girls play in the sun.