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. 
 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. 
There was abundant time to knit.
A certain little kitty, who I missed terribly, was unable to play with my yarn on the trip.
This is the frogged poncho.

Al and I went to two yarn shops on vacation.
One day we drove a long but important way to New Bern, North Carolina.
Fireman's momma and grandparents were from New Bern.
What a lovely town.

OH it is the birthplace of Pepsi too.
There we met a man who tied a chicken leg, yes a real buy it at the  store chicken leg, to a string.  He put it in the ocean and pulled up blue crabs.
Blue crabs are beautiful things.

In New Bern we went to the City Hall and looked up his family records.  We found a birth certificate that enlightened us a bit.
Seems Grandma had 6 kids not 5.  6 Born alive.
We knew a baby died but we didn't know about another child.
We are still working on this.
Fireman's sister thinks it was a girl that died.
She lived long enough to have had a name though and we cannot find it.
Grandma's name kept changing on different records.
It was May, Maetha, and Martha at three separate events.
Big events: births , marriages, deaths.
We also visited a country cemetery near New Bern and Fireman found an old grave of his great great grandfather.
I think. His sister was all excited about it when we sent her the picture of the headstone and she does all this genealogy stuff.

Fireman was really happy that we took a day to go there.
Al and I found a yarn shop in downtown New Bern.

It was called Weaver's Web.  
I bought a darling pattern for a stuffed toy: Plymouth's baby animals one seam pattern using :Oh My yarn , one skein. 
The shop is very small and packed with more than yarn. 
Still, the owner was kind and Al found a pattern she liked too.

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.
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

knitterbeader said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
knitterbeader said…
For some reason, my post showed up twice, so I deleted one and they both deleted! Anyway, thanks for taking us along on your vacation trip. Loved all the pictures and your writing. I found the wild horses part interesting, as we have a herd of 100 or so who roam the desert about 5 miles out of town. It's always neat when they're up close enough to the highway to see them.
KSD said…
The photos are absolutely brilliant. I'm so happy that everything was cozy and happy and beautiful for you. And finding new yarn shops is such a giggly sort of thrill, isn't it? Glad you're home safely.
susan said…
Sounds like a wonderful trip. How lovely to just sit on the beach, reading, relaxing and taking in the beautiful sights and sounds of the ocean. Your little beach house looked perfect.
Teresa Kasner said…
Your photos came out great, I use my iPhone for photos all the time. Sounds like an amazingly perfect vacation, I'm happy for you. How lucky for you to see the horses of the island. We have wild Mustangs out here in the west. I love seeing them. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
Lynn said…
I had a sense of peace and relaxation as I read your post. Other than Zach not being there to share it, it sounds like it was an absolutely perfect vacation for all of you.
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..
Tired Teacher said…
Great post of your vacation. Even though I'm not a swimmer, I'd love to go to the OBX to just "be."

Glad Fireman was able to find an ancestor's grave and some documents. Geneology is fun but almost like a treasure hunt.
Judy S. said…
Sounds like you had a fabulous vacation! Loved all the photos. We just got home, too, from a similar trip that included the 5 grands. It was fun but exhausting!
Araignee said…
Fabulous post! I'm going to have to put the OBX on my bucket list.
Anonymous said…
The photos are WONDERFUL!

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!!!!
Unknown said…
The photos are very good. It sounds like a wonderful get away. I want to see those horses....its been on my bucket list for awhile.
Yarn Miracle said…
Phone-in-the-camera pictures are Authentic in my opinion! I think they capture the moment and show what you thought was important enough to share. :D That sounds like an amazing trip!
Unknown said…
it looks like you had lots of fun and the pics are gorgeous :)
karen said…
what a trip!! I've been to the Outer Banks and the drive is LONG for me...glad to know you were not attacked by a shark. I do not swim in the ocean ever, but I will go up to my ankles. glad you had a good time with your daughter and you are safely home. Oh and knitting stores????YES!
elns said…
What a great post and a great trip, Kathy! I'm glad you guys had such a great time. Channon was just wonderful friend, you're so lucky! I loved the photos and your train of thought.

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!
SissySees said…
The photos are FAB!!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Reading your post is almost as good as a quick trip to the beach, but you know I prefer it off-season when I can take the girls with me on the very long walks and runs. The chair to the right in your photo is where I always sit. The Knight takes the sofa, and DIVA, the loveseat. Gg takes turns sitting with each of us.

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.

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