2018.11.06-Enjoying the OBX

We're back as promised.  We really enjoyed the OBX.  There's lots to see and do here, and we caught it at the right time after the seasonal crowds and after two hurricanes had passed safely by.  This area was lucky and the storms almost totally missed this wonderful but incredibly fragile thin strip of islands known as the Outer Banks, or OBX as the locals say.

Back at Hatteras Village with the colorful cottages for rent.

Cape Hatteras lighthouse.  This is the new location, moved some half a mile to the south because of an eroding  shoreline which threatened this lighthouse which was built in 1850.

I happened to be there just as the sun was going down and the moon was rising (notice to the right of the red base.)  Very interesting to me how the white stripes catch the pink rays of the sunset.  We saw a total of six light houses on the Outer Banks.  All have a very interesting maritime history, most were built pre-Civil War.

When taking sunset shots its always important to look 180 degrees from the sun.  This perspective is often as good if not better than the actual sunset.  This shot is just a few steps from the original location of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse.

A day's work of art by the shore grasses.

Halloween humor on Ocracoke Island just a one hour ferry ride from Hatteras Village.  This little community with a rich independent and unique culture is known as home for the pirate Blackbeard.

Being 35 miles, as the crow flies, from Cape Hatteras lighthouse and approximately the same distance from the Cape Carteret lighthouse this little island needed it's own maritime signal.  The Ocracoke Island lighthouse is significantly shorter at only 77 feet than those on either side but no less necessary, and beautiful. 

Sunsets are often wonderful on this thin strip of beach, sand and canals.

The Bodie Island lighthouse is just 10 miles south of Nags Head NC and 214 feet tall.

Bodie Island (pronounced "body") is surrounded by marsh and the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.  We enjoyed 25 to 30 different migrating bird species while here.  Some only go this far south making this marshy refuge their winter home.  Trumpeter Swan and Snow Geese are among them.

At the northern tip of the northern most island of the Outer Banks, Currituck lighthouse is actually only about 20 miles from the Virginia border.  One of the things that surprised me most about this building were the large trees growing so close.  We don't see this many trees much. This lighthouse is actually only a couple of hundred yards from the sea shore but you wouldn't know that driving up to it or by this picture.

This building is now called the Whalehead Club and is only a few hundred yards from the Currituck lighthouse above.  It was originally built in 1922 as a second home because of the plentiful duck and goose hunting along these marshes.  The structure has had several owners and functions since, including a training center for the US Coast Guard.

These are life size bronze statues of the participants of the original flight of by the Wright brothers on the grounds of Kitty Hawk.  The gentleman in the foreground is taking the historic picture of that event.  We found it interesting that Kitty Hawk is given credit for this event even though it actually occurred in a community called Kill Devil Hills.  We were further intrigued at the origin of such a name for this town.  To make a long story short:  bad rum (such as would kill a devil) was often shipped on sailing routes that went by here.  There are many dangerously shallow and rocky shoals, rum runners boats often ran aground near these sand hills.  The area known by ships captains as Kill Devil Hills was to be avoided.  It was so bad a US Life Saving Service (USLSS) outpost was built to save crews going into the "drink" and a community grew up around that.  Superseding the USLSS was the US Coast Guard.  ...and now you know the rest of the story.

This is a closeup of Orville Wright as he begins the fourth powered flight of this historic day.  It's hard to see but as he lays on the top of the lower wing his hips are strapped into a wooded yoke that actually controlled the pitch and yaw of the plane. 

This is where it all happened.  The flight began at the large rock in the foreground.  They made four flights on Dec 17, 1903 each are marked by the smaller white rocks in the back ground.  The first 3 were only from 120 to 200 feet, but if you look closely you'll see the fourth rock just this side of the tree line.  That marks 852 feet, the distance that changed the world of aviation in only 59 seconds of sustained flight.  Only 25 years later aviation heroes who had already flown around the world and dignitaries from the newly formed National Aeronautic Association were erecting a plaque on this spot.

This is the lighthouse for Roanoke Island and Marshes, originally constructed in 1857 and saw action during the Civil War.  Interestingly this lighthouse was originally located in the middle of the sound and could only be reached by boat.  A lighthouse keeper and his family lived there.  This small maritime signal  had a Fresnel lens of the fourth order.

At the moment Linda and are about 150 miles south of Nags Head near Morehead City NC.  While the hurricanes missed the Outer Banks of North Carolina this area of the Crystal Coast was ground zero for the storm and even though it's obvious, a considerable effort has already been made to clean u.  It doesn't take much looking to find heart breaking damage.  Notice the roof on the ground, the remainder of the house was crushed underneath.  We're with our dear friends Ed and Mary Ann who have a lovely home right on the Intercoastal Waterway or ICW.  We're thankful they only had minimal damage.

And finally another view of one of my favorite photo subjects.  ...I'm sharing just because I like it.  Hope you enjoy as well.

We will start our travel to Florida on November 16 with a trip and stop at Myrtle Beach SC.  We have reservations for several spots around the periphery of Florida and will stay until approximately the end of January.  We have some ideas beyond that point but many details have to "gel" first.  Here's wishing you all a happy holiday season, it's approaching quickly!

2018.10.30-Sioux Falls SD to the Outer Banks of North Carolina

So it's been two months since we posted last to this BLOG.  We've had a lot of miles to cover and quite a number of things to do.  But we've had a lot of fun along the way, seen a number of good friends and for the most part thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  We're now on North Carolina's Outer Banks but will save our post on that for now because there's a lot to see and record.  This post on the other hand is to catch you up from Sioux Falls South Dakota to North Carolina.  Hope you enjoy.

We were very impressed with the falls in Sioux Falls.  We see them on TV often but didn't have an appreciation of how lovely they are.  This is after a lot of rain and flooding in the area which happened just before our arrival.

The falls are huge and very spread out for water falls.  I tried but couldn't get the entire setting into a single shot.

When traveling you stay where you can find a suitable spot and one that can support you.  This time it was the South Dakota state fair grounds in Sioux Falls.  We pulled in during a heavy rain storm, fortunately the park had a spot on pavement so we wouldn't sink up to our axles in mud.  And they had all the hook ups we needed as well.

After a couple of weeks in Madison Wisconsin to take care of some important but normal maintenance and a quick trip back to San Antonio to renew my drivers license (I sure didn't know this was the year it HAD to be face to face!) we headed south, but before we arrived at our planned stop we had to make an unscheduled stop at our motor home's factory for what turned out to be a very important repair.  If you're ever in the Chicago area driving a large Class A rig be sure to heed the "wide load" lanes in the toll booth lanes; the normal ones are too narrow.  And that's all I'll say about that; we probably won't  be driving through Chicago again anytime soon.

After Nappanee Indiana for the rig repair we stopped in central Ohio and visited with some great Amazon friends.  Thank you Sherry and Harry, Mary Beth and Paul.  Then it was on to Cincinnati Ohio to get Linda on a plane so she could enjoy a reunion with some of her high school friends.  I won't say which decade's celebration it was.  The plan was then to pick her up in the Atlanta airport and I had a fair amount of driving to do before getting to Atlanta.  This photo is from the Museum of Appalachia in Rocky Top TN just north of Knoxville, my first stop.  This was an unexpected treasure of a museum and had quite a few original but moved and reconstructed buildings from the early to mid 19th century. 

I'm told this is the actual cabin of Mark Twain's family while he was a boy.

And this one was Daniel Boone's actual cabin while he lived in Tennessee.  By the way it is much larger on the inside than it looks.

The museum wasn't all buildings but also had a large exhibit of smaller items.  Notice the large basket from white oak strips.  I'm told it took 8 months to construct.  I don't thing it was ever used.  This was an enjoyable stop.

Then it was on to Easter Tennessee to see the sights and enjoy some more good friends, Mark and Kathy.  I had to see the Bristol NASCAR Speedway.  I had no idea this venue would seat 162,000 people!  I'm so glad it wasn't race day!

Bristol also has a drag race track.  Don't forget your (serious) hearing protection if you go.  You won't be allowed in if you don't have some.

While in the area I had to see a TVA dam

the river aeration down from the dam

and the lake produced from the dam water.

Then it was on to Elizabethton and their famous covered bridge.  Afterward the three of us attended the National Storytellers Festival.  If you're planning a stop in the Jonesboro area try to schedule it at a time when they are having a 'teller' presenting which they do throughout the year or as we did attend the 2 day festival.  Very interesting and in a beautiful setting.

After eastern Tennessee I drove to Atlanta to be with family and pick up my bride from the airport.  We were able to see and enjoy almost the entire family with the exception of one nephew away at college.  After Atlanta Lady Di and I  drove Linda to the Charlotte area where we visited the historic Latta Plantation; what you are seeing is a reconstruction of the early 19th century cotton planters mansion.

I admit it after Bristol I had a little NASCAR fever I had to share with Linda.  We both enjoyed the tour of the facility including the tour including a 70 mph drive up onto the 26 degree turns!

And while on the tour of pit row we were told these "suites" were the most expensive in the house.  At ten grand a seat they were already booked several years out.

So at the moment we're on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and you're caught up.  This is a wonderful place with lots to see and will be a separate BLOG post coming out soon (promise.)  Notice our rig on the left of the buildings.  And just in case you're interested these little cottages are for rent at the Hatteras Village campground we stayed at.

2018.08.31-Washington State Part Deux

Apparently there is a maximum size for these blog posts, we didn't know, but we still have a few more things to share.  So we hope you stayed with us.  This is still about Washington state, even though we're posting this from Billings Montana.  More about that later.

This is a hazy smokey morning reflection on Port Townsend Bay as we make a ferry crossing to Whidbey Island.

An interesting whale totem at the harbor in Coupeville on Whidbey Island.  We didn't see whales while there.

This is the bridge at Deception Pass on the far north end of Whidbey Island.  There are vehicle lanes and walking lanes.  Cars and trucks pass by quickly and closely, hold on.

We saw a number of  Manzanita trees on Whidbey Island and throughout Washington.  They are striking red color in a sea of evergreens.

This is the Admiralty Head lighthouse in Fort Casey State Park on Whidbey Island.

For those who think we never see people on our trips.  Dinner on Whidbey Island with friends from Boerne Texas.  How lucky is this guy!

This is a Dahlia from the gardens on the grounds of the Washington State Capitol.

This red sunflower is also from the gardens on the Washington State Capitol.  If you are in Olympia this is a beautiful place;  we had an enjoyable tour of the capitol building and the grounds.

Port Townsend sunset.

That does it for this post of Washington state.  We wanted to get this out before it got too far from our memories, it seems they are fleeting these days.  As mentioned we are in Billings Montana as this is posted on our way to Madison Wisconsin.  It's going to be a fairly quick trip and we don't plan to do much along the way other than drive and rest.  We'll be in Madison for a little over 2 weeks doing maintenance on the rig and toad.  In addition while there Jerry will make a quick trip (by air) back to San Antonio to renew a drivers license.  The story's not worth it, just red tape and bureaucracy, but after that we'll be heading to the east coast enjoying family and many good friends, wintering in Florida and the Alabama Gulf coast.  That should be fun and we'll have lots to share.  Thanks for following us.

2018.08.31-Washington State, Part 1

We were in Washington State for almost a month staying particularly on the Olympic peninsula but also with family in Spokane.  The short version is we must have loved it because we put our name on a list to buy an RV spot in Chimicum in the far north east corner of the Olympic peninsula, about 65 miles due west of Seattle.  Unfortunately for us the list will probably take from 2 to 5 years before a spot is available.  It was a big decision for us and one we're excited about.  This area is absolutely beautiful.  Hope the following pics give you some idea.

Hoquiam Castle in far south west corner of state

Maritime Museum in Westport 

Grey's Harbor Lighthouse, tallest one in the state of Washington, near Westport, WA

Totem at Chimicum COHO Park, hope to have a spot here someday!

Cabin at Chetzemoka Park in Port Townsend WA

Tiger lilies in Chetzemoka Park

A variation of petunia called Starry Night, just looks like someone slung a white paint brush to me.  They were all over Washington

Sunset in Port Townsend

Lavender in Sequim WA.  This grows especially well here because Sequim is so (relatively) dry due to the Olympic rain shadow.  If you haven't heard of this phenomenon, we hadn't, it is very interesting.  Apparently due to the mountains in Olympic National Park and their proximity to the Pacific Ocean a weather shadow occurs on the leeward side of the mountains that moderates the rainfall and the temperatures, essentially casting a shadow of dryness behind it.  For example while average rainfall in Seattle is 36 inches per year, in Sequim it's only 16 inches, a town not more than 70 miles west of Seattle.  At the little town of Forks they receive 119 inches of rain.  It's on the windward side of Mt Olympus and essentially in the most northwesterly tip of Washington state, only 75 miles west of Sequim.  We were amazed and also pleased as Chimicum, the little town we want to buy into is also in this rain shadow.  You'll have to Google it if you're interested or confused.

A portion of the lavender fields at the B&B Family Lavender farm in Sequim.

Look closely on the left center and you'll see the Dungeness Lighthouse.  It's on the Dungeness spit in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  For contrast however, on the right center you'll see a snowy peak in August from the Olympic National Park. 

Another view of the Dungeness Spit on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  The lighthouse is out of frame on the far right end of the spit.

These are not actual turtle heads, but root balls from a tree along the path to Sole Duck Falls within Olympic National Park.

Sole Duck Falls within Olympic National Park

As you might imagine there are quite a number of native American tribes and lands in this part of the country.  These totems are for the Founding Fathers of the Klallam Tribe located between the towns of Sequim and Port Angeles.

This colorful guy is titled Welcome and is also from the Klallam tribe

A smokey sunset in the Chimicum Park.  While we were there smoke from numerous fires from Canada kept the air very hazy covering up much of the local color and sights in the distance.

Olympic National Park is huge and we went back a second time.  This is the Mary Mere Falls.