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!