Day 9 - Nags Head, North Carolina

Day 9, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We decided to spend the day and another night in Nags Head. There is much to see and do here. It started at dawn when I awoke and posted myself on the balcony with my cameras. Even though it started as an overcast and rainy day, the sunrise finally appeared! This scene only lasted about 2 minutes.

Day 9 - First Blush of Sunrise, originally uploaded by Gail S.

This is an earlier scene from our balcony in Nags Head at dawn. It was the first blush of sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. It was a magical time. I saw flocks of pelicans cruising the waves for breakfast and gulls circling overhead while sand pipers were running along the beach. I even saw two dolphins breaking through the waves. A fishing boat made its way across the horizon under the pink sky, and a storm approached from the north. I didn't leave the balcony until rain spattered my laptop and cameras. It was the beginning of a good day - our 9th day on the road.

After breakfast at Sam and Omie's, we made plans to visit the Wright Brothers Memorial Park at Kill Devil Hills, NC.

Monument Under Renovation, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We spent much of the day at Wright Brothers Memorial Park. We watched a film at the Centennial Pavilion about these self-taught engineers who conquered the air! Over Sid's protests we climbed Big Kill Devil Hill for a breath taking view of the area from sound to sea. Atop the Hill, stands the 60ft. Pylon - the site where Wilbur and Orville conducted their glider experiments. This monument was erected from 1928 to 1932 - it's time for a bit of sprucing up. What an awesome place!

The Wright Brothers - Geniuses!!!, originally uploaded by Gail S.

From Orville Wright’s diary in 1903: “The first flight lasted only 12 seconds, but nevertheless the first in the history of the world in which a machine carrying a man had raised itself by its own power into full flight, had sailed forward without reduction of speed, and had finally landed at a point as high as that from which it had started.”

The photo on the marker shows the first flight, on December 17, 1903, 120 feet in 12 seconds. Orville Wright is at the controls, lying prone on the lower wing. Running alongside to balance the machine on the monorail, Wilbur Wright has just released his hold of the right wing.

At the top center of the photo is Sid standing at the granite marker on the exact spot where the monorail begins.

Sid on the Replica of the Wright Brothers' Plane, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Sid is such a goofball (to use the favorite expression of my friend, Sue) posing on the sculpture of the replica of the scene of the first flight at the Wright Brothers Memorial Park. This amazing sculpture was commissioned for the centennial celebration of the first flight in 2003. Anyone who visits this area of the country shouldn't miss this fantastic park!

Next, we are off to Jockey's Ridge State Park, the tallest natural sand dunes in the Eastern United States. They offer hang gliding lessons here, and it's a favorite site for kite flying. My photos don't do it justice, so I won't post them. Please visit the link above to get all the scoop on this fascinating natural phenomena. I was most intrigued by the exhibit in the visitor center about the fact that the dunes are shifting their location over the years having already encompassed a miniature golf course on Highway 158. After leaving the park property, I saw a castle from the old putt-putt park still visible behind one of the dunes!

A Walk on the Beach at Nags Head, originally uploaded by Gail S.

No visit to the ocean is complete without a walk on the beach in the evening. Here you see my footprints about to be washed away by the surf.

Later, we had the broiled flounder, catch of the day at Sam and Omie's famous restaurant just a short walk down the road. It's our third meal at this popular, but comfortable family eatery that started in 1937 as a breakfast spot for local fishermen.

After dinner, we enjoyed the shuffleboard court where Sid trounced me but good. I think his vast experience at the pool table served him well in this game, but neither of us could really remember the rules. It didn't matter, we played until it was too dark to see who was winning.

Tomorrow we are heading south to take the ferry to Ocracoke Island where we plan to spend Monday night. It should be an easy ride along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.