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.

Day 8 - Saturday, May 3, 2008

Saturday, May 3, 2008 - Day 8, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We left Virginia and entered North Carolina near a place called Dismal Swamp. We saw farms with vast rice fields...as far as the eye could see. We were anticipating seeing the ocean before the day was over, but we saw oceans of rice fields in the morning. The wind was unbelievable!!! It took every bit of Sid's strength to hold the bike on the road. It was quite frightening. He tried to conceal it from me, but I knew we were in a precarious situation. Once again we saw farms in every imaginable condition - from neat and well-kept to those barely making a hardscrabble living. There were so many abandoned farmhouses. It made me sad to know that those homes once housed families that loved them and cared for them.

Eventually, we reached the coast and headed down the Outer Banks to Nags Head, NC.

What a relief to be off the bike on this dangerously windy day. We checked into the historic Sea Foam Motel on Beach Road. This motel was built in 1948 and has maintained the vintage look with paneled walls and tiny bathrooms. Some of the rooms have kitchenettes. I remember my family vacationing on the coast of South Carolina and Florida throughout my childhood - we always stayed in places with kitchenettes and shuffleboard courts! After a late lunch at Sam and Omie's famous restaurant, we headed to the Lighthouse at Bodie Island for a few photos. People had gathered for a wedding, and I really wanted to stay, but Sid (the spoilsport) said we couldn't...something about not being invited. I guess it's a good thing. I always cry at weddings.

Lighthouse at Bodie Island, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Originally built in 1872, the Bodie Island Lighthouse is a landmark at Nags Head. There are several other lighthouses that I plan to see...let's hope Sid cooperates. I think he might be of the mindset that if you've seen one lighthouse, you've seen them all.

Beach Houses, originally uploaded by Gail S.

The Beach Road at Nags Head, NC, is lined with these "painted ladies" - rental beach houses. So much better than rows and rows of high rise hotels which distinguishes this area from what we will see farther down the coast in South Carolina.

Calling Alfred Hitchcock, originally uploaded by Gail S.

The birds on the beach are very friendly! I captured this shot from our balcony at the Sea Foam Motel. Sid threw a few crackers in the air and the birds appeared from every direction. Somehow I managed to overcome the thought that they might peck out our eyes (thank you, Alfred Hitchcock!) and took lots of photos from every angle. We started a feeding frenzy with others from the motel tossing food into the air. It was a memorable sight. Since it was dusk and the birds were backlit, I had to use my flash to get the best shots.

We dined at Owen's Restaurant just across the street, overindulging in rich seafood and wine. We wore our tie-dyed t-shirts to dinner, looking like what we are - a couple who came to town on a motorcycle! It was clear that we were the only bikers in this "spendy" restaurant (descriptor supplied by the desk clerk at the motel). We walked back across the street and chatted with Andy from Dexter, Kansas. He was also on a bike having traveled 3000 miles so far.