THURSDAY 9.26.19 NORTH CAROLINA / DELAWARE

Today we bid farewell to the Outer Banks. If the truth be told we would be very happy to have another week or two here. Just to smell the salt air,,,,even if the fish weren't biting!

We were pretty well ready to travel this morning so it didn't take us long to get on the road.

Just before we took off these pelicans flew overhead.

When I first came here, years ago, I bought some corn relish from a farm market just outside of the Outer Banks. I haven't been able to find it anywhere since. Yes, I've seen corn relish but I know it isn't the same as what I had that time just by looking at it. Today, I wanted to find that corn relish! On our way out we stopped at farm market and they had corn relish and it kinda, sorta looked liked it so I took a chance and plunked down the $6.50 for the jar. Of course a couple miles up the road I saw another farm market and I'm pretty sure THAT ONE was the one I went to before. I just didn't have the heart to ask Walt to turn around. Next time. While I was at the farm market I was drawn to the fence out in front. Pumpkins, pretty as you please, all lined up.

When we pulled out of Kitty Hawk RV Park we had every intention of stopping for the night in Fort Story, an Army base, in Virginia Beach. We had reservations in place but we arrived at 10:30 in the morning. Walt asked how much farther to Delaware and when I told him 4 hours he looked at me and just said, "Babe, let's just go home." That was fine with me!

Let me say now that I am not a fan of tunnels. Ones that go through a mountain and especially not ones that go under water. Well today we were crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Had I been through this before? Yep. Was I white knuckled and praying that a ship wouldn't hit the tunnel and spring a leak with us in it? You better believe it! 

Nope, I don't like underwater tunnels. I look for trickles of water every inch of the way.

So Walt paid the $24 fee to cross this 17.5 mile bridge and tunnel combination and the white knuckle journey began. 

In 1964 it was named “one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern world.” After all, it isn't too often that you have a bridge/tunnel combo and certainly not one this length. It runs across a large water expanse with the Chesapeake Bay on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Without it, it would take hundreds of miles and several hours to get from Virginia’s Eastern Shore to the Norfolk-Virginia Beach area.

This massive bridge/tunnel cost $200,000,000.00 back in '64. More than 100 million cars and trucks have passed over this bridge and through the tunnels in the past 50+ years. Between 1995 and 1999, more roadway was added, making the bridge two lanes in each direction. A new tunnel will be built beside one of the originals; a second new tunnel is planned for 2030 or later. The new tunnel is being built now I believe. There was a lot of construction and I'm assuming that is what is going on there. I was watching for oncoming ships to pay too much attention.

So we made it home to Delaware! We are parked in Walt's sister-in-law's driveway and have electric and water. We are set! We have lots planned for these next days!

MONDAY 9.23.19 NORTH CAROLINA (Outer Banks)

This morning we were up before 6, we are getting back to our normal routine and we are thankful.

If you've never been to the Outer Banks, let me tell you a little about them. They are barrier islands that separate the Atlantic Ocean from the mainland. They are approximately 100 miles in length from its most northern town, Corolla, to its most southern point, Hatteras. You can go further by ferry to Ocracoke.

Today we drove north to Corolla. it was a beautiful day for a drive and to be out and about. Corolla is home to the only herd in the world of wild Spanish Mustang horses.

 They were brought here back in the 1500's by Spanish explorers but the sandbars off of Corolla are totally unpredictable. Their unpredictability has even caused the area to be known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Ships probably capsized and the horses swam to shore and now make this beach area their home. There are also some in Ocracoke.

Corolla is also home to the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. 

This lighthouse stands 162 feet tall and its light, the largest First Order Fresnel available for American lighthouses, can be seen 18 nautical miles away.

The lighthouse has 220 steps from the base up to the top. I know this because I read it, not because we climbed it.

This lighthouse is the only one that was left in its original brick exterior, untouched by paint. The other six on the Outer Banks are painted black and white. This was done so that the visitors could marvel at the amount of bricks it took to build it. I guess it didn't take much to entertain folks back in the 1800's.

Leaving Corolla, we entered the town of Duck. This is where I had a timeshare back in the 90's. Oh how the area has changed! One welcome change was the building of The Tomato Shack, a produce market. 

What a great little veggie stand! The man who owns/runs it was just as nice as could be and explained where everything came from. His best friend grows all the tomatoes for him. 

He grows the squash, zucchini and cucumbers himself. The peaches are local from his cousin's trees. The other things, apples, lemons, limes, cantaloupe were obviously bought from a supplier but he sure was proud of his homegrown offering.

I took a walk around the park when we got home and saw this license plate now permanently affixed to this vacation home. Check it out.

Walt tried his hand at fishing this afternoon but nothing seemed to be biting.

Tomorrow, Wright Memorial and a whole lot more!

SATURDAY 9.21.19 SOUTH CAROLINA / NORTH CAROLINA

Today we left Charleston and made our way to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This is one of our favorite places. It just screams BEACH and Walt and I love the beach, in fact we met at the beach all those years ago.

We really enjoy driving over the causeways, this is usually lined with seagulls but today we only saw one.

This is a great ride because we know we aren't too far from the beach now.

It was an interesting trip to say the least. Long, for sure, as it took us nearly 8 hours to get here. We had one section of road that a tractor trailer made very interesting. We don't know if he was drunk, on drugs, falling asleep at the wheel or exactly what was going on but he was all over the road. Both lanes and the shoulder! It was bad enough that cars and other trucks were doing their best to get around him and away from him! I even called 911 to give our location on I-95 and to let highway patrol know that this driver was on the road. After what seemed an eternity, we were able to get past him without incident.

We finally pulled into the campground after a B & P run. (Budweiser & Pepsi) Once parked we didn't want to have to go out again today.

We were able to get the very last spot available in this campground. We're in the Kitty Hawk RV park which is located right across the street from the beach/ocean.

We are crammed in here like sardines but we love it here! I'm sure a lot will be pulling out tomorrow, at least we are hoping so. There are a lot of kids here today and we're thinking they all have to go back to school and will be leaving, at least we are hoping so.

Walt is looking forward to getting some fishing in and I want to see ALL the lighthouses here. And Boss, well Boss wants to go anywhere we're going and do whatever it is we're doing.

The weatherman says we're going to have a beautiful week here on the Outer Banks. Let's just hope the fish are biting!