1104 May 28, 2024 Flying Boat and Other Fun

We slept last night with the windows open.  There was a cool breeze that made it just perfect for sleeping.

I took a great three mile walk from the campground, down to the fishing pier, and out to Route 13 and back.  It was a glorious morning with a slight breeze, brilliant blue sky, and no humidity.

We took our bikes into Cape Charles and meandered around town.

When we were done riding, we took our chairs and sat on the beach.  It is our last beach day for a while.

We rested this afternoon and then packed a picnic dinner.  We ate our lettuce wraps and fruit salad at the picnic shelter.

One last trip to the Kiptopeke fishing pier.  We sat for a long time watching the water and talking about future travels.

As we were getting into the Jeep, we saw a flying boat!  We got out to watch it.  What an odd machine.  It looked so fun!

Tomorrow, we will be back in Reisterstown.  We have lab work and physicals and a mammogram scheduled.  We plan to stay for a few weeks but we may take some short trips.  We will post when we travel.  Until then, Happy Summer!

1103 May 27, 2024 Traveling North

We left Hatteras after our morning exercise.

We stopped at Morris Farms for more fresh corn and strawberries.  We had our breakfast there before traveling on.

As we approached Norfolk, it began to rain…hard.  Tim drove over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

We arrived at Kiptopeke in early afternoon.  The rain persisted.

Eventually, the skies cleared but there was still a chance of rain all evening.  We decided to go into Cape Charles to The Shanty for dinner.  The couple before us got the last table inside.  We could wait or we could sit at the bar inside or we could go out to the open-air bar.  We went outside to check out the space and we grabbed a high-top table.  We ordered cider and dark beer and our meals.  We had a beautiful view of the harbor.  We watched osprey feeding and saw the sky change.  We could see curtains of rain in the distance and flashes of lightning.  There was booming thunder.  It rained but we were sheltered.  I had a delicious softshell crab sandwich and Tim had fish tacos.  The food was great but the atmosphere and the view was outstanding!  We very much enjoyed our time. 

Cape Charles was sandwiched between two large thunderstorm cells. One was slightly north and one to the south. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel was closed to all traffic because of wind and severe weather.

The rain stopped and we decided to walk the Cape Carles pier.

The sun was beginning to go down.  We left town and drove to Kiptopeke and watched the sunset.

What a wonderful evening!

1102 May 26, 2024 Last Day In Hatteras

I walked from the campground to the ferry terminal. From there, I passed the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum.

I walked a boardwalk to the beach.

And then I walked back.

We took the Jeep and the bikes and drove to Hatteras Lighthouse. We cycled the park road and of course we took the path less traveled.

We climbed the dunes and had a great view of the beach…lots of people out and enjoying this beautiful day!

We found a shaded picnic table for lunch.

This afternoon, we had an extended quiet time.

We waited until dinnertime to go out on the beach. We packed all the things we needed to make omelets. I was wearing my new Jeeping shirt…Tim picked it out for me!

While I was cooking, Tim spotted a huge sea turtle in the waves near the shore. I saw the broad back and knew it was a turtle. I was hoping that it might climb out and lay eggs…maybe on another beach!

We sat watching the water until the sun began to go down. We drove to the end of the island and then got out to walk. The water was coming in and filling a small inlet. Wading birds and diving birds were all there for supper.

Tim took pictures of me taking pictures.

The setting sun changed the color of the sky…stunning.

What a gorgeous evening to be at the beach.

We drove to the gas station to put air in the Jeep tires.

This was our last day in the Outer Banks. I really have enjoyed this “vacation.” After the busyness of the past many months, I craved time in the sun, time outside, time appreciating nature. I absolutely and unequivocally love taking care of my family. It brings me joy. When I am with the boys and their families, I am all in. I give all of my energy to caring for the people I love. I consider it an honor that I be allowed to watch the little boys. This time away had allowed me to recharge. To do the things I love…beach time, reading, walking and spending time with Tim…just us! I feel relaxed and happy! I am so grateful.

1101 May 25, 2024 Exploring Hatteras

I walked a long loop on sidewalks from the campground, along Route 12, and then back to the RV. It was misty and soupy.

We took our bikes and rode the loop and then we wandered through neighborhoods and along the bayside.

We went into town and did some shopping.

We decided to go to the beach a little bit later today. At 3pm, we packed dinner and drove out to the beach. There were miles of Jeeps and trucks and other 4WD vehicles parked along the shore. We had become accustomed to owning a large parcel of beach but today we had to share. I did not mind. It was fun to watch kids playing in the surf. There were lots of people fishing but we have not seen anyone catch anything in days. We also haven’t see any dolphin!

This little crab entertained me for a long while.

1100 May 24, 2024 Island Hopping

This is blog #1100! When we were in Delaware, the old guy next door looked at our map and asked if we had really been all those places? Today in the campground, someone stopped to ask Tim about our travels and our map. Yes, we have been to many places and done many things!

This morning, I took one last walk though the Village of Ocracoke.

When I got back, we packed up the RV, attached the Jeep, and we drove to the ferry terminal.

We spent the boat ride next to a guy with a truck and a dog. I am thinking this was a hound dog. He had the most godawful braying bark…it made him kinds cute!

We arrived in Hatteras around 2pm and settled in at the Hatteras Sands Campground.

We got ready to go out on our bikes but it started to rain. I decided to rest and I ended up taking a nap. Tim went for a ride without me and I had just woken up when he returned…ahhh…time well wasted!

We packed a picnic and went out onto the beach.

We found a great spot. It was a little cloudy.

Can you see the rain cells on the horizon?

It was also a little breezy and so we put on our sweatshirts and sat near the Jeep.

We enjoyed our dinner.

I am still trying to get a good picture of this elusive little sandpiper!

This evening, we drove into town to the grocery store, then we found another beach access ramp and drove on sandy roads all the way to Buxton and the Hatteras Lighthouse.

1099 May 23, 2024 Bright Sunshiny Day

My heel was hurting this morning so my first walk was the short distance to the grocery store. I returned to the RV and put an arch support on and walked again. I did 1.75 miles and then decided not to push any harder.

There is an RV here with a very cool message!

Biking is easier on my foot and so we did the 7.5 miles out and back on the paved bike trail.

This afternoon, we packed lunch and went back to the beach. Resting, relaxing, reading…it just doesn’t get any better!

Tim found a treasure.

We stayed until three and then went back for showers. We went to get dinner from a food truck.

We took dinner back onto the beach. The wind had picked up and since we didn’t want to eat sand, we ate inside the Jeep.

We stayed awhile, watching the birds in the surf. We had not seen these red knot sandpipers before.

This little guy was moving too fast to get a good picture. This is a ruddy turnstone sandpiper.

This was an old Jeep. There was a dog in the passenger seat and another in the back.

We have had a wonderful visit here in Ocracoke and we are a little sad to leave. We really like the quieter, wilder end of the Outer Banks. Tomorrow, we will take the ferry to Hatteras and spend the holiday weekend there. We are anticipating that it will be crowded and quite different than the past week, but we feel very lucky to be at the beach!

1097 May 22, 2024 Perfect!

I started my day with a good walk in the village. Each day, I vary my path and I look for things that I haven’t noticed on my previous walks.

We rode our bikes the 7.65 miles to the campground and back. No wind today and so it was a pleasant and easy ride.

We packed lunch and a beach umbrella and drove out onto the sand. It was a perfect beach day and we stayed for hours.

We watched these tow gulls play tug-of-war with lunch.

The victor!

This evening, we went to the Back Porch Restaurant and had a good meal.

Afterward, we sat in the shade at the harbor. Tim spotted a walking map of the village. He found a trail that we had never walked before. We drove past the lighthouse and parked near a church.

We found the Springer Point Trailhead and walked though the cedar and live oak trees down to the water’s edge.

I wore a dress to dinner with pretty shoes. Thankfully, I had a pair of tennis shoes in the Jeep!

We drove to the Ocracoke Community Park. This is another place we have never been. I was hoping there would be a game tonight…but the field was empty.

1096 May 21, 2024 Delightful!

I was able to get out of the door a little quicker this morning.  There was a misty marine layer.  As I walked back form the ferry terminal, I made a detour to the coffee shop in town.  I sat on a bench by the water drinking an iced latte and savoring a blueberry muffin.  What a great way to begin the day.  I was feeling strong and I backtracked and repeated my loop, adding distance.  I walked more than three miles and felt really strong.  I finally feel like I am getting back in my groove!

I rested a few minutes and Tim was getting ready to bike.  I decided to go along.  We biked in a headwind all the way to the Ocracoke Campground.  It was hard work.  Coming back was a breeze!  I used my watch to keep track of our ride.  On the way north, we cycled 8.9mph.  On the way back with some wind help, we clocked an average speed of 10.7mph.

After lunch, the sun was supposed to arrive.  We packed up and took the Jeep out onto the beach.  The sun came our and warmed us and felt it felt amazing!

We headed back to town around 4pm.  We went to the seafood market and bought some scallops.  We seasoned them with blackening and grilled them and they were large and sweet and delicious.

This turtle came to visit at our campsite. He crawled under the RV and then disappeared into the weeds and marsh behind us.

After dinner, we took our bikes to the harbor. We sat at the boat ramp watching the sunset. We were the first people there but as the sun went down, there were more than forty of us to witness the end of this very good day.

1095 May 20, 2024 WINDY DAY 2

It took me a long time this morning to muster up the energy to go out and walk.  It was gloomy and cloudy and windy and I was not looking forward to being out there.  Once I got started, it was nearly as bad as I anticipated and I actually enjoyed it.

Puddles big enough for bird bathing!

The star jasmine smells so good as you pass by.

Meanwhile, Tim had already done his yoga and left for the gym.

I tried to meet Tim for morning coffee but the shop was jampacked.  We tried another place but it was closed on Mondays.  I just decided on another cup at the RV.

We took the Jeep out onto the beach.

The sand was really blowing again and we never got out of the car.

We saw lots of fishermen and we watched two people pull in small sharks.

We did some browsing and shopping in town.

I grilled chicken and made quinoa bowls for dinner.

This evening, we took our bikes into town and rode the backstreets and then out past the ferry terminal.

Tomorrow’s forecast is predicting better weather…we are ready!

1094 May 19, 2024 WINDY

It rained most of the night and was it was still misty and damp this morning.  It was also very windy.  I set out on my walk and went into town, looped around the ferry terminal and returned to the RV.

Tim went back to the gym.

It was a good day for laundry, cleaning and oatmeal in the crockpot.  I took a nap and read and felt very lazy.

This afternoon, we drove the Jeep out onto the beach.  The sand was blowing.  We were hoping to find a spot nestled at the base of the dunes but even there it was too windy to enjoy sitting outside.

Tim parked near the shore, facing the beach and we had our beach time inside the vehicle.  We watched a few pelicans flying low over the curling waves.  We watched the shorebirds foraging in the surf and some gulls diving for fish.

We didn’t stay too long.  We drove out to the bayside and then back to the RV.

We were going to grill our dinner but decided to go out since we had spent much of the day inside.  We went to Dajio where we enjoyed an excellent meal!

After dinner we walked the harbor.

We stopped at the ice cream shop.

It was nice to have a quiet day.  The weather forecast calls for wind all day tomorrow as well.