1344 October 5, 2026 Ocracoke In October

The rain stopped early this morning.  It was a nice morning for a good 3 mile walk on the bike path.

We packed lunch and went to the beach.  The machines are still moving sand and trying to restore the dunes after last week’s storm.

We found a spot protected from most of the wind by a large dune.  We had our own mile of beach.  We sat and observed.  It was 70 degrees and very breezy.  The clouds hung leaden and heavy in the sky.  We watched squadrons of pelicans flying low along the breaking waves.  We watched a pair of osprey fishing, diving and then soaring with fish gripped tightly by talons.  We watched a sand crab hauling armloads of sand from his hole, skittish and wary as he went about his business.  Terns and sandpipers skittered about in the surf.  High tide encroached and the beach became narrow.

This evening, we went to Dajio for dinner.  We have always had excellent food and service and it is our favorite restaurant here.  We had savory and spicy tuna poke and crab empanadas followed by salads with farro and watermelon radish and butternut squash and beets with arugula.   

After dinner, we walked to the harbor and we saw glimpses of orange and pink.  We walked the pier and watched a glorious sunset.

Ocracoke in October is a little chillier.  The weather is unpredictable.  It is also less crowded; operates at a slower more relaxed pace.  The beaches are wide open and it’s great fun to take the Jeep and ride along the water.  For us, autumn is the perfect time to enjoy this old fishing village.

1343 October 4, 2026 Across The Water

I started the day with a good walk.

We packed up the RV and headed for the ferry terminal.  We took the 10am ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke.  It was cloudy and the sea was calm.

We arrived at Jerniman’s Campground at lunchtime.  The rain began as we backed into our site.  We will be here for a week. 

The rain persisted as the afternoon progressed.  We did take a ride through town and then out onto the beach.

Salad and salmon cakes for dinner and then a quiet evening.

 1342 October 3, 2026 Day 2 Hatteras Island

We needed to wash clothes.  We planned to use the laundry at the campground but the washers were out of order.  We used the RV washer and schlepped wet clothes to the campground dryers…a minor inconvenience.

Once everything was washed and put away, we drove out to the beach with our lunch.  It was cloudy and breezy and perfectly pleasant for wave watching.

This evening, we went to Hatteras Sol for a delicious meal. Tim had barbecued salmon and I had shrimp and grits…outstanding dinner! Afterward, we drove to the beach and though it was cloudy and rainy, we sat in the Jeep and watched the birds diving into the surf.

1341 October 2, 2026 Hatteras Island

We left Cape Charles and drove though the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.  I think that this is one of the more intense drives that we take.  Tim had both hands on the wheel as he drove surely and carefully through the tunnel portions.  Tractor trailers were coming from the opposite direction and everyone needed to be on their best behavior. 

We stopped at Morris Farms for some produce and a pumpkin for the RV.

We stopped for fuel and we were excited to see that fuel prices were a little less in North Carolina…only $6.29 a gallon for diesel…woohoo!

We made one last stop for groceries and supplies before entering the Outer Banks.

We had to wait several minutes for the one-way traffic to pass on the now repaired one lane road at the Pea Island Visitor Center.  It is amazing that this small section of highway caused such disruptions to residents and visitors.  Only days ago, the barrier islands were in a state of emergency requiring the usage of an emergency ferry to get people off the Outer Banks.  It is also amazing that the NCDOT team was able to do the work to re-open the road in such a short period of time. 

We arrived at Hatteras Sands Campground at 3:30. By 4:30, we had packed a cooler and we were taking the air out of the Jeep tires.  We took the access road and drove out onto the beach.  Food always tastes better when we enjoy it outside…but eating dinner on the beach takes that experience to the next level!

We finished our meal and then drove to the end of the island.  We got out and walked the beach as the sun went down.

1340 September 28 – October 1, 2026 Back To Cape Charles

We left early in the morning.  We had said our goodbyes the night before.  Even though I really want to be traveling, seeing new places and meeting new people; it was extraordinarily hard to leave. 

We traveled across the Bay Bridge and toward the Eastern Shore.  A nor’easter had been playing havoc with the coast, but there was no sign of the turmoil that it caused as we moved south and east.  We did know that a section of Route 12 in North Carolina on the Outer Banks had been decimated.  We decided to extend our stay in Cape Charles as we awaited news about what the road closure would mean for the reservations we had made in OBX. 

We had four really blissful days, with perfect weather, beautiful sunsets and lots of time for walking and biking.

As our time neared to an end, we got news that the road had been repaired and that NC Route 12 would be open for southbound traffic including visitors on Thursday October 1.  Yay for us!!!

1339 July 28 – September 27, 2026 Time At Home

We went to Atlanta and spent a couple of weeks with David and his family.  We spent a lot of time watching the boys practice baseball and we learned some new video games as well.  The boys went back to school early in August and we were there to see them off.  Austin is beginning 3^rd grade and Oliver is starting 5^th grade.  We celebrated Oliver’s 10th birthday.  I am not sure how the years have slipped by so quickly but being a grandmother for these 10 years has been one of the biggest blessings of my life.

We traveled back to Reisterstown and I had a slew of appointments…all good news.  Now on to survivorship and living life with hope and joy.

We stayed with Kyle and Allison and Wade.  Watching Wade grow and change has been a delight.  It has been an honor to bear witness to his mastery of language and tasks. His triumphant declarations of “I did it!” 

Although we took no pictures, we were able to celebrate my Mom’s 84th birthday!

Finally, it is time to go and travel. We are so very thankful for the love and support of family and friends over the past many months. 

1338 July 27, 2026 Home Again Home Again Jiggety Jig

We left Sodus Point at 7:15 and we headed south, back the way we had come, rewinding our trip.  Lake Ontario was in our rearview mirror.  We passed through countryside sweet with the fragrance of apples.  Past red barns and silver silos gleaming in the early morning light.  We drove over the Eerie Canal.  We stopped for fuel before Geneva.  Deisel fuel was 5.39 a gallon; a real bargain in the state of New York.  After Geneva, we traveled along Seneca Lake, through wine country to Watkins Glen.  We were hoping to stop for coffee but there was nowhere to park our big self.  We found a large empty parking lot and made our own coffee.

We traveled through Pennsylvania.  There were lots of trucks.  We crossed the Susquehanna River many times on our way to Williamsport.  We continued south and as we got closer to Harrisburg, traffic was worse, the roads were worse, and we had to weave through the city to get to I83.

Once we were on 83, I knew that we would make it home today!  We pulled into the driveway at 2:30. 

This was not our most adventurous journey but we had incredible weather and lots of good days.  This trip has been good for reflection and healing and gratitude.  I am so thankful that we were able to spend time together creating more memories and remembering all the people and things that are important to us.

We had the most wonderful welcome!!

We will be home for a couple of days and then we will head to Atlanta for Oliver’s 10th birthday. We will post again in mid August.

1337 July 26, 2026 We Always Come Back to the Water

Happy Birthday, Allison!!!

Tim started his day with a bike ride and I started with a walk to the beach.  I sat on a bench watching the boats traveling in and out of the bay. 

Tim took the Jeep to the beach as a surprise and we sat together in our chairs beneath a tree.

We had lunch and spent a very lazy afternoon.

We ventured out to Tick-Toc Crocs for dinner.

Afterward, we went back to the beach.  We walked the pier and sat awhile.

“Don’t call it a dream; call it a plan.”

1336 July 25, 2026 Sodus Point

We began the day by taking a trip to Geneva.  We wanted to catch the Farmers Market at the Finger Lakes Welcome Center. 

After purchasing some local produce, we walked along the water.

We walked on the long pier.

We walked through the Geneva tunnel that runs beneath the highway.

On our way back to the KOA, we stopped at Bad Burro for some “kick ass coffee.”

We prepped the RV and prepared to travel.  Our journey today took us through more farmland; mostly corn fields and apple orchards.

We arrived at the Sodus Point RV Park.  We began to setup on our assigned site and Tim found a nest of yellow jackets in the ground near the hookups.

He went to the office and the woman working there decided that we should move and since she had an open site; she gave us a waterfront site with a view of Sodus Bay and the marina.  Tim took this video.

We had lunch and rested and then went out for a ride.  We passed dozens of boats anchored together and folks were having a big party!

We drove down to the beach.  Both the parking lot and the beach area were packed.  We drove out and went for a ride along Lake Ontario.  Most of the property here is privately owned and it was hard to get even a glimpse of the water.  We got out and walked to a fishing access area.

There was an orchard and farmstand that had a sign for live music and that is where we went this evening.  We listened to a young guy who sang his heart out.  He had incredible range and had a large repertoire of music from many genres and eras.  We had fun listening.  I enjoyed a delicious plum cider and Tim had a summer ale.  There was pulled pork for dinner.

We took another trip to the beach and while it was still crowded, there were at least parking spots.  We walked the pier to the lighthouse.

It was another good day and I feel relaxed and well.

“Every new place is a chance to fall in love with life again.”

1335 July 24, 2026 Seneca Lake State Park

I started the day by walking laps in the campground.  I got 2 miles done.  Then I went back to the blue chair on the dock.  Tim had been sitting out earlier and saw two minks.  We are quite certain that is what they are. 

The minks did not show themselves while I was out there.  Though I did see movement in this area…those little critters are elusive!

I did see this huge spider, a fishing or dock spider.  It was about 2 inches from tip to tip.

The lily pads are beginning to bloom.

After lunch, we drove to Seneca Lake State Park.  We cycled to the end at the marina.

We found signs that led us to the canal trail.  This was a gravel path and after ½ mile, we elected to turn back.

The bike path continued along the lake.  At the end, we sat in the shade to rest and hydrate.  An older couple approached and asked to join us.  Leonard and Sue were from western New York near Rochester.  They live in a place that gets more than 5 feet of snow each winter.  Leonard told the story of a particularly bad storm that produced 7 feet of snow.  The couple used to ride bikes and they used to camp in an RV.  Those years are past for them.  They were on their way to their house near the Catskills.  It was a pleasure to meet such nice people and to share stories. 

We biked back to the Jeep and returned to the KOA for rest time.

This evening, we packed a cooler and went to Oak Island Park in Waterloo.  We sat in a pavilion along the canal.

After dinner, we walked a gravel path through the woods.