The OBX (Outer Banks, NC)

I slept very comfortably at Neuse's River.  Before the trip, I bought a self-inflating Thermarest sleeping mat from REI.  It doesnt actually "inflate" itself, but it has air pockets that equilibrate with the outside air in addition to a honey comb like infrastructure.  Although it isnt big (almost exactly the size of my body while laying down) or as tall as an airmatress (only about 1.5in thick), it is suprisingly comfortable.  I also appreciate how compact and easy to setup the sleeping pad is (if you blow into the pad rather than letting it self inflate, it takes about a minute).    


I woke up and walked back to the beach to enjoy the view.  I always enjoy checking out beaches at sunset and sunrise.  Most of the time there are less people at the beach at sunrise.    




I got in the trusty old van and headed towards the ferry that would take me to the Outer Banks.  Along the way I enjoyed the view of the NC coast.  Because this area of the coast is protected by barrier islands, the coast isnt a traditional beach.  I dont exactly know the proper term for this habitat, but essentially there are lots of marine wetlands.    







I got to the ferry and waited in line.  Since I was way early, there were only a few cars in line, but one was a Bentley.  Nice.  The other had Texas license plates.  As I waited in the waiting room, the Texan definitely sought me out.  I had my A&M hat on, and he made a comment about the Alabama game.  I asked if he was an Aggie or at least a fan, and he looked at me like "how could you not know I am a fan?"  Haha, sorry man.  This man had a closely cropped mustache and reminded me of the dad from October Sky(the movie).  We talked about football and his son, whom he had just visited at Camp Lejune in NC (he was in the Marines).  Later on, during the ferry ride, we would conversate even more about random things.  I appreciated the friendly chit chatter.  When you are by yourself all the time, this is the only form of human interaction you get.  



We loaded up on the ferry that was to take us to Ocracoke Island (pronounced oh-kra-coke).  The ride was about 2.5 hrs, and I spent my time on the observation deck working on my blog.  Beats the hell outta work :-)  



The Outer Banks (reffered to as OBX) are a strand of barrier islands that extend nearly the entire northern half of the NC coastline.  On average, these islands are about 15 mi off the coast of the mainland, and the width of these islands range from a quarter mile to about two miles.  Ocracoke Island is a thin island that is about 15miles long.  About 3/4 of the island is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  Ocracoke Island is also the most seculded island of the Outer Banks because no roads connect to the island.  It is only accessible by ferry.    



When I drove off the ferry, I had no idea what to expect.  The first thing I saw was the small town of Ocracoke at the southern tip of the island.  The town consisted of cozy touristy restaurants and shops that were inside old beach houses.  Most people got around by walking or riding bikes.  The ocean is not readily visible from most of the island because a large wall of dunes precedes the beach.     


My first stop was to check into my campsite that was part of the National Seashore.  I didnt have a reservation, but in my experience, places like this dont fill up on weeknights during off-peak season.  On the way to my campsite, I got to explore more of the island.  There was a lot more vegetation than I had expected.  Despite how thin the island is (less than 1/2 mi wide) neither the ocean or the bay is visible from the road.  On the bay side, short and stumpy trees hide the bay, and a big dune hides the ocean.    



After checking in to the campsite, I went to scope out my plot.  A small trail led from the small parking spot over the dunes. I followed the trail until I got to my own small slice of the beach.  The beach was amazing. There was a decent streach of soft sand (about 50yards) until the actual area the waves were washing over.  I didnt see a lot of seaweed or debris that is common at a lot of beaches; just lots of soft sand.  I spent a solid hour on the beach being a kid again.  Hunched over looking at shells.  Trying to catch crabs.  Walking around in the surf.  As beautiful as the beach was, the best part was that it wasnt crowded with people.  Within a quarter mile in either direction there was maybe 20 people.        













After my beach fix, I decided that I wanted to drive the length of the island so that I could do a little exploring.  First I went back towards the town so that I could see the lighthouse.  The Ocracoke lighthouse is a somewhat shorter white structure.  It was after hours, so I couldnt go into the lighthouse, but I could take pictures of the outside.  Really, checking out lighthouses is somewhat less cool than you would think.  You  show up and see the lighthouse, take a few pictures, and thats pretty much it.  I drove through a neighborhood or two to check out the houses on the island.  Most of the houses looked very nice, and even though they were raised up on stilts, they looked like normal houses for the most part.    




Next I drove to the far end of the island.  The island gets significantly more narrow, and the dunes come right up to the road at some points.  It was getting towards sunset, and everything looks better in the orange light of an ocean sunset.  I saw that people had parked on the side of the road and scaled the dunes to access the beach.  I decided to pull over and enjoy the beach a little bit more.    




On most sections of the beach, vehicles are allowed, and fisherman drive up to their spots where they fish from the beach.  As it was later in the day, most people had packed up and gone home.  I had the beach to myself.  As far as I could see (literally), I couldnt find another person.  I walked up and down the beach looking for seashells.  For whatever reason, these beaches do not have the best shells.  Although I did find more entact clam shells than at my campsite, probably because this stretch was less trodden upon, most of the shells had been smashed to tiny pieces from the surf.    



I found this weird blob of something on the beach. It was glassy, and it focused the sunlight in a really cool way.






After spending some time at the beach, I decided to get back in the van to check out another spot a couple more miles down the road.  When I had picked my next spot, I pulled over to the side of the road.  There were little sandy clearings on the side of the road where cars can pull over.  I was hesistant to park on the sand, but I had seen plenty of non-4wd vehicles pulled over, so I figured it was OK.  Indeed, the sand was pretty compacted, and cars could easily drive on them.  The second time I pulled over, I apparently picked a less than compact spot.  My car instantly got stuck in the sand.  This was not good.   Obviously, I tried to give the car just a little throttle to pull out, but it does abosultely no good, and actually it buries your wheels in the sand even more.  I instantly got to looking for something to put under the wheels to increase traction.  There were chunks of asphault littering the sand near my car.  I dug out some of the huge chunks and put them under my tires.  I also found a rubber mat that someone else had probably used to bail their car out.  I spent probably 20min attempting to get my car out in absolute futility.    


After I had concluded that there was no way I was going to get my car out by this mehtod, I gave up.  By this point the sun is getting pretty low.  I stopped to snap a couple pictures of the sunset that I had originally come to enjoy.    



At this point, I was weighing what few options I had.  I could call AAA if I had any cell reception (I didnt).  Even when it was afternoon, the lone highway that tracks the length of the island was not heavily traveled; even less so at dusk.  It was much too far to walk back to my campsite (about 15miles), although walking to the ferry station at the far end of the island was only about 5miles away.  I had hoped that I would get lucky and a truck with 4wd would see me stuck in the sand and help me out.  No such luck.  I decided to flag down a car that was heading towards the ferry.  I really had to suck up my pride to do this.  It was actually much harder than I thought it would be; I was super hesistant despite this being the only viable option to get my car out.  I guess I really dont enjoy looking like an idiot.  I flagged down this compact car driven by a couple that was about my age.  I told them I was stuck in the sand, and I asked them if they could tell the attendants at the ferry to send a tow truck.  The guy snickered, not in a mean way, and said "yeah no problem man."    


A couple minutes later, a guy that looked like the Gorton's fisherman in a tank top stopped his truck and asked if I "needed a tug." Thank God.   This guy and the truck behind him full of his buddies pulled over on the side of the road.  They all jumped out and got right to work.  These were a salty bunch for sure.  I could tell they had been out all day long fishing and drinking beer.  These four guys were in their early 40's and each had cigarettes dangling from their bottom lip as they checked out the situation.  One guy kept repeatedly commenting in regards to the sand, "Oh yeah, this is soft" in a new england accent.  The guy with the beard immediately busted out the tow straps and talked about how excited he was to use his buddies straps.  We had a hard time finding a spot to attach the tow straps, as the nose of the van had imbeded itself in the sand at this point.  Before I knew it, one of the guys had a shovel and was clearing out sand near the front of the car.  I wanted to help, but they didnt even give me a second to pitch in.  As soon as a small trough had been cleared out near the front of the car, this guy was down on his stomach with his face buried in the sand trying to peer underneath my car to find the tow hook.  I noticed he still had his cigarrette dangling from his mouth during all of this.  Thats dedication.    


During all of this, I kept saying how appreciative I was.  Their response was always something like, "Oh no problem, Pennsylvania (or PA) will help you out."  I guess they represnet their state pretty hard.  Eventually, we got the hook attached and they pulled me out no problem.  I asked if I could give them a couple bucks to buy a beer in appreciation, and they declined saying "Just look us up in PA".  Before they drove off, I explained that I needed a pic for my travel blog.    



In retrospect, they were totally cool about me being stuck in the sand.  They could have really given me a hard time for such a rookie mistake, but they were really cool about it and didnt say anything, even jokingly.  I appreciated the help from strangers, and I wont be driving on sand anytime soon.    



As I made my way back to my campsite, the sun had already set.  But even more impressive than the sunset, was the rising of the full moon over the ocean.  At first it was huge on the horizon and glowed a rosey red color.  By the time I got back to the campsite it had already risen fairly high in the sky.  I got out my tripod to see if I could snap any impressive pictures (I enjoy playing around with the camera).  It was surprisingly difficult.  In the end, I cheated and used the HDR (high dynamic range) setting on my camera.  It takes three pictures at different exposures and integrates them into one photo.  It tends to give a somewhat surreal and enhanced look to the photo.  



I was thinking about making my own dinner at the campsite, but instead I decided to hunt down some seafood.  I went to Howards Pub, which was right down the street and had been recommended to me.  While on a solo roadtrip, it is always a good idea to sit at the bar when going to restaurants.  There is a better chance of personal interaction.   I got the fresh catch of the day (MahiMahi), had delicious hushpuppies, and enjoyed a local beer.  


I sat next to a very hipster looking couple.  They were both from Asheville, but they looked like something out of the TV show Portlandia.  They made several contemplative and ironic comments about the NFL game that was on.  We got to talking.  Turns out, she is a physician doing her residence, and he is a nurse.  They have been dating for a couple years, and no, they did not meet at the hospital (that was my first question).  Let me also add that this girl was the most hipster looking doctor I have ever seen.  Anyways, they were really nice, and we talked about NC and the Outer Banks.  The guy had spent his whole life in NC, and he used the term "progressive" several times during our conversation.  I do not describe my personal ideology as particularly progressive, but I can appreciate different points of view.  However, it was humorus that he used the term "progressive" in odd contexts unrelated to politics.  It was like he was really trying to use that word.  I asked about their Outer Banks experience.  They told me that Ocracoke was pretty much the highlight of the Outer Banks.  They said Ocracoke didnt have much of a party vibe, and the rest of the Banks were much more "garrish".  These guys were a hoot.  I was curious to see if I would reach a simliar conclusion.  I did agree that Ocracoke didnt have a heavy party vibe, and I liked that aspect of Ocracoke.    


After sitting in a hotel parking lot for an hour to borrow free wifi so I could Skype with Kayley, I setup my tent and prepared for bed.  Before I settled down, I went for one last walk on the beach.  The beach was absolutely deserted, and brightly lit by the full moon.  During my early walks, I had found a 100yd stretch of the beach that was cordoned off to protect a sea turtle nest.  I had overheard a beach bum talking about how sea turtle eggs hatch during the full moon, so I went over to see if any had hatched.  Unfortunately, tonight was not the night. That would have been really special. Also, the stars are supposed to be insane out on these islands, but unfortunately the full moon really overpowered the stars.    


I took a moment to relflect on all the history that surrounds the Outer Banks.  The Banks had been one of the first landing sites for the earliest European settlers and were frequented by pirates.  The Banks were also very infamous for its shipwrecks because of the shifting sandbars surrounding the Outer Banks.  A map on the ferry showed the location of hundreds of shipwrecks from cargo ships in the 1600's and 1700's, and the union ironclad USS Monitor during the civil war.  Indeed, prior to the early 1900's one of the most prominent things on the Outer Banks was the life saving station.  As I stood alone on the surfs edge just listening to the waves, I had one of those rare moments where I felt like I was experiencing something exactly as the people hundreds of years ago had.  There was no electricity.  No technology. Just the moon, ocean, waves, and sand.    



I woke up early on Friday so that I could enjoy a sunrise during my morning beach run.  Most of the time, the beach is croweded with early morning combers, but I only saw one other person.  A great time.  






After the run, I packed up my campsite and took a shower! (this is exciting because most campsites so far have not had showers).   On my way out of Ocracoke, I checked out some historical markers, and I hunted down a coffee shop called Ocracoke Coffee Co.  This coffee shop was awesome, especially considering how small of a town Ocracoke is.    




While in line, I got called out as a "southerner" for the first time.  People were scattered all willy nilly in front of the register.  I asked "are yall in line?", and I guess that was a giveaway.  The lady in front of me said that I must be from the south.  I mean come on, I dont really think I have an accent, and anyways isnt North Carolina still in the south?  Oh well.  


I got to talking to the lady, and it turns out she was an ex-professor.  I was telling her how I just finished grad school and would soon be looking for a job.  She told me that she was a prof that didnt get tenure (i think she was in biological science of some sort, but I didnt enquire).  She said her family was very much entrentched in the community that she worked (it was a small school somewhere I had never heard of) and didnt want to leave after not getting tenure.  She now translates manuscripts for Japanese authors.  Kinda crazy.  She said she gets paid junk, but I guess she makes enough to vacation in the OBX every now and again.    



After eating a delicious pastry and drinking a cappaccino while working on my blog, I headed for the end of the island to board the ferry that would take me to Cape Hatteras (the island next door).  




As I was waiting in the long drive-up line for the ferry, the gentleman in front of me was having a phone conversation with his windows down.  He was in his 60's, and I could hear him making arrangements to stay at a friends house.  Since he had California plates on his car, I figured he was on a journey very similar to mine.   Even though he was in front of me in line, he ended up on the other side of the ferry once we boarded. They packed us in pretty tight; I could barley open my door.  I snuck out however, and I hunted down this guy.  I knocked on his car window and explained that I had overheard his conversation and that I was probably on similar journey.  I guess that was a pretty bold move.  I was feeling friendly after the coffee drinking.    



It turns out that I was correct about his roadtrip.  His name was Tom, and he had just retired.  His wife wasnt quite ready to retire, and it didnt sound like she would be ready to settle down any time in the future. So Tom decided he would set out on his own to see the country.  As a former Navy servicemen, Tom was interested in visiting military monuments and battlefields.  We exchanged some stories from the road.  He told me about his trek through Texas.  Laredo was shady.  He visited the Riverwalk.  He saw the Battleship Texas.  He went to the Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco.    



We also discussed our road trip strategies.  Tom advised me to take the backroads when possible as opposed to the interstate.  I had already been talking the backroads when time was not a concern, but he helped to reinforce the point.  The biggest difference between our strategies was how we sought out lodging.  I explained to him that I have been doing a decent amount of camping, whereas he had been staying in motels.  He would find a small town, inquire about the rate at a couple different places and pick the cheapest one.  He said that he has been spending an affordable amount doing this, and if the prices were higher, he would offer a low-ball amount, which was accepted more often than not.  This was sound advice that I would keep in mind.  I like the camping, but the motel option was more affordable than I had thought.  I am more accustom to staying at hotels (which are pricier), and I always viewed motels as a seedy crack den where one risks being struck by an accidental discharge from the pistol of the meth head in the next unit over (of course, this was not informed from experience).   We spent the entire 45min ride talking strategy, sharing stories from the road, and talking about our lives back home.  I greatly enjoyed this conversation.  Tom was a very friendly guy, and easy to talk to.   At the end of the ride, we shook hands, wished each other safe travels, and went our seperate ways...well not really considering there is only one highway that spans the island.    



The first thing I noticed about Cape Hatteras was the houses.  The houses on Hatteras are noticeably different from the Ocracoke houses.  On Hatteras, the houses have more stories, are often colored with bright pastels, and are all built in the same style.  It was interesting to see.  







I stopped by Our Lady of the Seas Catholic church.  I like to pop in to churches along the way if I have time. Unfortunately, the sanctuary was closed, but I managed to sneak a few peeks through the windows.  There was a giant panoramic window with an ocean view directly behind the altar. That view is awfully tough to beat!  






The main thing to see on Hatteras is the light house.  As I walked around the lighthouse, it came to my attention that the public was allowed to walk to the top (for $8...a little pricey).  Honestly, I was short on time.  It was already 2:30pm, and there were other things I wanted to see.  I ultimately decided that I had to make the climb.  I forked over the $8 and hastily made my way up the stairs.  The rangers said the climb was the equivalent of walking up 12 stories of stairs.  Let me just say, I am not in the best shape.  But apparently I was in better shape than everyone else there (although I was on average 30yrs younger).  Anyways, it gave me a false idea that I am in shape...haha yeah I can totally beat these senior citizens up the stairs.  Sometimes you have to take the confidence booster wherever you can get it.  Once I got to the top, I took a couple quick pictures and spent a minute or two enjoying the view of the island from above.  









Back on road, it became apparent that I was not going to be able to see all the things I had tried to cram into one day.  I decided that I would try to find a motel and conquer the rest of the Outer Banks the next day.  This decision put me at ease.  You try to maintain a steady pace of travel, but sometimes you have to slow things down.  





Looking out across the back bay, you can see dozens of what look like bird blinds way out on the water. I think people boat out to these stands to do birdwatching. I am amazed there are so many out there though. I wonder if they are used for something else?


There are plenty of lighthouses along the OBX, and the next one on my route was the Brodie Island lighthouse.  They are all painted differently, and businesses and residences will paint their mailboxes or buildings to resemble the lighthouses.  At this particular lighthouse, I stopped to take a quick picture, but didnt even bother getting out of the car.  After you have climbed up your first lighthouse, the reset are kinda ho hum.  There isnt much to do at a lighthouse other than to take pictures of it and read the informational panels.  Moving along....  






I decided that I would find a place to stay at Roanoke Island.  Yes, this is the island where the first Brittish colony of the new world was established.  Roanoke Island is on the bayside of the Outer Banks and is still protected by a barrier island.  Roanoke is a very different island than the rest of the outer banks.  It is covered with very tall pine trees, and its cities (there are a couple here), are not tourist destinations, but instead regular neighborhoods where people live and work. When I first crossed over a bridge to this island, it was apparent that there was lots of money here.



After I checked in to my cheesy island themed motel room (hey it was actually really nice for the price), I decided to check out the Italian joint across the street that got rave reviews on Trip Advisor.    


When I walked into this place, it took about 5 minutes for a hostess to seat me.  The place was almost empty, so not off to a good start.  I got a table by myself, and an older couple was seated at the nearby table.  Geez, the lady next to me was super passive aggressive.   When the manager came to ask how the meal was going, she totally ripped her server for really stupid reasons.  Obviously, the manager went and told the server to check on her table.  When she returned to the table to ask if everything was OK, the lady told the server that everything was fine and they were having a great time.  I was amazed.     


The food was decent, but not as great as Trip Advisor made it sound.  I got some sort of manicotti and enjoyed a glass of wine.  While I was sitting there, a lady who was leaving the restaurant (obviously a local) asked if I was in town for the OBX triathlon.  I had seen advertisements for this race around town, but I didnt realize it was the very next day.  Again, I am totally out of shape, but it really boosted my ego that I could be mistaken for a someone in triathlon shape.  I still got it!  


At some point, a guy about my age was seated at a table on my other side.  He was sitting by himself, and it was pretty apparent he was indeed there for the triathlon.  I inquired if he was there for the race.  It turns out he is a marine JAG from Atlanta.  Obviously, being in the marines he is already in pretty decent shape.  He hadnt trained, nor did he really have any idea what the race entailed.  He didnt know the temperature of the water, the distance of the bike, or really anything most triathletes care about.  At least he had the sense to carb up before the race.  He was pretty fun to talk to, and we sat and BS'd for a while.      


I had heard several locals inside the restaurant talking about the local high school football game.  I asked my server, and she told me that the stadium was right down the street.  I went to check it out.  I have to say, I was not very impressed.  The stadium was pretty damn empty.  Anyways, it was fun to watch a few plays.  



I went to my motel room, and quickly went to bed.  The next day:  Roanoke Historical Site and the Wright Brothers Memorial.          

(Note: the preceding events took place between Sept 19th and Sept 20th, 2013)