Flip Flop Summer

It's hard to believe that we have gotten to Labor Day weekend already.  Where did my summer go?  To the beach?  To the pool?  To the lighthouse?  Maybe a deserted island? 

Yes, all of the above.

Big brother came to visit.

I know I have been a very poor blogger this past 4 months, but I have been a very rich person.  Rich in experiences that is.  In April I accepted a reservationist position at a campground on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  It sounded cool.  The term Outer Banks sounded cool.  I had no idea what I was signing up for.  And I was nervous about hurricanes even though I was assured by my soon to be boss that I had no reason to worry.  Yet, one day out from my destination tropical storm Ana was gaining hurricane strength and heading up the coastline.  I called the campground.  No worries, they said.  Come on out. 

This is actually in
Southport closer to
South Carolina line.

Found this marker
in a park looking
out to Oak Island
Lighthouse.  My
daddy was in the
Naval Armed Guard

Out is the operative word here.  We are OUT on the edge of the ocean.  Literally a sandy strip of land less than a mile wide that connects Hatteras Island to Nags Head and the mainland.  There is only one 2 lane road in and out.  So that's what "outer" banks means.  The nearest grocery is 17 miles south although there is a Dollar General a mile from the camp that just opened this spring and it's doing great.  They carry a few groceries of course - at least enough to carry you over until there's time to drive south or go to Kitty Hawk and the big Walmart 38 miles north.  But I haven't really minded that.  I've been busy.

Was lucky enough
to watch biologists
unearth a sea
turtle nest.  17
live babies!

How's that for a
flip flop tan?

Yes, there's the beach and while I'm not really a beach person I have enjoyed some time out by the waves.  Then there's the pool which is more to my liking especially early in the morning when the vacationers haven't gotten up and around yet.  And the hot tub is a nice perk when your back and legs are beat.  But really I haven't been hanging around the campground much on my time off.  There's too much to see out here.

Watched the sun setting as we
ate a picnic dinner on the
Cedar Island Ferry.

Also got to watch
a full moon rising
on the sound as
we crossed on
Cedar Island Ferry.

Highway 12, the little 2 lane road that bisects this sandbar begins up in Kitty Hawk where you find mile post 1.  My campsite is located at mile post 40.5.  Down at mile post 82 is the end of Hatteras Island and a ferry over to the next island in the Outer Banks (from here on referred to as OBX) chain.  Hop on the ferry and after a leisurely 45 minute ride with a chance of seeing dolphins along the way as you cross the Pamlico Sound and you will be on Ocracoke Island. Blackbeard was captured, killed, and beheaded here.  It's a quaint little island only 13 miles long with another ferry post at the other end.  From there you can take another ferry ride, this one two and half hours long to reach Cedar Point where you can pick up the highway again and drive on down the coast visiting other islands and beaches along the way.  Did I do all that?  What a silly question. 

And when the 3 of us are together
it's really crazy.  No, we aren't
nuts, the mosquitos on Portsmouth
Island were deadly.

Whenever I cache
with this woman I
have the most
unusual adventures!

There's lots of history around here besides pirate lore.  During WWII there was a navy base on Ocracoke and German subs sank US merchant ships just off the coast leaving the island residents to go out looking for survivors - English & American - and spies trying to come ashore - German.   And there are geocaches of course.  Only 8 on Ocracoke itself (yes, I found them all) plus 2 virtual caches on Portsmouth Island which is a deserted island in Ocracoke Sound.  Yep, got those too with my new cache buddies GeoKu (Sue) and Gigiwoll (Georgia).  Now that was an adventure.

Me & Georgia: 1 day, 276 miles, 6
ferry rides.  Too many laughs.

Speaking of geocaching, you who know me well enough to know I've been at it all summer.  The closest cache to my camp is a micro called Nights in Rodanthe placed near the actual house from the movie of that name.  Did that one the first day.  In fact while out here this summer I hit a milestone in my geocaching career by reaching 6,000 finds and held a little gathering at a Dairy Queen in Nags Head (there are LOTS of ice cream shops on this island which is not a good thing for me).  Several folks showed up as well as Georgia and Sue and afterwards we all went to another event up the road in Kitty Hawk.  I've met a lot of great cachers this summer and done some great caches too.  It's kind of sad to see it all come to an end, but there is a little something called Hurricane Grace forming in the Atlantic so I think I'll get out of her way.  You know, just in case.  My boss assures me all will be OK.

I do love this life.