OBX 2 drive to Avon, NC April 18th and 19th 2015

we continue on our way...

Don does not like driving on bridges so the series of bridges over the various rivers and sounds to the OBX (Outer Banks) was a challenge.  With the relatively short bridge over the Alligator River behind us and as we approached Manns Harbor on what is called the Dare Mainland, we saw the next in the series:

The Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge over the Croatan Sound

leading to Roanoke Island

And then finally onto Hatteras Island where we started south on Rte 12 the road that runs from one end of the islands to the other

We drove along a section that was lined with trees

and then the road opened into what we would see for many miles...sand dunes on either side-the Pamlico Sound to the right and the Atlantic Ocean to our left

The sun came and went behind clouds and fog and I took a photo of it through a dark lens AND my sunglasses

We continued south through the Pea Island Preserve and several beachside towns with brightly painted houses

Until we arrived at our campground, the wonderful, funky and convenient 

Sands of Time Campground

Gracie runs the campground and is from Avon, or Kinnakeet as the town is called locally.  She is fun, relaxed and as nice as anyone we've met on our travels.  She doesn't take credit cards but neither does she force you to pay for electric at your site if you don't need it.  With our solar panels we were able to park in a 30amp site.  We paid a $10 deposit but because we ran on solar and batteries the whole time she refunded it.  The laundry is right on site.  When we first arrived the couple leaving in the spot next to us "warned" us about the fire station next door.  Well, yes, it is there and one afternoon we did hear the whistle blow but, I don't know, my son attended school for 4 years in an elementary school that had a fire whistle on the roof.  The whistle was not obnoxious and this wasn't an area where it went off every hour so it didn't bother us.  What we loved was being able to sit outside, or to hop on our bikes and ride to the Sound to watch the sunset or to the ocean to walk or visit the famous Avon pier or to any one of a number of restaurants right there.  There are also a few stores with locally made art work but I decided the best way to resist temptation was to avoid them.  It's one of the good things about living in limited space where we have weight limits.  

The first night we were tired so we just went up to the Mad Crabbers and had dinner.  And beer since I'd discovered I liked it and they had a really good Carolina Brewery Copper Line Amber Ale.

I also had crab legs since there were no oysters that night.

Before

After

When we got back Cadbury had made himself comfortable, exhausted after a long day of having to ride in a moving object. (The strap across his chest is part of the vest that he wears so we can walk him on a leash or tether him.)

That night we awakened to gusts of 30MPH/Beaufort 6 winds that buffeted and shook our little abode but we were secure in our conviction that we would not "blow over."  And we didn't. The morning of April 19 dawned cloudy and a bit cool so we set off to explore Hatteras Island.  Phoenix was as yet not convinced we'd ever come back when we left and sat on the dashboard barking while we were gone the night before so, we piled her in the car and took her with us.  National Parks allow animals in almost all the areas except buildings so we knew we could take her most places and leave her in the car, in the shade when we couldn't.  As it turned out we only walked around the lighthouse and then down onto the beach so she came with us.

Cape Hatteras Light

The story of it being moved in 1999 is pretty interesting

ominous clouds but only sprinkles of rain

I hated to be snobby but my brother and all his kids are surfers and I almost cried for the surfers in these "waves." I know they get big but these were pitiful (until we got to Cape Cod and I saw what they had there!)

An interesting piece of flotsam-peanuts?

Phoenix loves walks where she can sniff

almost as much as the ones where people pat her and scratch her belly!

We headed back north and started to notice kiteboarding sails visible over the dunes on both sides of the road.  When we saw a group of guys up on a stile we decided to stop and watch.  The two guys out there were obviously experienced and one guy had a keel that seemed to elevate him and his board above the water.  I found out later that it's called a Foilboard and it's a board with a hydrofoil and it's called Kite Hydrofoiling

                 

     This guy was a newbie and was just practicing.  A huge gust came and he slid across the sand on his heels.

We crossed the road to Pamlico Sound where there were a lot more boarders but not half as exciting, even for the guy using two kites.

                                                

                           

                                                

When we got back to the campground we decided to go for a walk to the Avon Pier and ended up taking a long walk on the beach.  Since it's off season, the beach was virtually deserted.  

                                         

                             

looking south from the pier

on the pier

below the pier

Don on the pier

There were lots of gulls

crashing waves

baby Man-O-Wars (Men-O-War?)

and interesting flotsam and jetsam

After 2 hours we headed back to the campground, ate dinner and retired early as we have started to do. There were so many things we wanted to do that we were having trouble figuring out how to schedule them all.  The next day's plans were to hike or go to Okracoke Island....