diversions

One day we drove down to the southern tip of Hatteras Island, where we were staying, and took a ferry to the neighboring island of Ocracoke, the island famous for the pirates who hid out there a few hundred years ago, most notably Blackbeard. Blackbeard was also killed there.


The ferry ride was scenic and nicely breezy and fun for everyone.



On the island we didn't seek out any historical places. It was blazing hot and we kept our walking around to a relative minimum. Someone gave us a tip to check out a little arts and crafts place that was really off the beaten path. We drive down these very narrow dirt side roads to find it, but it was worth it. I think everyone in our group ended up buying some things here.


Then we visited some places not off the beaten path and found some things for the kids.

Not many visitors come there from the west.

The best part of the visit, apart from the Ferry rides, was probably the large ice cream cones and shady large porch at the ice cream shop that afternoon.


On another day, after Mom and Peter had left for home, the rest of us went to visit the lighthouse on Hatteras Island, notable because it's the tallest lighthouse in north america. I wanted to get a picture before the girls and John and Jeff and I climbed to the top, amid many warnings that if we thought it was hot and humid outside, just wait until we experienced climbing 12 floors of stairs in that little building.

No one was much in the mood for pictures.


But the climb inside really wasn't nearly as bad as the rangers warned us it would be, and the view from the top was fantastic!

Back at the bottom the girls were a little more willing to at least look at the camera while Jeff took a photo.



Though it's kind of a pain to get there (2 flights plus a 3-hour drive from Norfolk, VA), the beaches and ocean at the outer banks are really nice and the warm ocean is a great change from what we know at home. I'm sure that we'll be back.