April 2, 2012

driving across the skinny bridge from North Carolina to the Outer Banks

April 2......(pics coming)  Pam and I got up early and headed out on the rest of our drive to Manteo, NC to visit Fort Raleigh and the Lost Colony of Roanoke, Kill Devil Hills for the Wright Bros Park and the Bodie Island Lighthouse....all on the Outer Banks of NC.....lovely morning drive and we enjoyed the scenery......when we hit the bridge going over the Atlantic to the islands we experienced high winds (not quite 40 mph...they close the bridges at that speed) but it felt like 100 mph!!!  We all felt like the RV would be blown over the small stone wall that lined the bridges.....YIKES!!!  Gracie looked for dolphins but didn’t see any...the ocean was so rough....all white caps........It was so pretty out on this TINY strip of land right on the Atlantic Ocean..... you immediately felt like time just slowed down out there.....cold and very windy, we all wore pants and sweatshirts except for Christian! 

outside the visitor center

The Visitors Center was very nice.....














....after all of the miles that we have driven through the South, we finally came across our first Piggly Wiggly.....sort of like a CVS store......

We arrived at Fort Raleigh and the Lost Colony of Roanoke and were able to do the Jr. Ranger program....
the Ranger was super silly and joked around with the kids when he gave them their badges.....we learned a lot about what happened here and what they don’t know happened here......this was the first English settlement in America and there were 2 attempts to settle here.  The 1^st ended with a return to England, the 2^nd ended with the Governor, coming back to England for more supplies.  He left his daughter and her husband and newborn baby, Virginia Dare (the first English child born in America) here with the intention of returning in a few months.  Due to unforeseen circumstances, he was unable to return for 3 years and when he did return, the entire colony was gone and the fort/settlement was deserted.  The only thing left behind was ruins and a pole with the word “CROATOAN” written on it.  Did the colonists die, were they murdered/kidnapped by the Indians, did they go to the island of Croatoan?  We will never know.......Roanoke Island was also home to a FREEMANS COLONY during the Civil War.....”If you can cross the creek to Roanoke Island, you will find ‘safe haven’ ” .......thus making this area part of the National Underground Railroad----Network to Freedom. I didn’t know this and I thought this was an interesting thing....our first stop that we have come across on the underground railroad.     



   I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts." Psalm 119:45





.....even though the dramatic theatre presentation is not open at this time of the year, we got to see the stage area and walk along the ocean behind it.......we stood looking out on the Atlantic O!!cean, very rough and oh so windy

the Atlantic coast on the Outer Banks....

We drove south to Bodie (pronounced Body) Island Lighthouse, very pretty and tall. It is not open to go into but it was fun to see it and talk to the kids about the reasons for lighthouses here on the outer banks.  We will see more lighthouses when we get to Maine. 














Once again, it was getting later in the afternoon and we still had two more stops to make......rushed to get to the Orville and Wilbur Wright National Park, we rushed but still didn’t have quite enough time to see everything there......the exhibit hall was very nice and the hall dedicated to all air and space travel was very interesting......

We ran (literally) up the huge hill to get to the top to see the huge monument statue........We reached it and took pics, very impressive views from the top, and ran back down the hill......



....we had to run down the hill from the Wright Bros. monument to get out of the park before the locked the gate.....

We stopped for a potty break at the ACE Hardware and the kids climbed into the largest red Adirondack chair that I have ever seem....All you could see of them was little round heads and feet sticking out.....Pam and I ran into the store to ask for directions to the Monument to all Air Travel and the gal didn’t even know about it.......Wow, I guess the locals don’t go to the historical areas of their own towns......No worries, we are resourceful and we found it down the road. It was a very nice memorial of all the important firsts in flight and space....

the kids thought this giant adirondack chair was funny!!

 

.......and then we were on to the next state......off we went in the quest to reach Williamsburg KOA.....after many hours (more than it should have taken) we finally reached our destination and it was a lovely campground....very nice and CLEAN!!Our beds feel very nice when you are tired!!