Our Little Outing

 Steve surprised us this morning with a little trip to Outer Banks, North Carolina. All he told us this morning before getting in the car was that we were going for a long drive in the car and to pack some drinks and snacks. Before long we were crossing the state border into North Carolina. We really enjoyed the drive through scenic farm land. Before long I figured out where we were going. A couple of months ago I asked Steve about the location of Nags Head because I kept seeing signs to go to there and he told me about Outer Banks. Later that night we checked out photos and found it to be a place we would definitely like to visit one day. It was a delight to find out that Steve picked today to do just that.

When we first arrived in the Outer Banks area, we decided to drive all the way down one tip of the island called Corolla. The drive was quite amazing. We were surrounded by gorgeous beach houses that were huge and really nice. The entire area was beautiful. Tyler kept saying that he wished we lived here. Steve and I agreed with him. Of course, we would probably have to be millionaires though. LOL When we finally reached the beach, we drove right on it with our car. We followed some other cars doing the same. Then we stopped and got out. We got some photos. Steve used his new tripod to get some 360 degree shots while Tyler and I collected some pretty shells to take home.

After we were satisfied with the photos we took, we got back in the car and proceeded back down the road. One of the main attractions to see on the island are the lighthouse. There was one in this area called Currituck Beach Lighthouse; however before visiting it, we went to check out the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education. The exhibits inside were quite interesting. They had a small aquarium that Tyler loved. There was also great information on the history of the island and the people that lived there. There was a great selection of original antiques native to the island as well as the wildlife to view up close.We then went back outside and went to see the lighthouse. On the same property was a view original housing including a chapel and schoolhouse. The lighthouse was closed for renovations so we were unable to go inside. It was nice to walk around the gounds just the same.
By this time, our tummies were growling for some food so we got back in the car to seek somewhere to eat. Many of the stores and restaurants were not open for the season yet, however we did find a quaint little grill. Most of the people we had seen on the beach previously were also there. Tyler took this photo of Steve and I while we were waiting for our food to arrive. After eating our very tasty meals, it was back in the car yet again to seek out our next little adventure on the island.
The island is well known for their herds of wild horses, however when we were on the beach, where they usually hang out at, we failed to see any. Looking at a map while in the restaurant, we thought perhaps if we went up to that area but do the trail to the national estuarine research area we may increase our chances of seeing some of the mustangs. Unfortunately, we didn't see any, but we did enjoy the trail very much and Steve got another cool 360 degree photo.

 By this time we decided to drive up to Nags Head because we were afraid we might run out of daylight before we got a chance to see what we wanted on that part of the island. Before doing so, however, we stopped to grab a cache on the way. the coordinates brought us to some shops along the coast. The cache was cleverly hidden in a little birdhouse attached to one of the shops. Tyler traded one of his shells he found on the beach for a new shell, he said he will call it his "lucky shell". We signed the log and replace it in the cache and we are on our way again.

 
Steve said there was another cache he wanted us to get and it was a virtual located at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. This was also on our way to Nags Head to see Brodie Island Lighthouse. After paying the admission to get into the park, we drove around and stopped at this replica of the plane. It had lifelike statues depicting the first flight.


 The memorial itself was located high on top of a hill which we had to walk up. It was quite the climb, but of course Tyler had no problem; he ran up. LOL The memorial was interesting and a little strange too. You could see the beautiful coastline from the top and while there you could imagine them taking off and landing in the field below. There were markers set up so you could see their landing patterns. After our visit to the memorial, we went inside the museum where they had an exact replica of the plane and actual parts of the plane on display. Many of the parts were from the bicycles they had worked on in their shop.
The park was due to close soon and so we quickly had to do the cache. The virtual was located at a boulder in the park. To claim the find we had to take a photo in front of it with our GPS. We did so and we then headed back on the road. Unfortunately our plan of visiting the Brodie Island Lighthouse quickly changed due to the fact that the road to get there was closed for construction. We drove down the coast a little thinking we could enter to see the lighthouse a different way, but we were unsuccessful. Steve was in the mood for a milkshake and that sounded like good, so we decided why not have ice cream and milkshakes for dinner. LOL It was dark by this time and so we stopped at an ice cream parlor for "dinner". It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. Unfortunately,this was our last day of fun before Steve goes on deployment on Tuesday. :( Though today gave us something to look forward to because we are definitely planning a return trip to the island when Steve returns. :)