Douthat State Park - Millboro, VA

Packed and ready to go!

It's the first day of our Alaska Trip.  It's kinda a "get outta Dodge" kind of day, lots of trucks...there was a traffic jam at a popular truck stop exit just because the price of fuel was low.  Once we started heading to West Virginia, the traffic got very light, though.  We'd been to Douthat before, but we didn't remember until we got to the visitor's center.  There were a dozen or so campers hovering around the building like moths to a light.  The visitor's center has WiFi and there is no cell coverage in the park!

This morning we took quick showers and headed to the lake for breakfast.  It's a lovely view and there is a restaurant (we will be returning here for our last night and plan on having dinner).  Lots of people are here hovering around the restaurant even though it's not open...yup...WiFi. Today, we are off to Ohio.  There is another Campground right on the lake... maybe next time we should check it out!

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Merchant Millpond SP - Gatesville, NC

We headed north towards home, stopping at Bodie Island lighthouse.  It has horizontal stripes instead of the diagonal stripes of the Cape Hatteras light.  Because of the delicate spiral staircase, only eight people can climb the light at a time, with only one person either going up or down on each flight of stairs.  With a 40 minute wait, it was a perfect place for lunch, and then a 200 step climb to the top.  The group that climbed with us had spent their time walking the boardwalk and accidentally flushing out a dozing rattler.  Deb felt somewhat safer at the top of the lighthouse.

For the trip back, we left the Outer Banks half way up at Route 64 to head to the mainland, it was a more pleasant,  albeit longer, drive.  After staying up past midnight the night before, watching Django Unchained, I was yawning quite a bit.  The span was open crossing the Alligator River, so Deb says, "Let's change drivers". Bam!

Looking up from the first flight

Well, the new route left us at an old haunt, Merchant Millpond State Park., right about three o'clock.  So we decided to spend another night in North Carolina.  It's a Friday night and we always go out for dinner, so we cooked on the Barbie ate outside at the picnic table.  We may go canoeing before heading home. That would be after a Saturday breakfast of eggs, corned beef hash, and toast.

Frisco Campground - Cape Hatteras, NC (Day 2)

 It's a little ways to the beach, down a boardwalk and then over the dunes.  We decided to go in the morning, before the heat of the day, but the humidity is still s little oppressive.  To save on the expense of parking lots, everyone just drives their pick-up truck down the beach to their chosen location.  Then each night the surf repaves the parking lot.

Grilled salmon w/ mango salsa and grilled brussel spouts

Our lunch in Avon the day before was so nice, we decided to try another...this time Buxton Munch...(highly rated on trip advisor).  The place was crowded for a Thursday afternoon, so another couple from San Diego invited themselves to join us at our table for four.  They were driving from Maine to Florida.  Deb had a DIY fish taco while I settled into a Jamaican Wrap...both were served with a side of Tootsie Rolls.  Meanwhile Drex hung it in the RV with air conditioner running and the generator charging the battery.  Dinner was salmon, sautéed Brussel Sprouts, and rice.  After watching the sun set, and the temperature dip somewhat, Deb took a cool shower (after I lugged 10 gallons of water to refill our tank) and the 3 hours of Django Unchained...(one of those movies you have to watch....once).  Tomorrow it's back towards home.

Frisco Campground, Cape Hatteras NP, NC

We left Oregon Inlet for our 40 mile trip to Frisco.  Stopped at the Visitor's center on Pea Island, learned about the 1870 shipwreck just off the shore (Civil War supply ship...of course), walked the nature trail...the sign said, "don't feed the wildlife!"  So we quickly decided not to feed the hundreds of deer flies and after about 50 feet, returned to the safety of our vehicle.  In Avon, NC we stopped at The Froggy Dog for some local seafood...Fried Whiting.  After a quick stop for essentials (potato chips) we went to climb the Cape Hatteras lighthouse.  It's the second tallest brick lighthouse in the world, or something equally impressive.  So when they said it got moved from the eroding shoreline in 1999...we had to find out how.  We bought the DVD about the move to give to my ever inquisitive father-in-law for Christmas...whoops...I guess that was suppose to be a secret.   But curiosity got the better of us so we watched it...we'll just wrap it up for him later!

Just to prove we did climb it!

All the Campgrounds in Cape Hatteras NP seem pretty much the same, open fields with sites backing up to the dunes, except for Frisco which has lots of native shrubs and a hill overlooking the ocean.  Unlike the other campgrounds there does not seem to be any bugs (not counting ticks).  We can see the ocean off in the distance.  We have decided to stay here an additional day to check it all out.

Frisco Campground, Site P49

Oregon Inlet - Cape Hatteras NP, Nag's Head, NC

Gaillardia - Common Blanket Flower

It has been a fairly wet May, and Deb and I have been looking for three or four day breaks in the weather for short get aways.  With Memorial Day just behind us, we headed for the Outer Banks. There are four campgrounds in Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  We did our first dry camping at the most southern campground, Ocracoke, in 2013 and have not been back since.  This time we stayed at the most northern, Oregon Inlet.  It's a little buggy, but the seashore is spectacular and there are nice little windy paths to get there.  Probably in the height of the summer, this place is packed, and with no shade, probably really hot.  But since we are retired, we will probably never find out what it's like on a weekend in July.  Next, we are traveling south to check out more of the campgrounds, more beaches, and more wildflowers.

The wildflowers are wonderful in the spring. These common blanket flowers are everywhere! Last night I saw Evening Primrose, a plant that only flowers in the evening.

First Landing SP - Virginia Beach, VA (day 2)

It's a special day...it's retired Mother's Day (that is the closest day to Mother's Day with good weather, so we celebrate just because we can!)...it's also the second Wednesday of the month which is Social Security check day (it's my very first Social Security check...can't wait to spend it on something)!

For Mother's Day we walked the beach and biked to Broad Bay.  After the walk on the beach, Drex had no more blood in his legs and decided to take a nap in the RV, after the twelve mile bike ride to Broad Bay, Deb had no more blood in her legs and decided to take a nap in the RV.  Once they had both recovered, we took the beach chairs, dog blanket, and umbrella to the beach to watch the surf.  after lugging everything back, I had no more blood in my legs...you can guess what came next.

Japanese rooftop irises

Tonight's meal is Beef Stew...except for...there was a little confusion as to whom was suppose to pack the potatoes.  Fortunately, there is a Food Lion only a few blocks from the campground.  With an expedited closing up of the RV, we rolled down to the store...got some potatoes and were back at the site within twenty minutes.  Beef Stew is much better with potatoes than with the other starch choices we had...spaghetti or rice...

To top off a great day, we had a fire...using another Dragon in the Box fire starter (an absolute must have for anyone making campfires)...With Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia Ice Cream, followed by an episode of Survivor.   Happy Retired Mother's Day!

First Landing SP - Virginia Beach, VA

After nearly two years, we finally got back to one of our favorite parks, First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach.  It's been crowded on the week-ends and the weather has not been good. So, we made our own week-end: Tuesaterday and Wedsunday.  To make it perfect, it was a hot/cold day...too hot for a sweatshirt in the sun, too cool in the shade without one.  Of course, that meant it was too hot/cold for a fire.

We roamed the beach with Drex trying to decide if it was too cold to lay down in the surf...eventually giving into his instincts and taking the plunge.  I couldn't decide whether or not to wear shorts until I realized I didn't bring any!  Actually, a wonderful way to spend a week-middle.