This year for Thanksgiving I decided to do something very different. I went alone to North Carolina's Outer Banks. I have not been in over 10 years, and with a long Thanksgiving break, it seemed like the perfect time to return. I was not wrong. I had a wonderful time searching for shells and sea glass, reading, observing gorgeous sun rises and sunsets, and getting a little extra rest. It was one of the most relaxing trips I have ever taken.
For those of you not familiar with the Outer Banks, a string of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. It is comprised of many little communities, from Ocracoke in the south to Corolla in the north. It is known for its iconic lighthouses, its plentiful seashells, and its wild horses. Historically it is also known as an area fraught with shipwrecks. The locals are fishermen, artists, and naturalists. Many of the local people make their living off of the tremendous influx of tourists in the summer. It is an area both wild and peaceful. There are waves crashing onto beaches which are eroding as storms crash into the islands. There are huge sand dunes with waving sea oats. The dunes were constructed in the 1930's thanks to Roosevelt's WPA program. As part of this program, men filled in the area with old military equipment and brought in tons of sand. Next they built fences and planted sea oats to insure that the sand would have something to hold on to. Those dunes remain today, protecting animal life, property, and the islands themselves.
The beach is not exactly a November destination, and that is one of the reasons I chose Thanksgiving as my time to go. In the summer, the Outer Banks can be especially crowded. The roads are narrow and curvy in many areas, and speed limits are kept low. There are MANY rental houses on the islands, but being alone and not requiring much space, I elected to stay in a hotel. There are not as many of those. I stayed at Hampton Inn and Suites, Corolla. I got a good price through Hotels.com, which is mainly why I chose that location. The hotel was nice. A free breakfast was available daily; it was right on the beach; my room was spacious and clean. The only drawback was the location. Being in Corolla, it was on the northern end of the islands. Since it was not the tourist season, many restaurants nearby were closed. I had a little trouble finding places to eat without driving a long way. If I ever go again during the off-season, I will probably stay at a hotel in Nags Head, a town more centrally located with several hotels.
I actually ate Thanksgiving dinner in Nags Head, at a restaurant called The Jolly Roger. They had a special all-you-can-eat meal for $16.95. It was very good. I made a reservation way ahead of time and was glad I did. Even with a reservation, there was a little bit of a wait. This is obviously the place to eat for Thanksgiving. Many locals were there, and I heard them talking about returning for Christmas. At $16.95, it was way below other restaurants offering comparable meals for $32.00 and up.
Most of my time on this trip was unscheduled, but I did set up one excursion. I took a hummer tour to see the wild horses of Corolla. These horses are completely wild and are ancestors of Spanish colonial mustangs and have been at home on the island since the 1500's. The only way to get to where the horses are is on a 4-wheel drive vehicle. There are several tours available. I chose Wild Horse Adventure Tours because of the hummer and also because, as a company, they give back to the horses by buying land to protect them, being eco-friendly, and by their support of the horses.
It was quite cold the day I went, but I bundled up, and they provide lots of blankets. I was lucky enough as a single rider to get the front seat -- warmer and with the best view. The driver's name was Nora, and she was excellent. She is a lover of horses, an arts educator, and a native of the Outer Banks. She did a really good job of finding horses for us to see. We actually saw six in the two hours we were on the tour. She also took us to a special area that Wild Horse Adventures has crated on the sound-side of the island. They have built back a small forest of sorts. It's an area that the horses can go to for protection during storms and for privacy. Overall, I highly recommend this tour for anyone going to the Outer Banks. It is great fun, and seeing these gorgeous creatures is an adventure in itself.
The majority of my trip was spent just enjoying myself with several solitary activities. I delighted in being in a new place, doing new things, and relishing God's beautiful creation. I found many unique seashells which I have now put in jars and baskets around my house. I even found two pieces of sea glass! My first!!! I was ecstatic! I got up every morning in time to catch a glimpse of a gorgeous sun rise over the Atlantic. From my balcony I had a perfect view towards the west and was witness to some amazing sunsets. There aren't many places you can go and see both so clearly. Enjoy the pictures below. I hope they cause you to get excited about taking your own trip to North Carolina's Outer Banks!
**This fractured shell was actually heart-shaped!!!!
One last thing -- the original Duck Donuts can be found in the community of Duck on the Outer Banks. I HAD to check it out! MMMMMMM! Sorry, not sorry!
GORGEOUS pictures!!!
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