Thanksgiving on the Outer Banks

"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few are sandy." -- Manipulation of a John Muir quote

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!

An Exciting New Adventure

“Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive–it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half so interesting if we know all about everything would it?” -- Anne Shirley

This past weekend I was in Abingdon, Virginia. I had completed the Creeper Trail the day before and was curious about what else was nearby. In an internet search of walking trails, I discovered Grayson Highlands State Park. This park is full of hiking trails, including part of the Appalachian Trail. I was intrigued. I did further research into the park and found out some really neat information. In 1974 ponies were brought to the park to help graze the balds. These areas are difficult to mow, and ponies were the perfect answer. Today there are 10-15 herds of wild ponies of various sizes. 

A visit to the park can result in pony sightings!! THAT little message had me! Early Saturday morning I drove through Damascus and then took a windy mountain road up the mountain. I chose to take a different route than the one the shuttles take to the Whitetop Station for the beginning of the Creeper Trail. My road was curvier, narrower, and sometimes dirt; I loved it! When I finally arrived at Grayson Highlands State Park, which is very near Mount Rogers, Virginia's highest peak, the park was shrouded in a thick fog. I was not deterred. I decided to hike some forest trails while I waited for the fog to clear. I walked the Twin Pinnacles Trail which is not too strenuous and is a little less than 1.5 miles. It would have had some amazing views if it weren't for the heavy fog which was not dissipating at all. When I completed the trail, I visited the visitor center. There I learned that chances of seeing any of the ponies were very slim due to the fog which was expected to stay around all day. 

I decided to make it like a treasure hunt. I headed over to Massie Gap, where I would find the trailhead for the Rhododendron Trail. This trail crosses the Appalachian Trail, and I had read that this was the most likely area for seeing ponies. I headed out on the trail, passing many disappointed people heading back in. Whenever I started to feel discouraged, I reminded myself that the experience itself was fun; I was on new ground, in a place I'd never been in. (I know, you're right; I really wanted to see a pony.)

About the time I gave myself a 15 minute time limit before turning around and heading back, I heard a noise over to my left. Looking through the still dense fog, I saw it -- a pony! I was so excited! The rule is that people are not to get closer to the ponies than 150 feet, so I crept closer, but not too close. I got some great pictures, especially when that gorgeous pony lifted up his head and looked at me, before calmly continuing to graze. 

I felt like I had indeed found a treasure, and not just with the pony sighting. I have found a new place to visit. There are so many more trails there that I want to walk on. There's even a waterfall. And there are many more ponies yet to see. I can't wait to return but will probably wait until spring. Hooray, a trip to look forward to. Below are a few other shots I took on my hike. I've also included a link to the park site so you can learn a little more about it. Isn't it such an interesting world?

Grayson Highlands State Park

Virginia Creeper Trail (Times Two)

"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." -- John Muir

Over the past few weeks, I have been blessed to be able to ride the Virginia Creeper Trail twice. For the first time ever, I went with friends. I had such a great time; we laughed the entire time. Neither of them had been before, so it was fun to be able to show them all the beautiful photo-ops along the way and to introduce them to all the wonders of this magnificent ride through the woods across and along the river that runs down the mountain. 

We spent the night in Wytheville and ate at Graze on Main. We all three had something different and all enjoyed our meals. We also had fun browsing the open stores along Main Street. The following day we visited Wytheville's Farmers Market (not that impressive) and Wytheville's Goodwill Store (impressive). We tried to go out a little ways from town and pick apples at a farm, but they no longer allow people to pick. We did buy some apples and got to see a surprise friend in a pasture beside the road. 

On the way back to Greensboro, we took our time and decided to stop wherever we wanted. We stopped in Hillsville, Virginia at an exit off of I-77. It was a really good market. All three of us made purchases. It would definitely be a worthy stop if you are ever on 77 south of Wytheville. We decided to stop for lunch in Mt. Airy and ate at the old drugstore. It is family owned and operated and a lot of fun. It was also nice to walk up and down the busy street in Mt. Airy, stopping at antique stores and candy shops. Overall we had a terrific weekend, and the trail now has two new enthusiasts!

Then... I got to visit the trail again! The leaves had not turned much when we were there, so I went ahead and made a reservation for two weeks out, hoping for some more color on my return visit. I had another very enjoyable ride, this time by myself. Due to the hot weather and lack of rain, the leaves weren't much more colorful. I didn't mind though. I even walked on a short nature trail before I arrived in Damascus. The trail is right off of Hwy. 91. It runs beside Laurel Creek and is a little over two miles round trip. I got some good pictures of the creek there.

I stayed in Abingdon on this trip, but before I left Damascus I ate a late lunch at the Old Mill Restaurant. It was delicious and not terribly expensive. Even nicer was that I got to eat right next to the water. I highly recommend it!

I stayed at a small local hotel in Abingdon, nothing impressive. I believe in saving money on hotels when I am only staying one night. As long as it's safe, clean, and has a comfortable bed I'm happy. I went on a new adventure the next morning but will save that for my next post. You'll want to read it, because it's something really neat. I'll try to post soon.

A Stay in Staunton

 “Not all those who wander are lost.” -J.R.R. Tolkien

Staunton is a small town in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. It is known for being the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson. It is also the home of Mary Baldwin University, formerly a women's college but now a co-ed institution. Staunton has a small but quaint downtown area with several restaurants, gift shops, and book stores. There are several lovely Bed & Breakfasts in Staunton and also a selection of hotels and inns.

I recently went for an overnight stay, arriving about lunchtime and leaving the next day about the same time. It's about a three hour drive from Greensboro. I traveled on Highway 29 through Lynchburg, a really nice drive in my opinion. The area is already special to me, because it is where my father grew up. We visited a few times when I was growing up. On this visit, I just wanted to be alone and see what I might find in and around the area. I was not disappointed.

I ate lunch at Shenandoah Pizza on Beverly Street downtown. Kathryn and I ate there with my niece last year when we visited her at Mary Baldwin. I have been thinking about the pizza I had ever since last year. You know, so often when you have something at a restaurant and really enjoy it, you are disappointed the next time because somehow it doesn't live up to your memory. That was not the case this time. My pizza was scrumptious again. It was so good that I almost went back for dinner. Spoiler alert: I didn't do that because I thought they might think I was strange. Just look at my pizza!!!

After this yummy lunch I wandered around downtown. I first went in Latitudes, a fair trade store just across Beverly Street. The shop reminds me a lot of Just Be in Greensboro, without the local artists touch. It's a great spot to get lost in for a little while. I next visited a couple of used book stores and of course made some purchases. One of the stores had two floors with piles of paperbacks, both children and adult everywhere. The other was more organized, with older books, some even collector-type books. It was hot, so I forced myself (ha! ha!) to get some gelato at The Split Banana further down Beverly Street. My chocolate gelato was delicious, but it was melting quickly in the heat so I could not get a good picture. I snagged one online so you could get an idea of all of their choices.

To add some variety to my visit, I hopped in the car and drove across town to the Frontier Cultural Museum of Virginia. I had never heard of this place before and only found it in a search for Staunton attractions. It is a really neat place. It is a living history museum covering frontier history from the Native Americans to the 1850's, including exhibits showing what life was like in the European areas where American settlers originated. The museum is a collection of buildings along a walkway. Some of the buildings were even brought over from Europe and reconstructed here. The staff is extremely knowledgable and friendly. I so enjoyed my visit. I have included a map below and several pictures which I took. There were tons of animals, but I only included a few in my photos. They are open 7 days a week, with hours changing slightly for December through March 8. The admissions fee is $12 for adults, $11.50 for seniors, $11 for students, $7 for children 6-12, and under 6 free.

I stayed in a non-impressive hotel (Sleep Inn) near the interstate and ate dinner at a non-impressive steak house nearby. I drove about 30 minutes to Harrisburg to go to a Barnes & Noble because I had not already bought enough books. It ended up being a very providential trip because it alerted me to a great place to visit the next day -- Grand Caverns.

Grand Caverns is definitely worth the trip. It was about 25 minutes from Staunton via interstate. I opted to take a longer more scenic route and enjoyed my quiet Sunday morning ride through the foothills. The cavern hours are 9-5 (April through October) and 10-4 (November through March). The website tells you to call for a reservation, but I had no trouble just going up to the counter when they opened and getting a spot in the first tour of the day. The cost is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $11 for children. The tour lasts about an hour and consists of a one mile walk through the caves. It is cooler in the cave, so bring a lightweight jacket. I definitely recommend this attraction. The pictures below do not do it justice.

I started back to Greensboro after this fun morning of exploring. I meandered down some smaller roads before getting back on Highway 29. I stopped for lunch at a little place outside of Lynchburg and got another pizza. All in all, it was a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend my weekend, and I encourage you to make the short journey to Virginia to find out for yourself. I am closing with a few pictures, the first three are what you would expect to see on a Virginia back-road, the final is something you would NOT expect to see. Just part of the fun of traveling!!