Travelogue

Lazy Daze Camping in Flying JI read once that smell triggers more memories than any other sense. We’ve all been transported back to our grandmas’ kitchens with the mere whiff of an apple pie baking in an oven or to days on the seashore as a kid with the first waft of salt air near the Jersey shore. Less common perhaps is my reaction to noxious fumes of diesel fuel. No matter how old I get, I am sure that a whiff of diesel and the rumble of an 18-wheeler’s generator will make me smile, because for at least a moment I will be transported back to my trusty little motorhome on its first night out on a road trip.

Our trips very often start out with a first night stay at a Flying J Travel Plaza. They’re perfect for long driving days where all you need is a safe place to sleep after a long day of driving—and they’re free. This particular Flying J in Latte, South Carolina, is one that we have often stayed at on our trips South during spring break when the kids were younger. It’s about 12 hours from our home in New Jersey, which is a long enough driving day for me, and it positions us near enough to the fabulous South Carolina coastline, so that we can arrive at our destination—in this case Hunting Island State Park—early enough to enjoy a full day.

One thing we didn’t consider in our planning, however, was that a steamy August night in a truck stop (without electrical hookup) is a lot less inviting than our previous experiences on April nights. We did manage to get through, but it did get me questioning again the wisdom of heading South in August.

Description

Flying J's are Travel Plazas that cater to truckers and RV's. Their numerous services include gas, dump station, propane, fast food restaurant, limited groceries, and even showers and a barber shop. However, the best feature of all is the section for overnight RV parking.

They are conveniently located on most of the interstates (except for the northeast).

Travelogue

Day 9

Along with Day 9 came shower number 2.

Hiking OutWe left Grand Teton around 6am to start the 10 hour drive to Bryce Canyon. For the 10 hours through Utah we basically didn’t pass another car and the only things we saw were cow’s backsides and street signs with shotgun holes through them.

We did however pass, and then stop, at the Mecca of all outdoors stores: Cabela's. Our planned short pit-stop turned into quite an event. After touring the store’s aquarium and looking through every imaginable section, we went upstairs to discover more sections and a restaurant that we continued to eat lunch at. We ended up buying a couple pair of socks, but it was a good break in the day.

Through The WallWe also started to escape the unpredictable and cold weather of Yellowstone and the Tetons. The in-car thermometer read between 95 and 98 the whole drive.

We arrived at Ruby’s Inn (our campground) in the late afternoon and were pleasantly surprised. Not only did campground have free showers (which everyone but John utilized), but they also had an indoor and an outdoor pool with accompanying hot tubs.

I would have to guess that no one there had ever seen five teenagers from New Jersey before, because almost everyone else who was there camping in their Opera Houses (what we have nicknamed RV’s) was just blatantly starring at us while we were hanging around the campsite. It may have also had something to do with the fact that we were the only English speaking people there.

Group PictureOn our way over to the pool, John showed us that there are few things in life better than a good Speedo. Tommy packed this fluorescent orange Speedo that was made to fit what looked like a 12 year old and John wore it over to the pool. And we though people were staring earlier.

Just like the campground we were the only English speaking people at the pool and we struck up a conversation with a kid who looked about our age from France. Tommy was the translator.

John Taking A PictureAfter we cooled off we ate at this little place they had at the campground and showered. When we got back to our site the decision was made to not set up the tent. Firstly because, Bryce Canyon is one of the best places in the country to see stars. But more importantly, we were just too lazy to want to set up and then take down our (broken) tent.

So we fell asleep, under the stars, to me giving a wonderful astronomy lesson to the crew. And we all have the amazing science department at Northern Highlands to thank for that.

Day 10

Tommy slept through the alarm so we ended up sleeping in and not getting up until 8:30.

We ate breakfast, with the same families as the day before still staring at us, and then headed off to our new campground in the Park, Sunset View. On the way in there was a “Take Some, Leave Some” table, so we grabbed a spare gas can for the car and left some Lysol wipes. (Thanks Mrs. Marotta!)

Victorias GardenInstead of doing one of the hikes that are planned and mapped for visitors, Tommy figured out a “best of” hike that traversed certain parts of a bunch of different hikes. So we kept switching trails all the way down and back up the Canyon based on which ones offered the best beginning, middle, and end.

After the hike we decided to try and sneak back into the pool that the campground we stayed in the night before offered. We were victorious. After, again, being the only English speaking people at the pool, we tried our luck again at sneaking into the showers. We got the lock combination to the bath house and we all (John included) successfully showered.

We did some more shopping and then John burned the rice for dinner, and we ended up eating pasta.

For the second night, we didn’t want to make the “tent-ball” appear again because we’re lazy, so we slept under the stars again. Unfortunately for the group, I was fresh out of astronomy knowledge from the night before.

- Jake

Description

Bryce Canyon National Park, which is located in southern Utah, is a geological fairyland, an intricate maze of wondrous shapes and formations. The oddly shaped pinnacles of rock, called hoodoos, display a mysterious blend of colors--warm yellows and oranges, and more dramatic pinks and reds--that provide a continuous show of changing colors with the rising and setting sun.

Bryce amphitheaterLike Zion National Park, Bryce is part of the Grand Staircase, which is a series of plateaus formed by the uplifting and tilting of the Colorado Plateau millions of years ago. Bryce occupies part of one of these plateaus of the Grand Staircase called the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce Canyon is not really a canyon at all, but rather a series of amphitheaters cut into the Pink Cliffs of the Paunsaugunt Plateau by millions of years of erosion from flowing streams. The centerpiece of the park is the 6-mile square Bryce Amphitheater with its intricate maze of whimsically-shaped hoodoos.

The rock spires (hoodoos) are the result of erosion in rock layers that vary in hardness. When water flowed through the cracks in these rocks, the softer rock wore away leaving behind the harder, erosion-resistant caps. The ongoing cycle of freezing and thawing continues to dissolve the softer rock, constantly changing the shape of the hoodoos. This continuous erosion is also causing the plateau cliffs to recede at the rate of about one foot every 60 years.

Colorful hoodoos in the amphitheaterBryce is much smaller and less intimidating than Zion and the Grand Canyon and much easier to explore. You can stand at the edge of the plateau rim and gaze down into the maze of hoodoos below or descend the trails from the rim and wander around among them. There are several good hiking trails. The Rim Trail runs 5.5 miles along the edge of the canyon, rather than taking you down into it, providing splendid views from above. Another great choice for a hike is the Queen's Garden Trail down into the canyon itself. Or if hiking isn't your thing, you can take the 17-mile scenic drive through the park, stopping at the numerous viewpoints along the way. You can either take your own vehicle or the free shuttle bus.

There are 2 campgrounds in the park. Both of them work on a first-come first-serve basis.

- Lolo

Travelogue

Day 7

Moulton BarnWas our first of two days at Grand Tetons. It’s an amazing park. It is so close to Yellowstone, but much different and smaller so it’s not quite as overwhelming.

We arrived late morning and choose to check out some of the viewpoints instead of setting up camp right away. We headed to the Oxbow Bend, Jenny Lake, and Cathedral Group Turnout along with a few others.

We stopped at the Cottonwood creek picnic area for some lunch, and then headed right down to the river to check it out. It turned out to be some great swimming. It was very cold, but still fun. We body surfed/floated down the rapids for most of the afternoon.

Road up to TetonsWhen we dried off and warmed up we headed to where Ansel Adams took the famous “Snake River and the Tetons” picture so Tommy and John could get their own versions.

After picture taking we set up camp in the Gros Ventre campground, made dinner, and went to the Snake River Overlook to watch the sunset.

When it got dark we went into Jackson to do some food shopping. John led us on an “interesting” way home, and by the time we got back to the tent it was really late.

Day 8

We woke up with the sun again so that we could head over to the very crowded, very popular, very nice Jenny Lake Campground. We picked out our spot and self-registered.

Setting Out From the CarAfter camp was set up we drove over to the Jenny Lake Ferry so we could get over to the start of our hike for the day: Cascade Canyon. It was absolutely stunning. It’s hard to say which was better: Mt. Washburn (Yellowstone hike) or Cascade Canyon because the two were so different. Mt. Washburn was simply a hike up the mountain and the views just kept getting better and better the higher you went. Cascade Canyon was a trail through a canyon in Teton park and followed the Cascade River.

We got to the 9 mile fork in the trail and instead of heading the extra 5 miles to Lake Solitude, a threat of thunderstorms made us stop there so we weren’t stuck atop a mountain during the monsoon.

It never rained.

Our Little IslandBut we still have no regrets with our decision to stop where we did. Instead we took our time on the hike back and stopped to spend some time by the river. We saw a little rock island in the middle of a relatively wide section and left out gear and our shoes on the shore to wade through the glacial waters to the island. We estimated that the water was about 40 degrees, and then decided to go swimming. The water wasn’t deep enough and the current wasn’t strong enough to ride the rapids down like the Cottonwood Creek the day before. But the water temperature made it so we could only stay in for about 10 seconds at a time. Through the freezing water and the strange looks we got from passing people on the trail, it was a great time.

The only negative part of the trail was how crowded it gets in the beginning. One of the biggest tourist attractions, Inspiration Point, is only a mile down the trail. So basically every grandparent, parent, child and infant who enters the park, goes to see it. Luckily for us we got one of the first couple ferry’s across the lake in the morning and the trail was empty when we started the hike. But when we headed back down the trail, our last mile (the mile between the beginning and Inspiration Point) was so packed that we couldn’t wait to get to the end.

John Diving Into Glacial RunoffNow remember from the Badlands post, we have no tent stakes. So we arrived back at our campsite only to find no tent. It had been blown about forty feet from its original spot and was flat as a pancake. We picked it up only to realize that it broke. It’s very difficult to describe how it broke, but long explanation short, our tent normally has four main poles. When we set it up it only has three now. But morale remained high and we bought some stakes.

We went back to Jackson to walk around a little bit and eat dinner. We told some strange lady who runs an art gallery in Jackson that we were basically broke and asked where we should eat. She recommended this “world famous” burger place, “Billy’s Famous Burgers.” So we went. Now I don’t know if it’s actually world famous, but it was delicious. And we met some sweet vagabond who hitchhikes his way around the country and plays the accordion.

We were then going to hit up a biker bar for some free music and go crusin’ for chicks, but we went back to our tent, made a fire, and I gave the group an astronomy lesson. They can all thank Mr. Cimmino for my vast knowledge in the field.

- Jake

Description

Grand Tetons National Park's 485 square miles encompasses the Jackson Hole Valley and the Teton Mountain Range which towers 7,000 feet above the valley floor. Although the park is best known for its three most prominent peaks, the Grand, Middle, and South Tetons, there are other equally spectacular mountains in the Teton Range, 12 of which are higher than 12,000 feet.

Herb and boys fishing for trout on the Snake RiverAt the base of the mountains lies a string of 7 glacier-carved lakes, fed by mountain streams. Beyond the lakes lies the beautiful Jackson Hole Valley with 50 miles of the Snake River winding through it. The wetlands along the braided sections of the river provide a rich habitat for wildlife, such as moose, elk, pronghorn, bison, black bear, deer, bald eagles, blue herons, river otters, and even pelicans.

Most of the major observation points and attractions can be seen from the Teton Park and Jenny Lake Loop Roads, which meander 25 miles along the Jackson Hole Valley from Moran Junction to Moose Junction, providing spectacular views of the Tetons along the way.

The 4-mile paved Signal Mountain Summit Road climbs 1,000 feet to the summit of Signal Mountain, where there is a tremendous 360 degree panoramic view of the Tetons and Valley below. A mile before the summit is the Jackson Lake Overlook, from which William Henry Jackson took his famous photographs of the Grand Tetons. Unfortunately, the Signal Mountain Summit Road is so narrow and windy that RV's are prohibited.

The one-way scenic drive on the Jenny Lake road along the shores of the lake brings you to one of the busiest and most popular sports in the park. A very popular hike from this area is the Cascade Canyon Trail to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. To get to the trailhead you can either walk the 2.5 miles around the southern end of the lake or take the shuttle boat, which runs every ½ hour, across to the West Shore Boat Dock. From there, the fairly strenuous trail climbs 420 feet over one mile. At the ½ mile point is Hidden Falls, one of the most beautiful spots in the park. A ½ mile further is the aptly named Inspiration Point with a spectacular view of the lake, surrounding mountains, and the valley. If you wish to continue further, the trail levels out after this point and the views get even better. On the way back, you have the same choice of hiking the lakeshore or taking the shuttle boat.

- Lolo

Travelogue

Day 5

Bighorn on Mount WashburnIf only for one reason, was a success simply because we all got to shower. It did cost us $3.25 each (it wasn’t included in our campground fee) and John almost didn’t shower based on principal. He finally decided that it was worth the price.

Even though we hardly slept the night before because it was so cold on the Beartooth Highway, we got up early so we could finish the drive to Yellowstone and check in to our campsite at the Canyon Village before lunch.

We entered the park through the Northeast entrance and saw some great wildlife (Bison and Pronghorn Antelope) while driving through Lamar Valley.

Group Picture on Mount WashburnAfter lunch we hiked up the Dunraven Pass up Mount Washburn. The hike was great, and the views all the way up were outstanding, but about a half mile from the top we turned a corner and a herd of Big Horn Sheep were walking up the path. We had to slowly follow them up the rest of the hike(about 20 feet back) because a first attempt at passing angered a few of them and they backed us down the mountain a little. It was cool to watch and created some great photo opportunities for Tommy and John, but slowed our pace to the point that we had to really hurry down the mountain to beat the thunderstorm that was coming.

We beat the rain, which pretty much blew over the park, and did some quick food shopping at the Canyon Village food store before dinner.

After we ate we took a short drive over to see the sunset over the Upper and Lower falls of the Yellowstone River. The falls were great and over the years the river has formed a small canyon which has been named The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

We then got back to our tent and pretty much just passed out for the night.

Day 6

Grand Canyon of YellowstoneTommy and John decided that the sunset last night over the Upper and Lower falls simply didn’t create enough photo opportunities, and they got up around 5:30am to catch the sun rise over the falls. Christian, Colin and myself decided we would sleep the extra couple hours.

After breakfast we drove the scenic loop for the day to see the Park’s “highlights.” The major draws were the geysers and thermal pools that are throughout the park. And boy there is nothing like the fresh smell of sulfur in the morning.

A couple of group favorites were the Castle Geyser and, of course, Old Faithful along with the rest of the upper geyser basin area. We tried climbing up to the Old Faithful look-out area, but it decided that it would erupt 15 minutes earlier then predicted so after the climb, we missed it. Instead of waiting up there for an hour and a half until the next eruption, we walked around the rest of the Basin area and watched from the ground. As for thermal pools, the Black Sands Basin was a particular stand out.Old Faithful

Another great thing that the driving loop allowed for was seeing some amazing wildlife. We saw a ton of elk and Big Horn sheep. We even saw even saw a couple of elusive moose in the park. At one point bison were so close to the road that we could reach out and touch them—we opted not to.

Later in the day we wanted to try out some swimming at a place Tommy had heard about. He wasn’t positive if swimming in the area was “allowed” because he had heard about it through the grapevine. It was supposedly some sort of thermal pool that was cool enough to swim in. We headed to the area that he believe it was at and we thought we were in luck. But unfortunately, the Firehole River swimming area was closed because the water level was too high creating too strong of a current.

We then made some dinner and just relaxed by the campsite for the rest of the night..

- Jake

Description

Yellowstone National Park, in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, is literally like no other place on earth. It has more thermal springs and geysers than the rest of the world combined. Most of the southern part of the park lies on top of a collapsed crater, or caldera, that resulted from a devastating volcanic explosion around 600,000 years ago. It is within this caldera that most of the thermal activity--geysers, boiling hot springs, fumaroles, etc.--in Yellowstone occurs.

Grand Canyon of the YellowstoneHowever, the park is not just geysers. There is a canyon almost on par with the Grand Canyon, a waterfall taller than Niagara Falls, a lake that is the largest mountain lake in North America, and an incredible amount of wildlife to see. In order to protect these treasures, President Ulysses S. Grant made it the first national park in the world in 1872.

A 142-mile Grand Loop Road winds in a figure-eight pattern through the park, past most of the main attractions, including the wildlife. It is not uncommon to have traffic jams caused by a buffalo herd crossing the road or gridlock from people stopping their cars to observe a grizzly bear. Unfortunately, being such a popular destination, Yellowstone is extremely crowded in the summer causing much traffic congestion. Therefore, it's best to do your sightseeing early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Starting from the north and going clockwise, these are some of the highlights:

Mammoth Hot Springs, located by the north entrance to the park, has one of Yellowstone's most unique features--the beautiful white limestone terraces that are continuing to be formed by the constant flow to the surface of the mineral-rich hot springs below. The 1 ½ mile roundtrip Lower Terrace Interpretive Trail is the best way to see this area. It climbs 300 feet through a thermal region to the Upper Terrace, where you have an outstanding view of the terraces and springs below.

Bison crossing the roadThe Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a narrow canyon with 1,000-foot-high cliffs plunging down to the Yellowstone River gorge. An excellent way to view the canyon is to take the North Rim Drive from Canyon Village, stopping at Inspiration Point. From here there is a fairly strenuous descent down 57 steps to an overlook with views of the Lower Falls and canyon. Another option to view the canyon is the South Rim Drive. Along this drive is Uncle Tom's Trail, a steep 328 steps descent to the river's edge, and Artists Point, one of the best viewpoints of the canyon.

Hayden Valley, along the park road between Canyon Village and Yellowstone Lake, is one of the best places to see wildlife. In the beautiful green meadows of the valley there are herds of bison and antelope, often blocking the road, and the occasional grizzly bear.

Yellowstone Lake is North America's largest high-altitude lake. It also contains the continent's largest population of native cutthroat trout, which makes it a very popular place for fishing. Although the waters of the lake are too cold to swim in, it is great to explore by boat. Along the northwest shore of the lake stands the majestic 100-year-old Lake Yellowstone Hotel, one of the most beautiful buildings in the park. Lodging and dining are available there.

Midway Geyser BasinOld Faithful is what everyone thinks of when they hear Yellowstone National Park. The geyser got its name Old Faithful because of the predictability of its eruptions--approximately every 79 minutes. A typical eruption lasts from 2 to 5 minutes during which the water reaches heights of up to 180 feet. There is always a large crowd on the benches outside the Old Faithful Inn when it is time for it to erupt. A good way to see the other geysers in this area is to walk the 1.3 mile Upper Geyser Basin Loop trail or climb the .5 mile Observation Point Trail up to an area with great views of the entire geyser basin. The historic Old Faithful Inn is a must see. It is a six-story log building with sitting areas overlooking the lobby and a three-story stone fireplace.

Midway Geyser BasinNorris Geyser Basin contains the park's highest concentration of thermal features. There are two loop trails here, both on flat boardwalks: the .75-mile Porcelain Basin Trail and the 1.5-mile Back Basin Loop, which takes you past Steamboat Geyser, the world's largest geyser. Unfortunately, the interval between its eruptions is often more than one year.

There are 12 campgrounds throughout the park. However, since Yellowstone is so highly visited, it is a good idea to make reservations well in advance. The only campground in the park with RV hookups is Fishing Bridge at the north end of Yellowstone Lake..

- Lolo

Travelogue

Day 4

We woke up on Day 4 to what has been a very familiar sight on the trip so far: rain. But luckily it wasn’t long after we left the Badlands until we hit some nicer weather.

View From CampsiteBecause of the rain and infamous Badlands mud we opted not to stay and cook breakfast, but to just pick up something on the drive. We had to get gas at a truck stop in the-middle-of-no-where, South Dakota and we all enjoyed Subway sandwiches at about nine in the morning for breakfast.

We had then been truckin’ along when our directions had us pull off the highway and go through Belle Fourche, South Dakota en route to the Bear Tooth Highway. Belle Fourche was a very nice town, but unfortunately for us it was the Fourth of July. And Belle Fourche has a parade through the towns’, essentially, only road. And luckily for us, we didn’t find out until we were right in the middle of that road, and they stop traffic, where ever it happens to be, for the duration of the parade. So not only did we get front row seats to the parade (the car was literally parked right in the middle of the road that the parade was coming down) which puts Upper Saddle River’s Memorial Day Parade to shame, but we also lost about two hours of travel time.

Group Picture on Beartooth PassWith our entrance into Big Sky Country, Montana we found ourselves fighting with the gas gauge and pulled off into Broadus Montana to fuel up. The gas pumps again were older than carbon but our previous experience using very similarly outdated equipment led us through to a successful fill-up. We pulled out of the station and stared heading back towards the highway when John, who was driving at the time, looked in the rear-view mirror and said, “Is that for us?” Everyone looked back and saw the flashing lights pulling us over. We got a speeding ticket for doing 50mph in a 40mph through town. We decided to plead guilty, pay the fine, and not attend out July 14 court date. We shrugged it off and moved on.

About two hours later, still in Montana and with John still behind the wheel, it was de ja vu. The flashing lights, us being pulled over, the ticket (85 in a 75), the whole deal. So that made two tickets in two hours (both in Montana), both for doing a lousy ten miles an hour over the speed limit. And for the second one cruise control was set at 80. I guess we were just paying the price for being New Jerseyians in Montana, literally.

Winding RoadFinally, we made it to our destination, the Bear Tooth Highway, which snakes through parts of Montana and Wyoming, is so high that we were driving through clouds and past snow drifts on the side of the road. Now although I can’t speak for everyone, the various views from this road were the most majestic and beautiful things I have ever seen. And although Tommy and John are both great photographers I don’t think that any picture could ever substitute for seeing it all in person.

Our plan was to continue as far on the road as we wanted until we saw a campground that we could stay the night in. It was getting dark when we spotted a prospective site and headed over to check it out. We thought about heading farther to find a site that was a bit more populated (we were the only people at this one), and maybe a little less secluded because we were right in the middle of Grizzly Bear country with no cell service and were tens of miles from any sort of civilization. But while we were checking out the prospective site we got a tip from some locals that all the larger campsites farther down the road were full. So instead of driving more to a probably full campsite and then having to set up camp in the dark, we decided to try our luck where we were.

Other than the fact that it probably got below freezing and our tent was still soaked from the night before in the Badlands, it wasn’t a bad night.

- Jake

Description

A Narrative of general information would go here.

Travelogue

I felt pretty satisfied. We had made the most of our abbreviated Spring Break. We had discovered some new places (some planned and some unplanned) and spent some time with some very dear old friends. Now we were recharged and ready to get back to the business of normal life.

Description

Our home in Upper Saddle River, a suburb of New York City.

Travelogue

This was not our first time to Virginia Beach. In fact, we had spent several vacations at First Landing State Park, right on the Chesapeake Bay overlooking the Bridge. However, this time we had come to visit our friends who had recently moved to a house right on one of the lagoons that lead out to the Chesapeake. So rather than stay in our usual State Park, this time our campground would be their driveway. It’s always a nice bonus when our travels take us to places where we can visit old friends.

Most of the time was spent just catching up on old times, but we did take a ride on their boat, which they kept right at the dock in front of their house. What a great setup to be able to just hop on your boat in your own backyard and cruise out to either the Chesapeake Bay or all the way out to the Atlantic Ocean.

Description

Friend's house along a lagoon in Virginia Beach

Travelogue

Ocracoke Island turned out to be a perfect choice for us. Although we were not camping under the palmettos as we did on previous Spring Breaks on Hunting Island, our campsite did butt up right against the dunes of the National Seashore, and at night while drifting all to sleep we could listen to the sounds of the surf. An uncrowded campground in a great natural setting was just what we were looking for.

The second criteria that is really important to us is having a new place to explore, and if this can be done by bike, all the better. And, if you can throw quaintness into the mix, I’m even happier, and Ocracoke Village was oozing with quaintness. The Village was located about 4 ½ miles down the road from the campground, just enough to get in a little exercise before exploring. Herb decided to do it as a run while the boys and I rode our bikes.

Our first stop was the Ocracoke Lighthouse, built in 1823 when the islanders decided that a more permanent structure was needed to mark Ocracoke Inlet. Its predecessor was a moored lightship that kept being driven ashore by bad weather—not a very good quality in a lighthouse. The lighthouse was picturesque, but unfortunately visitors were no longer permitted to climb its tower, so we had to satisfy ourselves with taking its picture.

We then rode our bikes through the lovely little village with its quaint shops and historic homes. After leaving the main street of the village, we stumbled upon a quiet sandy lane named Howard Street. Although it was just a stone’s throw away from the bustle of the main drag, it felt like we had gone back about a century in time. It was so quiet and serene with stately old oak trees draped over white picket fences, beautiful historic homes and even some old family cemeteries. I’m so glad we found this street, because it would have been very easy to spend the whole day in the village and not even know that it existed.

On our way back to the campground, we stopped in a store called the Pirate’s Chest that catered to another one of Ocracoke’s claims to fame—pirates. That’s right, Ocracoke was once a place where pirates hung out between plunderings. In fact, Ocracoke Inlet was one of Blackbeard’s favorite hide-outs. He was killed there in 1718 after a fierce fight with the British Navy. To commemorate that event, I bought the boys bought some socks with skulls and crossbones all over them.

Back at our campsite, Andrew ran laps around the campground—remember it was his track career that messed up our vacation in the first place, so he’d better run. Later that evening, we had a very nice dinner out on our picnic table along the edge of the dunes. Ocracoke had truly been a wonderful choice for us and one that I hope we will return to someday soon.

Description

Ocracoke Island is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, a chain of barrier islands which stretches 75 miles along the Outer Banks from Nags Head to Ocracoke. Ocracoke Island, the southernmost end of the chain, is 16 miles long and an average of ½ mile wide. It is bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by Pamlico Sound. The entire island is owned by the National Park Service, with the exception of the small village of Ocracoke (population 800) at the southern tip of the island.

Some attractions and things to do on the island include:
• Swim or fish along the 16 miles of pristine beaches
• Explore the historic village of Ocracoke with its quaint shops, restaurants, and historic homes
• Bike or stroll along Howard Street a quiet sandy lane bordered by historic homes, white picket fences, live oak trees, and small family cemeteries
• Visit Ocracoke Lighthouse, the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina
• Learn about the island’s colorful pirate past – Ocracoke Inlet was one of Blackbeard’s favorite hide-outs

To reach Ocracoke Island from the north, just take the 40-minute ride across Pamlico Sound on one of the free North Carolina ferries. These ferries depart from Hatteras village every 30 minutes starting at 5 am.

Travelogue

Roanoke Island was not in our plans, but neither was the loud squeal emanating from our right front wheel brake. We stopped at a Visitor Center when we hit Hatteras and were told that our best bet for a repair would be at Pugh’s Car Care Center on Roanoke Island. Yes, that’s right, Roanoke Island, the Lost Colony, where people have been known to go and never be seen again. Since we didn’t exactly have many choices, we hung a right near Nags Head onto a bridge over Pamlico Sound and onto the island that Sir Walter Raleigh had settled over 500 years ago. Things had changed a bit since then. There were now plenty of visitor services to satisfy every settler’s needs—including brake jobs.

We found Pugh’s right on the main drag in Manteo and threw ourselves at his mercy. Fortunately, they immediately assigned a mechanic to take a look at our brakes. I was really anxious to get this over with and get on our way. Our trip was already cut short by Andrew’s track meet and we didn’t have much time to spare. Also, the place was closing in an hour.

As the mechanic lay under our rig examining the problem, I could see that Herb was having a problem relinquishing control of the situation to a stranger. You see, Herb is very much a do-it-yourself kind of guy, who is really capable of doing even the toughest of mechanical jobs, but here he was without the tools or the parts to get the job done. So instead of doing it himself, he had to satisfy himself with pacing while someone else examined his rig.

The news was not good. Although the problem was quite fixable, it was not going to be completed that afternoon, but would have to continue on into tomorrow, cutting a precious day off our already shortened vacation. We tried to make the best of it. We found a nice little campground named Cypress Cove right down the road and spent a very pleasant evening fishing in their stocked pond. The kids even caught a few.

The next morning, bright and early, it was back to Pugh’s and hopefully a quick repair. I suggested sight-seeing while the repair was being done, but there was no way Herb was leaving. So, the boys and I took the bikes off the back of the RV and said good-bye to Herb’s feet, which were now sticking out from under the RV right next to those of the mechanic.

The boys and I rode our bikes a short distance down to the Manteo waterfront and then across a bridge to a small island, which was the site of the first English settlement in America. Today it is home to the Roanoke Island Festival Park, which does a great job of bringing that part of our country’s very early history back to life. There is a the Elizabeth II, a 16th century sailing ship, complete with sailors in period costumes speaking in Elizabethan accents, and an interactive museum where you can hands-on learn about what life was like in that first settlement 500 years ago. The island also has a nature walk along a boardwalk through the marshes and lovely views of the Manteo waterfront just a short distance away.

I did feel a bit guilty though about having a good time while Herb was back under the RV. We rode back to check on him, but they still had quite a bit of work to do, so we rode back down to the waterfront to walk around and do some shopping. The boys bought me two really pretty hand-painted wine glasses as an early Mother’s Day present. I call them my “Happy Glasses,” because for some reason looking at them makes me happy. Also, I hate to admit it, but I have fond memories of the boys and my time on Roanoke Island. Unfortunately, I’m sure Herb’s memories were a bit different.

About 4 o’clock they finally completed the brake job, and we very happy to be on the road again. The drive back across the bridge to Hatteras Island and down to Hatteras Village was very pretty. It’s amazing how thin the barrier islands are and what a rather fragile separation they are between Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. At Hatteras Village we were lucky to hop right on one of the free North Carolina ferries to Ocracoke Island, allowing us to get to our beachfront campsite in plenty of time to toast the sunset.

Description

Roanoke Island, located between the Outer Banks and the mainland, is famous for being the site of Sir Walter Raleigh’s Lost Colony.

Back in 1585, 100 men, women, and children settled here in what was to be England’s first permanent settlement in the New World. Shortly afterwards, Virginia Dare, the granddaughter of the colony’s governor, was born on the island, making her the first English child to be born in America. The following year, Governor White sailed back to England, intending to return later that year. However, he was delayed in England until 1590. When he did finally return to Roanoke, he found the settlers gone, the houses dismantled, and a fortlike palisade enclosing where the settlers had once lived. To add to the mystery, a large post with the bark peeled off contained letters spelling out the word “CROATAN.” Since there were no signs of violence or distress, White assumed the settlers had left to join the friendly Croatan Indian tribe. To this day, the mystery of where those first settlers had disappeared has never been solved.

Today that mystery is reenacted in the play, “The Lost Colony,” performed at the Waterside Theater from mid-June to late August. With its first performance in 1937, it is the United States’ oldest outdoor drama.

Other things to see and do on Roanoke Island:

• Fort Raleigh National Historic Site – a reconstruction of the old fort as it stood in 1585
• Manteo Waterfront – restaurants, galleries, and shops
• Roanoke Island Festival Park – a 25-acre island across from the Manteo Waterfront with a 16th century sailing ships, an art gallery, and an interactive living history museum
• Performance of “The Lost Colony” at the outdoor Waterside Theater
• The Elizabethan Gardens near the Waterside Theater