Wright Brothers National Memorial

When we arrived at Oregon Inlet Campground we followed the trail over the dunes to the beach.

Thistle loves the sand….no sand spurs like there is in the grass.

The board points to our trail so we can find our way back.

Sunshine in a seashell.

We had the beach all to ourselves!

I liked this camper in the campground.

The next day we went to the Wright Brothers Memorial, but the weather was deteriorating fast. It was cold, rainy and very windy.

Sort of like it was on the day of the first flight.

There was an interesting presentation about the Wright Brothers in the Visitors Center. This is a reproduction of a glider that the brothers used first.

There is also a reproduction of the first powered airplane.

This is the telegram that Orville sent to his father in Ohio after the first successful powered flight.

Kill Devil Hills where the flights took place. There was neither grass nor trees back then, just wind and sand, conditions favorable for flight and soft landings.

The Wright brothers built a camp and hanger for the times they were here experimenting. The flight path is on the left.

Inside the camp. They slept in hammocks in the loft.

The big rock is where the plane took to the air. The other stones mark the landing place of the first 4 flights.

On top of the hill is this monument. Wind gusts of 40 mph up there today.

View of the grounds.

A life-size replica of the first flight.

Nan really is hanging on.

Interesting that both Orville Wright and Amelia Earhart were here for the dedication. Orville also lived long enough to witness Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier. 

The life-sized model.

The next day the sun came out, but it was still very windy, so we stayed in the campground. I did venture over to look at the big waves.

Wind-carved sand sculpture.

And the sunset was beautiful. Kites flying as the sun goes down.

And then a full moon rose over the dunes.