Jockey Ridge State Park

Today turned out to be a beautiful sunny day with only light winds. We packed a lot into it, so divided it into two blog posts. We started at Jockey Ridge State Park.

Home to the highest sand dunes on the Atlantic Coast.

Which makes it a great place to learn Hang Gliding.

A very popular sport here.

We didn't do that, but we did hike out on the dunes.

Thank goodness someone had enough sense not to allow development here.

Climbing the dunes.

Looking back…here comes Nan.

Something's going on over there.

Why it looks like the Imperial Sandtroopers!

And they've caught a Jawa!

Don't let that Jawa get away!

Not sure what kind of Star Wars photo shoot was going on, but it was fun to watch.

Troopers in training?

Eventually they took a break, so we continued our hike across the dunes.

Setting up for Hang Glider lesons.

It's a great place for kites too.

There goes Nan.

Looking toward the Atlantic side of the island.

And on the other side, Kite boarding is a popular sport in Roanoke Sound.

View from the top.

Have you ever noticed that wherever there is a high precipice, somebody will go stand on the edge?

View from Jockey Ridge.

Ripples in the sand.

You could get lost out here.

Someone is getting a Hang Gliding lesson.

I could do that with two people hanging on.

We ate lunch at a local cafe.

I had Crab Benedict.

Here's what would have happened if they had allowed development at jockey Ridge. There used to be a miniature golf course across the street.

It's almost completely buried under the dunes now.

Only the very top of a castle is sticking out.

Here's another way you can see the island…flight tours.

Uh oh…Nan's trying on hats again…a flight helmet.

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.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

On Wednesday, we toured the Cape Hatteras Light Station.

 Hmmm...

 Not sure if these first steps are included in the 248. If not, then that would make it 257 steps. Did we climb it?

 Yes, we did!

 Some views from the top:

 The Lightkeepers house and museum.

 Surfers at the beach.

 Not my kind of kayaking.

 Most photographed side.

 In the museum was an interesting display of how they had to move the lighthouse in 1999 due to encroachment of the sea. You can see the path they took.

 It took 23 days to complete the move inland.

 Nearby is a WWII British Cemetery. Patrolling British ships were attacked off the coast by German submarines, causing these casualties. There is a similar cemetery in Ocracoke.

 If there aren't enough logs for sunning...

 We ate lunch at Pops Fish House.

 The fresh local Rockfish was very good.

 The locals carry their fishing poles in these racks.

 Sunrise from our sites in Frisco campground.

It was moving day…about an hour's drive north to Nags Head, NC.

I spent the rest of that day in a dentist's office 100 miles away getting a temporary crown for a broken tooth. Will go back next week for the permanent crown. Good dentist, and worked me right in, hardly interrupting the fun.