1/11-1/15 - The eastern seaboard
Current Location: Ferry Pamlico Sound North Carolina
Our drive to Delaware was along the scenic route of Route 1, more lights yes, but no tolls, and only 10 minutes longer. We stopped along 295 to overlook the Delaware River and walk across the pedestrian bridge. A flock of snow geese invading a field caught our eye and we decided to sit and watch them for some time. This flock had to be at least 10,000 strong. We’d watch a group of them circle, and land in a new area of the field among others that were already devouring whatever cut greens were left from the fall harvest. The sound of that many birds in one area was impressive. As we were getting ready to leave the field, a photographer with much larger camera was pulling in. Guess we chose a good spot to stop and watch.
Beyond that, we've been living the island life the last few days… and it’s been awesome!
Sunset....
...and sunrise. Not too shabby.
We spent 2 nights on Assateague Island with the wild horses and no one else. The day of our arrival we all enjoyed sitting at the picnic table and watching the birds, listening to the surf and just doing nothing at all. Sunset was incredible from the roof of Hobbes- Beer in hand we watched the sun set. The clouds were vibrant reds and oranges, slowly fading to purples and blues. This is what this trip is all about- sitting with the ones you love, enjoying the ‘simple’ things without a care in the world of what time it is, what day it is, or what’s happening anywhere else but the 72 square feet below us.
Our second day we wandered around the island, walking around the trails over the marsh and through the forest. We spent some time on the Life of the Marsh Trail watching the birds an wandering out onto the little beach. As we made our way back towards the trailhead, we heard the calls of some nearby horses. If only they’d show themselves. Not a minute later, 2 horses wandered out from the brush to feed on the seahay below the elevated boardwalk to 10 feet from us. They didn’t seem to notice the clicks of our cameras, or the whimpers from Rooney. Rooney on the other hand was quite interested in them.
We rode bikes over to the boat launch to watch sunset. The birds were feverishly chirping in the tree behind us, zooming in and out of the branches, throwing little twigs down onto the table we were sitting. As soon as the sun set, the birds were quiet, like they just got scolded to go to bed. We sat and watched the colors begin to fade before heading back to camp and a quick detour to the raised boardwalk of the Life of the Marsh tail. Three horses were across the little inlet eating their seagrass dinner. We watched them as the final colors faded from the sky and then turned dark. Our ride back to camp was in darkness light of our headlamps the only light for miles.
Making our way south toward the Outer Banks we crossed the impressive Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel spanning twenty some odd miles of bridge and two tunnels dropping below huge tanker ships coming into the bay. We stopped further along the way at Wheeping Radish Brewery for a flight and some catfish bites, and Outer Banks Brewing Station for a flight of their beer and some crab bisque and hushpuppies. We also picked up a new ‘delicacy’ along the way- Southern biscuits and gravy Lays potato chips- not too bad.
We pulled into Camp Hatteras for the night well after dark, set an alarm so we could get up with enough time to have some breakfast on the beach and stop at Bodie Island Lighthouse before going to the Wright Brothers National Monument and then continuing the adventure southbound. Hobbes fit quite well on the open deck ferry from Cape Hatteras to Ocracoke and then from Ocracoke to Cedar Island. Rooney came to enjoy walking on the mostly empty deck of the ferry as we watched the sun sink into the water. The ferry rides were a really nice surprise part of the trip that we had not even remotely planned, not that much of this is “planned”.
We got to chatting with a guy who loved Hobbes, getting down on the deck to check out the undercarriage and asking about our trip plans. About 2 seconds later offered us some shrimp that was fresh off the boat just a few hours before. Hell yeah, I’ll take some shrimp! Seafood risotto was already on our menu for tonight, but we can add more shrimp- it’ll be seafood with a few rice grains…not a bad meal!
Having grown up going to the Jersey Shore and experiencing the shit-show that is the summer at the beach, we could only imagine what the Outer Banks and US12 is like.
There is something very special about the beach in winter when no-one else is around. I’m glad that feeling translates so well through state lines.
L