So now, I'm back at the computer catching up on some of my articles. It's either this or working on my Morse Code paddles, trying to get up some sending and receiving speed so I will be able to work CW (Morse Code for all of you non-amateur radio people) at our Ohio State Parks on the Air Contest which is coming up in September (gotta give myself lots of time!). Besides, this article deals with the Outer Banks beaches and our trip there this past fall. Lots of sunshine and warm temperatures.
On our last trip to the OBX (that's what all the "regulars" call it), we stayed in the Hilton Garden Inn and had a side view from our balcony. We could see the ocean, but it wasn't post card worthy. So this year, we decided to go all out and get an ocean-front room. Boy what a difference. Got a pretty good price too because there were bad storms off the coast and the beach work was going on now for a while -- and add to that it was the end of the tourist season. Well, the storms never hit (big waves though), the beach work moved on down the way some, and the end of tourist season is a pretty good time to be there is you just want a beach vacation and are not worried about water slides and go-kart tracks, and all that kind of stuff.
Speaking of the waves, these looked like some of the ones you might see in the big surfing states. We didn't get out in the waves too much because they really were pretty tough. When they would break, kinda sounded like a small car crash. The kids didn't mind though. They would break out the boogie boards and make a day of it.
On one day we had a huge tide along with the big waves and the beach actually flooded -- water came up over the area where the tourists were usually spread out. Got up to a foot deep and it was kinda fun chasing the little crabs around. They're pretty quick.
One other nice thing about an ocean-front room is that we could get pretty good views and pictures of the sunrises each morning (well, at least Pam could. It's hard to take pictures through your eyelids).
Oh, by the way, we did do a touristy thing one evening -- we went to a miniature golf place and played a round of putt-putt. We drove by that place at least a dozen times and it looked like it was abandoned -- no players. So this one night we decided to see what's up with it and don't you know -- that night a couple of hundred people decided to do the same thing. Go figure. You know, I've read some reviews of the OBX by people who have said that it is not a very good place for a vacation, nothing to see and nothing to do. I heartily disagree -- there are plenty of light houses, golf courses, beaches, the Wright Brothers area and exhibits (might have to use your imagination a bit), other towns and plenty of places to take walks, eat, watch people, and enjoy a slower pace. Might take a little effort, but it is there and we'll probably be back a few more times.
To go out with the rising sun on an empty beach is to truly embrace your inner soul.
Hooah
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