A TRIP DOWN TO DOWN TO NORTH CAROLINA - PART 2

No Monday Morning recipe today as I have quite a few posts to share with you. I can honestly say we were on the go the whole time we were together, and didn’t make anything except for a very simple meal on Easter Sunday. 

Every day we gave them a few choices as to what they would like to do. We went to the National Air and Space Museum-Steven F. Udvar Hazy, where Gregg deposited me at the cafe for another sit-down. I drank a cup of coffee and Gregg joined me shortly afterwards. We waited for a while until our family had a good chance to walk around and joined us. For me it was fun seeing all the activity, people and families going back and forth. I will share the photos they took eventually.  

We gave them three days to relax and then traveled to North Carolina, staying with Gregg's sister and husband. It took us about 7 to 7-1/2 hours to get there. A good journey considering. It was so kind of them opening up their home to us all and thanks to them, we had a great time.Gregg's sister loves collecting shells and sees the beauty even in the broken ones. I agree as I thought those displayed in this vase were delightful. She has more upstairs, whole ones. She also gave me two conch shells a few years ago that are still treasures on our family room bookshelf.

I found this online. You can enlarge all photos for better detail.

One of the days we found ourselves at Bodie Island Lighthouse.

 Our niece with Uncle Gregg.

Here she is again.

I am including three maps showing the location of the lighthouse.

The current Bodie Island Lighthouse (Bodie is pronounced 'body') is the third that has stood in this vicinity of Bodie Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and was built in 1872.

It stands 156 feet (48 m) tall and is located in the Roanoke Sound side of a portion of peninsula that is the first part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The lighthouse is just south of Nags Head, a few miles before Oregon Inlet.

It was renovated from August 2009 to March 2013, and was made climbable by the public. There are 219 steps that spiral to the top. 

The 170-feet structure is one of only a dozen remaining tall, brick tower lighthouses in the United States, and one of the few with an original first-order Fresnel lens to cast its light. 

You can read a lot more of its history at this website, which is where I got the above information.

On the itinerary? A sunrise! They got up at 0-dark-thirty. I again stayed at home as not only wasn't I able to walk too far at all but walking on the sand in the dark would have been an accident waiting to happen, so I was very happy to get a peck on the cheek from Gregg upon which I slide back under those nice, warm, cozy covers. His sister took them to the beach. I enjoyed the conversation later telling me all about it.

Our dear niece, photo taken by Gregg...

and another he took of the rest of the family watching the sun appear over the horizon.

With Uncle Gregg again.

Brother and sister who always enjoy each other’s company. They are looking forward to getting together with their other brother not too far down the road.

These photos were taken by various family members. Looks like they had a wonderful time.

That's all for Part 2 and more to follow.

Thanks for looking and I hope your day is a great one.

SKYLINE DRIVE 5-17-22 and 9-9-21

We can reach Skyline Drive under an hour and have often taken a picnic with us.  We don't use any of the designated picnic areas (which are further inland with no view and can be quite busy). Instead, we find a wall to sit on at one of the overlooks, where we have these magnificent views.  The times we go we have, more often than not, had these places to ourselves, avoiding weekends and busy holiday times.  

We didn't take many photos on this trip.

This is one of the parking areas (overlooks). 

We are approaching Mary's Tunnel.  You can read about it here.  This website gives information on all the overlooks found on Skyline Drive.

The tunnel was constructed in 1932, is 610 feet long and 12 feet 8 inches high.  

The mountain that the tunnel goes through is actually called Mary's Rock.  It is 3514 feet high.  It is the 8th highest peak in Shenandoah National Park.

You can read a few stories of how Mary's Rock was named here.  Scroll down a little until you come to Legends of Mary's Rock.

I found the rest of the photos a few days ago. They were in draft folder from September 2021.  I couldn't see them from any other posts when I checked, so I don’t think I published them before.  The Queen Anne's Lace were seen on a walk at Big Meadows   

I won't go into detail about them today.

The bug below is a Goldenrod Soldier Beetle.  Though they feed on nectar and pollen, the goldenrod soldier beetles do not chew the flower petals or damage them. These harmless beetles neither sting nor bite.

On the other hand, the bug below is a Japanese Beetle and is a species of scarab beetle.  It is not a gardener's friend as they are very destructive and can completely defoliate plants.

This is the Oxe Eye Daisy.  I actually like this plant very much and was thinking of putting it in the garden.

The Soapwort was growing wild.  I have been leaving links in all my posts, usually on the name.  If you click on these links, they will take you to more information.  

A misty view on one of the overlooks we stopped at (this being in September of 2021 as mentioned above).

Next is a marker pointing to the Appalachian Trail.  The trail is approximately 2,178 miles long and is the longest 'marked footpath' in the United States.  If you are an adventurous hiker, this trail stretches from the summit of Springer Mountain in Georgia, all the way to the top of Mount Katahdin in Maine.  

If you hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, you would pass through 14 states and take around 5 million steps.  About 500 people hike the whole trail each year.  

Virginia is home to 544 miles of the Appalachian Trail, which is more miles than any other state. 

We found part of the trail at the back of Big Meadow's Lodge and walked a couple of miles, which was great.  I remember the beautiful wildflowers in bloom, but the most memorable happening was when I saw this beautiful deer standing on the incline above us.  She was quite close, not more than 15 feet away.  I took this photo with my cell phone.  She didn't move and we slowly walked on as she continued to munch on the grasses.

Skyline Drive is 105 miles long and takes about three hours to drive along its entire length.  The speed is 35 miles per hour in most places.  It is a very winding road and there are often steep drops.   (You also have to pay attention to any wild animals, as in our time there we have seen deer and bear.  They appear as if suddenly out of nowhere crossing the road in front of us.)  The map shows you its route.

Cell coverage is not reliable throughout most areas of Shenandoah National Park. However, I read that it is generally available at Dickey Ridge Visitor Center and at some west-facing overlooks. Free, public WiFi is available at Byrd Visitor Center, Big Meadows Lodge, and Skyland Resort.

We didn't get to Big Meadows Lodge on this trip.  Above is a postcard I bought, a reproduction of one of the earlier ones.  There are rustic rooms and cabins you can rent here, and we stayed two nights in the main lodge.  It was a very nice experience, and there is a gift shop where I have treated myself to souvenirs every now and again, local honey or jam, a bear ornament, greeting cards or postcards.  We were able to get down to Big Meadows to see the sun rise on that stay, and it was wonderful.  Hopefully we will be able to do this again one day.

That's all of Skyline Drive for now.  

POST CARDS FROM OLD ROAD TRIPS

I picked these up on a few road trip, going back as far as 12 years ago.

One of my memories on one of them was hearing wolves howling in the distance just before dawn.  We were staying at the Lake Jackson Lodge, and I stepped out on the patio with a blanket wrapped around me. I curled myself up in a chair sipping on a hot drink, with the sight of those magnificent mountains, and listening to this ethereal sound.  An amazing moment, one which I didn’t want to end.  

So many memories from Yellowstone.  On one visit, later than when I bought these postcards, memories of a huge bull elk running toward us.  We had always been warned about staying a safe distance away from wild animals.  This fellow, however, covered three, almost four hundred yards at a fast trot in no time at all, and ran between the back of our car and the one parked behind us.  Why?  Because he wanted to get to the other side of the road!  I just remember him coming towards us, looking as though he was going to jump over our car, only to turn on a dime at the last minute to squeeze through the space behind us.  He disappeared as quickly through the trees beyond.  It was a moment of sheer terror but incredible excitement at the same time as Gregg and I looked at each other wide-eyed.  Moments before I had been thinking about getting out and taking a photo along with dozens of others.  I had opened the car door, had my foot on the ground and when I saw what was happening, put that foot back and slammed the door.  All the other photographers scattered and I heard a lot of car doors slamming.   That bull elk at full tilt was an incredible sight to see, but I was glad that no one was in his way, except for our cars parked alongside the road.  

This is an amazing place.  I was lucky enough to find an empty chair in front of the fireplace.  This one was in mid October, and sitting there and watching the flames, feeling the warmth of a log fire, so toasty!

I enjoy sending postcards to family and friends. It is something I have done ever since I was a little girl. Mum was always very conscientious about sending them, to grandparents in particular.  Whenever I have traveled I never fail to take my list of addresses with me.

Another memory, this time from Seattle and it is to do with a small restaurant we visited.  We were looking across the water at the city skyline.  I can't remember what our main meal was, but what I do remember is the sour dough bread that came with the meal.  It was the best I had ever tasted.

When Gregg used to travel a lot on business (he has been retired several years now) he never failed to bring me back a few, usually from the airport when he was waiting to board. 

Just like looking at other people's photographs, and browsing through my old collection is like armchair traveling. Instead of a suitcase in my hands I have a cup of tea. 

Enjoy your own traveling my friends, be it on the road or via your armchair, and thanks for dropping in.  Stay safe, healthy and happy!