Road Trip 2020: Returning to The Outer Banks

North Carolina & The Outer Banks
March 2-5, 2020

Our campsite at Oregon Inlet Campground at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

After two relaxing and romantic nights in Savannah, Georgia, we hopped back into the van to begin our final leg of van life. I'd been looking forward to our visit to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a long time, but, first, we drove to the city of West End to visit a Fish & Game friend who had volunteered years earlier for several of  Roger's trout projects.  Our friend treated us to lunch at Pinehurst where we enjoyed walking the golf club lobbies and absorbing some of its famous and impressive golf  history.

We drove from Savannah, Georgia, through South Carolina, to North Carolina.

Driving north on I-95, we passed another identical-looking Pleasure Way van. I waved as we passed, and the other driver honked. Soon after that, we saw a sign for cheap gas and exited. A few minutes later, the Pleasure Way we saw earlier pulled in behind us. These situations are among my favorite travel stories. We had a van-chat with the other couple who was on their way home to Virginia, and we toured each other's vans.

Two Pleasure Way van builds at the gas station. (Other couple blocked out for privacy.)

We arrived at Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Oregon Inlet Campground after dark. I woke early and stepped outside with my coffee for a few moments of sunrise calm. I don't usually get up in time for sunrise, but this view!

What's better than sunrise at the beach?

We were one of about five RVs in the entire campground. Avoiding crowds is one advantage of visiting tourist destinations in the shoulder seasons.

Shoulder-season camping means having most of the campground to yourself.

We had been traveling for two months by the time we arrived at the Outer Banks, and we looked forward to the peace and solitude Cape Hatteras National Seashore offered. We had the whole place almost to ourselves.

The beach was just footsteps from our campsite.

After breakfast, we explored the beach, located just across from our campsite. We lucked out with a beautiful, blue-sky day. The sound of the waves, the birds' calls, the discovery of seashells and other treasures in the sand helped transport me to a state of tranquility.

A late winter walk along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

The beaches at Cape Hatteras National Seashore stretch north to south for over 70 miles. Along these shores live ghost crabs, piping plovers, loggerhead sea turtles, and coquina clams.

A victim of sea birds?

Swimmers should check with park rangers before getting into the water. Strong ocean currents can pull swimmers out to sea. Warning signs in the campground describe the dangers and what to do if caught in a rip current.

The waters off the Outer Banks' coast, also called the Graveyard of the Atlantic, are the sites of many shipwrecks over 400 years. The turbulent seas and shifting sands of Diamond Shoals create an unsafe passage for seafarers.

The fishing vessel Ocean Pursuit, three days after it ran aground.

As we continued walking south toward Oregon Inlet, we saw something in the water in the distance. As we got closer, we saw the fishing vessel, Ocean Pursuit. A park ranger told us the owner had purchased it a few days earlier, and apparently lost power and drifted into the beach it on March 1. We took these photos on March 4. 

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three crew members from this stranded boat.

According to a News & Observer article ("Shipwreck's astonishing descent into the beach starts speeding up on Outer Banks", May 17, 2020), the Ocean Pursuit is quickly disappearing into the beach. Tourist photos on Instagram (#OceanPursuit) show what looks like the ship sinking into the sand.

Hard to see, but in the middle of this sky is a small plane.

After our walk, we headed into Nags Head for lunch. Many restaurants had not yet opened for the season, but we found a friendly pub with tasty oyster poorboy sandwiches and crab cakes. Unfortunately, I did not write down its name, so I can't tell you where we went. We visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial shortly after lunch and once again, pretty much had the place to ourselves.

A model of the Wright Brothers' first flight plane.

The visitor's center was perfect for people who are interested in science and flying. I was more interested in the family dynamics of the Wright family. Wilbur and Orville's mother was the most significant influence on the boys' lives. Susan Catherine Koerner Wright's interest in mechanics inspired her sons' intellectual curiosity.

The Wright Brothers National Memorial in Nags Head, North Carolina.

I visited the Wright Brothers Memorial with my mother many years ago when growing up in Virginia Beach. It looks just as I remember it. The Memorial commemorates the first human flight.

I first visited Nags Head
with my mother, around 1980.

The 60-foot tall Wright Brothers Monument atop Kill Devil Hill marks the site of practice glider flights. Visitors walk from the visitor center to the monument and follow a paved path up the hill. There is little shade in the park, and I was glad to be there on a cool day.

We picked up a few groceries and returned to the van for the night. The next day we explored the southern banks. We woke to rain, so it turned out to be a good day to spend in the van. I browsed a visitor guide and picked out a few shops and other stops along the way. Because it was pre-season, some of my picks had not yet opened.

We drove through beach towns Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, and Avon and continued to Hatteras Island Visitor Center, home of the popular, black and white striped, 198.5-foot Cape Hatteras Light House.

Channeling my
younger self

This was another day I missed the rain jacket I had left back in Austin. Fortunately, the rain was light, and we enjoyed the visitor center and museum's nostalgic character. Given a nicer day (or a rain jacket), we would have walked the nature trail and further explored the beaches at Cape Hatteras.

Our winter road trip adventure was coming to an end. Little did we know at the time, it would end sooner than we had planned. Talk about coronavirus was heating up, but no one was changing routines or considering canceling plans at this time.

The first known U.S. death was reported on February 29. On March 3, the U.S. Center for Disease Control lifted restrictions on testing. By this time, 3,000 people worldwide had died of the coronavirus.

Our next destination was Virginia Beach where we would celebrate my niece's wedding with family members I had not seen in quite some time.

Check back soon for the final article of this Winter Road Trip 2020 series including our uncomfortable flights back to Alaska.

Please leave comments or email us at eastmeetswestme2ak@gmail.com.

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