Cruise Log - the outer banks

[Bilgemunky]

Yup, we're back from our week-long excursion to the East Coast. Our original plan was to plow through the land-locked states from Milwaukee to the Hampton Roads area in Virginia, and then toodle southward to our final destination of St. Mary's Georgia.

I started off the day of the trip making a last-minute run to the bookstore to get some reading material for m'self and the missis. Many thanks to all those who posted their recommendations - alas, none of the top-picks were to be found, so I was left with just my wits and luck to pick an appropriate book. I ended up getting her "The Sea Wife" by Holly Cook, which I'm told turned out to have a decent story, though just a hair on the tame side. For myself, I decided to finally read "Treasure Island," since it seems a crime I've never actually done so.

Onto the trip itself (again, thanks for all the input.) We unfortunately missed Colonial Williamsburg - the weather just wasn't there for us. Actually, being as the weather report for the southeast coast was stormy all week, we were lucky that this was pretty much the only day that wasn't quite ideal. Instead, we hit the Maritime Museum in Newport News, explored a bit of Norfolk and Virginia Beach, and then set up camp in a national park smack dab on the coast. Nice place, but it was largely flooded out, making setting up our tent tricky. We walked to the beach from our campsite and found it to be completely devoid of people (always a pleasant surprise.) However, numerous dorsal fins just a few feet offshore told us we weren't alone. By the way they moved I was pretty certain they were dolphins, but I have this primal fear of sharks that wouldn't let me risk jumping in to say hi.

Next day we heading down the outer banks, stopping at a few cheesy beach stores here and there, driving countless miles between sand-dunes, made a quick stop at Roanoke to see the lost settlement, and then eventually ferried to Ocracoke Island. Teach's Hole was, of course, a blast, and I could easily have overspent on every little pirate nick-nack known to man (pirate beach towel, pirate t-shirts, pirate rubber stamps, coffee mugs, rum mugs, action figures, books, cds....) The other shopping was fun, too, but the highlight of Ocracoke was the beach just off our campsite. I found the best way to enjoy the beach is to wait until the waves are particularly rough, sit down in the water, hold your nose and let them plow you back onto the shore. It's like getting beat up, but fun

Of course, we gathered up a fair share of shells, since nothing cool lives in the Great Lakes back home. My best find was what looks to be the skinny half of a crabs claw, but it's a whopping 7 inches long.

We ended up staying in Ocracoke an extra night, and then headed further south. This required a two hour ferry trip, which was much more interesting than the one we took to get ON the island, on account of all the jellyfish that were visible from the boat. We must have seen well over a hundred, along with numerous crabs (which I don't think I've ever seen swim before, they paddle those little legs like HELL.)

We never made it as far south as South Carolina, as we decided to spend a bit more time on the beach and a bit less on the road. Our last couple of nights we ended up staying in trailor parks on the beach, which is a lot less fun than staying in an actual campsite, but such is life. We did make a quick stop in town to catch Pirates of the Caribbean, and the good news is that between the look of Cap'n Sparrow, and whatever (God only knows) was in that romance novel I got her, my wife has actually started to believe pirates can be sexy She even suggested that I shouldn't be too hasty in shaving off the facial hair I developed during the camping trip, which coming from her was quite the surprise :)

Our last night on the coast was our worst, weather-wise, but fortunately I saw it coming and had added a few storm lines to the tent (I only mention that because I'm overly-proud of having tied the most beautiful taught-line hitches. They were really a sight to behold - I shouldn't have taken a picture )

OK, I'm clearly babbling now, which I was actually doing from the very beginning, but I think it's starting to show. So in summation:

Seafood - eat north, cuz as you go south, they fry EVERYTHING. I prefer to see my seafood all shelled and scary lookin'

Camping - the national park on Ocracoke was the best. A little crowded, but at least it was crowded with tents, not mobile homes.

Teach's Hole - don't walk in there with credit cards or a checkbook, or else you'll spend far more than you'd intended.

And NOW ---- I'm done.

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Sounds like a great trip Bilgemonkey!! I was just out that way a little bit ago for the Hampton Blackbeard Festival in Hampton VA. I loved the area and enjoyed reading about your trip! Any thoughts of coming to the Blackbeard Festival next year? We're planning to be there in force again... hint, hint, nudge, nudge!

[capnwilliam]

Glad ypu enjoyed the trip, Bilgemunkey! Mate Jan and I went to the Outer Banks a couple of summers back; stayed in Kill Devil Hills, and made trips to Manteo, where she used to work as a living history interpreter (1584 era) at Roanoke State Park. They have a museum there, and a full sized replica vessel called the Elizabeth II.

We also went to Ocracoke, to which I developed a desire to move, although as Jan points out, evacuation in the event of hurricanes might be problematic. Teach's Hole was indeed a great place!

Capt. William

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Hey mates, I just created a topic for pirate stores in the Ports o' Call section... could one o' ye' do a write up on Teache's Hole? Sounds great, I've seen their website.

[AliasGraceO'Malley]

At Easter break by myself I took 11 14-16yo boys to Hatteras on a surf trip. We stayed all the way at the tip in Frisco. We liked it alot. Unless you have a feel for the place and the history, though there is little else to do down there but surf and fish. These are things my crew enjoys so it was great. Already signed up to do it again next spring break, only we're getting two houses and taking a group of female surfers.

[the Royaliste]

Ya mean they got surf big enough to use on that coast?

[AliasGraceO'Malley]

Ya mean they got surf big enough to use on that coast?

Aarrgh we have a few pro surfers on this side of the world. But Hatteras is probably the best east coast place to be for the surf.

One son has been chosen to go to a surf conference in San Diego in a week. He will finally get to do some west coast surfing. He is always trying to figure a way to make a living while surfing the rest of his life.

I live 3 houses from the beach and I am surf central. Right now there are at least 8 boards on my back porch and a couple more in the so-called dining room.

[the Royaliste]

RRRRRR! Then head up 'ere and lookie Mavricks! 50', no problem! From the Graveyard of the Pacific

[AliasGraceO'Malley]

Way to give a mother gray hairs. I have seen tons of mavericks footage. One son's goal is to be a big wave surfer, which includes mavericks. Are you near mavericks? Do you remember when nobody surfed it, then just a few crazy guys. Now it's part of the pro-tour and if you go pro you will be surfing it. People forget it has claimed a few lives.

This be the reason this son has worked so hard to pull up his high school grades. He wants to go to college out there where you have real waves.

[the Royaliste]

Actually, I raised a couple o' surf bum kids at Mavericks, before 'Point Break', one or two homey's made it into flick. Me own self, many o' decent job o' ravaging ther before it was popular!

[AliasGraceO'Malley]

Surf bum kids are a breed unto themselves. My sons can't get up to do anlything school related, yet on days when the surf is good they are up at 6am to surf before school or work.

The sole motivation to getting a job is to buy another board or maybe to surf trips.

On days when a storm is coming up the coast there will be at least 6 boys sleeping on me floor.

Every one of them believes he will be a pro-surfer.

[the Royaliste]

and with a bit o' luck, one or two are right!

[AliasGraceO'Malley]

Yep, and then they can say it wouldn't have happened without the years spent on my living room floor. I go to alot of ESA contests with the boys, and recently they have gotten tougher since the finals always end up with at least 3 from our small circle of kids. It's nice cause one of them wins and sad since the friends always have to beat out each other to advance.

I sometimes stress out with these guys. I'm always on them to clean up my back porch and take shorter showers, and it seems like I am buying more food every day. But it's worth it.

I am thinking my son will be going to cali and not wanting to come back. He is planning a costa rica trip now.

[the Royaliste]

Stranger thing 'ave happened ,matey!

[Captain Rob Carroll]

How was your trip anyways? I'd like to go on a trip like that, maybe when I get back to the US. Teach's hole, what is in it?

[AliasGraceO'Malley]

Teaches Hole has a good website, that gives you a bit of an idea what they carry.

I love the outer banks and will be heading back over Easter break again. But if you're the sort of person liking lots of things to do on yer holiday it's not for you. At least not all the way down the tip where we stay in Frisco/Avon/Hatteras area. There's much more to do in the more northern keys such as Kitty Hawk. Frisco has plenty of boats for hire for fishing though.

[Captain Rob Carroll]

Thxs lass, I'll look into it.