Our fall travel schedule turned out a bit differently than we planned last winter. However, although a bit low key compared to the Florida trip we planned, it was a lot fun and forced us to travel off the “beaten track” and explore some new places. The Chesapeake Bay and Outer Banks areas are just gorgeous and great places to simply relax. There were a lot of walks and reading on the four beaches we were camped on. Additionally, a fair amount of fresh fish and seafood were consumed.
Gywnn Island, VA. This is a small island on the Chesapeake Bay about an hour’s drive northeast of Williamsburg. It doesn’t have a lot of historical significance, but is typical of many of the areas on the Bay: quaint, water-centric, yet simple. Most of our time was spent visiting and “wiking” (not quite hiking) in the surrounding areas including Beaver Dam Park and Jamestown.
Wake Forest, NC. This was a return trip to visit Marv and Laurie Baker. As always, we had a great time and undertook an number of activities. We stayed in one of our favorite campgrounds, Falls Lake – Rolling Hills State Park. The entire region is just beautiful. The company is excellent. The weather’s not bad either.
Kitty Hawk, NC. Kitty Hawk is on the Outer Banks just south of Virginia Beach in North Carolina. The primary reason to go there was to see the Alligator River National Monument. The “gator” is a huge wetland and known for wildlife including birds, black bears, and alligators. We were clearly there at the wrong time of the year and only saw a few birds and turtles. Also, for the 2nd time in two weeks, the remnants of a hurricane come right over the top of us. Fortunately, Eta, like Zeta before it, had degraded to a tropical storm and we survived it without incident.
Our campsite was on the ocean side of the Outer Banks, and only a few miles from the Wright Brothers National Monument. This monument tells the story of “first flight” and was surprisingly interesting. Another fun outing was our “visit” to Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. Much to our surprise, when we arrived at the park entrance there was no road. You were simply diverted to the beach with the warning “4 wheel drive vehicles only”. After a bit of deliberation, we took our Honda CRV down the beach for 5 miles or so, ate our lunch, and returned when it was clear that the tide was coming in. The whole thing was something of a pick-up-truck-wild-west with trucks going every which way, some at high speeds. We never got to the main part of the refuge, but it was still an experience.
Emerald Isle. This is part of the Outer Banks and is a 12 mile long by half mile wide island. It is filled with beach houses, parks, and wildlife refuges from one end to the other and is quite picturesque. We “wiked” on both the island and the mainland, as well as touring Fort Morgan at the north end of the Isle. This was a key fortification during the Civil War and well preserved.
Surfside Beach, SC. Surfside is located between Myrtle Beach and Murrell’s Inlet and has been a regular stop for us since we retired. At times, we feel guilty about staying here when there are so many places we haven’t been to. However, we stay at a great campground with a relaxing atmosphere, a fabulous beach, great internet, and wonderful weather. It usually isn’t crowded when we are there. Due to holiday travel and last minute COVID-inspired schedule changes, we will have been on four different Surfside campsites in 2 months. Our time there was primarily spent catching up on all the clerical, planning, and RV maintenance activities that we ignored during the preceding two months. It’s a great place to socially isolate and spend some time outdoors. Who doesn’t appreciate the chance to walk on the beach in December!
