Back in April, David and Christine Scoville came to NC and wanted to go to the Outer Banks. Derrick and I had never been on a real vacation together, and Scovilles were here. What more could be better? So the four of us packed up and took in as much North Carolina as possible in a week. (Special thanks to our dear friends who made it all possible! We love you guys!)
Our trip first took up to Pembroke where we met the sweetest people that David first met when he served a mission there. Then on to Wilmington. We got to tour the USS North Carolina, which was fascinating. We only had about an hour there, so we didn't get to read every sign or learn everything about it, but we got some great pictures. (If you click on the photos, you can see them in greater detail.)
Lots and lots of stairs.
This is on the way into Ammunition Silo. I had no idea how much work it takes to operate those big guns!
Yes, I am pretending to drive the ship, and it was a blast!
From there, we ventured on to the Aquarium. Have you ever seen an albino alligator?
Then we hit the beach! It was a nice day to walk in the water, but still too cold to swim.
Later that night we introduced Christine to Cheerwine, and walked around Wilmington. It was so much fun.
The next day we moved on to Ocracoke Island. It was a ferry ride from the mainland, a very long ferry ride. Christine and I napped while Derrick and David played a game. Ocracoke Island was small, and quaint. It has the oldest light house on the OBX.
We then took another Ferry to Cape Hatteras. Which has probably the most recognizable light house. During the summer season, you can climb to the top. We were two days too early for that little adventure! We then hit the beach on the island.
Bodie island was next, and didn't require a ferry. There is a pretty awesome bridge connecting them. That light house was under some renovation, so we couldn't get too close. However, there was a nice dock or bridge that you could take out over the marshy area surrounding the light house to get a great view.
You can see from the photo that it was getting late, and overcast. So we didn't spend too long here, we moved on to Kitty Hawk. We stayed the night there, and saw Wright Brothers Museum the next day. It was interesting. I think what struck me the most is how determined these two were to fly. They never quit trying no matter how many obstacles that had to overcome. They were even self taught. It reminds me that we are capable of so much.
There is a great monument here that we couldn't resist playing on; and also a life size sculpture of that epic moment when their machine first took flight that offered a few moments of fun.
We went from Kitty Hawk to Greenville, where we met another great person David knew. We pushed on to Raleigh to spend that night there. We spent a couple hours the following day at the capitol building, and a museum across from it. We didn't have a lot of time, but what we saw of both was worth it. I hope Derrick and I can go back and take the rest of that museum in. Both are free, so if you are in Raleigh it's worth the time.
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| The rotunda in the Capitol Building |
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| The Library I wish I had! |
We spent this night and the rest of the trip in good old Gastonia. We took them to see Kings Mountain, a Revolutionary War battle field, and we fed them tasty Southern Food.
Having David and Christine around again was fantastic! It was a great trip! Vacation is a good thing. Vacation with great friends is the best!
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