Day 218: Goodbye, Ocean...Homeward Bound!

Sandy toes on the Outer Banks...Mr. FixIt fishing!

This week was exactly what we needed. We had so much fun with the kids and we managed to get a little alone time in, as well. We did something yesterday that I’ve only done a couple of times before. We drove out on the beach. The sand here is decidedly different than Daytona Beach where it’s not quite as solid as concrete and practically impossible to get stuck. Outer Banks Sand is soft. You have to let the air out in your tires down to about 15 pounds to flatten and widen your footprint for better traction. You have to be very careful not to punch the accelerator and spin while maintaining enough speed to keep moving. I was determined to do it myself, but the closer I got to our destination, all I could think about was having to get an expensive tow off the beach. So, I gave it over to Mr. FixIt and observed his technique and asked him questions as we went along. I’ll try next time.

We drove down to the point at Oregon Inlet near the bridge and parked our trucks side-by-side. I settled into my chair with my 50-SPF sunscreen, knitting in hand, cold drink by my side, feet up on my handy footstool. The girls sunbathed and played bocce ball while the guys fished. We roasted hotdogs on the beach for lunch, with a little grit for texture. The sun was intense...definitely the hottest day we had this week. But, we had a slight breeze and dipping in the water occasionally helped a lot. I found a few nice shells.

The Ocean Pursuit - a scallop harvesting vessel run aground

One of the coolest things I’ve seen on a beach in a while was an abandoned scallop harvesting vessel that ran aground on March 1st near Oregon Inlet. This is a remote section of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore that is accessible only by four wheel drive. When the accident first happened, the Coast Guard air lifted the crew to safety and then oversaw the removal of fuel and other hazardous materials from the vessel. Since then, the surf has pushed the “Ocean Pursuit” onto the shore where she has become embedded in the sand. Rust is quickly taking over and signs ask people to stay off the boat as it is a safety hazard. Salvage has been delayed by the covid pandemic and estimates of $60,000 makes this one big job that may take some time to accomplish. You can read about the Ocean Pursuit HERE. 

By 3:00, the clouds started to roll in and we decided to head back to the condo. Within a few miles, the skies opened, the temperature plummeted twenty degrees, and it rained buckets. When we got back to the condo, we warmed up leftovers and started packing. Today, we head back home to chilly weather. It was supposed to freeze this morning at our house...a far cry from the wonderful weather we have enjoyed on the Outer Banks. No more sitting outside having my morning coffee for a while. Hopefully we’ll get a little late summer-like weather before the cold blasts of winter set in. The beach is definitely my favorite place to go in October.

A storm brewing off the Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Every time I’ve traveled, and I’ve shared many of my travels with you here, you know I have such a hard time transitioning back to the normal routine at home. I don’t know if that will be as big a problem this time because 2020 has been such a screwy year. I mean...what’s normal anymore? Who knows?

Checkout is at 10:00. This party’s over...so what’s the next big adventure?

❤️

“We make our own plans, but the Lord decides where we will go.”

Proverbs 16:9 CEV