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Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68851 05/27/99 01:21 AM
Joined: Dec 1998
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Art Offline OP
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I know that you're all weary of my travels by now, but this lighthousing journey should be the last for this year (unless we hit the lottery). This one is an Outer Banks trip from Cape Henry, VA, to Bald Head and Oak Island, NC, and it includes the family this time. The lighthouses will come slowly at first, as we unwind a bit from the very hectic first half of the year we have all had. I'll spare you all the gory trip details until the serious lighthousing commences on Day 6. We originally planned to work our way all the way down to Tybee Island in Georgia before heading home, but the family mutinied for some down time at the beach. I suspect that South Carolina and Georgia will still be there next year.

Day 1.

Drive from Jackson, TN to Williamsburg, VA.

Day 2.

Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg Historic District.

The Old Capitol Building,
Williamsburg, VA

Day 3.

HL shopping. Short drive to Newport News. Visited the Mariner's Museum there. The whole family enjoyed this very much. Quite a bit of lighthouse history is covered there. There is the original 1st order Fresnel lens from the Cape Charles, VA, lighthouse on functioning display here,

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282882&p=10899524[/img]

along with a lighthouse first order whale oil lamp, an Argand lamp, a ventilator ball, a screw from a screw pile, and many other lighthouse items. Also houses a collection of incredibly detailed model ships, the propeller and other artifacts from the SS Monitor, a collection of small craft from around the world, displays on the great explorers and their vessels, cutaway working models of marine engines, an active boat building operation (we saw a Chesapeake "deadrise" boat under construction), and much, much more. A real bargain at $13.00 for a family of 4. Allow at least two and one half hours. They have a nice gift shop that carries HLs. They had several retired pieces, but they were on open shelves and most had small chips.

Drove to Portsmouth, VA. Visited the Lightship Portsmouth.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282977&p=10900040[/img]

I was surprised to see it buried up to the waterline in concrete. It was explained that it is much cheaper to maintain and insure the ship this way. The docents there were very knowledgeable about the ship and about lighthouses in general. They provided us with a set of directions for a two-hour tour of area lighthouses, a LS Portsmouth history sheet and other stuff. We were the only visitors there and had time to have a nice conversation with them, comparing notes on lighthousing expeditions. Another bargain at $1 per person.

We headed back through the tunnel beneath the St. Elizabeth River to Norfolk to Waterside. We grabbed a bite to eat at the food court there before boarding the American Rover, a three-masted topsail schooner. We took

a three-hour tour,
a three-hour tour

of Norfolk Harbor where we saw a lot of the Navy's best hardware and other sites. Saw Middle Ground Lighthouse in the distance, against the backdrop of another glorious sunset. (The lighthouse can be seen in silhouette in the distance at the far left of this photo.)

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282977&p=10900080[/img]

This was a bit more expensive ($17 adult, $9 kids for the 3-hour sunset cruise we took, a little less for the earlier 2-hour tours) than the other activities of the day, but very enjoyable also. The kids got to hoist sails and pilot the boat, and there was live entertainment aboard that was quite good. The strolling guitarist/singer did mostly songs with nautical themes, from The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald to Stairway to Gilligan's Island.

We drove to VA Beach to spend the next few days. The phone connections in the hotel are really lousy. I cannot connect to the internet at all because of the noisy connection. Looks like no internet for a few days at least, but there's no way I'm going to give up my oceanfront room. I love spending these late evenings with the balcony door open, letting in the cool breezes and listening to the surf crashing on the beach below.

Day 4.

Beach and breakfast, then swimming pool. Later, took I-264 through Portsmouth to I-664 and across the Merrimack & Monitor Memorial Bridge back into Hampton. On the bridge (at around lightpost number 90) we pulled over for a quick photo of Middle Ground Lighthouse.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282977&p=10900069[/img]

Circled back on I-64E toward Norfolk. Planned to stop at Fort Monroe to see Thimble Shoal and Point Comfort lighthouses, but decided to go instead to Nauticus Marine Museum and the Tugboat Museum in Norfolk on Waterside Drive. Drove back to VA Beach for seafood and beach combing. Whatever the problem was yesterday with the phones is now fixed. Back on-line. Just in the nick of time, too. The DTs were beginning.

From directly beneath the F-14 flight path to the Oceana NAS, where I watched several dozen sorties returning home this evening,

-Art[Is there a war or something going on somewhere that I should know about?]

To correct some details and add some reflections, this message has been edited by Art (edited 06-01-99).

To add photos and links,

[This message has been edited by Art (edited 06-19-99).]


-Art
Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68852 05/27/99 07:25 AM
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Robert M Dick Offline
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Art,

It is usually quiet when a war is on. No practice hear. Real thing over there. Langley has been quiet lately. YOu saw a fleet return event, that's all captain.

Middleground was just painted about 3 months ago. Hope you enjoyed your visit.

When you stop at Bodie Island, that is where my roots are. Are you going to the event on the 29th.

Moby of Tidewater Virginia.


Moby
Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68853 05/27/99 11:47 AM
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Art,
I never get tired of reading about lighthousing trips! Can't wait until you get to Bald Head Island! It's quite a unique community and location.
Bob


LONG ISLAND BOB
Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68854 05/28/99 02:42 AM
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Day 5.

After breakfast, headed a few miles south to the Virginia Marine Science Museum. Great museum. Focus is on marine natural science. Includes a boardwalk through marshlands, petting tanks for the kids and a large seawater aquarium. Explains ecosystems, tides, etc. very, very well. Unfortunately for us, every elementary and middle school in Virginia was here, too. Geez, did I get a headache! Screaming kids everywhere. The museum itself is highly recommended. Allow 2-1/2 hours.

Next we drove back north along Atlantic Ave. to Fort Story to visit our old buddies from our Christmas trip, Cape Henry I & II.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282978&p=10900096[/img]

This time we climbed Henry I.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282978&p=10900123[/img]

Since Henry I is inactive there is no lens there, but you can climb right up into the lantern room for a 360-degree view of Fort Story, including this view of "New" Cape Henry shot from the lantern of Old Cape Henry.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282978&p=10900091[/img]

View of Henry II from the base of Henry I

Another view of Henry II

One last view of Henry I & Henry II


Afterward we went north another 1/4 mile or so to the Cape Henry Monument (in the photo of both Henry I & II above you can see the memorial cross in the lower right hand corner) This is where Captain John Smith first landed before he headed into the bay and founded Jamestown Colony on the James River. Jamestown was the first permanent European settlement in the New World (yes, Smith beat the Plymouth Colony Pilgrims here).

After a late lunch we headed back to Norfolk to visit the Chrysler Museum of Art. I was impressed with their collection. Degas, Monet, Seargent, Renoir, many others. Afterward we headed across the river into Fort Monroe to photograph Old Point Comfort Lighthouse.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282979&p=10900126[/img]

This is a neat little light. Reminds me of a mini Sandy Hook. Back at the hotel, it was swimming in the ocean, then the pool before dinner.

Tomorrow: It's up early to hit the Outer Banks.


------------------
-Art

To add photos and links,

[This message has been edited by Art (edited 06-20-99).]


-Art
Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68855 05/28/99 07:12 AM
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Robert M Dick Offline
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Art,

Have you been to Lighthouse Gallery and Gifts. Point Fermin recreated. Worth the stop. At the 9 or 10 mile post.

Moby


Moby
Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68856 05/30/99 03:54 AM
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Day 6

Departed VA Beach (39th St. & Atlantic Ave) at 8:50 a.m.. Taking 22nd St. (44W/I-264W) 13 miles to I-64E (7 mi.) to 168S to 158S (about 50 miles and stopping briefly for a fast food breakfast) to Southern Shores, NC. There we took 12N to Currituck Lighthouse in Corolla, NC. We arrived at 11:20 and logged 103 miles up to this point.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282945&p=10899804[/img]

We all loved Currituck Light. In our family it was unanimous: this was our favorite lighthouse of all that we have visited so far. In the entranceway a black & white checkered marble floor that leads to a few steps up to the archive photo gallery on the first level greets you. Inside the tall conical tower is, of course, a spiral staircase. The staircase seems more graceful than that of other lights we have climbed, perhaps due to the large diameter of the tower at its base. This diameter not only allows a suitable viewing distance to the staircase, but also accounts in part for the very pleasing geometry of the tower. At each 1/2 rotation of the staircase you are treated to a landing that makes up the next 180° of rotation. This makes the tower an easy climb in spite of its height.

The view from the top is breathtaking. From there you can see Currituck Sound to the west, the village of Corolla to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and to the south you can see the historic Whalehead Club nearby, and points beyond the Duck, NC water tower some 21 miles away.

The lighthouse and grounds are well maintained. The keeper's house is still standing but is presently occupied and off-limits. The gift shop is one of the very best we have seen anywhere, and we certainly did put our money where our mouths are!

After a record (for us) single-light visit of nearly 2 hours we departed Corolla at 1:10 p.m. We retraced our steps 21 miles back down 12S to 158SE and continued another 7 miles to the Wright Brothers' Memorial Monument in Kill Devil Hills, NC. We arrived at 2:00 p.m. There we heard the live presentation and saw the full-scale model of the Wright Flyer. Afterward we drove to the monument itself and climbed the hill up to it on foot. We departed at 3:01 p.m. and headed south/east again on 158 for about 3-1/2 miles and 10 minutes to Nags Head.

At Nags Head we stopped at the Lighthouse Gallery and Gifts. The folks there had been very gracious to us, sending us a great deal of information about lighthousing North Carolina by e-mail in advance of our trip. They had a few nice secondary pieces including Ponce de Leon and Ocracoke. The day following our visit there would be a signing event by Bill Younger. Unfortunately our schedule would not allow us to attend, but we purchased a Kilauea event piece to be signed by Bill and shipped later. We departed Nags Head at 3:45 p.m. with 142 miles logged.

Taking 158SE then 12S for another 20 minutes (11 miles) brought us to Bodie Island Lighthouse at 4:05 p.m.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282922&p=10899684[/img]

The tower is stunning but the surroundings plain. This makes for a rather sterile setting for photos, imo. There is a short boardwalk through a salt marsh preserve behind the lighthouse. I think that perhaps the best photo opportunity comes from back there. Be sure to bring insect repellent. The area is loaded with mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies and other critters after your blood. Left Bodie Light at 4:42.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is in Buxton, NC, about an hour from Bodie. The troops were getting cranky by this time, so we drove on another 13 miles or so to our hotel in Hatteras Village. We arrived at the Holiday Inn Express (1-800-361-1590) at 5:53, logging 209 miles for the day. The Holiday Inn is ideally situated for the early morning fishing excursion and ferry departure we had in our plans. We had pizza delivered (Rocco's in Hatteras Village-- unexpectedly good for pizza south of the Mason-Dixon Line) and we hit the hay early.

Day 7

Arose early. David, Daniel and I went to the Teach's Lair Marina next door. Boarded the Capt'n Clam head boat (we called them party boats back in NJ) for 1/2 day of fishing in the Pamlico Sound ($25/person, $20 for kids) while Mariann shopped. We caught a few flounder (aka summer flounder, fluke) and several sea trout and a bunch of small stuff that we released. David caught the largest fish for the day, and together we caught more keepers than any other group aboard. We sold the catch to a local resident who was aboard the boat and gave the proceeds to the mate as a tip.

We went to lunch in Buxton (Cape Sandwich Co.) around 2:00 p.m., then went to see the
Hatteras Light.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282946&p=10899921[/img]

Not much to see from the legal viewing area except that there was empty space beneath the tower. There is a small airfield nearby. I wish we had another day; I'd get some aerial photos of the site.

No one there at the lighthouse would commit to a Memorial Day, 2000 relighting ceremony, or even to completion of the move by then. They appear to be slipping a little to the schedule -- I expected the actual move to be underway by now, but the tower still sits over its original location. Hope it's nothing major.

Returned to Hatteras Village and did some shopping. Went to the pool for about an hour and a half before getting ready for church & dinner. After church in Buxton (a little after 8:00 p.m.) I could see the full moon rising over the lighthouse and another glorious sunset taking shape. Guess who left his camera on the dresser in the hotel.

Ate at The Mad Crabber in Avon, 10 minutes north of Buxton. David and I had our fill of clams on the half-shell, shrimp and Dungeness crabs (a note to our friends back home in TN: this is seafood. Not to be confused with fried catfish). Daniel and Mariann do not eat bottom-dwelling marine life, so they opted for hotdogs and steak, respectively. Returned to the hotel about 10:20 p.m. The kids should be all kinds of fun tomorrow -- this is well past their usual bedtime and we have a 7:00 ferry to catch to Ocracoke Island.

Talk to you tomorrow night.

-Art

To correct some details,
this message has been edited by Art (edited 06-01-99).

To add photos and links,

[This message has been edited by Art (edited 06-19-99).]


-Art
Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68857 06/01/99 03:29 AM
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Day 8

Check out of hotel at 6:30 a.m., grabbing some "Continental breakfast" on the way out. Departed hotel at 6:40 a.m. Arrived at the ferry terminal at 6:42 a.m. (that's why I booked this hotel!). We were the fifth car in line. Seems strange for Memorial Day weekend, but maybe traffic was light because it was Sunday morning. The holy are tending to their souls while the unholy are tending to their hangovers. By boarding time at 6:59 there were still only 14 cars in line. The ferry was less than half full. This ferry is a freebie, and takes about 40 minutes. (Call 1-800-BY-FERRY for information about all of the NC state-operated ferries). We departed Hatteras Island at 7:02 a.m. and arrived at the north end of Ocracoke Island at 7:40 a.m. We started south on NC12 (the only road and direction possible) by 7:41 a.m. with 278.5 miles logged since leaving Virginia Beach.

Ocracoke is an unspoiled place. Route 12 here is graced by picturesque dunes on the ocean side. About 6 miles from the ferry landing we pulled off at a parking lot and dune cross-over to the beach. We startled a rabbit, some turtles and several dune-dwelling crabs as we approached the beach. We found this to be a good spot for shelling, and spent about 20 minutes doing just that, but had to leave rather quickly to make our ferries. We arrived in Ocracoke Village at 8:15 a.m. and had a delightful breakfast at The Pelican Restaurant (on Hwy 12, 252-928-7431) in the center of the village. I had a seafood omelet that was terrific. Great atmosphere too. Afterward we crossed the street to the Community Square Shops. I went to the docks to take photos of the Ocracoke Lighthouse across the tiny harbor while the rest of the clan shopped. We then headed for the lighthouse for a close-up look.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282947&p=10899958[/img]

Took more photos then headed for the ferry terminal to catch our 10:45 (Reservations are highly recommended for this ferry -- the one between Hatteras and Ocracoke does not accept reservations). We arrived at the terminal at 9:45 a.m. and were pleasantly surprised that there was still ample room aboard the 10:00 boat. We had logged 294.1 miles. This ferry from Ocracoke to Cedar Island was also less than 1/2 full. The ticket was $10.00. Unfortunately, we spent only about two hours on Ocracoke. Next time (next year?) we would like to spend at least a few days in this sleepy little seaside community. We hardly even got to see Ocracoke Village, and it broke our hearts to leave so soon.

The ferry arrived at Cedar Island at 12:13 p.m. Two hours and 13 minutes en route. Schedule says 2:15. Two minutes off. Not bad on a long crossing such as this. Good thing we brought along playing cards and that the laptop batteries were fully charged. I don't mind ferries, but 2:15? B-O-R-I-N-G.

After a check of the gift shop we departed the terminal at 12:30 p.m. We stopped for gas about 10 miles later. At 1:15 p.m. we passed the exit (well-marked) for Harkers Island and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. We thought that our chances of finding lunch, snacks and film would be better if we proceeded to the town of Beaufort. As it turned out, we could have saved time by taking the Harkers Island exit, since all these necessities can be found on the way to the lighthouse. We could have also saved time by getting lunch to go in Ocracoke to eat on the ferry.

We arrived in Beaufort at 1:25 p.m., about 38 miles from the last ferry. We secured the necessary items and were back on highway 70 toward Harkers Island by 2:03 p.m. We arrived at the Cape Lookout visitors center at 2:33 p.m. and departed by 2:42 p.m. We made our way to the first private ferry company we came to (Sandollar Ferry) to buy a ride to the lighthouse. There are several of these companies here. They run cabinless, passenger-only skiffs that are about 20' long and powered by outboard engines. The run to the island takes about 10 minutes and costs $10 per person round trip. You must decide in advance the time you will depart from the island. The boat drops you off on the beach right next to the lighthouse.

Our boat left the dock at 3:10 p.m. for the lighthouse and arrived there around 3:20.p.m.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282910&p=10899763[/img]

The kids enjoyed the fast, small craft ride out to the light, but we were all disappointed when we arrived there, not by the lighthouse (which is beautiful), but by the environment. We were expecting to see only a handful of people out there, but the place was packed. Several ferry services hauling people in all day long plus dozens of private craft bobbing along the shoreline add up to many hundreds of people on the beach. I would strongly recommend taking this trip at another time of year because of the crowds. Be sure to bring plenty of bottled drinking water, sunscreen and insect repellant, plus whatever snacks you may wish to take along. Once on the island, you may not be able to get a ferry back earlier than the one you commit to at the time you pay for the trip. There is no place to really hide from the sun or biting flies for very long. Next time we would consider camping overnight on the island. That would probably make for the very best photos (sunset, sunrise, relatively few people around).

Another view of Cape Lookout Lighthouse

Another view of Cape Lookout Lighthouse

Another view of Cape Lookout Lighthouse


We departed the island at around 4:30 p.m. and were back in the car and on the road again by 5:00 p.m. We took about a 20-minute rest, and finally arrived at our hotel in Wilmington, NC at 7:55 p.m., logging around 169 road miles since departing the ferry from Ocracoke at Cedar Island. From Harkers Island we backtracked to US Highway 70S and followed it past Morehead City to NC24SW. Past Swansboro we got onto NC172SW through Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base. Might as well get in a little gunnery practice on the way, right? The sentry at the gate and the "TANK XING" signs are a little disquieting, but the drive was otherwise uneventful. At the town of Folkstone we connected with US17SW, which took us into Wilmington.

Day 9

Today we slept in. Left the hotel at 9:45 a.m. and had breakfast around 10:00 a.m. Followed NC132S to US421S past Kure Beach to Fort Fisher. There we visited the NC Aquarium, one of several small state aquaria located up and down the coast. We arrived at around 11:30 a.m. (logging 29 miles from Wilmington) and had finished by 12:30 p.m. Admission was $3 for adults and $1 for kids. The Aquarium is great for small children; you can see the whole thing before they get bored. The exhibits are small and not too numerous, but the staff there is very knowledgeable.

If you can spend more time in this area, a visit to the Civil War Museum at Fort Fisher (north of the Aquarium) is worth the stop also. We visited there years ago when we lived in NC and enjoyed it.

We took the 1:00 p.m. Fort Fisher Ferry ($3.00, about 3 minutes from the Aquarium) across the Cape Fear River inlet to Southport, a quaint old seaport village. As we approached the Southport ferry terminus we could see the Price's Creek Lighthouse (what remains of it, anyway) from the ferry off the starboard side to the northwest.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282962&p=10899977[/img]

The lantern of Price's Creek Light was destroyed by the Confederate forces during the Civil War to hinder Union navigation in the area, and was never rebuilt. All that remains is the diminutive red brick tower. It sits on posted private property (owned by Archer-Daniels Midland Corporation) and is inaccessible to the public. The only way to see it is from a boat. You can also see Bald Head and Oak Island lighthouses in the distance off the port side bow of the ferry as you approach Southport.

Disembarking at 1:23 p.m., we turned left at the stop sign at the end of Ferry Rd., heading north on NC211. We followed this road the 1.6 miles into Southport and continued straight onto Moore St. where it separates from 211 at Southport, following the signs for the visitor's center. The folks at the center were very helpful with directions to the Bald Head Island Ferry, suggestions of things to do to kill the 1-1/2 hours before our 3:00 ferry, and with information about the Oak Island, Bald Head, and Price's Creek lighthouses. We visited some shops in town and at the waterfront before leaving to catch the ferry at Indigo Plantation. The ferry fare is $15 per adult and $8 for children under 12. Crossing takes about 20 minutes. Reservations from Indigo Plantation to Bald Head Island are recommended (910-457-5003). Ferries depart hourly on the hour from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., except at noon. Later ferries can be arranged in advance for 7, 9 or 10:00 p.m. Reservations from Bald Head Island to Indigo Plantation are made by a different number (910-457-5006). For general information call the Bald Head Island Information Center at 1-800-234-1666 or 910-457-5000.

Once at Bald Head Island we rented a golf cart (no automobile traffic is allowed on the island except for contractors and law enforcement personnel). The carts are not cheap: for a 2- or 4-passenger cart it is $20.00 for the first hour and $5.00 per hour thereafter. Daily rate is $40.00 and weekly is $225.00. 6-passenger carts are also available at a slightly higher rate. They also rent bicycles, canoes, and beach paraphernalia. Call Island Wheels at 910-457-4944 for reservations or more information.

Exiting the rental place at Keelson Row and making a left onto North Bald Head Wynd and another left onto the lighthouse loop we found ourselves at the foot of the lighthouse in just a minute or two.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282919&p=10899647[/img]

We climbed to the top of Old Baldy. It is open daily for climbing without charge (please take note of the donation box inside and don't be afraid to use it). This is a very interesting lighthouse. It’s shape, coloration (dyed concrete, not painted on), stairway wooden, not iron, with relatively steep rise to tread ratio); and landings (each one a complete floor forming a distinct room) are all quite distinctive among lighthouses we have seen. The woodwork is obviously recently rebuilt, but seems to be historically accurate. In fact, the staircase does not meet North Carolina building code; a violation accepted in the name of historical accuracy. Very rustic appearance inside and out. It's easy to fall in love with this one, and we did.


Make sure you are out of the tower
before closing time -- once the door is locked you're stuck until opening time the next morning!

We finished our cart rental hour putting around the island. This seems a great place to spend a week or perhaps a retirement. I love the pace of life here -- S-L-O-W. We'll be back, and next time will spend a lot more time here.

We were back on the mainland and leaving the parking lot ($5.00 per day) at 5:07 p.m. We went back to Southport's waterfront to buy some ice cream to tide us over until dinner and to watch the boats come in while we ate it. Got back on NC211NW to NC133S. Where NC133 ends at Yaupon Beach, we continued straight to Oak Island. The road will take you right next to Oak Island Lighthouse. This one is modern by lighthouse standards, built in 1958. It is cylindrical in form, having no discernable taper. It's day mark is: bottom 1/3 gray, middle 1/3 white, top 1/3 black.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282962&p=10899937[/img]

It boasts the most powerful beam of any lighthouse in the US at 2.5 million candlepower, second in the world only to one of the French lights on the English Channel. I was surprised to learn that its cast in-situ concrete walls are a mere 8" thick. It's difficult to get a good photo of this one because the road is flanked by residential private property and U.S. Coast Guard property, with no on-the-street parking allowed. Probably your best bet is to go to the beach by public access (Caswell Beach) about a half mile or so away, then walk the beach to the lighthouse and photograph over the USCG property dunes where there are no houses on the ocean side of the road.. We didn't do this because everyone was starving by now, having skipped lunch, but we did do some shelling at that public beach for about 1/2 hour before heading back to Wilmington at 6:34 p.m. for dinner by way of NC133N, NC211E, NC87N, and US17NE. We arrived back around 7:05, having logged around 55 miles for the day and encircling the mouth of the Cape Fear River from Wilmington to the Atlantic Ocean in the process.

This wraps up the lighthousing for this trip. The next three days bring a visit to the USS North Carolina battleship, a horse-drawn carriage ride through old Wilmington, shopping (4 HL retailers in Wilmington) taking the kids crabbing on the sound, and a stop in Asheville, NC to tour the Biltmore Estate before heading back to Jackson. This has been a great trip for us. We have once again been blessed with wonderful weather for nearly the entire trip.

I don’t think we will again tour the NC lights as we did on this trip, from Currituck to Oak Island, but we know we will be back to visit the NC coast. We didn’t get enough of Hatteras, Ocracoke Island or Bald Head Island on this trip. I'd also like to give Cape Lookout another chance. Time now for a little relaxation before returning to reality. Thanks for traveling along. I hope you've enjoyed it.

Ferried out,

-Art [unlike the Currituck HL, humans become more red if left in the sun]

To add photos and links,

[This message has been edited by Art (edited 06-19-99).]


-Art
Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68858 06/01/99 07:45 AM
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Robert M Dick Offline
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Art,

Thanks for the report. Remember thatas bland and open as Bodie Island is, that is the way it was when they were kept by persons in the old day. If you think the bugs are bad now, you should have been there when I was a child.

I go in the off season to avoid the crowds.

Moby of Tidewater Virginia


Moby
Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68859 06/01/99 11:14 AM
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Moby,

I'm very glad to hear that the site has been preserved much as it was when it was manned. I envy your childhood experience there. It is a very beautiful tower.

I think the location is also beautiful, just not made for interesting photo compositions.

------------------
-Art


-Art
Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68860 06/01/99 11:57 AM
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Thanks a bunch, Art. I always enjoy your trips as much as you do thru your reports. Hope I will have time on my MD trip to see Hatteras again this summer.
Derith

Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68861 06/01/99 12:34 PM
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Rod Watson Offline
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Sorry we didn't meet up, Art. I forgot to turn my cell phone on a couple of days, so didn't know if you tried to call. We may have passed somewhere without knowing it.

I thought I caught you on the Ocracoke to Cedar Island ferry. There was a white minivan with Tennessee plates, along with a couple in their mid 30's with (2) 10-12 year old boys. Before I introduced myself, I noticed they also had a daughter, so I realized it wasn't you.

Glad you enjoyed everything as much as we did, it looks like you are having a great trip.

Rod Watson
[This message has been edited by Rod Watson (edited 07-12-99).]

Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68862 06/01/99 12:43 PM
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Todd Shorkey Offline
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Art,

As usual, your lighthousing report is superb! Thanks for sharing you adventures with us. Get yourself some rest though. Sounds like you need it!

-Todd

Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68863 06/20/99 01:28 AM
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Art Offline OP
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Added photos and links to all of my posts above. Posting now to make this thread current.


-Art
Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68864 06/20/99 02:36 AM
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Anonymous
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Wow !!, Art I feel like I was in the passenger seat for the whole trip, I am jealous of the pictures, as I crossed the Chesapeake bay bridge heading south the weather turned ugly on me having rain, overcast skys or the two combined with 40 mph winds. All though I did have about a half hour of clear blue skys at Cape Hatteras.

Great job of turning a bulitan board posting into a entire web site

Mark

Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68865 06/21/99 03:05 PM
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Lighthousedude Offline
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WOW!!!!

I agree with Mark. I felt like I was a member of the family sitting in the car with you. And the photos to go with the narration made it all the more enjoyable.

Thank you very much for sharing your trip with all of us.

Weary of you travels??? You've got to be kidding!! I'm kind of disappointed that this is your last journey.

Re: Roadtrip: Outer Banks, NC #68866 01/18/00 03:34 AM
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Art Offline OP
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-Art

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