NC Trip - Part II - Lighthouse Alley

Could I turn into one of those people who decorate their bathrooms with framed cross-stitches of lighthouses?  Perhaps I could!  We first stopped at Bodie Island Lighthouse in Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  It had a neat boardwalk to a marsh lookout where Nathan and Alison spent a lot of time birdwatching.

3-4-12 - Bodie Island Lighthouse

3-4-12 - View from the Marsh

We spent two nights in Buxton, NC in a condo right on the beach (super-cheap because we didn't realize the weather in March in the Outer Banks is kind of icky).  The first day, we stopped at Hatteras Lighthouse.  It had a nice museum with some stories of the numerous shipwrecks off the coast of the Outer Banks.  At one point, a young navy private's parents found his name tag washed ashore before they had been notified of the wreck.

 3-5-12 - Hatteras Lighthouse

There is a nasty battle going on in this area between the residents and the National Park Service, which had to start charging for permits to drive on the beaches this year.  A sad output of the vicious cycle that is: economy is bad->people lose jobs->government doesn't make as much money in taxes->government can't support as many services and has to start charging for them->people get mad and elect Republicans->Republicans cut taxes->Park Service receives less money->Park Service has to charge for more services....wait, I don't really see how this is helping....But, I thought the wooden "Death to NPS" ornament on one guy's lawn went a little too far.

We took the free ferry to Okracoke Island.  Unfortunately, the wind was so strong that day that our car was literally sandblasted and we couldn't play on the beach.  We did, however, have a nice walk in the woods, saw Okracoke Lighthouse, and ate at an amazing restaurant called Dajio.  Please don't forget to try Dajio when you visit Okracoke.

3-5-12 - Okracoke Ferry

3-5-12 - We weren't the only ones waiting for Okracoke Ferry.  Mine?

3-5-12 - Okracoke Lighthouse

3-6-12 - Windswept

The next day we took the ferry to Okracoke again to catch another one back to the mainland.  Thirty minutes before we were scheduled to leave, they canceled our ferry and made us take one three hours out of our way.  We were all thrilled.  I was happy when we finally arrived at my favorite beach hotel: The Blockade Runner in Wilmington, NC.  I can't wait for Sami to move back to Wilmington so we can visit more often!

3-7-12 - Blockade Runner