OBX and Lakes, April 2024 .-- On to the Outer Banks!

 We were eager to get on to the main goal of our trip, with a traditional stop along the way. But first breakfast,

The motel had the usual buffet breakfast set up in the lobby. This was the greeter;

Our dining experience was not enhanced by having the manager's entire family, including granny and kids, all in pajamas, getting their breakfast their too. At least they took it up to their rooms to eat.

To the east we went. When we drove here from Edenton, we would always stop at the Tyrell County Visitors Center and Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (they share the space). For one thing, the visitors center has nice rest rooms.

But mainly you can get out and walk along the Scuppernong River, admiring its beauty and peace and nature. We never get tired of it, and for us, it is an absolute must. We still have wonderful memories of a picnic there with Mom, and she just beamed the entire time.

And this is a bit of why we love it so: 

Back on the road to Manteo and over the old bridge (we avoid the bypass) and over to the beach. We had our traditional Taco Bell lunch at Whalebone Junction, and wandered next door to the thrift shop, where I unsurprisingly picked up a couple of cookbooks.

Still too early to meet Bil and check into his timeshare, so we drove south and over the Oregon Inlet on what will always be the Bonner Bridge to me, even though it no longer exists and is now the very modern Marc Basnight Bridge.

Just a note: There used to be a ferry over the Oregon Inlet, which I well remember. The Bonner Bridge opened in 1963, and while it was being built, Bill and I threw pebbles at it, to try and stop it and save the ferry.

Anyway, we drove over what is actually a very nice bridge, and as always enjoyed the view. Some of the islands on the Pamlico Sound side were filled with hundreds of birds -- so lovely!

There used to be a Coast Guard Station on the south end, which is the north end of Hatteras Island. I remember the family parking there and going for long walks on the deserted beach, the tidal pools, the seagulls (and how our mostly Cocker Spaniel, Scamp) would chase them. Yup, lots of memories for us at the Outer Banks.

Right around teh bridge is a popular fishing area and you can walk out on the pier. And look at the bottom of the bridge, too. 

There is a little cove there and we were thrilled to see half a dozen dolphins frolicking in there! We have never seen so many like that, or any here before at all. At this particular area, I mean. They were a bit too far away for good iPhone photos, but if you squint and use your imagination, maybe you can see them.

We killed enough time that it was time to meet Bill. We had a few difficulties finding one another, but we finally had a meet-up at the Food Lion parking lot. Of course we took advantage of the situation to do our first shopping for the week, concentrating on dinner that night and breakfast the next day.

Our final stop of the day was the Outer Banks Beach Club. Mom and Dad bought a one-week time share here years ago, and Bill frequently joined them. Then Bill and Mom. She left it to Bill in her will, so he continues the tradition.

It is ocean-front, two bedroom, two bath. There are free washers and dryers in the building, and an elevator, which was a necessity for Dad back then and for the "younger" generation today. My main complaint is that it is carpeted throughout, with a fairly rough carpet.

It faces the ocean and there is a table and chairs outside the front door, but it is also where everyone has to walk by, which I am not a great fan of. Nice view, though. 

Norbert and I had bought a family sized box of Zatarin's Jambalaya Mix at the Piggly Wiggly, so with the chicken from Food Lion, we had a good jambalaya dinner. Bill approved too.

Just realized how animal oriented those two grocery stores names are.....

An early evening and beach adventures begin the next day!

OBX and Lakes, April 2024 -- From Lake Anna to Plymouth, NC

 We were not really sorry to say goodbye to Lake Anna, it was not at all what we had hoped for. I can see teh attraction vacations with the kids or as a quiet weekend getaway, but it is nothing for a casual visitor in the off season.

Last night I filled out the rental car company's online accident report, with all details They do not accept photos. I sent it in, and since then we heard nothing. We were concerned they would jump on us when we turned the car in: How dare you damage our car and not notify us! You owe us tons and tons of money!

Anywho, we headed over to good old I-95, and then took, as always, the I-295 "shortcut". Saves us driving through the city traffic on 95, and when we are headed to Edenton or the beach, it saves times and miles. It also includes this wonderful Jame River Bridge. 

This time, however, we took it back to 95 and continued to the NC border, where we naturally visited the North Carolina Visitors Center. Always great for a pit stop and to pick up new paper maps for us and my brother. We are old people, we like our paper maps.

Thank you, NC, we love you too and are happy to be back.

It had some cool stuff, too.

We turned off 95 at Roanoke Rapids and cleverly driving by the BBQ restaurant Bill had recommended. On the other hand, he said their green beans were not great, so no great loss, right? We also saw the actual Rapids as we crossed over them. Might be an interesting area to return to.

We cut across country, as I love so much, through various small towns. We had lunch at some fast-food place at some small town. I had searched long and hard online for an ABC (liquor) store in Plymouth, but had found nothing. So we made a stop in yet anotehr small town, sort of a "quick pull over, there's an ABC store" sort of stop. Of course there turned out to be an ABC store about a block away from our motel.

As always, since we were in the area, we detoured over to Edenton, where we paid our respects to Mom and Dad, 

Also discovered there is now a Taco Bell in Edenton.

Back to our country roads and on to Plymouth. About all I will say about the motel was that it was adequate but if we stay in that area again it will be somewhere else.

Bill had told us there was a shopping center with a Piggly Wiggly AND a Rose's, what more could one possibly want? We wandered through Rose's, happy to see those stores never seem to change, I think I bought a notebook and some candy, Norbert some socks. Last of the big-time spenders, that's us!

The Piggly Wiggly was wonderful. It is a mostly Southern chain of grocery stores, mostly in small towns. They have a home-town flair and besides, how can you resist the name? And their wonderful mascot?

And as always, we bought a reusable shopping bag, We didn't notice the bottom of the bag until we got home. 

The best thing about the motel turned out to be the Mexican restaurant across the parking lot. Casa Garcia, family run, by people who sure know what they are doing. 

Norbert had steak fajitas, I had griled chicke and shrimp ove

A very pleasant surprise.

Off to the beach tomorrow morning!

OBX and Lakes, April 2024

 My brother invited us to join him at the Outer Banks, so how could we say no? We did the Düsseldorf-Amsterdam-Washington thing, and the flights worked out fine. For the first time, I had mysself wheelchaired in all airports, and boy, was that a great idea. Not to have to walk all those miles within three huge airports!

The joy stopped when we hit the rental car desk. We had to wait nearly in hour, and then were told to go pick a car out of the lot. THe only one in our class was, well, a class above, but it was parked there, right? We even asked and were told to take it. The guy at the gate to let us out had his doubts and had to check, but we got it and all was well. But we still lost a good hour and a half.

To make up for it, we saw three deer shortly after leaving the airport.

WE headed southwest to Culpeper and the Holiday Inn Express, where we have stayed a number of times. Not the cheapest but qiute nice. They even upgraded us to a "junior business suite". We walked over to 7-11 and bought something to eat in the room.

The next day started out well as we saw this beauty from the breakfast room. 

An outstanding breakfast, too..

Then Norbert starrted taking things out to the auto and discovered a number of scratches. Obviously whoever was parked next to us had not paid attentionu by parking or leaving. Ugh. We didn't call the police as we knew they would laugh us off for such minor damage.

Our first stop was The Ole County Store and Bakery.I aboluely love to visit us, and if we lived there or were going directly to a vaation house I would undoubtedly spend much money.there. It also happens to be right next to the only public access to Lake Pelham, so, especially since this is a "lake" triip, we stopped there, too. 

We also stopped at a favourite antique mall, but were quite unimpressed.

On to Walmart, of course, this time in Locust Grove, Va., wehre we stocked up on water, snacks, soda and beer. 

We stopped for lunch at a place I am entirely unable to find on a map. Norbert had some excellent fried chicken and I had a sandwich. I remember what we ate but not where!

Edited to add: I FOUND IT! After porting over the map with a magnifiying glass, and then checking Google maps: Mine Run Market and Deli, in Min Run!

Then we drove to Lake Anna, of which I have heard so much. Our first stop was Lake Anna State Park.

The visitors center was still closed for the season, but at least there were restrooms. We walked around a little but it was not terribly interesting.

It started raining lightly as we got back to the car, and when Norbert turned the windshield wipers on, we discoverd a note from the person who had hit our car. Complete with name, email address and telephone number. Hooray!

WE drove around a bit more, finding abosluely nothing to see or do. We even drove down to the visitors center at the North Anna Nuclear Generating Station. It too, was closed, although their website said open. Discouraged by the lack of attractions and the dreary weather, we headed to the hotel. 

We stayed at the Lighthouse Inn (although there is no lighthouse), "the only lakefront motel". It caters to anglers, and was pretty basic. Had all the basic necesities but nothing more. It was indeed lakefront, though. 

#

In due time we drove back across the bridge to the local Food Lion, where we bought something for dinner. Also something for snacks, just could resist. 

We also enjoyed several visits from this friendly quacker.

And so a relatively unsatisfactory sexond day aame to an end.

South Dakota 2011: Part 3

 Our biggest sidetrip from our base in Hill City was into Wyoming! Devil's Tower looked interesting, so westward ho for us.

But it was not our first stop.

Shortly after the state border, there was a state visitor's center, as there so often is. It offered brochures, maps, rest rooms, and free cold water, much appreciated on a hot August day. But there were also signs there for the Vore Buffalo Jump. We had no idea what it was, but it sounded interesting, and besides, buffalo!

It turned out to be absolutely fascinating. The Native Americans had no or few weapons capable of killing  bison, so basically they would chase a herd over a cliff. Yes, it sounds brutal. The exhibit at the bottom of the cliff was incredible. They are still excavating there, after nearly 50 years. The Native Americans used almost every single bit of the bison for something: food, clothing, housing, utensils, just everything.

Then we headed west again,  to Devil's Tower. You can see it from far off and it just looks more and more majestic and incredible the closer you get. 

There are also a lot of prairie dog colonies on the road there!

The Tower is 867 feet or 264 meters high, and truly awe-inspiring.

See what looks like an ant crawling up in that last picture? That is a person, climbing up!

Another wonder of nature which I can only very highly recommend.

Our other outing on another day was to Reptile Gardens, in Rapid City.

 They are best known for the giant tortoises, which are, yes, extremely big and extremely slow.

They used to allow children to ride on the tortoises' backs, but fortunately no longer do that.

They had other reptiles, too. 

We had not expected to see alligators!

They also had a large and thriving prairie dog colony, which was my favourite here.

After our wonderful time here, we flew back to D.C., and then drove to the Tappahannock, Va., area, for a family gathering. My brother and Lucas joined us there, and a day or two later, we flew home.