Today we left Asheville on our last day of our adventure. Even though we were in thick-as-pea-soup fog, we decided to take our chances and visit Mount Mitchell. What a good decision that was.
At first, driving through the Blue Ridge Parkway was quite hairy, as the fog allowed only about 25 feet of visibility and the sun frequently blinded us through it. However, we finally left the fog. Feeling glad for the weather, I innocently looked out my window to see the mountains. I saw the spectacular breakthrough of clear sky, as we suddenly rose above the clouds. It was like nothing I had ever seen before, or even had imagined.
Every peak of the mountains stuck out of the bed of clouds like islands in an ever-extending sea. The only thing you have ever seen close to it is looking at clouds from an airplane above it, except that this time the earth and the sky are inter-mingling. It’s hard to put into words what this was like, so I will use pictures.
After this awe-inspiring view, we finally ascended to near the top of Mount Mitchell. We drove to the campground near the summit that we infamously stayed 4 years ago, and hiked up to the top of the mountain through beautiful meadows and boreal forests. It reminded me of Mirkwood in the Lord of the Rings. Each coniferous tree trunk was thickly covered in moss, and the ground was littered with lichens, stumps and jutting rocks. The interesting thing about this is that only 100 or so lower feet in elevation, all you would see is dormant deciduous trees and normal leaf litter on the ground. This is a truly exclusive biosphere.
We drove home with great pictures and memories of those crazy views. What a way to finish off a trip!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Day 22 (November 23rd)
Today, we left the our cabin in the mountains, and went to Tallulah Gorge. Here's a little history overview.
Tallulah Gorge is the Tallulah River's water-carved canyon. It's an incredible monstrosity of over 600 feet deep with partially forested walls of quartizite. Until the turn of the 19th century, it was completely unchanged by man. Many stories were written by europeans and indians alike about mysterious powers of the thundering waters. It surged its way over a series of plummeting cataracts, night and day.
The first (somewhat crazy, in my opinion) person to tightrope walk it did so in July 24th 1886 and drew a crowd of 5000. Known as Professor Leon, many watched the man walk across the gorge on a tightrope. Close to the center, one of his guylines broke and he nearly fell to his imminent death. Luckily, he caught his spare cable, sat on it for 25 minutes and then completed the walk.
In 1905-1909 many rich men bought land around the gorge and formed the Georgia Power Company. They made the gorge dam which opened in September 1913. This slowed the water flow to a trickle and killed most of the tourism. Soon, the thunder of water became moaning of wind in the Gorge.
On July 18, 1970 63 year old Karl Wallenda duplicated Prof Leon's tightrope walk in under 40 minutes with two headstands, dedicated to his family members in a car crash and 'The Boys in Vietnam'.
Just before the turn of this century, the state of Georgia and the Georgia Power Company began a unique partnership with plant to allow more water to be released from dam for scenic considerations, termed 'Aesthetic Flow'.
Today there is a continuous 35 cubic feet/second of water flowing into gorge, except for scheduled days where only 12 cubic feet/second flowing for hiker exploration at the bottom. In tourist season (memorial-labor day) on weekends it is increased to 200 cubic feet/second. On 5 weekends per year, it's increased to 500-700 cubic feet/second for high speed kayaking.
Back to our trip. We walked past some of the stunning scenic overlooks, and down to the Gorge Floor via several hundred steps. Even with a mere 35 cubic feet per second, the flow is pretty amazing. We walked up the stairs again, took a look at the massive dam, and hopped in the car to head back to NC.
We decided not go home because we would not arrive until very late, so Dad booked us a hotel in Asheville.
Tallulah Gorge is the Tallulah River's water-carved canyon. It's an incredible monstrosity of over 600 feet deep with partially forested walls of quartizite. Until the turn of the 19th century, it was completely unchanged by man. Many stories were written by europeans and indians alike about mysterious powers of the thundering waters. It surged its way over a series of plummeting cataracts, night and day.
The first (somewhat crazy, in my opinion) person to tightrope walk it did so in July 24th 1886 and drew a crowd of 5000. Known as Professor Leon, many watched the man walk across the gorge on a tightrope. Close to the center, one of his guylines broke and he nearly fell to his imminent death. Luckily, he caught his spare cable, sat on it for 25 minutes and then completed the walk.
In 1905-1909 many rich men bought land around the gorge and formed the Georgia Power Company. They made the gorge dam which opened in September 1913. This slowed the water flow to a trickle and killed most of the tourism. Soon, the thunder of water became moaning of wind in the Gorge.
On July 18, 1970 63 year old Karl Wallenda duplicated Prof Leon's tightrope walk in under 40 minutes with two headstands, dedicated to his family members in a car crash and 'The Boys in Vietnam'.
Just before the turn of this century, the state of Georgia and the Georgia Power Company began a unique partnership with plant to allow more water to be released from dam for scenic considerations, termed 'Aesthetic Flow'.
Today there is a continuous 35 cubic feet/second of water flowing into gorge, except for scheduled days where only 12 cubic feet/second flowing for hiker exploration at the bottom. In tourist season (memorial-labor day) on weekends it is increased to 200 cubic feet/second. On 5 weekends per year, it's increased to 500-700 cubic feet/second for high speed kayaking.
Back to our trip. We walked past some of the stunning scenic overlooks, and down to the Gorge Floor via several hundred steps. Even with a mere 35 cubic feet per second, the flow is pretty amazing. We walked up the stairs again, took a look at the massive dam, and hopped in the car to head back to NC.
We decided not go home because we would not arrive until very late, so Dad booked us a hotel in Asheville.
Day 21 (November 22nd)
Today was a boring, dreary, irksome, vexing, rainy day. We had originally planned to visit Tallulah Gorge for a large water release and kayaking exhibition, but Mom decided an hour and a half drive (each way) was not worth it in the pouring down rain. We did a decent amount of homework, and then left for a movie at the ‘North Georgia Premium Outlets’. This was pretty fun as we could get out the cold, wet, and didn't require using our brains!
Day 20 (November 21st)
Today went to Amicalola Falls.
Amicalola means tumbling waters in Cherokee, falls are highest in Georgia at 729 feet. Park is the southernmost entry to the AT (with the AT approach trail). Located in GA gold belt. 604 steps and a lot of steep uphill paths to top of falls.
Later in the day, we went to Dahlonega. Dahlonega means 'precious yellow color' in Cherokee. 1828 white men first discovered gold literally on the floor of the forest. This resulted in the Trail of Tears. Between 1838 and 1861 the US gov operated a mint there. Manufactured 6 million dollars in per YEAR todays coins (which is 115 billion dolars today). Complete set of gold coins in city hall vault at gold museum, today worth 6 million. City Hall bricks had flecks of gold. So much gold at the time that little flakes didn't matter to them. Estimated 20% gold in GA Mountains has been removed. Like all mining, it destroys all ecological habitat to access it. Talk about dangerous processing.
Amicalola means tumbling waters in Cherokee, falls are highest in Georgia at 729 feet. Park is the southernmost entry to the AT (with the AT approach trail). Located in GA gold belt. 604 steps and a lot of steep uphill paths to top of falls.
Later in the day, we went to Dahlonega. Dahlonega means 'precious yellow color' in Cherokee. 1828 white men first discovered gold literally on the floor of the forest. This resulted in the Trail of Tears. Between 1838 and 1861 the US gov operated a mint there. Manufactured 6 million dollars in per YEAR todays coins (which is 115 billion dolars today). Complete set of gold coins in city hall vault at gold museum, today worth 6 million. City Hall bricks had flecks of gold. So much gold at the time that little flakes didn't matter to them. Estimated 20% gold in GA Mountains has been removed. Like all mining, it destroys all ecological habitat to access it. Talk about dangerous processing.
Day 19 (November 20th)
Today Mom, Greta and I packed up from Atlanta to head for the mountains, the last major segment of our trip. But first, we drove just east of Atlanta to Stone Mountain. Stone Mountain is a bare granite pluton (humongous solid hunk of rock) in the middle of the piedmont. This makes it a spectacular view. We hiked up the backside of the mountain, which was a somewhat difficult hike up steep sections of bare rock. The view was spectacular, even from only halfway up the mountain.
After this, we drove around to the bare face of a rock to see a carving of the Confederate Generals. About 50 feet tall and 100 feet wide, this is obviously no small feat. In fact, the man who carved Mount Rushmore started out here for practice. The carving depicts Robert E. Lee, ‘Stonewall’ Jackson and Jefferson Davis riding on horseback.
We drove out to the mountains, and checked into our cabin. It’s a 4 room Lincoln-log style cabin, just big enough to have privacy and small enough to feel authentic.
After this, we drove around to the bare face of a rock to see a carving of the Confederate Generals. About 50 feet tall and 100 feet wide, this is obviously no small feat. In fact, the man who carved Mount Rushmore started out here for practice. The carving depicts Robert E. Lee, ‘Stonewall’ Jackson and Jefferson Davis riding on horseback.
We drove out to the mountains, and checked into our cabin. It’s a 4 room Lincoln-log style cabin, just big enough to have privacy and small enough to feel authentic.
Day 18 (November 19th)
Today we took the subway and a bus to the Martin Luther King Birthplace. After navigating our way through several museums and historic houses, we finally found our tour group and headed for the house.
At the time, MLK lived in the comfortable middle-class in a roomy house. His father and grandfather were both pastors at the Ebeneezer Baptist church just down the road. He lived with his brother, sister, parents and Grandma. Occasionally, he would share rooms with a cousin or a guest as his father was a prominent minister.
As a kid, King loved to help his grandmother cook, but hated to do the dishes because he thought it was woman’s work. For punishment his parents made him bring in the coal from the yard. However, this punishment was not very effective because Martin enjoyed moving coal! He thought this was a real man’s job, because he got to lift heavy soot and get nice and dirty.
MLK also enjoyed ripping the heads off of his sister’s dolls and playing baseball with them. Obviously, this is before he learned the tenets of nonviolence!
After this, we watched several presentations on the rights’ struggles of the day, walked through a museum including several pieces of clothing he wore on prominent occasions. Finally, we visited King’s (and his wife’s) crypt.
Once we were finished, we waited for an hour for a bus, and then went for the High Museum of Art. We saw several original Leonardo Da Vinci sketches and sculptures of the day. We also went to an exhibit of Modern Art. Much of it looked painstakingly beautiful, like a 10’ x 14’ foot of layered painting depicting a starry night sky, and some of it looked over-appreciated, like a room full of 4 odd shaped canvases of plain colored paint. I guess my appreciation is just in the wrong place.
The other exhibit we saw there was full of stunning impressionist paintings (largely from the renaissance and post-renaissance). There were even a handful of Monet paintings (like one of the incredibly famous paintings of Notre Dame cathedral in fog).
At the time, MLK lived in the comfortable middle-class in a roomy house. His father and grandfather were both pastors at the Ebeneezer Baptist church just down the road. He lived with his brother, sister, parents and Grandma. Occasionally, he would share rooms with a cousin or a guest as his father was a prominent minister.
As a kid, King loved to help his grandmother cook, but hated to do the dishes because he thought it was woman’s work. For punishment his parents made him bring in the coal from the yard. However, this punishment was not very effective because Martin enjoyed moving coal! He thought this was a real man’s job, because he got to lift heavy soot and get nice and dirty.
MLK also enjoyed ripping the heads off of his sister’s dolls and playing baseball with them. Obviously, this is before he learned the tenets of nonviolence!
After this, we watched several presentations on the rights’ struggles of the day, walked through a museum including several pieces of clothing he wore on prominent occasions. Finally, we visited King’s (and his wife’s) crypt.
Once we were finished, we waited for an hour for a bus, and then went for the High Museum of Art. We saw several original Leonardo Da Vinci sketches and sculptures of the day. We also went to an exhibit of Modern Art. Much of it looked painstakingly beautiful, like a 10’ x 14’ foot of layered painting depicting a starry night sky, and some of it looked over-appreciated, like a room full of 4 odd shaped canvases of plain colored paint. I guess my appreciation is just in the wrong place.
The other exhibit we saw there was full of stunning impressionist paintings (largely from the renaissance and post-renaissance). There were even a handful of Monet paintings (like one of the incredibly famous paintings of Notre Dame cathedral in fog).
Day 17 (November 18th)
Today we went to the the CNN Center. The building is part CNN-headquarters, part ritzy-hotel, part food court so it was certaintly a diverse experience.
The tour took us through several CNN control rooms, including the room with a projector showing the Anchor between ad-breaks taking instructions from the floor manager, and the teleprompter that he was reading from. My favorite control room was none other than the CNN floor, where the Anchors are recorded live in front of the desks of the support crew, also the same room from which the weather is broadcasted. It's amazing to see such famous people working on live TV from only a couple dozen feet!
We also visited the HLN floor room and the HLN broadcasting room, which had moveable walls and a plethora of mounted cameras and background TVs.
The tour finished up with a video of how reporters and news anchors came about reporting, and then we were let out into the gift shop. Greta and Mom dragged me into doing a mock reporting session in front of a teleprompting camera with a realistic CNN desk behind us. When we were nearly finished, a group of schoolkids walked up to the glass wall and started waving at us as if they thought we were the real thing! Wow, either we were pretty realistic or those kids were really dumb!
After this, we had some lunch and headed for the Coca-Cola Museum. Mom was originally a little but dubious about paying admission into a museum that was pretty much one big advertisement, but after only a few minutes she was confident it was better than the Georgia Aquarium.
After an animation on 'The Happiness Factory' (The 'behind-the-scenes' tour amd the animated movie about how a bottle of Coke comes out of a vending machine.), we walked past man dressed up very convincingly as a polar bear, through several exhibits on the process with which coke is made and the history of the product, and on to the highlight of the visit: the taste-testing room.
This room was where 64 different soft drinks by the Coca-Cola company worldwide are sitting out for free taste testing. Some were incredibly sweet, and some were terrible! The most notable was an Italian drink called Beverly which was absolultely disgusting! It's bitter rotten grapefruit tast pretty much summed up the sensation of gagging, all in one soft drink.
After this, we went through a 4D Multimedia movie about the secret formulat of coke. It was a little too gripping for me, as it had no mercy of shaking, spraying, smacking and poking you while you watched an innocent plotline about Coca-Cola. Mom really liked it, though.
The tour took us through several CNN control rooms, including the room with a projector showing the Anchor between ad-breaks taking instructions from the floor manager, and the teleprompter that he was reading from. My favorite control room was none other than the CNN floor, where the Anchors are recorded live in front of the desks of the support crew, also the same room from which the weather is broadcasted. It's amazing to see such famous people working on live TV from only a couple dozen feet!
We also visited the HLN floor room and the HLN broadcasting room, which had moveable walls and a plethora of mounted cameras and background TVs.
The tour finished up with a video of how reporters and news anchors came about reporting, and then we were let out into the gift shop. Greta and Mom dragged me into doing a mock reporting session in front of a teleprompting camera with a realistic CNN desk behind us. When we were nearly finished, a group of schoolkids walked up to the glass wall and started waving at us as if they thought we were the real thing! Wow, either we were pretty realistic or those kids were really dumb!
After this, we had some lunch and headed for the Coca-Cola Museum. Mom was originally a little but dubious about paying admission into a museum that was pretty much one big advertisement, but after only a few minutes she was confident it was better than the Georgia Aquarium.
After an animation on 'The Happiness Factory' (The 'behind-the-scenes' tour amd the animated movie about how a bottle of Coke comes out of a vending machine.), we walked past man dressed up very convincingly as a polar bear, through several exhibits on the process with which coke is made and the history of the product, and on to the highlight of the visit: the taste-testing room.
This room was where 64 different soft drinks by the Coca-Cola company worldwide are sitting out for free taste testing. Some were incredibly sweet, and some were terrible! The most notable was an Italian drink called Beverly which was absolultely disgusting! It's bitter rotten grapefruit tast pretty much summed up the sensation of gagging, all in one soft drink.
After this, we went through a 4D Multimedia movie about the secret formulat of coke. It was a little too gripping for me, as it had no mercy of shaking, spraying, smacking and poking you while you watched an innocent plotline about Coca-Cola. Mom really liked it, though.
Day 16 (November 17th)
Today we went to the Georgia Aquarium. Self-proclaimed as the largest in the World, Mom was very excited to see what it had to offer.
First of all, when we arrived the tickets were *very* expensive. The basic floor access tickets cost $27 for adults, and $20 for children, so this is obviously not a very economical visit for a large family. Fortunately, we bought CityPasses so we didn’t have to pay anything.
When we walked into the aquarium, it was less like an animal exhibit and more like a dance floor. With flashing lights and music booming from curvy painted walls, and signs to exhibits that looked more like billboards, I almost walked up to the information desk to ask ‘Could you please tell me where the animals are?’.
Still, once we did cut down to the exhibits, they were pretty comprehensive. There were several rooms with touch tanks the size of squash courts (and bigger) , which were jam-packed with exotic marine animals.
There was a large exhibit with an overhead freshwater stream, with hundred-pound catfish and schools of minnows alike lazily drifting around the rather turbulent waters. Our favorite part of the freshwater exhibit was the otter exhibit, where a group of several otters were busy catching Z’s on a rock in the middle of the water, piled up on each other.
Another fun exhibit included a large assortment of light-producing jellyfish, glowing and gliding around the water. The exhibit also had a half-dozen cuttlefish, which are famous for being the most camouflaging creatures in the world. The tank was full of black, white and striped substrate and poles, but we must have been there at siesta hour because they were pretty much doing nothing.
Our favorite exhibit was a football-field sized tank, which likely had over 1000 fish including hammerhead sharks, manta rays, a plethora of schoolfish, and four massive Whale Sharks. Whale Sharks are the largest of the shark family; growing up to about 20 feet long and several feet wide. However, they only have throats about as wide as a quarter, because they eat small shrimp and krill. If a fish accidentally gets swallowed by this monstrosity, it can escape by the gills.
After visiting the exhibits, we ate lunch and took a tour of the exhibits. We went over the top of the overhead river, next to the sides of the football-field sized tank, and through the massive filters that keep the tank clean. The filter room (which is nearly the size of the tank) can replace all of the water in this 6 *Million* Gallon tank in a minute. Talk about suction.
Once we were done with the aquarium, we chilled out for the rest of the day at the outdoor ice skating rink. While we were skating, the radio turned on to a Michael Jackson song, and a very impassioned man ran out into the middle of the rink and began dancing. He was actually doing a really good job; he made his legs look like cooked spaghetti and did the perfect head-jerk. He even wore one glove! One might say it was a ‘cool’ experience!
First of all, when we arrived the tickets were *very* expensive. The basic floor access tickets cost $27 for adults, and $20 for children, so this is obviously not a very economical visit for a large family. Fortunately, we bought CityPasses so we didn’t have to pay anything.
When we walked into the aquarium, it was less like an animal exhibit and more like a dance floor. With flashing lights and music booming from curvy painted walls, and signs to exhibits that looked more like billboards, I almost walked up to the information desk to ask ‘Could you please tell me where the animals are?’.
Still, once we did cut down to the exhibits, they were pretty comprehensive. There were several rooms with touch tanks the size of squash courts (and bigger) , which were jam-packed with exotic marine animals.
There was a large exhibit with an overhead freshwater stream, with hundred-pound catfish and schools of minnows alike lazily drifting around the rather turbulent waters. Our favorite part of the freshwater exhibit was the otter exhibit, where a group of several otters were busy catching Z’s on a rock in the middle of the water, piled up on each other.
Another fun exhibit included a large assortment of light-producing jellyfish, glowing and gliding around the water. The exhibit also had a half-dozen cuttlefish, which are famous for being the most camouflaging creatures in the world. The tank was full of black, white and striped substrate and poles, but we must have been there at siesta hour because they were pretty much doing nothing.
Our favorite exhibit was a football-field sized tank, which likely had over 1000 fish including hammerhead sharks, manta rays, a plethora of schoolfish, and four massive Whale Sharks. Whale Sharks are the largest of the shark family; growing up to about 20 feet long and several feet wide. However, they only have throats about as wide as a quarter, because they eat small shrimp and krill. If a fish accidentally gets swallowed by this monstrosity, it can escape by the gills.
After visiting the exhibits, we ate lunch and took a tour of the exhibits. We went over the top of the overhead river, next to the sides of the football-field sized tank, and through the massive filters that keep the tank clean. The filter room (which is nearly the size of the tank) can replace all of the water in this 6 *Million* Gallon tank in a minute. Talk about suction.
Once we were done with the aquarium, we chilled out for the rest of the day at the outdoor ice skating rink. While we were skating, the radio turned on to a Michael Jackson song, and a very impassioned man ran out into the middle of the rink and began dancing. He was actually doing a really good job; he made his legs look like cooked spaghetti and did the perfect head-jerk. He even wore one glove! One might say it was a ‘cool’ experience!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Day 15 (November 16th)
Today we went to the Atlanta History Museum. We first took a tour of the fabulous Swan House near the property. The Swan House is renowned for it's incredibly arcitecture, woodwork and fine details; it's the most photographed object in Atlanta for this reason. During the tour, we saw false doors, 2-foot thick marble walls, incredibly elaborate wooden inlays, and pretty much all the stuff money could buy from old slave money.
The house was built in the early 20th century, and the rich owners were determined to put in modern effects like hot water, electricity, telephone, central heating and flush bathrooms, but didn't want to spoil the classical look. They decided to hide all of these. For instance, the heat came through decorative holes in the floor (which we didn't notice until the guide pointed them out), the radio came out of decorative holes in the windowseat, the telephone was hidden in a private room, and the electric switches were hidden behind effects in the walls. Wow.
After this, we walked through an exhibit on the Civil War. It had one of the most comprehensive collections of Civil War artifacts, including an impressive display of several dozen artillery shells, many larger than basketballs. Talk about ouch!
Another funny artifact was a chestplate manufactured in the beginning of the war. Claiming to be 'bulletproof', soldiers would carry around this many-pound hunk of metal until they learned a musketball would go through it like a hot knife through butter. These were quickly ditched, along with much other useless paraphenalia. The exhibit also included a replication of siege protection that was used by the Confederates at Atlanta and Richmond.
However, the audio tour very extensive in detail. After a while, we decided to read most of the details and take our chances.
After this, we headed to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Unfortunately, they were closed on Mondays so we had to head home. I hate Mondays.
The house was built in the early 20th century, and the rich owners were determined to put in modern effects like hot water, electricity, telephone, central heating and flush bathrooms, but didn't want to spoil the classical look. They decided to hide all of these. For instance, the heat came through decorative holes in the floor (which we didn't notice until the guide pointed them out), the radio came out of decorative holes in the windowseat, the telephone was hidden in a private room, and the electric switches were hidden behind effects in the walls. Wow.
After this, we walked through an exhibit on the Civil War. It had one of the most comprehensive collections of Civil War artifacts, including an impressive display of several dozen artillery shells, many larger than basketballs. Talk about ouch!
Another funny artifact was a chestplate manufactured in the beginning of the war. Claiming to be 'bulletproof', soldiers would carry around this many-pound hunk of metal until they learned a musketball would go through it like a hot knife through butter. These were quickly ditched, along with much other useless paraphenalia. The exhibit also included a replication of siege protection that was used by the Confederates at Atlanta and Richmond.
However, the audio tour very extensive in detail. After a while, we decided to read most of the details and take our chances.
After this, we headed to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Unfortunately, they were closed on Mondays so we had to head home. I hate Mondays.
Day 14 (November 15th)
Today we drove to Atlanta. We spent our first walking around Centennial Park and the CNN building. We had a great time watching kids prance around the shooting water of the Olympic Fountain of Rings (Atlanta was the host of the 1996 Olympics). There was also an overcrowded outdoor ice skating rink in 70 degree degree weather. In Chicago, this would be considered preposterous, but then again in Georgia getting below 80 degrees is pretty darn cold so maybe it's OK.
Day 13 (November 14th)
Today we went to the Seabrook Village site south of Savannah. Unlike the exclusive community of Seabrook Island in Charleston, this is the site of a post-civil war Gullah community. So, the exact opposite of Seabrook Island.
When we arrived, we were the only car in the parking lot of the visitor's center, which was pretty much a small house with peeling paint and a stray cat in the front yard. Hmm..... I guess not a normal tourist destination?
We walked through the house, which was half-office half museum and well well under 1000 square feet. After this, we went to a 1900s pre-integration black schoolhouse. A dreary wooden shack, it looked like a 3rd-world schoolhouse. It really showed just how much more struggling for freedom blacks had beyond the Emancipation Proclamation.
Due to lack of funding, not much more was at the site so we left. We walking along the touristy riverwalk, saw some multi-million dollar yachts and speedboats (Owned by Hedge-fund CEOs or Ponzi Schemists?) and then went to dinner. We ate at the Pirate's House, which is one of the oldest taverns in North America, where Robert Lewis Stevenson was inspired to write Treasure Island, and where many a poor unsuspecting seamen was Shanghai'd (kidnapped to work at sea). There are even a few secret tunnels and holding vaults in the restaurant for this purpose!
When we arrived, we were the only car in the parking lot of the visitor's center, which was pretty much a small house with peeling paint and a stray cat in the front yard. Hmm..... I guess not a normal tourist destination?
We walked through the house, which was half-office half museum and well well under 1000 square feet. After this, we went to a 1900s pre-integration black schoolhouse. A dreary wooden shack, it looked like a 3rd-world schoolhouse. It really showed just how much more struggling for freedom blacks had beyond the Emancipation Proclamation.
Due to lack of funding, not much more was at the site so we left. We walking along the touristy riverwalk, saw some multi-million dollar yachts and speedboats (Owned by Hedge-fund CEOs or Ponzi Schemists?) and then went to dinner. We ate at the Pirate's House, which is one of the oldest taverns in North America, where Robert Lewis Stevenson was inspired to write Treasure Island, and where many a poor unsuspecting seamen was Shanghai'd (kidnapped to work at sea). There are even a few secret tunnels and holding vaults in the restaurant for this purpose!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Day 12 (November 13th)
Today started out with a drive and visit to Fort Pulaski. This fort was made in the early 19th century and designed by the famous Robert E. Lee. It consisted of over 25 Million Bricks. Fort Pulaski was taken early in the civil war by the confederates, and reinforced to be extremely stable.
When it came time, the Union marched down into the neighboring Tybee Island, and stealthily set up an artillery encampment surrounding it. They demanded an unconditional surrender, which was denied, and then attacked. The union had far more guns than the confederates, mostly massive13-inch howitzers and field guns. However, they also had some of the first rifled cannons, which basically means that grooves are bored into the barrel to curve the projectile. This increases power and accuracy.
Guess which weapon was more useful? If you guessed the rifled cannons, you’re right. They were actually the only guns to cause significant damage to the fort. It was taken the second day when a shell nearly detonated the fort’s ammunition supply. The entire battle only had 3 significant casualties and one death, which is relatively tiny compared to other battles.
The grounds of the fort are actually being used as the set for a movie about the woman hung for the Lincoln conspiracies; the fort is the backdrop for the gallows.
We walked around in and outside of the fort, watched a musket demonstration, eyed the cannons and filled out Greta’s junior ranger sheet. Then we left for the Tybee island lighthouse. We essentially went there for the experience of walking up it. It was 178 steps, which was no biggie for us after the 350 to get to the top of the Capitol Dome. The view was pretty nice, but was nothing compared to the CN Tower that we had just been up except here you could walk outside.
After going home and taking a nap, we went on a nighttime ghost tour. We pretty much walked around cemeteries and hotels and listened to spooky ghost stories, some of which were hard to believe. We also walked through the Julia Gordon Lowe house for the 2nd time, and listened to personal experiences with Julia’s Grandma’s ghost. Apparently she loves to ride the elevator and whisper in ears. I didn’t believe much of it, but Mom said that I was doomed to be visited by a ghost if I didn’t believe. Hmmm…
When it came time, the Union marched down into the neighboring Tybee Island, and stealthily set up an artillery encampment surrounding it. They demanded an unconditional surrender, which was denied, and then attacked. The union had far more guns than the confederates, mostly massive13-inch howitzers and field guns. However, they also had some of the first rifled cannons, which basically means that grooves are bored into the barrel to curve the projectile. This increases power and accuracy.
Guess which weapon was more useful? If you guessed the rifled cannons, you’re right. They were actually the only guns to cause significant damage to the fort. It was taken the second day when a shell nearly detonated the fort’s ammunition supply. The entire battle only had 3 significant casualties and one death, which is relatively tiny compared to other battles.
The grounds of the fort are actually being used as the set for a movie about the woman hung for the Lincoln conspiracies; the fort is the backdrop for the gallows.
We walked around in and outside of the fort, watched a musket demonstration, eyed the cannons and filled out Greta’s junior ranger sheet. Then we left for the Tybee island lighthouse. We essentially went there for the experience of walking up it. It was 178 steps, which was no biggie for us after the 350 to get to the top of the Capitol Dome. The view was pretty nice, but was nothing compared to the CN Tower that we had just been up except here you could walk outside.
After going home and taking a nap, we went on a nighttime ghost tour. We pretty much walked around cemeteries and hotels and listened to spooky ghost stories, some of which were hard to believe. We also walked through the Julia Gordon Lowe house for the 2nd time, and listened to personal experiences with Julia’s Grandma’s ghost. Apparently she loves to ride the elevator and whisper in ears. I didn’t believe much of it, but Mom said that I was doomed to be visited by a ghost if I didn’t believe. Hmmm…
Day 11 (November 12)
Today, among other insignificant events, we visited the Juliette Gordon Lowe house. For those who don’t know, she’s the founder of the Girl Scouts. She lived here until she got married. She lived in a very interesting family, many which are supposedly now ghosts roaming the house day and night. The house itself stayed in the family and still is owned by family members. It’s actually a fairly plain house for the Victorian era, considered at the time upper middle-class. It’s laden with many of Julia’s paintings, sculptings and etchings.
Other than this, we visited the visitors’ center, I got a haircut and Greta bought an expensive designer cupcake.
Other than this, we visited the visitors’ center, I got a haircut and Greta bought an expensive designer cupcake.
Day 10 (November 11)
Today we visited the USS Yorktown. Commissioned in the WWII era, it was one of the first aircraft carriers. To put it mildly, the thing is simple massive. When you look at an aircraft carrier, you think: ‘Wow, massive ship with planes on top and a big cargo bay in the middle.’ What you don’t realize is the absolute maze of small compartments that are fit into it. Just look at a picture of this multiple football-field long monstrosity. Imagine that filled with tiny little offices and engine rooms and soldiers’ quarters. Pretty amazing.
We walked up to the flight deck, where a plethora of planes are stored. One interesting thing is that many of the planes actually have folding wings so that they fit with less space. We toured many of the areas below the deck, and then the national Medal of Honor museum in the plane bay. It really gave a sense of how much bravery goes into this award.
After this, we drove out through the pouring rain to our hotel in Savannah.
We walked up to the flight deck, where a plethora of planes are stored. One interesting thing is that many of the planes actually have folding wings so that they fit with less space. We toured many of the areas below the deck, and then the national Medal of Honor museum in the plane bay. It really gave a sense of how much bravery goes into this award.
After this, we drove out through the pouring rain to our hotel in Savannah.
Day 9 (November 10th)
Today we walked Charleston’s ‘Museum Mile’. This is pretty much a mile(ish) long strip down Meeting Street with several significant museums and historical sites.
However, before we started the walk we visited the Aiken-Rhett house. This house is a preserved artifact of the Civil War, and was one of the few not to get completely destroyed by Union bombardment. The self-guided tour took us through the Slave’s quarters, stables, living dining and bedrooms, and the art gallery collected by the family. The best part is that the whole house is just like it used to be. Pretty Cool!
The next stop was the Charleston Museum. I’d already been a couple years before, but Mom and Greta had tons of fun going through the exhibits. By far their favorite one was the wedding dress exhibit, which had a try-on section of era-correct clothing. They loved it!
We finally embarked on the hike down Museum Mile. At first, it looked much like a normal city street, until we got down to the Battery. The Battery is the historically the rich neighborhood in downtown Charleston near where Fort Sumter was bombarded, which is still lived in. It wouldn't be surprising to see a Lamborghini Murcielago rolling down the street at any given moment. You couldn’t walk five feet without seeing a Porsche. I spent plenty of time salivating!
Before we toured any of these Über houses, we first visited the Provost Dungeon. Originally a bastion on the Charleston seawall, it was converted into a customs house in the late 18th century. During the revolutionary war, it was also used as a prisoners of war dungeon. The Americans also used it as an ammunitions magazine; they hid their powder so well that during Charleston's many years of British occupation, it was never found.
The next stop our first Battery house. Home of the famous ‘Floating Stairway’ (To my disappointment, it didn’t actually float) we took a tour of the Russell house. This house was one of the few that was *not* actually funded by slave labor and the exploitation of Africans, as Nathaniel Russell made his fortune by Import/Export trading.
The reason the famous 'Floating Stairway' appears to float is because it has no central support and it only touches the three floor landings. At first, it does like it's floating.
Our last visit was to the Edmonston-Alston house. This was the first house built in the Battery, and evolved through the years and its owners. *Witness to many dramatic events in Charleston’s history, the Edmondston-Alston House is a classic example of the city’s changing and sophisticated taste in architecture and decorative arts.The Edmondston-Alston House is a repository of family treasures, including Alston family silver, furniture, books and paintings that remain in place much as they have been for over a century and a half.
*Source: Middleton Place/Edmonston-Alston website
However, before we started the walk we visited the Aiken-Rhett house. This house is a preserved artifact of the Civil War, and was one of the few not to get completely destroyed by Union bombardment. The self-guided tour took us through the Slave’s quarters, stables, living dining and bedrooms, and the art gallery collected by the family. The best part is that the whole house is just like it used to be. Pretty Cool!
The next stop was the Charleston Museum. I’d already been a couple years before, but Mom and Greta had tons of fun going through the exhibits. By far their favorite one was the wedding dress exhibit, which had a try-on section of era-correct clothing. They loved it!
We finally embarked on the hike down Museum Mile. At first, it looked much like a normal city street, until we got down to the Battery. The Battery is the historically the rich neighborhood in downtown Charleston near where Fort Sumter was bombarded, which is still lived in. It wouldn't be surprising to see a Lamborghini Murcielago rolling down the street at any given moment. You couldn’t walk five feet without seeing a Porsche. I spent plenty of time salivating!
Before we toured any of these Über houses, we first visited the Provost Dungeon. Originally a bastion on the Charleston seawall, it was converted into a customs house in the late 18th century. During the revolutionary war, it was also used as a prisoners of war dungeon. The Americans also used it as an ammunitions magazine; they hid their powder so well that during Charleston's many years of British occupation, it was never found.
The next stop our first Battery house. Home of the famous ‘Floating Stairway’ (To my disappointment, it didn’t actually float) we took a tour of the Russell house. This house was one of the few that was *not* actually funded by slave labor and the exploitation of Africans, as Nathaniel Russell made his fortune by Import/Export trading.
The reason the famous 'Floating Stairway' appears to float is because it has no central support and it only touches the three floor landings. At first, it does like it's floating.
Our last visit was to the Edmonston-Alston house. This was the first house built in the Battery, and evolved through the years and its owners. *Witness to many dramatic events in Charleston’s history, the Edmondston-Alston House is a classic example of the city’s changing and sophisticated taste in architecture and decorative arts.The Edmondston-Alston House is a repository of family treasures, including Alston family silver, furniture, books and paintings that remain in place much as they have been for over a century and a half.
*Source: Middleton Place/Edmonston-Alston website
Day 8 (November 9th)
Today we went to Middleton Plantation; essentially one massive landscaped garden with a slave-era rice plantation on one side.
When we were walking through the amazing gardens and ponds, Mom almost stepped on an alligator! No lie, these guys were almost 3 feet long and basking relaxedly. After this we walked more carefully through the rest of the gardens, and saw many era-correct crafting demonstrations. Later, we went on a Slave History tour. It took us through the slave’s quarters, daily lifestyle and how they used their knowledge of rice farming to win little favors over with their masters.
The other place we visited was Drayton Hall. Drayton Hall is essentially a vacation home for the Drayton family, surrounded by smaller sheds and a pond. The house is devoid of any furniture for preservation reasons, but has been kept exactly the same as it was in the 1870s (parts of it date back to it's construction in the early 1700s.) The house was home to both the American and British generals in the revolutionary war.
My favorite part of the house was the family height notches in the wall. One of the owners lived without children, so she notched the growth of her dogs! The funny thing is even though her favorite dog was very small, she always notched him just above the tallest dog.
When we were walking through the amazing gardens and ponds, Mom almost stepped on an alligator! No lie, these guys were almost 3 feet long and basking relaxedly. After this we walked more carefully through the rest of the gardens, and saw many era-correct crafting demonstrations. Later, we went on a Slave History tour. It took us through the slave’s quarters, daily lifestyle and how they used their knowledge of rice farming to win little favors over with their masters.
The other place we visited was Drayton Hall. Drayton Hall is essentially a vacation home for the Drayton family, surrounded by smaller sheds and a pond. The house is devoid of any furniture for preservation reasons, but has been kept exactly the same as it was in the 1870s (parts of it date back to it's construction in the early 1700s.) The house was home to both the American and British generals in the revolutionary war.
My favorite part of the house was the family height notches in the wall. One of the owners lived without children, so she notched the growth of her dogs! The funny thing is even though her favorite dog was very small, she always notched him just above the tallest dog.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Day 7 (November 8th)
Today we left Dad and Raleigh to leave for Charleston. We arrived at about 5:00 at the Notso Hostel. Get it? Haha, well if you’re wondering a hostel is basically a house that is upgraded with rows of bunk beds that are rented out for a lot less than a hotel room where people eat breakfast and socialize more than a hotel. Fortunately, since it was our first time at a hostel, mom rented out two (small) private rooms for us. So, a watered-down hostel maybe.
We also went to a down-south restaurant called Magnolia’s where I ordered my first blackened catfish. Served on habañero chutney over fried green tomatoes and dirty rice, it couldn’t be better. The Habañero chutney scared me a little bit at first, but the spicyness ended up being barely noticeable. It was awesome.
We also went to a down-south restaurant called Magnolia’s where I ordered my first blackened catfish. Served on habañero chutney over fried green tomatoes and dirty rice, it couldn’t be better. The Habañero chutney scared me a little bit at first, but the spicyness ended up being barely noticeable. It was awesome.
Day 6 (November 7th)
Today we decided to go hang gliding for a second time. This time, Dad would try his hand at it too!
On my first flight I went pretty far and landed on my feet, so you might say I was a little cocky on my second flight. I didn’t pay enough attention to my flight instructor as I was flying, and ended up crashing at a 90 degree angle of where I should’ve been. Oops!
Apparently Greta also wasn't in the mood for listening, because she crashed the same way when she went. Then came the moment of truth…. Dad’s flight.
When he went, he started off steadily and began floating to the left. His instructor told him to lean right, but unfortunately he leaned left instead, causing him to crash. It didn’t look like a very bad crash to me, but when he got up from the glider two of the down-poles were snapped. This being his first time, he waited for them to fix it, and tried again. Apparently luck wasn’t on his side that day, and he crashed yet again. Talk about frustrating! He decided not to fly until everybody else had all of their turns.
When it was time for our last flights, the wind reversed in direction, so we switched to the other side of the slope. Both Greta and I landed on our feet, and after everyone was finished, Dad decided to go again.
Finally, luck was on his side; he made it all the way down to a gentle landing. You can imagine he was pretty happy to finally get a good flight!
On the car drive to the rental house, however, Dad started developing severe shoulder pain in his right shoulder. He said it first started mildly after his crash, but went away until he made his final flight. The pain came when he moved his arm to specific positions, and he had to drive with his left hand all the way home. Mom was convinced he broke something, but I thought it had to be more of a ligament injury or bruise.
On my first flight I went pretty far and landed on my feet, so you might say I was a little cocky on my second flight. I didn’t pay enough attention to my flight instructor as I was flying, and ended up crashing at a 90 degree angle of where I should’ve been. Oops!
Apparently Greta also wasn't in the mood for listening, because she crashed the same way when she went. Then came the moment of truth…. Dad’s flight.
When he went, he started off steadily and began floating to the left. His instructor told him to lean right, but unfortunately he leaned left instead, causing him to crash. It didn’t look like a very bad crash to me, but when he got up from the glider two of the down-poles were snapped. This being his first time, he waited for them to fix it, and tried again. Apparently luck wasn’t on his side that day, and he crashed yet again. Talk about frustrating! He decided not to fly until everybody else had all of their turns.
When it was time for our last flights, the wind reversed in direction, so we switched to the other side of the slope. Both Greta and I landed on our feet, and after everyone was finished, Dad decided to go again.
Finally, luck was on his side; he made it all the way down to a gentle landing. You can imagine he was pretty happy to finally get a good flight!
On the car drive to the rental house, however, Dad started developing severe shoulder pain in his right shoulder. He said it first started mildly after his crash, but went away until he made his final flight. The pain came when he moved his arm to specific positions, and he had to drive with his left hand all the way home. Mom was convinced he broke something, but I thought it had to be more of a ligament injury or bruise.
Day 5 (November 6th)
Today we went to the Fort Raleigh National Historic Park. It’s an old English earthen fort that Sir Walter Raleigh built as early fortification for the 'New World' near Roanoke Colony. Despite it’s rather long name, it is actually quite small. The fort is pretty much a 35’x35’ mound and trench with a flat area in the middle. However, Mom pointed out that there were very few outposts at the time, so a you might say a little went a long way.
The other thing we did on Friday was visit the Wings over Water festival dinner. We had plenty of seafood, and listened to a speech and watched a presentation of a wildlife photographer. His pictures were ridiculous; beyond words. My favorite was a picture of a rare and exotic owl (I hate myself for not remember it’s name) perched on a tree. It looked like it was smirking amusedly at us.
The other thing we did on Friday was visit the Wings over Water festival dinner. We had plenty of seafood, and listened to a speech and watched a presentation of a wildlife photographer. His pictures were ridiculous; beyond words. My favorite was a picture of a rare and exotic owl (I hate myself for not remember it’s name) perched on a tree. It looked like it was smirking amusedly at us.
Day 4 (November 5th)
Thursday’s first event was visiting the Chicamacomico Rescue Station. It was a part restored, part preserved building which housed an early form of the US Coast Guard. Active through the roughly 19th and early 20th centuries (Don’t take my word for it, this is old memory.) operations were mainly shooting out lifelines, rescue breeches buoys (Essentially lifejackets on a zipline) and the like. The crew of the infamous wreck of the Mirlo were saved by this lifesaving station in the August of 1918.or something like that).
Another interesting part of the station was a completely preserved and fully intact 20th century family home. This was fun to walk through, even though I accidentally tripped on a rocking chair and nearly broke it.
When we left the station, we put a pin on Chapel Hill on a road map marking where the previous visitors were from (Many of them were from Germany.)
The other thing we did on Thursday was a sunset kayak tour. We signed up for a guided group tour through the Pamlico Sound side of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. We kayaked under an old 1920’s wood bridge that was actively collapsing, around several marsh islands where snails were abundant, and finally made it into a large opening just in time for sunset.
Last speck of daylight!
Tired and cold but still happy, we paddled to the shore, tipped our instructor (not into the water, with money of course) and went home.
Day 3 (November 4th)
We started off the day with a trip to the Jockey’s Ridge State Park. We arrived nice and early to go to a Bird Watching class. It covered the basic methods for bird watching, distinguishing parts of a bird and their differences, and knowing places to look for them. This really clicked with Mom and Greta, but it was a little ahead of me so I frequently asked questions that had just been answered. Need to pay attention…
After this we headed for the Wright Brothers National Monument. We walked around the museum, took our pictures at the flight sites and went to a presentation on the original 1904 glideplane.
The next thing we did was hang-gliding. You might be thinking ‘Hang-WHAT? Is this the right Marlow Durbin?’. I assure you, the same thoughts were mine when I first heard that Mom had signed us up for lessons. I practically screamed at her 'Do you honestly think that your cautious little son will have even the faintest urge to learn how to jump out of the sky with a little piece of canvas attached to my back?’
Fortunately, she explained to me that the lessons were from the top of a dune, and they the trainer would run alongside you the whole way. This reassured me, well, a little bit…
When we arrived, we were shown an introductory video, explaining the concepts of the control and safety procedures. Soon after we finished, trainers put us into our suits and guided us to the dune. At the dune, the we re-learned the concepts, and then they asked for a first-flight volunteer. I guess I was (foolishly) feeling confident, so I volunteered.
Unsurprisingly, I hooked in with a 360 Degree Grin, nodded through the preflight check and jumped off the edge of the dune. To put it mildly, I made nearly ½ second of airtime, and then plummeted to the ground on the glider’s skid wheels and rolled down the dune. Oh well, there’s always next time.
The second time my luck was better; I made it off the dune without hitting the ground immediately and made it almost to the end of the slope before landing. At least progress is all that matters… right?
After I was done, two extremely nervous Moms and Gretas went down the hill, flew twice as well as I did and came up smiling from ear to ear. Progress-wise, I was essentially the same for the rest of the lesson. When we were done, we got a couple assignments for the Hang-1 certification signed off, and left.
Pictures of me in-flight coming soon!
After this we headed for the Wright Brothers National Monument. We walked around the museum, took our pictures at the flight sites and went to a presentation on the original 1904 glideplane.
The next thing we did was hang-gliding. You might be thinking ‘Hang-WHAT? Is this the right Marlow Durbin?’. I assure you, the same thoughts were mine when I first heard that Mom had signed us up for lessons. I practically screamed at her 'Do you honestly think that your cautious little son will have even the faintest urge to learn how to jump out of the sky with a little piece of canvas attached to my back?’
Fortunately, she explained to me that the lessons were from the top of a dune, and they the trainer would run alongside you the whole way. This reassured me, well, a little bit…
When we arrived, we were shown an introductory video, explaining the concepts of the control and safety procedures. Soon after we finished, trainers put us into our suits and guided us to the dune. At the dune, the we re-learned the concepts, and then they asked for a first-flight volunteer. I guess I was (foolishly) feeling confident, so I volunteered.
Unsurprisingly, I hooked in with a 360 Degree Grin, nodded through the preflight check and jumped off the edge of the dune. To put it mildly, I made nearly ½ second of airtime, and then plummeted to the ground on the glider’s skid wheels and rolled down the dune. Oh well, there’s always next time.
The second time my luck was better; I made it off the dune without hitting the ground immediately and made it almost to the end of the slope before landing. At least progress is all that matters… right?
After I was done, two extremely nervous Moms and Gretas went down the hill, flew twice as well as I did and came up smiling from ear to ear. Progress-wise, I was essentially the same for the rest of the lesson. When we were done, we got a couple assignments for the Hang-1 certification signed off, and left.
Pictures of me in-flight coming soon!
Day 2 (November 3rd)
Today we woke up to a sunny and cheerful ocean sky. We decided to take a tour of the southern half of the connected Banks. The first stop was at a nondescript beach halfway between Rodanthe and Buxton. We climbed out of the car to go wet our toes in the nippy 60 degree water. As we headed back along the path, each of us yelped out as something sharp poked our feet. It turns out that the beaches in the area are infested with tiny burs with huge spikes!
Next stop Buxton and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The lighthouse was originally constructed a good distance from the shore, but by 1999 it was nearly in the water due to beach erosion. For this reason, it was moved inland. It’s currently the tallest object that has ever been moved in one piece.
After this, we Ocracoke. Driving to the ferry, we passed a small pond where Greta yelled out for Mom to look at a bird. It turns out that this odd, pink and round-nosed bird was the Roseate Spoonbill, which is predominant in Florida through the southern parts of South Carolina. This made Greta and Mom very happy.
We made it to the ferry in the nick o’ time and soon arrived at Ocracoke Island. We then drove down to the town of Ocracoke to see the lighthouse. It’s less than half the size of the Hatteras and Bodie Island lighthouses, but Mom explains that this is because very few ships sail past Ocracoke’s inlet because they are infested with treacherous shoals. Shoals are inlets which are scattered with shallow sand bars, which can frequently be invisible but are always dangerous. Blackbeard is famous for navigating through the Ocracoke Inlet to strand his enemies.
The last stop was the Ocracoke beach. Greta and I had fun attempting to keep our legs dry in the surf of the waves (We didn’t do so well). Mom and I also went for a run along the beach. While we were running, we encountered an enormous piece of driftwood (larger than a tree trunk) which we suspect to be a wrecked mainmast of an unfortunate ship.
Tired and ready to go home, we lined up at the Ocracoke-Hatteras ferry. We waited through one line, and noticed that as the ferry came our line didn’t move, but certain trucks were driving past us and getting right on it. It turns out that construction trucks have priority over civilian vehicles, and we ended up waiting for nearly an hour and a half to get on a half-hour ferry.
Next stop Buxton and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The lighthouse was originally constructed a good distance from the shore, but by 1999 it was nearly in the water due to beach erosion. For this reason, it was moved inland. It’s currently the tallest object that has ever been moved in one piece.
After this, we Ocracoke. Driving to the ferry, we passed a small pond where Greta yelled out for Mom to look at a bird. It turns out that this odd, pink and round-nosed bird was the Roseate Spoonbill, which is predominant in Florida through the southern parts of South Carolina. This made Greta and Mom very happy.
We made it to the ferry in the nick o’ time and soon arrived at Ocracoke Island. We then drove down to the town of Ocracoke to see the lighthouse. It’s less than half the size of the Hatteras and Bodie Island lighthouses, but Mom explains that this is because very few ships sail past Ocracoke’s inlet because they are infested with treacherous shoals. Shoals are inlets which are scattered with shallow sand bars, which can frequently be invisible but are always dangerous. Blackbeard is famous for navigating through the Ocracoke Inlet to strand his enemies.
The last stop was the Ocracoke beach. Greta and I had fun attempting to keep our legs dry in the surf of the waves (We didn’t do so well). Mom and I also went for a run along the beach. While we were running, we encountered an enormous piece of driftwood (larger than a tree trunk) which we suspect to be a wrecked mainmast of an unfortunate ship.
Tired and ready to go home, we lined up at the Ocracoke-Hatteras ferry. We waited through one line, and noticed that as the ferry came our line didn’t move, but certain trucks were driving past us and getting right on it. It turns out that construction trucks have priority over civilian vehicles, and we ended up waiting for nearly an hour and a half to get on a half-hour ferry.
Day 1 (November 2nd)
Today we drove out to the Outer Banks to begin our trip.
.
The drive was pretty uneventful. However, as we neared the coast, a considerable nor’easter started rolled on in. Crossing the bridges to the OBX was pretty scary! When we made it in, sand and currents of water were blowing across the road freely. Clearly, wind is a powerful force.
We finally made it, somewhat frightened but still in one piece, to Rodanthe NC where the house we rented was situated.
.
The drive was pretty uneventful. However, as we neared the coast, a considerable nor’easter started rolled on in. Crossing the bridges to the OBX was pretty scary! When we made it in, sand and currents of water were blowing across the road freely. Clearly, wind is a powerful force.
We finally made it, somewhat frightened but still in one piece, to Rodanthe NC where the house we rented was situated.
Our Road Trip Map
Just like on our last trip, I've come up with a map for this one! It can be found at:
http://tinyurl.com/ylns5cq
So, basically, the schedule is that we're going to first head down to the OBX for a week or so. We'll see the lighthouses, ride the ferries, hanglide for a bit, see birds and watch lil' too close houses fall into the sea.
http://tinyurl.com/ylns5cq
So, basically, the schedule is that we're going to first head down to the OBX for a week or so. We'll see the lighthouses, ride the ferries, hanglide for a bit, see birds and watch lil' too close houses fall into the sea.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Another New Blog...
Hey y'all! This is my second travel blog on our second extensive road trip this year. This time we'll be traveling through, you guessed it, the Southeast!
My other blog can be found at:
northeastrt09.blogspot.com
(That's the last trip we did)
I hope you enjoy this blog!
My other blog can be found at:
northeastrt09.blogspot.com
(That's the last trip we did)
I hope you enjoy this blog!
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